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News Archive  January 2012

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07/02/2012

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31-01-12

Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain: Chris Dymond (24) has confirmed plans to contest the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB with Parr Motorsport after three successful seasons in GT racing. The Silverstone-based racer participated in the FIA GT3 Championship in 2008 and 2009 and spent last season contesting selected races in the Blancpain Endurance series. He won the Radical UK Cup in 2010 and was a top level international karter in his formative years. His graduation to cars came in the Renault Clio Cup in 2007 and he won the Clio graduate title in his debut season. Now, he is switching focus to the Carrera Cup GB. “In the Carrera Cup it is purely about me with no other factors,” said Dymond. “The career path with Porsche is very good and it is the best platform for me. Le Mans is where I really want to get to. I’m really aiming to be consistently in the Carrera Cup top three by the end of the year.” For Parr Motorsport, signing Dymond comes soon after confirming plans to field Ben Barker and gives the team two hard-charging young racers with the potential to win races and challenge for the title. Team boss Paul Robe is delighted with the latest development. “Chris is just the type of driver we want to run in the team,” said Robe. “I’m really excited about working with Chris and I believe he has got great potential.”

Endurance Racing: Jeroen Bleekemolen was part of Rebellion Racing’s Sebring and Le Mans efforts in 2011, partnering Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost. Together, they achieved the Team’s best result at Le Mans 24 Hours with a sixth place overall finish and first petrol powered car. This year, Bleekemolen will join the Rebellion Racing regular drivers Andrea Belicchi and Harold Primat for the Sebring 12 Hours race, the opening round of the new FIA World Endurance Championship, and also the 80th edition of Le Mans 24 Hours. Bart Hayden, Rebellion Racing Team Manager: "I am pleased to have Jeroen back with us again this year in the two longest races of the season. Jeroen is a good endurance driver with consistency and speed and great team spirit.” Bleekemolen added,  “ It’s great to be back with Rebellion Racing for the two classic endurance races. I am looking forward to aiming again for some great results. I already know all the people in the team from last year and I have two very strong teammates. I know the team has worked hard to improve the whole package since last year, so we should be strong”  A sixth Rebellion driver will be announced shortly.

David Brabham is ready to embark on one of the busiest seasons of his career in 2012. In addition to contesting the FIA World Endurance Championship with JRM Racing, the triple Le Mans 24 Hours winner and double ALMS Champion will also target the Blancpain Endurance Series title with United Autosports.   Brabham joins the Leeds-based team looking propel the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 towards securing the team’s first major championship title and the Pro Class crown. He will be joined in the #22 car for the Series by GP2 race winner and McLaren GT-factory driver Álvaro Parente (Portugal) and United Autosports-managed Matt Bell (England). Brabham commented: “I’ve been impressed with United Autosports’ development in recent years. They are an ambitious team looking to grow and that’s something I always enjoy being a part of. We turned Highcroft Racing from a small team into one of the most potent sportscar outfits in the world, so I’m sure I’ll be able to help United Autosports develop.When you have the calibre of drivers we have at United Autosports it gives everybody a boost, as you know everything is being taken seriously and the target is to win the championship. This is a serious effort and there’s no excuse. The minute we hit the ground in testing the focus will be on winning. We’ve got a competitive package and I see no reason why we can’t take the title.Having won the 1996 Japanese GTC GT500 driving a McLaren F1 GTR, it will be interesting to take charge of the McLaren MP4-12C GT3, as I’m sure it is going to be fast and a joy to drive.” Earlier this monthBrabham was also confirmed as part of JRM Racing’s all-star line-up to contest the inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship, driving the Honda Performance Development ARX-03a alongside teammates Karun Chandhok and Peter Dumbreck. Brabham is eager to take charge of the latest generation HPD LMP1 car, commenting: “The JRM Racing LMP1 programme in the FIA World Endurance Championship is something that really excites me. JRM Racing is a team that’s been developing over the years, it’s got great potential and I can see there’s a real passion and desire to achieve.  I know everyone at HPD and Wirth Research, we’ve gone through a lot of pain and a lot of success together and to join forces with them again is pretty special.” 

Rallycross: Lucas Oil Team Geriatric came away from the annual Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship awards

MotorSport Vision, owners of five major UK circuits including Brands Hatch and Oulton Park, are offering a number of pulsating driving experiences ideal to get loved ones’ hearts throbbing this Valentine’s Day. Activities available on track include amorous F1-style single seater driving with RaceMaster, and seductive saloon car action in a BMW M3 with M3 Master. Off-road highlights includes sideways excitement in a works prepared rally car and sheer drops and waist-high water passes with MudMaster. Youngsters aged 11-17 can experience motoring for the first time in a brand new MINI One with YoungDrive! This is priced at just £79, with 12 month vouchers available. Other experience gift vouchers start from £99. Hot Rides in a Palmer Jaguar JP-LM Le Mans style sportscar are available for £39, while enthusiastic motorists can also take their own vehicle on track with Club MSV trackdays from as little as £20. For more information on MSV Driving Gifts visit www.msvdrivinggifts.com or call 0843 453 1000

30-01-12

Daytona 24 Hours: AIM Autosport Team FXDD took eighth place yesterday in the GT class of the Fiftieth Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona as its FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia GT Grand-Am performed flawlessly for 24 consecutive hours at Daytona International Speedway. The team faced stiff competition in its debut race with its new Ferrari, battling 47 other cars in the GT class with top drivers representing GT championships around the world.  Read report

Toyota Racing Series: In only his third outing Down Under Jordan King proved that he is a fast learner by taking his first pole position and victory in the New Zealand-based Toyota Racing Series at Taupo. He then added a fourth and a third place finish in the remaining two races moving him to sixth in the championship with two events still to run. Pic Bruce Jenkins     Read report

Grand-Am Sports:The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Grand-Am regulars Scott Maxwell and Joe Foster showed encouraging potential by leading the early phase of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) series opener at the Daytona International Speedway. Having qualified in third position during Thursday’s qualifying session, the #55 Multimatic Motorsports-run car passed its rivals away from the green flag in treacherous conditions to lead a field of 81 cars on what was Aston Martin’s Grand-Am debut. he second Vantage GT4 of Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey and Aston Martin’s chief engineer Chris Porritt – making a one-off guest appearance – similarly improved on its qualifying position in the early stages as Dempsey rose from 24th to 14th.After two and a half hours of competition – during which the track dried and many yellow flag periods interrupted proceedings – the lead Vantage GT4 of Maxwell/Foster finished in 16th position, while Dempsey and Porritt finished 32nd in the Grand Sport category after both crews suffered punishing delays.  read report

Rallying: Tony Quinn and Naomi Tillet's Targa Wrest Point challenge has ended on the second competitive stage, after a braking problem put their V.I.P. Petfoods Nissan GT-R R35 off the road. The 390kW all-wheel drive supercar’s ABS partially failed on the approach to a corner on the 22.9km Airwalk 1 stage, causing a front brake to lock . "The sensor on the front left wheel failed, which locked the brake for about 30 metres," Quinn said. “The car pulled left and slid off the road at something like 80km/h. At first I thought we’d get away with just a few scratches, because there was a clearing with what looked like small bushes where we went off. But there was a small tree in amongst them – it made a quite mess of the side of the car.”  Although the Queensland-based Scot and his Adelaide navigator were able to regain the bitumen and complete the stage, they incurred a 20-minute penalty for failing to complete the next stage while running repairs were made to the battered machine. The penalty put the V.I.P. Petfoods team out of contention in the two-day Hobart event, but Quinn and Tillett drove Saturday’s remaining stages to gain practice mileage for April’s Targa Tasmania, which will incorporate the same roads. They intended to continue the extended practice session today, but retired after four of the seven stages when the 2011 model GT-R’s transmission began behaving irregularly. “We kept going even though we didn’t have any chance in the event, because there were some things we wanted to test before Targa Tasmania,” Quinn said. “This was only our second event in the new car, and it has quite a few things that are different compared to the 2009 model we ran most of last year.It was going okay after we changed the sensor and took off the broken bits and pieces, but we hit a pothole on Cygnet 1, and that did something to the transmission. There was nothing at stake, so I decided to stop rather than destroy a $40,000 gearbox.”  The event was won by Jason and John White in a Lamborghini, with Matt and Casey Close second in an Audi TT RS, and Brendon Reeves-Rhiannon Smyth third in a Mazda RX8. The V.I.P. Petfoods team’s next tarmac rally is Targa Bambina in New Zealand from March 17-18.

Endurance Racing: The first three graduates of GT Academy - Lucas Ordonez, Jordan Tresson and Jann Mardenborough - will compete for Nissan in 2012 in three of the world's top endurance racing series. A Spaniard  Ordonez demonstrated at the Le Mans 24 Hours last year, GT Academy is now a proven process, turning out drivers who are ready to race against top international competition. Ordonez is GT Academy's greatest success story to date and he has now joined Greaves Motorsport's European Le Mans Series campaign in order to take his next challenge. He will be racing for overall championship honours in an LMP2 Zytek-Nissan alongside Tom Kimber-Smith and Alex Brundle.  At the Le Mans 24 Hours he will race with Martin and Alex Brundle. "2011 was an incredible year for me," said Ordonez. "I learned a lot with Signatech Nissan.  They believed in me and trusted me to get the job done.  Nissan has set me my next challenge: an overall championship victory. With two top team-mates and a championship-winning team I am aiming to win the European Le Mans Series outright. The Le Mans 24 Hours will again be a big challenge for me and I'm very much looking forward to racing with Martin (Brundle) as I will learn a lot from him. With Martin, Alex and myself I think we will have one of the strongest line-ups in LMP2. It feels great to be able to say that!" The driver with the steepest learning curve in 2012 is 23 year-old Frenchman Tresson. The 2010 GT Academy winner has completed a championship-winning debut season in GT racing but is now stepping up to the LMP2 class of the new FIA World Endurance Championship with Signatech Nissan.  He will also follow in Ordonez's footsteps by competing at the Le Mans 24 Hours this summer. "I am taking a very big step up from GT racing to LMP2 this year," said Tresson. "I have tested the car already and it is so quick through the corners! I will have to work hard but I am ready for it. Racing at Le Mans, especially for a French driver, is a special dream. To be racing with a French team, both at Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship at so many legendary race tracks, is almost more than I can imagine. It will not be an easy year." The youngest and newest recruit is 20 year-old Mardenborough. The British driver won the third season of GT Academy just a few months ago.  He has been through the rigorous GT Academy training programme in preparation for a season in the Blancpain Endurance Series where he will race Nissan's new GT3 race car: the Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3.  "A year ago I was on a gap year and hadn't even applied to enter GT Academy and now I'm heading into my first full season as a racing driver," explained Mardenborough. "I have had an incredible six months on the GT Academy driver development programme where I have been thoroughly knocked into shape by a group of instructors who I am sure will be lifelong friends. Starting the season at Monza in April will be a big moment for me and I can't wait!"

28-01-12

Daytona 24 Hours: AIM Autosport Team FXDD driver, Jeff Segal has claimed a front-row start in the GT Class of this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. Segal’s last-lap run in the team’s FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia GT Grand-Am, clocked at 1m 49.357s / 117.194 mph / 188.605 km/h, secured second place for Saturday afternoon’s start and set up a fitting Ferrari-Porsche front row for the fiftieth anniversary edition of the famous race. With yesterday afternoon’s qualifying session approaching its end, Segal started his final run and wrung a fantastic lap from team’s Ferrari 458 Italia. His time, which he later admitted could have been even better, was a mere 0.015s from pole position and the Woodbrige, Ont.-based team was elated with such performance from a new programme with a new car. Just a few hours earlier, the team had battled development issues, finding it challenging to fine tune a qualifying setup for its new Ferrari. The team pressed on, working to find a solution and ultimately began to unleash the car’s qualifying pace. “The car was really good to drive and I am thrilled to have our Ferrari on the front row for the race,” said Segal. “The team worked really hard and this is a great result for such a new car to us.” Race Engineer, Ian Willis added, “We lost a lot of time with teething issues on the car in the morning, so it is very satisfying to be so close to pole position, I feel that we are well placed for the race.” The Fiftieth Anniversary edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening event in the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, is scheduled to start today at 3:30pm ET. Segal, along with co-drivers Emil Assentato, Anthony Lazzaro and Nick Longhi will take shifts driving around the clock to Sunday’s 3:30pm conclusion. The AIM Autosport Team FXDD Facebook page, www.facebook.com/AIMautosport will be updated hourly during the race to keep followers updated on the team’s progress

This weekend, WTCC regulars Darryl O'Young and Franz Engstler face off at the 24 hours of Daytona.  The two of them are competing against each other in the GT category. Hong Kong's O'Young is racing in a Porsche GT3 entered by Bullet Racing, whilst German driver Engstler in a Liqui Moly Team Engstler/Mitchum motorsport Porsche GT3."It's my third consecutive year in this race and it's a great competition to be a part of. Driving along the Daytona banking at 300km/h at night is a special feeling and this race is going to be great fun! I think Franz and I are going to enjoy this experience very much and I hope we can bring back strong results to represent WTCC well in this race," said O'Young.

Formula Kart Stars Championship Director Carolynn Hoy has been awarded the 2012 Lord Wakefield Challenge Trophy by the British Women’s Racing Drivers Club for her lifelong services to motorsport. Hoy was presented with the award by MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton last week at the MSA Night of Champions at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London. The Lord Wakefield Challenge Trophy is acknowledged the British Women’s Racing Drivers Clubs’ premier award and has been awarded by the BWRDC since the Clubs’ creation in 1962 by Mary Wheeler MBE. Previous winners include ex Formula Kart Stars drivers Sarah Moore and Alice Powell as well as former Formula One driver Divina Galica, current DTM driver Susie Stoddart, rally drivers Louise Aitken-Walker and Michelle Mouton and Dakar Rally winner Jutta Kleinschmidt. A leading contender in the burgeoning Superkart scene of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s culminating in second place in the British Championship and sixth place in the World Karting Championship during the early 1980’s when she was a factory driver alongside the late Martin Hines in the world renowned Hermatite Zip team. Hoy retired from karting in 1987 but went on to forge a successful saloon car career, where she was a factory driver for British based sportscar marque Panther and latterly the FIA European Truck Racing Championship until her retirement from racing due to injury in 1995. Two years later Hoy joined Formula Kart Stars, then known as the McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future, and took over the championship from series founder Hines in 2000. In 2009 Formula Kart Stars became the only karting championship in the world to receive official support from Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management company and Lewis Hamilton, a champion in the series inaugural season in 1996. “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to receive this award,” said Hoy. “It’s lovely to be awarded the Lord Wakefield trophy as an individual and very humbling. Formula Kart Stars is a team effort and everything we do we do as a team.” Hoy was not the only Formula Kart Stars personality to be honoured at the Night of Champions with MSA British Cadet Champion Daniel Ticktum also receiving his official MSA trophy from British Touring Car Championship boss Alan Gow.

When Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and 22 other drivers line up on the grid at Silverstone on July 8th for the start of the 2012 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix it will mark the highpoint of the Motorsport calendar in the UK this year. For 12 Formula Kart Stars drivers the unearthly pitch and wail of a modern day Formula One engine will be closer than ever as they sit in the grandstand to watch the race unfold courtesy of Formula One Management and Bernie Ecclestone. Cadet drivers Luke Barker, Jack Leese, Enaam Ahmed, Ross Martin and Jack Brookes, Mini Max drivers Josh White, Aaron Thompson and Josh Cornwell and Junior Rotax contenders Steven Handford, Luke Hughes, Nick Arthur and Shaun Arnold all received the Bernie Ecclestone Driver of the Day award during the 2011 season and their prize of a weekend trip to Silverstone including VIP Formula One paddock passes will be an experience none of them will forget in a hurry. Drivers who attended the 2011 British Grand Prix, courtesy of winning the Driver of the Day award during the 2010 FKS season, experienced the kind of up close and personal access to the pinnacle of world Motorsport that very few get to see. From mingling with the stars of the sport in the Formula One paddock to touring teams’ motor homes, hospitality areas and pit garages the lucky prize winners will experience a side of Formula One usually unseen by the general public or much of the world media. “I’m extremely grateful to Mr Ecclestone and Formula One Management Ltd for continuing to support this award,” said Formula Kart Stars Championship Director Carolynn Hoy. “Over the past two years he has taken our drivers to Monza and Silverstone and I know that this year’s prize winners will truly have the experience of a lifetime. “The drivers who travelled with us to Silverstone last year couldn’t believe the level of access they were granted by the teams and how welcome the entire Formula One family made them feel,” said Hoy. “

WTCC: Proteam Racing announced earlier this week that they have re-signed Mehdi Bennani for the 2012 season. Morocco's 28-year old racer will be facing his second season with the Italian outfit at the wheel of a BMW 320 TC car.  In 2011 Bennani's best result was a sixth place in Macau and he was classified seventh in the Yokohama Trophy."We are very pleased to keep Mehdi in the team and we expect a further improvement in his performance after the positive season last year. We have also confirmed our technical staff directed by engineer Marco Calovolo," team principal Marco Guiducci commented. Proteam Racing will start testing in February and they are due to announce the name of a second driver very soon.

ETCC: Switzerland-based Rikli Motorsport announced they will compete in the FIA European Touring Car Cup once again.  Just like in 2011, the team will enter a couple of Honda cars in the Super 2000 class: a Civic FD for Peter Rikli and an Accord Euro R for Christian Fischer. "We are currently rebuilding both cars, introducing a number of technical improvements. We are doing our best to make them competitive for the season opener at Monza," said team principal Erwin Rikli.In last year's ETCC Rikli and Fischer were classified sixth and ninth respectively in the S2000 class. The ETCC will be supporting series in three WTCC events, at Monza, Valencia and Salzburgring.

ADAC Formel Masters : McLaren Autosport BRDC Finalist Emil Bernstorff confirmed as runner up in 2011 ADAC Formel Masters. After a long drawn out appeal process in the Dutch appeals court following the controversy at Assen, Bernstorff has been confirmed as winner of Round 20, scoring the maximum 25 points. Cars #2 & #17 both have points deducted.  Emil remembers: “In my mind the situation was clear at the last race of the season; if I won and Wehrlein didn’t finish, the championship would be mine” As it happened Emil, starting second, raced into the lead but with 4 minutes of the 25 minute race remaining his battery died and he had to retire, Wehrlein retired 9 minutes into the race. Final Championship standings. Wehrlein 331, Bernstorff 310, Muller 296, Markelov 251, Kristensen 215, Farnbacher 173 (win 25 pts, 2nd 18 pts, 3rd 15 pts).  Full preparations are taking place for the 2012 season and Emil has been testing a few F3 cars and showing really impressive pace resulting in a lot of attention from sponsors, agents and F3 teams. Watch this space. Read more on Emil’s website under blog dated October 3 2011 on www.emilbernstorff.com and www.adac-formel-masters.de  

27-01-12

Masters Historic Racing: Formula 1 fans should head to Brands Hatch in May for a feast of F1 across the decades as part of the annual Masters Historic Festival. The event, which will run on May 26/27 on the Grand Prix circuit, will be headlined by Formula 1 cars of the 1970s and 1980s running in the popular GP Masters championship. In addition, cars from 1966-72 will race for the Historic Race of Champions, recreating the halcyon days of the non-championship Formula 1 race held at the Kent circuit. A superb grid, including the ex-Jackie Stewart Tyrell-March 701 which won the race in period, is expected. In addition, the earlier generation of Formula 1 machinery will be represented by two races for cars from the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association with cars from the 1930s through to the 1950s on track. In total, six races are planned for Formula 1 machinery in addition to sports cars and touring cars from the 1960s, 70s and 80s. There will also be displays on each day of the weekend of Formula 1 cars from the 1980s and 1990s. In a packed weekend of racing, there will be two races for the CanAm Interserie Challenge where CanAm cars do battle against the smaller-engined European sports-prototypes, while touring cars and GT cars of the 1970s will go head to head in the Masters 70s celebration and JD Classics Challenge races. Motor Racing Legends will bring the Woodcote Trophy for pre-1955 sports cars, while later sports cars will feature in the World Sportscar Masters and Sports Racing Masters events. And if touring cars whet your appetite, the popular Masters Pre-66 Touring Car grid will be full of Ford Mustangs, Lotus Cortinas and Mini Coopers, all set to thrill in a 50-minute race. GT fans will be well catered for as well with the ever-popular Gentlemen Drivers Pre-66 GT cars grid set to showcase a wide variety of sports car in a 90-minute pit stop race. Masters Historic Racing Event Manager Rachel Bailey said: “We are very excited about our Brands Hatch event for 2012. We have worked hard to give the event a clear identity and focussed on crowd-pleasing Formula 1 cars through the different races and the displays on each day as well. Brands Hatch has a wonderful heritage of Formula 1 races with Grands Prix, the Race of Champions and the Victory Race so it is the perfect setting to run these cars showcasing F1 across the decades. We are looking forward to some fabulous racing as well as tremendous machinery taking to the circuit.”

Volkswagen Racing: Former motocross racer Stewart Lines is planning a busy season of four-wheeled motorsport for 2012, combining a full season in the APR Volkswagen Racing Cup with Mini Challenge events.Stewart, 48 and from Sutton Coldfield, sampled Volkswagen racing for the first time at Donington Park and Silverstone at the end of last season, collected a brace of sixth-place finishes and was sufficiently impressed that he bought an ex-Aaron Mason Golf GTI with which to contest a full season. “My objective was to learn about the cars and the championship,” said telecomms company managing director Lines, “and having done that I am now looking forward to a competitive season. I will be racing my Mini regularly also and I am hoping that the more time I get on track that the more competitive I will be. I’ll be disappointed if I finish outside the top six in the VWs and am hoping for a podium at least at every circuit we visit.” Lines’ Golf will be prepared by AWM, for whom Mason won four races in 2011. Backing for Stewart’s track attack comes from telecomms hosting company Wavenet, and from Maximum Networks, Mitel and NEC. After success at Grand Prix and European championship level in motocross, Lines switched to cars in 2007 and has sampled Clio racing and the SEAT Cupra series in addition to his race-winning exploits in Minis. His entry will be part of a three-Golf campaign from AWM, with Lines and Mason joined on track by racing novice Simon Tomlinson. Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

Porsche Carrera Cup GB:  Leeds racing driver, Sam Tordoff is joining forces once more with Team Parker Racing to contest the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB. Sam (22) made his debut in the series in 2011 with the team, winning plaudits as he took an impressive 7th in the overall Championship standings. After making such a strong entrance to the series, Sam will be a strong contender in the upcoming season and has his sights firmly set on challenging for the Championship. BRDC Rising Star Sam commented “It was my dream to return to the Porsche Carrera Cup for 2012 and I strongly feel I can do so as a title contender. To return with Team Parker Racing, who showed in 2011 that their professionalism and ability is second to none, is a great pleasure and privilege. I am really looking forward to working with Stuart and all the Parker team once again”. The twenty race Carrera Cup series starts on 31 March/1 April at Brands Hatch.

Historics: Fiskens, London’s historic automobile specialists will unveil a selection of new additions to their inventory at Retromobile Auto Show in Paris next Wednesday (February 1). The Kensington-based company are joined by Frenchman Olivier Panis, a veteran of over 150 grands prix who sealed his place in motor sport folklore by triumphing on the streets of Monaco in 1996. He will be on hand to take the wraps off a trio of groundbreaking French racing cars that span a full eight decades of competition.  Two of these made their names on the grand prix circuit at opposite ends of the century, yet they share remarkable similarities: each was a pioneer of its era, leviathan like in sheer power, and both were amongst the last of their kind, with rule changes capping the grunt of subsequent machinery. The elder represents a Behemoth of the pre-Great War era, a time when racing cars were so powerful teams hired aviators, men of incredible bravery and skill, to handle their controls. The newer model emerged from an age when grand prix racing was a hotbed of innovation and technical exploration, with cars unbridled in their pursuit of power. The trio is completed by an iconic sixties sports car that would dominate the most famous race of them all - the Le Mans 24 Hours. Also present on the stand, and underlining their showroom’s strikingly varied stocklist, will be a trio of pre-war British automobiles, one a works la Sarthe entry and all remarkably true to their original build. They are joined by some exceptionally rare Italian vehicles, along with two of the truly great sports racers to emerge from Italy and Britain during the fifties.morning and am sure that all present will be thoroughly taken aback by what lies underneath." The unveilling will take place on Fiskens’ stand (J91, Hall 3) at 10am on the opening day of this year’s Retromobile (Wednesday, February 1), which is housed at Paris’ Porte de Versailles. Retromobile public opening times  Feb 1, 11:00 am 2nd-5^th Feb, 10am

The third dedicated Goodwood Aviation Show will be held this summer as a fully-integrated attraction at the popular Festival of Speed and Moving Motor Show (28 June - 1 July). The Goodwood Aviation Show is being relocated within the Festival of Speed’s stunning Goodwood Parkland site for the very first time, rather than being based at the Goodwood Aerodrome, as in the previous two years. With this new on-site location the annual Goodwood Aviation Show is set to expand considerably, with some additional attractions planned for the first time this year, including a dedicated military and civilian careers area. As in the past two years, the Goodwood Aviation Show will enable manufacturers and agents of fixed wing and rotary aircraft, as well as aviation service suppliers, to showcase their latest innovative aircraft designs and products to both a specialist aviation audience, plus an inquisitive and enthusiastic public. Pleasure flights for the public visiting the Show will be available from the Goodwood Aerodrome during the event, located less than one mile from the Festival of Speed site.  Daily air displays are a highly popular Festival attraction – ranging from the Red Arrows to the UK public debut of the Air Bus in flight – and this year will be no exception, with interesting fly pasts currently in the planning stages, with news to follow shortly.Since its introduction in 1993, the Festival of Speed has grown to become the world’s leading celebration of transportation for enthusiasts, with the prime focus being automotive, but other modes of transport also being celebrated, from pedal cycles, right through to high-speed boats and aircraft. 

26-01-12

Karts: Kart racer Jessica Hawkins is set for, potentially, her best ever year in 2012 after officially confirming a works deal to contest the Super 1 MSA British KF3 Kart Championship along with selected European events – all in addition to being chosen for the MSA Academy. Despite competing on a shoe-string budget since her debut in 2005 the Farnham teenager’s ability has shone through every year, not least in winning the ABkC ‘O’ Plate Cadet Championship in 2008 and finishing runner-up in the Junior Rotax class of the 2011 MSA Kartmasters British Grand Prix. In addition, Jessica took a memorable Junior Rotax victory on her BNL Karting Series debut in Belgium. Having been selected as one of just five karters to join the MSA (Motor Sports Association) Academy this year, the 16-year-old has now set her sights on a strong season at home and abroad after putting pen to paper with PKP Motorsport. Driving a factory Dino Kart this year, powered by a factory Maxter engine, the teenager will race in one of the UK’s premier categories while also taking on the best in Europe with a planned programme of CIK-FIA events on the continent. Prior to that, Jessica’s first major racing of the year will come at the end of February in the ABkC ‘O’ Plate event at PF International near Grantham. “I’m really looking forward to this season in KF3, it’s great we’ve got a deal with PKP and hopefully we’ll have a strong year together with some good results”, said Jessica, “It’s a really important year for me and it’s the first time I’ve ever had factory backing, so I can’t wait to get started.” Her involvement in the MSA Academy will afford Jessica essential coaching throughout the year plus she will receive key guidance on how best to develop her career. “It’s such an honour to be chosen for the MSA Academy, I’m really grateful to the MSA and I want to repay the faith they’ve shown in me”, added the Hampshire racer.

BTCC: World leaders in battery design and manufacture, Yuasa have signed for a third year as a key sponsor with the Honda Racing British Touring Car Championship Team. The company has already played a key role in developing the Honda Civic BTCC success over the past two years and is now looking forward to working with the team on the new Civic making its BTCC debut at Brands Hatch on April 1. Yuasa Batteries UK Managing Director Andrew Taylor commented, "It's been a remarkably strong partnership which has given Yuasa the perfect springboard for its ambitious UK and European aftermarket plans over the next three years. With a brand new car and exciting rule changes for 2012, we expect a season of very close racing with Matt and Gordon taking on all-comers in the title fight." Behind the scenes, Team Dynamics is putting the final touches to the new 2012 Civic at its Pershore headquarters with plans well advanced thanks to close cooperation with Honda's Swindon-based engineering team. Team Manager Peter Crolla said, "Honda's engineers and everyone at the Swindon car plant have been 100 per cent behind the build, giving us support at every critical phase. We are certainly in a good place compared to previous build programmes at this point. We can't wait to start racing."

F2000: SMR Racing will be back for its third season in the F2000 Championship Series with Tim Paul in the no. 06 CellMark Paper Van Diemen. Again teaming with Glenn Phillips and GTP Motorsports, the squad hopes to improve on their sixth place Championship effort in 2011. Paul is hoping to build on his breakout 2011 season, that saw a podium at Lime Rock, two top fives and six top tens, along with a near win at VIRginia International Raceway in the rain. “The goal for 2012 is to podium at every track we run and see where that puts us in the second half of the schedule, and then make adjustments and decisions appropriate to that situation,” said Paul. “Hopefully we'll be hunting for the Championship.” The offseason for SMR was highlighted by a winter trip down to Sebring. “This year will take lots and lots of effort. We went to Sebring just for seat time, and we've really worked on our communication as a team, between Glenn, Michael (Witson), my crew chief, and I. It’s going to be a good year,” Paul added. After many years of Sprint and Midget oval racing on asphalt and dirt, the SMR team tackled putting together an F2000 Championship Series effort from scratch in 2010. Paul had never driven a formula car, or even driven a road course before, deciding to switch gears and join the F2000 Series. Always a threat while driving different cars on different tracks, the first year of road racing proved difficult, but educational.  In 2011 the combination of GTP, SMR, Paul's growing confidence in the car and talented young crew chief Michael Witson's experience in setup and repair began to pay off. Paul and the SMR team ran the SCCA Sebring club races on the Hoosier F2000 spec tires and setups in early January of this year and brought home a second place trophy before what the team described as an “ill-advised brake-check by an Atlantic car” in the second race took them out before the green flag. “Plenty of experience was gained in Florida,” noted Paul.For 2012 SMR, hopes to run a two-car team and is considering several drivers for at least part-time entries in the identically prepared bright orange and green second car.The 14-race, seven-weekend 2012 season starts at VIRginia International Raceway, April 12-15. Pic Valet

Silverstone Classic: The UK will stage its first-ever BMW ‘Z-Fest’ at this summer’s Silverstone Classic powered by the AA (20-22 July). Organised by the BMW Car Club GB as part of its 60th birthday celebrations in 2012, the UK’s inaugural Z-Fest will see hundreds of BMW’s popular Z1, Z3, Z4 and Z8 sportscars on display as well as participating in a special parade lap on the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. “We wanted to do something spectacular to mark our anniversary and staging the UK’s first Z-Fest at the world’s biggest classic racing festival certainly fits that bill,” said Steve Miller, general manager of the BMW Car Club (GB). “A number of hugely successful Z-Fests have been held on the continent and in The States – now it’s our turn. There are close to 50,000 ‘Zeds’ registered in this country and we are aiming to get at least 500 cars to join in our special landmark celebrations at the Silverstone Classic. The main gathering will be on the Saturday (21 July) and the cavalcade on the circuit, of course, will be a major highlight for all those attending on that day.” BMW introduced its first two-seater Z1 roadster to the media in 1986 with the new Z badge standing for Zukunft – the German word for ‘future’. Just 8000 were produced and the Z1 – which notably featured novel doors that dropped down into its doorsills – has become one of the rarest and most collectable of all BMWs. The Z1 was superseded in turn by the more-mainstream Z3 and Z4 models – both produced in far greater numbers and with the added bonus of right-hand drive. BMW also applied its sporty Z moniker to its range-topping Z8 roadster – a V8 engined aluminium chassis supercar capable of topping 180mph.  

Karts: In a sport where the line between success and failure can be defined in thousandths of a second, any advantage a driver can muster no matter how small can be critical. In 2012 twelve lucky Formula Kart Stars(FKS) drivers will get a first hand insight into how they can unlock those vital tenths and hundredths thanks to iZone Driver Performance’s new ‘In the Zone’ prize. Following a successful 2011 season in which the four FKS class champions all earned themselves a day with iZone, the Championship will nominate one driver in each of the twelve 2012 rounds to attend a full day of training at iZone’s state-of-the-art Silverstone facility. During the day the lucky prize winners will benefit from iZone’s expertise on improving all areas of their driving, expertise that helped Andy Priaulx to three World Touring Car titles. “The prize winners will receive structured development training with iZone,” said iZone’s Neil Riddiford. “We identify potential areas of improvement with each driver and then use the technology that is available to raise their awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses and improve their progression.We look at scientific methods to help them be the best that they can be through a series of accumulated marginal gains,” concluded Riddiford, who also confirmed that the prize would also entail time in iZone’s simulator.  FKS director Carolynn Hoy is enthusiastic about the continuing partnership between FKS and iZone. “It’s incredibly important for every driver to be on top of their game in every race and the team at iZone Driver Performance have been really successful at helping young drivers develop, including our current MSA British Champion Daniel Ticktum.” Hoy also sees the connection between the type of learning available to FKS drivers through the ‘In the Zone’ prize and Boston College’s Education Bus, which will travel with the Championship throughout the year. “Formula Kart Stars is committed to giving our driver all the tools they will need in adult life off the track with our education bus and iZone has the same commitment to giving drivers all the psychological tools they need on the track,” continued Hoy. “It’s also important to remember that a driver who finishes 15th may have been driving just as close to the limit as a driver who wins a race. That is what being ‘In the Zone’ is all about, maximising your own peak performance.” Prize winners will be split into three groups and prize dates will be organised throughout the year depending on school holidays. For more information on iZone Driver Performance and its full range of facilities please visit www.izoneperformance.com

25-01-12

Clio Cup: Laura Tillett made an impressive and highly encouraging test debut at the wheel of a Renault Clio Cup race car at a rain-hit Brands Hatch on Tuesday – so much so, the 20-year-old is now focusing her efforts on securing a 2012 race deal in the championship. Driving a car prepared by multiple title-winning team Total Control Racing, former kart racer Laura adapted well to the demands of the 2.0-litre Clio. Although persistent rain and a very slippery track surface didn’t make for ideal conditions in which to debut, she made strong progress throughout the day. Taking everything learnt during nine years of top-level karting and adapting that to the altogether different demands of a ‘tin top’ saloon car, Laura shone and underlined her position as one of the UK’s top female talents.  “I really, really enjoyed the test and I felt very confident by the end of the day, even with the weather against me, so it couldn’t have been much better”, said the Kent racer, “Having never been in a saloon car before, I didn’t know what to expect but it was fantastic. The team is really lovely, they gave me a lot of help during the day and gave me some great advice. The test has definitely swayed me into looking at a future in saloons, I know I’d be comfortable racing in something like Clios. I always thought single-seaters would be the way to go after karting but the Clio is so much fun to drive. Hopefully we’ll be able to arrange another test soon with TCR.” In order to make the step-up to car racing this year, Laura needs to attract sufficient sponsorship and commercial backing. As the first British female to ever compete in the top class of the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship though, her talent and potential is clear to see along with her marketability.  TCR team principal Lee Brookes, himself a former Clio Champion in the mid-Nineties and a Privateer Cup winner in the high profile British Touring Car Championship, was impressed with Laura’s maiden run – especially with the poor weather making the debut markedly trickier. “Laura adapted to the Clio really well and for her first ever time in one of these cars, we were very encouraged”, Brookes commented, “It’s difficult to come in from karts, put aside some of the things that come naturally there and learn the different things you need to try and get the most from a car like a Clio. The conditions were terrible but she did a great job, we’d love to run Laura this year.”

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge:  Racing newcomer Guy Riall is among the growing number of drivers aiming to race in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge this season, having acquired a 2007 model 911GT3 Cup from Team Parker Racing. The Yorkshire-based property developer has never raced before and has linked up with experienced GT racer Tim Sugden for support and tutoring. “I just want to go racing,” said Riall. “The car is immaculate and I want to do some races in 2012 before a full programme in 2013.” Marion Barnaby, motorsport manager, Porsche Cars GB added, “Guy is just the type of driver we are keen to see in the GT3 Cup Challenge. Getting started in racing can be daunting, even for drivers with track day experience, but the GT3 Cup Challenge is the ideal environment for newcomers.” In total, up to 2000 911 GT3 Cup race cars have been built by Porsche since the introduction of the 996-model car over a decade ago and the GT3 Cup Challenge will have classes to cater for both the 996-model cars and the later 997-model cars.The GT3 Cup Challenge is now an established concept across the world, with successful race series in ten countries.

Masters Historic Racing is planning a Formula Libre-style Allcomers race for its Oulton Park raceday on March 17th. To be open for all single-seater race cars below Formula 1, Masters is confident of a healthy entry for the first historic race meeting of the season and the first opportunity for many of the cars to be run after the winter. “Single-seater racing has a huge history at Oulton Park, especially when Formula 1 cars raced for the Gold Cup,” says Masters UK Event Manager James Beckett. “What we want to do is encourage cars to come and race that don’t fit into a current category, whilst at the same time welcoming cars from historic single-seater racing or from the Monoposto Racing Club, for example.” The Masters Historic Racing event at Oulton Park was a popular season-opener in 2011 and the Single-Seater Allcomers race will be a welcome addition to the programme with competitors having a 20-minute qualifying session and a 20-minute race on the full International circuit. Entry forms are available to download at www.themastersseries.com

Toyota Racing Series - NZ: Jordan King rebounded from a fruitless opening weekend in the Toyota Racing Series at Teretonga with a podium charge second time out at Timaru. After two non-finishes at that first meeting Jordan’s weekend at Timaru produced a seventh and third and a sixth place. The Toyota Racing Series is New Zealand’s most competitive single-seater championship, and the one-make, slicks n’ wings formula – featuring a Tatuus-designed carbon-fibre chassis with a 215bhp Toyota engine.  Pic Bruce Jenkins   Read report

BTCC: MG Motor UK will enter the 2012 BTCC Series with a ‘dream team’ of cars, drivers, constructors and sponsors. Two MG6 GT cars will run in the all-new MG KX Momentum Racing team piloted by double BTCC champion Jason Plato and BTCC rising star Andy Neate. The cars will be prepared by Triple Eight Race Engineering, one of the most successful constructors in touring car racing. And completing the ‘dream team’ are principal sponsors Tesco Fuels with their Momentum 99 brand and KX energy drink completing an all-British line-up.  MG KX Momentum Racing will debut at Brands Hatch on April 1 when the 2012 Dunlop MSA BTCC championship season gets under way. The MG6 GT five-door fastback is the first all-new MG in 16 years. It is designed and engineered at MG Motor UK’s plant in Birmingham where final assembly also takes place. Jason Plato is the most successful driver in BTCC racing history with 68 career wins, with more fastest laps, pole and podium positions than any other driver in the history of the Series. He is undoubtedly the face of British Touring Cars as well as being a well-known and a TV presenter and a newly appointed Director of the British Racing Drivers Club. Plato said: “It’s really exciting to be involved in a brand-new all-British team and it’s just brilliant that the iconic name of MG will be back on the track.” Triple Eight, headed by Ian Harrison, is based at Greatworth, just a few miles from the famous Silverstone race circuit. The company has more than 100 BTCC race wins to its credit.

MG’s return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship has been warmly welcomed by Series Director Alan Gow.MG Motor UK has committed to building its new car to the Next Generation Touring Car regulations. These are leading to a greater number of bigger, faster, turbocharged machines on the BTCC grid. Gow, who made the BTCC a household name in the Nineties and who has led it through another boom period recently, commented: “This is fantastic news for all the fans who follow the BTCC, either in their hundreds of thousands trackside or in their vast millions watching on TV in both the UK and many other regions around the globe. MG is one of motoring’s truly evocative names so its BTCC campaign will, I’m sure, really capture the public’s imagination. This high-profile return to the forefront of competition in the BTCC is also certain to prove highly effective in terms of marketing for MG and all of its partners, as well as delivering some great results for them on the track.This news has again underlined the great success of our NGTC regulations, enabling teams and manufacturers such as MG to embark on a major BTCC programme in a far more cost-effective and competitive basis than before – hence the reason we have such a fabulous diversity of makes and models in our championship.”

Monte Carloe Rally: For his first major event at the wheel of the Peugeot 207 S2000 Mathieu Arzeno may have failed to finish the event but he didn’t disappoint. It was only Tuesday morning when he and his co-driver met up with their new car. "SaintEloc Racing Team has done a great job for us to be at the start. But if I only could do 70km with the car I was able to know its enormous potential. Certainly I have a lack of experience in S2000 but I feel very good in the car. I will do my best from the first meters to optimize my progress. "  read report

24-01-12

Historics: Experienced sports car racer Richard Sykes will make his historic racing debut this season at the wheel of a newly-acquired Ford Mustang. Yorkshireman Sykes has bought the ex-Nigel Vaulkhard 1965 Ford Mustang and the car will be run by HHC Motorsport for whom Sykes drove in last year’s Ginetta Challenge. It will mark his debut in historic racing as well as the first time he has driven anything like the rear-wheel drive, V8 Mustang. Sykes plans to tackle the Masters Pre-66 Touring Car championship, co-driving with HHC Motorsport team principal Charlie Kemp. “I’m really looking forward to it,” says Richard. “It is something very different for me but I thnk we will be competitive this season. The car is good and HHC will run it well so we are aiming for wins.” Charlie Kemp said: “Richard has improved greatly in the last few seasons, racing in Ginettas and also in Porsche Boxsters. It is a new departure for him but he should be up to speed very quickly.”  The Masters Pre-66 Touring Car season begins at Oulton Park, Cheshire on March 17th

The Australian Formula Ford Championship has finalised its calendar for the 2012 season, which will see the category return to the Bathurst 1000 programme for the first time since 2004. It will be the first time that the category has visited the iconic circuit in the Ford Fiesta engine era, and the championship will fittingly wrap up at Australia's most well-known motorsport event. The year will begin at the Australian Grand Prix, before taking in Symmons Plains in Tasmania and Phillip Island. The category will then return to Hidden Valley after a one year absence, before two events in August at Queensland Raceway and Winton. The championship will wrap up at the two V8 Supercar endurance races with rounds seven and eight at the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 respectively. "We've been working really hard with V8 Supercars to lock in a calendar for this season and I think we've ended up with one of our best calendars to date. There's a great variety of circuits, which will test the drivers, and the season is bookended by two major events, which is great" Margaret Hardy, Category Manager said. "We're excited about being back on the Australian Grand Prix schedule as it's a great way to start the year and all the drivers love the opportunity to race in front of the Formula One community. The fact that we can also include Hidden Valley on the calendar is a huge plus for everyone involved. The circuit produces great Formula Ford racing and the atmosphere at the event is second to none. The Bathurst 1000 is the best finale we could have asked for and we're very proud to be able to announce it as part of the calendar this year. The last time we visited Bathurst in 2004 it was a non-championship event, so it hasn't been part of the Australian Formula Ford Championship since 1995. In the past, the circuit always created great racing and this year will be no different; I think we're in for a really exciting season."  calendar

Grand-Am: The Audi R8 GRAND-AM will make its debut on the 50th running of the Daytona 24 Hours from January 26 to 29. Teams APR Motorsport and Oryx Racing are each fielding one of the newly developed customer sport race cars in the GT class of the endurance classic.
The "Rolex 24 at Daytona" ranks among the finest classics in international motorsport. The event has been thrilling the sports car fan community since 1962. Some of the greatest racers in history have entered their names on the winners’ list - from Jacky Ickx and Hans Herrmann through to Hurley Haywood, A. J. Foyt or Derek Bell. Reinhold Joest, the founder of Audi Sport Team Joest has personally won this classic race in Florida too. Current Audi factory driver Mike Rockenfeller decided the competition in his favour with an American team two years ago. On the event’s 50th anniversary the organiser is treating the audience to an unusual and spectacular experience. A champions party with numerous racing legends, an exhibition of historic overall-winning cars, a carnival complete with a Ferris Wheel, a 5-kilometre run on the track for all sports enthusiasts on Saturday before the race, autograph sessions and pit walks are just some of the attractions featured on the last weekend in January.
 Werner Frowein, Managing Director of quattro GmbH, which has developed the Audi R8 GRAND-AM: "Two customer teams have already opted for our new race car and we are currently in negotiations with other buyers. Following its appearance at Daytona, the Audi R8 GRAND-AM will also be seen at the other twelve rounds of the GRAND-AM series. In the future, our customers will be directly supported by Audi of America."  At the season opener, the Audi R8 GRAND-AM is competing against about 30 other cars in the GT class while so-called Daytona prototypes are driving for overall honours. The Daytona 24 Hours marks the beginning of the 2012 GRAND-AM Road Racing season. In 2008, Audi was last represented in the United States for a whole season with a factory commitment featuring the Audi R10 TDI LMP1 sports car and won the title in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Now the APR Motorsport and Oryx Racing customer teams are flying the colours of Audi Sport customer racing as part of their own commitment.   "Entering the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series is the biggest challenge APR Motorsport has taken on so far," emphasises Stephen Hooks, President of APR. "Our team prepared for this step at previous runs in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.The team based in Opelika, Alabama, is relying on a five-strong driver squad. The Americans Ian Baas and Dr. Jim Norman, Nelson Canache from Venezuela, Dion von Moltke with South African roots plus former Audi factory driver Emanuele Pirro from Italy.
Oryx Racing will compete at Daytona with team owner and driver Humaid Al Masaood from the United Arab Emirates. He will be sharing the car with his compatriot Saeed Al Mehairi and the Briton Steven Kane. "2012 is a new chapter for Oryx Racing and Arabic motorsport," says a delighted Al Masaood. "We’re entering a new car in a series that’s new to us. It was important to us to be involved in the project right from the beginning and help continue to develop this fascinating customer racing car from Audi to become as competitive as possible." The team hails from the United Arab Emirates and has a team base in the United States in West College Corner near Indianapolis. After a qualifying session on Thursday the race will start on Saturday (January 28) and end on Sunday (January 29) at 15:30, local time.

Rallying: Nelson PanciaticiI finished the Monte Carlo Rally in second place in the R2 category at the wheel of a Citroen C2 R2 Max. For his second rally, Nelson faced very difficult road conditions and his first attempt at the Monte Carlo was pretty eventful with the two specials in Burzet fought out on mixed tyres in snow, thus losing nearly four minutes to the leaders of the R2 category. Best performer though of the R2 with six best times, Nelson, whose Citroen was prepared to perfection by the Auto Meca team under the direction of  Philippe Bugalski, kept rising to first place until a small gearbox problem hit them in the last stage of the Turini. The outcome is all positive for Nelson who managed to avoid the traps while keeping up a high level of performance throughout. Nelson Panciatici: “What an incredible rally! I really got a kick out of it and some adrenaline rushes like in the Saint Bonnet Le Froid Special or going down the Burzet on mixed tyres in snow,  I wasn’t in control of anything anymore. I couldn’t wait to reach the top of the Turini pass and I wasn’t disappointed. The spectator crush along the roads was incredible, they are dedicated enthusiasts who don’t hesitate to turn up hours beforehand and walk miles in the cold to see us go by, and we want to give them something to make them happy. I took on board the equivalent of several rallies worth of experience and I made good progress with my pace notes even though they are still a bit pessimistic at times. With my engineer, Benjamin, I think we did some good work togethe. He really helped me understand the use of different tyres and how to optimise the behaviour of the car according to the conditions of the road. My heartfelt thanks go to the whole Auto Meca team and specifically Philippe BugalskiI who brought in the partners on this project which could not have happened without him. I will now concentrate on endurance racing again but I want to do more rallies so I can progress further in this fantastic discipline.”     René Padovani, Nelson’s co-driver,  was also very satisfied : “Nelson drove a very good rally, what surprised me the most was his effort management with intense attacks in several specials then slowing the pace a bit, as if he knew he was flirting too much with his limits, mostly with his braking! Compared to the Rallye du VAR he has progressed especially on the loose surfaces and he’s moved to a whole new dimension in his use of the handbrake! I’ve taken part in many rallies but the Monte Carlo is magical, my only regret is the four minutes we lost in the Burzet which lost us our victory in R2. We will be back for another round and I hope we will be at the start together next year!”

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F2000: 2011 Masters Class Champion Tim Minor will be back for a full-scale assault on the 2012 F2000 Championship Series with a Citation chassis. Minor won outright at Summit Point in 2009, has numerous Masters Class victories, finished on the podium consistently in 2011, and led laps at a number of events on his way to a fourth place Championship finish for his Ski Motorsports team.  “We tested the new car in November and I thought things went pretty well,” said Minor. “My goal is to win the overall Championship. I like the challenge of beating guys half my age, not bad for the old man.”   Engineering whiz Eric Langbein is onboard for the full season, in addition to crew chief Tim Reedy. “In addition, we will have a second car under the tent for Jeremy Grenier, with a Citation Honda for the F1600 Series,” added Minor. Minor spent more than a decade with his Van Diemen, with his car used to pioneer a number of now-must-have updates to the chassis, include the engine/chassis brace. “I am looking forward to driving something different,” Minor continued. “I had driven the Van Diemen since 1999 so it will take some adjustment on my part to be able to give proper feedback. However, Eric and I have worked together for many years and I think we are going to make this chassis very competitive. This F2000 Series continues to be the best bang for your buck. We get large fields and the young racers can come in, learn and get quality seat time, and then move on up.” The 14-race, seven-weekend 2012 season starts at VIRginia International Raceway, April 12-15. pic: Valet

GT: Front running Caterham team SPY Motorsport will be stepping up to GT4 in 2012 having just purchased a pair of Ginetta G50s. The team will be upgrading one of the cars to full 2012 GT4 spec to enter select rounds of the British and European GT4 championships, with a view to a full championship in 2013. Regular SPY Motorsport Caterham R300 racer Paul Fleury will pilot one of the cars alonside SPY Motorsport Team Owner Peter Young. The team plan on upgrading the second car to GT4 spec with a view having both cars on the grid in 2012. The team are currently looking for drivers for the second car, interested drivers should contact Peter Young at SPY Motorsport.  Paul Fleury: “Having raced in (Caterham) R300s for 3 year now I was looking at a possible step up. Having tested a Ginetta G50 at the end of last season I knew this is the move I wanted to make. I plan to still race R300s in 2012 but with a few rounds in GT4 to learn the new car ready for 2013.”  Peter Young, Team Owner: “This is a very exciting move for the team, Its going to be a steep learning curve but it’s one I feel we are ready to take and the team is looking forward to a new challenge.” SPY Motorsport will continue to run cars in the Caterham Superlight R300 championship and Caterham Tracksport championship in 2012. SPY Motorsport is backed by 360 Creative Event Services and Matthew T. Young Architect.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB: Daniel Lloyd benefited from some unique pre-season preparation on Saturday, (21 Jan), when the Porsche Experience Centre hosted its fourth annual ‘Get Race Fit’ event – featuring special guest, FIA Formula One World Championship star Mark Webber. Organised by the Porsche Human Performance Team at its Silverstone base, the day gave 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholar Daniel an opportunity to test his race fitness, challenge himself at the wheel of the i-Zone Performance race simulator and obtain essential advice on sports nutrition. A highlight was a Q & A session with Webber  and a  competitive ‘shoot-out’ behind the wheel of the i-Zone simulator which Daniel won!  “The day was absolutely mega”, said Daniel, “We started off with a nutrional talk and a chance to talk with Mark and ask him about how he prepared for an F1 weekend. After that we had a Yoga session, which was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, but I learned some really useful things that’ll definitely help my training. After lunch, there was a Q&A session with Mark – it felt weird talking to such a superstar of F1, he’s a really down to earth guy though. To get that high in motorsport, to achieve so much and yet still be a ‘normal’ guy was fantastic to see. Winning the shoot-out at i-Zone was a great way to top off the day and meeting Mark really gives you the inspiration to work harder than ever to try and reach the top.” 

British racer Ben Barker, 20, will contest the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB with Parr Motorsport. The 2010 Australian F3 champion and BRDC Rising Star raced in the Australian Carrera Cup in 2011 as well as competing in four rounds of the Carrera Cup GB with Parr. Prior to his success in F3, he was a race winner in the British Formula Ford Championship. “It’s a good direction career-wise to move into the Carrera Cup GB,” said Barker. “Having worked with Parr last year I know how they work and everyone is capable and proactive. It’s good to be back racing in the UK and this will prove to be a strong stepping-stone to Supercup. I hope that, together with Parr, we can both graduate in 2013. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and being competitive,” added Barker. Barker achieved two podium finishes from four Carrera Cup races at Snetterton and Knockhill last summer with Parr. His full Australian campaign garnered two wins, four other podium finishes, two pole positions and two fastest laps. To cap a successful season down under he was also named the Michelin Sports Person of the Year. “I’m really excited to have Ben onboard for this coming season,” said Parr team boss Paul Robe. “He’s a great talent and a really well rounded young man. Based on his performance with us last year I’m confident that he will be a frontrunner in the championship.”

Clio Cup: Total Control Racing begins its 2012 testing programme tomorrow, Tuesday, 24th January, when talented female karter Laura Tillett makes her saloon car track debut in one of the Wednesbury team’s AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK cars at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit. The 20-year-old has been competing in karts for the past nine years. Most famously, Laura entered the record books in 2009 as the first British female racer to compete in the premier class of the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship. Having now chosen to call time on karting to focus on a move to car racing, at this stage no decisions have been made on whether she wishes to pursue a career in single-seaters – having tested both Formula Ford and Formula BMW machinery previously – or a future in saloon cars. “This will be my first ever go in a Clio, so I’m really looking forward to it”, said Laura, “I’ve still got a desire to race single-seaters but we need to look at all of the options as it’s all down to sponsors. I’ve been karting for nine years so I can tell you everything about that. Being 20, I’m slightly behind some of the others who have moved up to cars already so this is something I definitely need to do now.” Should Laura eventually sign a deal to compete in the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK this year, she would be the first female to compete in the category since Mel Healey in 2007. Laura raced  in the Super 1 British Formula JICA category in 2005, moving into Formula ICA through 2008 before racing at World and European level in 2009, moving to Super KF in the Euro and World Series in 2010 followed by the CIK-FIA World Championship and the KF1 class of the WSK Euro Series last year.  Looking ahead to Tuesday’s test, TCR team principal Lee Brookes said: “We’re delighted to be able to give Laura her first test in a Clio, she’s proven her talent in karts for a number of years now at the top level so we’ve got no doubts she’ll be able to adapt quickly. We’re really looking forward to working with her.” Pic: Chris Walker / www.kartpix.net

Karts: Drivers in the new Formula Kart Stars(FKS) Senior Rotax class will be embarking on a MINI Adventure in 2012 thanks to a new scholarship with leading MINI Challenge team Lohen. One Senior Max driver in each of the 12 rounds that make up the 2012 FKS Championship will be selected to participate in an exclusive end-of-season shootout with Lohen. After being put through their paces by a judging panel that includes former multiple FKS champion and current British Touring Car driver Frank Wrathall, one lucky FKS driver will be awarded the 2012 MINI Adventure Scholarship award. The prize is either a free entry fee into the 2013 MINI Challenge with Lohen or get a race drive with Lohen in the 2013 Britcar 24 Hours at Silverstone. “We are delighted to be working with Formula Kart Stars on the "MINI Adventure" scholarship for Senior Rotax drivers,” says Lohen Director Andrey Magiy, whose team has built up an impressive resume with the new generation MINI over the past eight years. “It is a great opportunity to start developing their career in Saloon car racing. MINI Challenge is a perfect place to develop racing skills for shorter races, with many drives moving into the TOCA paddock. Britcar is ideal for drivers wishing to pursue a career in endurance racing and ultimately wishing to end up in GT or Le Mans series. Lohen can provide a perfect stepping platform for Karting to car racing and we are looking forward to attending some of the FKS 2012 rounds and meeting the candidates in person.”  Wrathall, who earned his first steps into the world of car racing through the Will Hoy Scholarship award, is perfectly placed to judge a shootout like this. “The winning driver will need to show that they have the potential to step up from karts to cars,” said Wrathall. “Moving from a kart to a car is a big deal and there is a lot to learn. You can’t solely judge things on raw speed but how a driver can adapt quickly and build a successful foundation as a racing driver. The only reason I am where I am today is because of the Will Hoy scholarship, it set me on the path that I’m on now.”  Formula Kart Stars Championship director Carolynn Hoy, herself an experienced former saloon and sportscar driver, feels the Lohen MINI Adventure scholarship gives the Senior Rotax class the perfect boost ahead of its debut season. “Lohen has shown a tremendous desire to work with Formula Kart Stars and I know that enthusiasm will continue all year. It is very important for the Championship to offer our new Senior drivers the same kind of opportunities within Motorsport that we offer our Junior competitors and this is the perfect way to start.”

BTCC: Team ES Racing has revealed they will be running NGTC powered Vauxhall Vectra’s in the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The Luton-based squad who recently revealed Dave Newsham would be driving for the team in 2012 alongside team principal Chris James have managed to keep the deal under wraps until now. James Nash took the Independent championship title in the Vectra for Triple Eight racing in 2011 and Team ES will be looking to emulate this success in 2012. Talking of the announcement Chris James said: “They’re race winning cars and they will continue to be highly competitive in 2012. We’re delighted to get the deal concluded to run the Vectra’s and look forward to pushing hard at the start of the season. They come with a great spares package and a massive amount of data so we should be able to hit the ground running. We will get podiums and maybe even sneak more than that, certainly in the first half of the season. NGTC will get stronger but I truly believe that like football it will be a game of two halves - the first half will be S2000 and the second NGTC.”  While James and Newsham have been announced for the team there is still a seat available for the season. “There is still the option for us to run a third car so if the right driver with the right budget comes along then it will happen.” said James. Fans will be able to get their first taste of the Team ES Racing Vectra’s at the BTCC Media day on Monday 19 March at Silverstone when the circuit will be open to the public for the afternoon test session.

Star Mazda Championship: Juncos Racing and international multi-media company Auto a Fondo Media have formed a comprehensive partnership going into the 2012 racing season.

Andretti Autosport driver Zach Veach enters the final Formula Car Challenge Presented by Goodyear Winter Series races leading the championship by an 11-point margin; Veach is competing in the FCC as a testing platform during the off-season as he prepares to compete in the 2012 Star Mazda Championship.

Team Pelfrey announced the addition of 2011 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship champion Petri Suvanto to compete in the Star Mazda.  Suvanto will join American Gustavo Menezes, who finished eighth in the 2011 Star Mazda series as a rookie with Juncos Racing, and Englishman Jack Hawksworth, a race winner in last year's Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship.

Grand-Am: Anders Krohn, the popular Star Mazda Championship graduate from Stavanger, Norway who is known as "The Viking," has been named to drive Yellow Dragon Motorsportsʼ Mazda RX-8 in the premier event of the 2012 Rolex Series, the Rolex 24 at Daytona. 

Other News: 2012 Autosport International show sees the worldwide launch of the all new TDv6 Diesel Wildcat, which is manufactured by Plymouth based Qt Services Ltd. This addition to the Wildcat range adds a new dimension to Qt’s lineup of these extreme off road race cars. Taken from the Land Rover Discovery 4, the 3.0 litre twin turbo has raised the bar in terms of performance for vehicles in this field of motorsport. Qt Services is the first manufacturer to successfully integrate this new powerplant into a race car. Qt’s MD, Dave Marsh says, “This new engine has exceeded our expectations. Delivering 316 HP and 513 ftlbs of torque it produces more than enough power to deal with the toughest off road conditions in the world”. Working closely with their electronics and transmission specialists, the integration of the engine has worked really well and Qt are looking forward to having two of the new Diesel cars racing in the Tuareg Rally, which kicks off in Spain in March.There has been strong interest from around the world in this new package and Qt are pleased to be able to officially launch the car at the prestigious Autosport show. The TDv6 diesel car was officially launched at the Autosport Show on January 12th and full details of the range of Wildcats can be found at www.qtwildcat.co.uk

 

Alcon, the brake experts who are OE suppliers to Audi, Bentley, JLR, Ariel, Noble etc, and whose products have assisted Sébastien Loeb to eight consecutive World Rally Championship titles, have launched a new range of carbon ceramic brake kits for supercars such as the Nissan GT-R.The CCX (Carbon Ceramic Xtreme) disc material represents the latest in lightweight brake technology and is half the mass of a similarly sized iron disc. This alone results in significant improvements in vehicle performance and agility. Extensively track tested by Alcon’s in-house R&D department, the product:

Is fade free

Has excellent initial bite from hot or cold

Provides fearsome stopping power                     

Features low wear rates of both discs and pads

The CCX discs are available in numerous sizes to suit customers’ individual requirements, while a number of standard supercar kits are in development with the  Alcon CCX SuperKit available now for Nissan R35 GT-R. This is the ultimate fast road/track conversion kit for the R35 GT-R and features:

400mm front ventilated, cross-drilled CCX discs mounted to stainless steel bells

385mm rear ventilated, cross-drilled CCX discs mounted to stainless steel bells

New 6-piston, monobloc billet front calipers fitted with Alcon CCX-1 pads

 6-piston, monobloc billet rear calipers fitted with Alcon CCX-1 pads

The Nissan kit comes complete with all hardware to enable fitment within the GT-R’s original equipment 20 inch wheel rims. Similar applications for other supercars will follow shortly.

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FIA Endurance Championship: Rebellion Racing will run two Lola-Toyota LMP1 cars in the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the 24 Heures du Mans. Rebellion Racing will be looking to re-confirm its status as the best privateer sportscar team at the highest level of endurance racing. In 2011 the Swiss team won the Le Mans Series LMP1 Team Championship and the Le Mans Series Manufacturers Championship for Lola and Toyota. In the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, they ended the season in third place in the Teams classification as the best private team behind Peugeot’s and Audi’s factory teams. Rebellion’s other main achievement last season was the 6th place overall at Le Mans, the highest placed finish for a petrol LMP. Rebellion will remain with Toyota and their petrol V8 3.4 litre RV8KLM engine, using an upgraded version of the RV8KLM engine on an exclusive basis for the second year in a row. Four drivers will share driving duties in 2012, the team having renewed the contracts of Andrea Belicchi, Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost. They will be joined by  Harold Primat. who previously drove for Aston Martin Racing LMP1 from 2009 to 2011, winning the 6 Hours of Laguna Seca in 2011 and the 500 km of Okayama in 2009. Bart Hayden, Rebellion Racing Team manager; "We have another strong driver line-up for this year. Complementing our existing driver line-up, I am pleased to welcome Harold on- board, he will bring a great deal of experience to the team.”

Karts: Formula Kart Stars(FKS) have joined forces with one of the most successful junior formulae teams in Britain, Hillspeed, to create a new scholarship award in 2012. FKS will nominate one eligible driver in each of the 12 rounds that comprise the 2012 FKS Championship to attend an exclusive shootout with Hillspeed at the end of the season. The winner of the shootout will receive his or her entry fee for the 2013 Ginetta Junior Championship or the 2013 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship courtesy of Hillspeed, who have a glowing record of success in both championships. Having guided former FKS Mini Max Champion Tom Ingram to the 2010 Junior Ginetta title and then defended their crown with Seb Morris in 2011, Hillspeed have recently announced the signing of former Formula Kart Stars frontrunner Nathan Harrison for the 2012 Junior Ginetta season. In the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship Hillspeed’s record is equally as successful, helping another Formula Kart Stars driver, Alice Powell to the 2010 championship and sustaining that performance in 2011 with newly crowned Winter Series Champion Victor Jimenez. “Hillspeed is very excited about the partnership with FKS and the opportunity to work with drivers seeking a long term future in Motorsport,” confirmed team principle Richard Ollerenshaw. “It is clearly apparent that FKS is a vital proving ground and stepping stone for aspiring karters. We want to become involved and offer them the chance to sample entry-level car racing within the professional environment that Hillspeed provides. We have worked with a number of young drivers with karting backgrounds and have been exceptionally successful in their development and career progression. Our Ginetta Junior programme has provided our drivers the opportunity to graduate from karting to cars while keeping a high profile with all of the races supporting the BTCC.” Due to the age restrictions of the Ginetta Junior Championship, Formula Kart Stars drivers must be no older than 16 on April 1st 2013 to be eligible for the prize. For more information on Formula Kart Stars visit www.formulakartstars.com.     Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

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Endurance Racing: Greaves Motorsport have unveiled their livery for the 2012 season. It is an evolution of the colour scheme that the team has run successfully for the past two seasons. The example shown is the livery for the FIA World Endurance Championship entry, although there are still a few changes likely as several additional sponsors are awaiting final corporate approval. Team Manager, Jacob Greaves explained. "We have been very happy with the scheme that we have run for the past two years. We think that the subtle changes made will enhance what is already a very distinctive and contemporary design. The new design fits very well with the Greaves Motorsport brand and we hope it will be as well received as our former livery." The new design will be raced for the first time next month in Florida, at the Sebring 12 Hours, the opening round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Star Mazda: Team Stange Racing has signed Brandon Reed from Elkhart, Indiana for Selected Races in the 2012 Star Mazda Championship with the hopes of competing in the full championship if additional sponsorship is found. Brandon began racing karts in 1992 and became Jr. Rookie of the Year and after numerous wins moved into formula cars racing throughout North America in Skip Barber, SCCA, and the Bridgestone race series. Brandon aspires to race full time in the IZOD Indy Car series and win the Indy 500 and feels racing with Team Stange Racing in the 2012 Star Mazda Championship will be the best move. "To be able to compete in the Star Mazda Championship with Team Stange Racing in the Road to Indy tour I think its a great move not only for me professionally but also for our sponsors. For a company to get involved with us at ground level and gain maximum exposure and gain a great fan base early will only carry us to our goal. I'm excited to get a fresh start with a new team and help Team Stange Racing build for the future,"  states Brandon. John Stange added,  "I welcome Brandon to our team and only hope we can help Brandon secure the additional sponsorship to contend for the Championship because he truly deserves it. Brandon is a great spokesman and is such a gentleman. He would serve any sponsor proud". Brandon's Schedule so far for 2012 includes Alabama, St. Petersburg and in the night before the 500 at Indianapolis in May.

British GT: Lotus Sport UK has signed Sailesh Bolisetti to race in the 2012 Avon Tyres British GT Championship. The 23-year-old from Visakhapatnum, on the east coast of India, will race the Lotus Evora GT4 which took three wins last year, the team’s maiden season.  Bolisetti began racing in 2007 and went on to win India’s inaugural Volkswagen Polo Cup in 2010. As part of his prize, he was promoted to the Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup, a support series for Europe’s DTM championship. Now’s he’s preparing to make the step up to sportscar racing, alongside some of the toughest tin-top competitors in the business. Commenting Sailesh Bolisetti said: “Being associated with such a well-known name in racing is a great opportunity for me, especially one with such a rich pedigree across a uniquely wide range of disciplines. But I don’t take it as a pressure, I take it as a privilege – I’ll be driving for the same brand as some of my all time heroes and sporting legends and I’m really looking forward to it.”  British GT’s seven-race season kicks off at Oulton Park on April 7. In addition, Bolisetti will contest the Indian i1 Super Series in the Middle East andAsia, in order to get as much experience under his belt as possible. Gary Ayles, Team Manager, Lotus Sport UK said: “Sailesh is a strong talent that hadn’t been discovered in Europe, until now. I first got to know him and his father through my contacts in India, having been involved with the A1GP India team and raced over there in F3. We kept in contact and now Sailesh has come of age and is ready to race here in Europe with our team. You need to keep an eye on this lad, he’s a star in the making.”

Volkswagen Racing Cup: Aaron Mason, a third-place finisher in the APR Volkswagen Racing Cup twice in the last three years, is to return to the championship in 2012 with a three-car assault on the title. The 32-year-old from Doncaster expects to start the season at the wheel of an AWM Motor Sport Golf GTI similar to that which netted him four race victories in 2011, but says he could switch to a Scirocco. “There are a few options open to us,” says Mason, “and one of them is to build a completely new car. There are a number of Sciroccos coming in and it may prove to be the car to beat. I am certainly going to go for another shot at the championship and I am hoping that it’s going to be a good, close and competitive season - it would be nice to win it after a good battle with some strong competitors.” Mason came into the series as a racing rookie in 2009 and enjoyed immediate success, taking championship third. He claimed his first race wins in 2010, and won at Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Silverstone last season on his way to third once again. “What cost me the championship last year was a sticking rear brake at Oulton Park, and then another brake problem at Zandvoort, which caused me to go off.” Despite these mishaps Mason finished and scored in every round, but the greater consistency of Steve Chaplin and James Walker helped them out-point him. Mason’s team-mates in the AWM squad will be motorsport newcomer Simon Tomlinson and Stewart Lines, who has Clio Cup, SEAT Challenge and Mini Challenge experience and who took part in the final two meetings of the 2011 Volkswagen Racing Cup season; both will drive Golf GTIs. Mason says AWM may yet field a fourth car. Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

The APR Volkswagen Racing Cup grid is shaping up to be as large and competitive as ever. KPM Racing has announced plans to field a six-car team, including Sciroccos for James Walker and Craig Milner, while 2011’s top rookie, Tom Wilson, is set to return in a two-car team with his father, Jonathan, at the wheel of a Scirocco.

Masters Historic Racing:  Renowned BMC engine tuning specialist Swiftune will add its support to the Masters Historic Racing Pre-66 Touring Car races this season by offering a ‘Mini Trophy’ within that Championship. The company, run by prodigiously successful Mini racer Nick Swift, will provide a unique polished alloy trophy cylinder head to the driver of the most successful Mini at the end of the 2012 season, and it is sure to be a keenly-contested prize. Swiftune began in 1965, founded by Nick’s father Glyn, himself a rapid Mini racer, and has an enviable reputation of powering champions, such as six back-to-back Mini Miglia titles. Swiftune builds A-series engines for all manner of racing cars, such as historic Formula Junior, Austin Healey Sprites, MG Midgets and Austin A35s as well as Minis. Swiftune aims to produce race-winning performance and superb reliability for A-series engines, with a research and development programme, on the track and dyno, plus extensive feedback from its own racing programme. That means Swiftune’s experience is unrivalled and always up-to-the minute with the latest technology and developments. Masters Historic Racing Event Manager Rachel Bailey said: ‘We are very pleased that Swiftune is supporting the championship this season and we are very pleased to see an increasing number of Minis coming out to race.  We are aware of a number of cars that have changed ownership over the winter and of drivers who are planning on returning to racing after some time away.’ Details of the 2012 Masters calendar, including all the races for the Pre-66 Touring cars can be found at www.themastersseries.com

Grand-Am: Ferrari Québec will sponsor the all-new AIM Autosport Team FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia GT Grand-Am car at the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, January 26–29. This event marks the official return of Ferrari to its endurance racing roots after years of absence at the Daytona International Speedway and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.  Ferrari last went to victory lane at the gruelling once-around-the-clock Daytona event with an overall win in 1998 using its 333SP prototype. This year they are back with Aim Autosport in the GT class  with the new 458 Italia GT Grand-Am racer. Based on the 458 Italia road car and 458 Challenge race car with which Ferrari Québec has had such recent racing success, the Grand-Am GT variant features several changes aimed to bring it in line with GRAND-AM Rolex Series GT specifications. Sharing driving duties of the Ferrari Québec supported AIM Autosport Team FXDD Ferrari 458 will be 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Series GT Champions Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato, who add experienced Ferrari racers Nick Longhi and Anthony Lazzaro to the team for the 24-hour event. This will mark the third consecutive year that this driving team has shared a car in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Pic: Wes Duenk Read full report

Ginetta GT Supercup: After undoubtedly his most successful year in the sport Tom Sharp will return to the Ginetta GT Supercup for 2012 with family team IDL Racing. Sharp will also be looking to compete in the British GT Championship in the GT3 class at selected rounds. In 2011 Sharp managed to win more races, in the Ginetta GT Supercup, than anyone and was consistently a front-runner in the series.  Despite taking an outstanding 9 overall wins Sharp narrowly missed out on the series title by just 11 points. As the new season looms ever closer Sharp has every reason to be confident for the new racing year. “I never expected to have the run of form that we did and well be looking to take the title this year. This season has been great for us and to be named by Autosport magazine as the best driver in the Supercup and the 8th best national driver of 2011 means a lot, ” Sharp explained. “The next few months are going to be quite busy for us as we take delivery of a new car and get some testing miles under our belt.” The season starts off at Brands Hatch on the Indy configuration over the weekend of 31st March – 1st April 2012, with 3 races over the two days. Pic: Chris Roberts/Widerviewphoto.com

WTCC: Gabriele Tarquini and Alexey Dudukalo will team up once again in the 2012 WTCC.The 2009 World Champion and the young Russian will race under the banner of the new Lukoil Racing Team at the wheel of two SEAT León cars powered by a new 1.6-litre turbo engine that will be homologated by SEAT. "I'm very happy because Lukoil confirmed me as one of their drivers, and I'm also proud because they appointed me to raise the next generation of Russia's racers. Now I'm eagerly looking forward to the new season. We will race again with the old León, but I expect a lot from the new SEAT engine. I believe we will be a much stronger package than last year, and in the position to fight with Chevrolet," said Tarquini.  Dudukalo added: "Last year our main problem was the engine, not enough powerful and reliable compared to our competitors. This time we will not have this problem, and furthermore we can rely on better experience and technical support." Team director Evgeniy Malinovskiy concluded: "I am glad that Tarquini remained in our team. He is a professional and victory-focused driver, whose experience will help us to grow stronger. This year will be very important for Dudukalo; he won many Russian titles, but lacked experience in competition at such a high level. Now we expect more consistent results from him. WTCC is one of the most effective marketing and sporting tools for Lukoil; it is an excellent platform to create guest programmes for partners." Lukoil Racing Team will hit the track for testing in the first days of February. 

The FIA has published the list of the starting weights for the cars in the 2012 FIA WTCC.The domination by the Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T during 2011 resulted in its minimum weight being increased by 30 kilos, from 1150 to 1180.The BMW 320 TC was given a weight of 1160 kg, 10 less than last year. Any other model which took part in the 2011 championship will start on 1150 kg, this includes the 2.0L normally aspirated BMW 320si (5 kg down on 2011), Chevrolet Cruze LT and Chevrolet Lacetti, the 2.0L turbo diesel SEAT León TDi and the 1.6L turbo SUNRED León 1.6T and Volvo C30 that are accepted by national homologations.These weights take into account the balance of performance set by the Touring Car Committee. New models such as Ford Focus and SEAT León 1.6 TSi will be added later by the Touring Car Committee.
All the cars will start the season on the maximum compensation weight: 40 kilos added to their minimum weights. 

Full season entries to the 2012 FIA WTCC opened on January 16th, and will close on February 29th. Theentry fee is Euro 37,700 while race-by-race entries must be submitted to the FIA at least fourteen days prior to the relevant event with an entry fee of euro 5,170.

Arnaud Martin, head of engine design at RML and creator of the 1.6-litre turbo that powered the Chevrolet Cruze cars to last year's WTCC title, was the recipient of the Race Engine Designer award in a night of celebration during the RACE TECH World Motorsport Symposium.Martin was awarded the trophy for having produced an entirely new engine from a clean sheet of paper; what was particularly impressive was that he and his small team of engineers produced the winning power plant in just eight months on a very limited budget. On receiving the award from Soheila Kimberley, RACE TECH's Publishing Director, Arnaud Martin said: "I am very grateful that my team's work had been so recognised and honoured, and it makes me especially proud to join such a prestigious list of previous winners."  Previous recipients of the award were Rob White (Renault F1), Ulrich Baretzky (Head of Engine Technology, Audi Sport) and Francois Coudrain (Peugeot Sport).

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This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (28 June - 1 July 2012), will mark two key anniversaries, with the peak of sports car racing 40 years ago, and the launch of the exciting Group C era 30 years back. Forty years ago, the 1972 season was a pivotal year in sports car racing. In America, Can-Am was at its peak, with a fascinating battle for supremacy between McLaren, Porsche, Shadow and Lola, while in Europe a change in regulations prompted an intriguing fight between Ferrari, Matra and Alfa Romeo. Although ostensibly similar in appearance, these cars were very different in design philosophy, highlighting fundamental differences between European and American racing – technical sophistication versus raw power. A special class at the 2012 Festival of Speed will bring these cars together, providing a unique opportunity to witness the most exciting sports racing prototypes of all time in no-holds-barred action. A decade later, the Group C era began in 1982, and went on to become one of the most competitive in sports car racing history, with an unprecedented number of factory teams. This summer’s Festival of Speed will celebrate 30 years since the launch of Group C, with a dedicated class including cars from Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan, Aston Martin, Lancia and Peugeot. As well as a stunning sight in the Festival paddock, these cars are sure to be amongst the fastest up the famous Goodwood Hill, with many in the running for fastest time of the weekend. Tickets and further information for the 2012 Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival can be found on the Goodwood website (www.goodwood.com/motor sport), or via the Ticket Hotline as Telephone: +44 (0)1243 755055

Karts: The four-day Autosport International Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham traditionally signals the start of the motorsport season and for the Formula Kart Stars Championship(FKS)  it signals both the end AND the beginning as the 2011 Champions are crowned in the official championship presentation and the 2012 season is launched amidst a flurry of star names and fantastic new prize announcements.Heading into its 17th year the championship once again hosted the official Karting stage at Autosport International. The focal point of the four days was the awards ceremony, which went off with the traditional FKS flurry of confetti cannons but with the BBC Formula One team of David Coulthard, Jake Humphrey and commentator Ben Edwards highlighting a list of guests that also included Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen, Rob Huff and David Brabham, there was no shortage of action. In front of a packed audience, MSA British Cadet Champion Daniel Ticktum, FKS Mini Max Champion Josh White, Junior Max Champion James Singleton and KF3 Champion Callum Ilott all received their unique FKS steering wheel trophies while Ticktum also received the official MSA British Cadet Championship trophy. All four champions will receive a full day of training at iZone Driver Performance while Singleton and White were also presented with a free Rotax engine from JAG. Singleton also earned an entry into the Rotax World Finals last November, an event in which he did the championship proud by finishing third overall. “It is fantastic to have the likes of Jake Humphrey, David Coulthard, Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen on our stage but the show is all about the karters,” said FKS Championship director Carolynn Hoy. “This is their chance to shine in front of the biggest motorsport audience of the year outside of the British Grand Prix and I am very proud of all those drivers who were on stage for either an interview or just to collect their prizes.”  The Powerboat P1 Superstock Championship confirmed their 2011 prize of a test day in one of their awe inspiring Powerboats for six lucky Junior Rotax drivers while fellow Junior Max competitor Macaulay Austin was officially presented with the inaugural Dannie Pennell trophy. Looking ahead to 2012, FKS continued to work on creating more unique opportunities for its drivers as the Bernie Ecclestone Driver of the Day prize was confirmed along with new scholarship prizes courtesy of Lohen Ltd, iZone Driver Performance and Hillspeed. Pic: Chris Walker / www.kartpix.net

Ginetta Jnrs: Nottingham’s George Gamble, the 2011 Ginetta Junior Winter Series Champion, will lead the main season title attack for Hillspeed this year after agreeing terms with the reigning driver and team champions. The 15-year-old, who will go into his second season of car racing as one of the true title favourites, joins the Derbyshire-based squad hot on the heels of karting graduate Nathan Harrison who was announced as the team’s first signing at the Autosport International Show last weekend. Winning three races and accruing multiple podium finishes on his way to third place in the main championship last season, Gamble went on to secure his first title with a terrific performance in the end-of-year Winter Series. Gamble’s signing is a real coup and puts the team in a very strong position just a couple of weeks into the New Year. “We’re absolutely delighted to have George onboard for the coming season, he’s someone we kept an eye on from the outset of the 2011 season and the only driver that truly challenged Seb (Morris) throughout the year”, said Hillspeed’s Richard Ollerenshaw. “George had an excellent result in claiming the Winter Series title with TJ, he performed very well indeed, so we’re pleased to have confirmed a deal with him this early as we make every effort to secure a third straight title.”  Gamble was indeed one of the few drivers able to take the fight to second-year racer Morris during 2011, achieving his maiden victory at Thruxton in one of the closest finishes in history – just 0.036 seconds splitting the pair at the line. More wins at Croft and Knockhill followed and, in total, he visited the podium eight times during the course of the main season. Commenting on his decision Gamble said: “I’m over the moon to be back in Ginetta Junior for a second season, especially off the back of winning the Winter Series. It’s great to be joining Hillspeed, the team’s record speaks for itself and we stand a really good chance of fighting for the championship. We didn’t decide to do Ginetta Junior last year until a couple of weeks before the championship started, so we didn’t have any real testing pre-season unlike the others. This year, we’ve got a deal done early so we’ll be able to have much better preparation.” Brands Hatch will host the opening two rounds of the 2012 Ginetta Junior season over the weekend 31st March/1st April. Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

EuroRacecar: Brands Hatch is the setting for the Euro Racecar Open Day on January 27th, 2012. It is your chance to experience the cars involved in the only NASCAR-affiliated category outside America. 

What is Euro Racecar? - NASCAR-style V8 cars with GM 5.7 litre 450hp engines weighing 1150 kgs in a FIA-sanctioned series using a choice of body shape. A  season can be achieved for just €45,000.

Where does it race?

April 6-8 Nogaro, France (FIA GT1 World Championship support race)

May 18-20 Brands Hatch, UK (DTM support race)

June 8-10 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

July 7/8 Tours Speedway, France

September 28-30 Valencia, Spain (DTM support race)

October 12-14 Le Mans, France (FIA European Truck Racing Championship support race)

November 9-11 Daytona, USA

Why Euro Racecar?  It is spectacular racing with Television coverage of all rounds with two drivers per car to split costs and two races per driver per event. It has promotion through written media, websites and social networking and is low-cost with high return!     Book your test

With just four weeks to go until this year’s much awaited Motor Sport magazine Hall of Fame, taking place on 16 February at London’s Roundhouse, Infiniti is announced as the event’s associate sponsor and official car marque. As Infiniti aligns itself with Motor Sport’s flagship event, the motor racing community prepare to honour four more of the greatest names in the sport. Among the array of personalities due to be attending the awards ceremony are Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner, the legendary Sir Stirling Moss and President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club Derek Warwick. Being held for the third consecutive year, the annual and prestigious awards evening marks the beginning of the motor racing season, with the opening round of the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship starting exactly a month later in Melbourne, Australia.   “Nissan Motor Company has a long and successful history in racing, said Simon Sproule, Corporate Vice President, Infiniti. “Last season, we were proud to bring Infiniti to Formula One through our partnership with Red Bull Racing. Our support for the Motor Sport Hall of Fame is a natural way for us to honour those who have shown outstanding talent and contributed to the advancement of motor racing,” continued Sproule.  

Win exclusive access to the Hall of Fame on Thursday 16 February - Find out more about the Hall of Fame via the new look Motor Sport magazine website. In addition, for a chance to join the ‘great and the good’ from motor racing at the Roundhouse, go to: http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/2012-hall-of-fame/ to win tickets.

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F2000: HP Tech Motorsport will expand to run three RFR chassis in the F2000 Championship in 2012. With an all-Venezuelan driver lineup including 2011 rookie contender Robert La Rocca back in the No. 10 car . He will be joined by Francisco Cerullo and Jose Montiel. The Florida-based squad joined the F2000 Series in 2011 with two rookie drivers, finishing second in their first outing in Virginia, and scoring podiums all year long with La Rocca on his way to fifth place in the  Championship. Besides barging onto the F2000 scene, HP-Tech won the North American Ferrari Challenge Championship in 2011 and will field at least four Ferrari Challenge cars in 2012. “Our goal for the 2012 campaign is to start in the winner’s circle and end with a Championship title for both F2000 and Ferrari Challenge,” said Jorge Herrera, Team President. “Robert is now a two-year veteran and is ready to work with our new drivers. They all have the passion to win, and I believe we are going to have a successful 2012.”  Francisco Cerullo, 25 years old, joins the team as the 2008 F2000 Champion in Venezuela, and spent 2011 in the Latam Challenge Series, finishing fifth. Jose Montiel is another rookie for 2012, coming out of the Skip Barber Series.  To accommodate the expansion under its awning, HP-Tech is adding former IndyCar engineer Jeff Lohman to the F2000 program, and anticipates adding a fourth car, should funding be secured. The season starts at VIRginia International Raceway, April 12-15.  pic Valet

Masters Historic Racing Awards Dinner – Friday 24th February  - Places are filling up fast so don’t forget to book your places for the 2011 Season Awards Dinner at the Mallory Court Hotel, just outside Leamington Spa on Friday 24th February.  Tickets are £85 per person, which includes a drinks reception, 3-course dinner, wine and coffee!   Complete the booking form from the Event Information page of the website and send it back to the Masters Office ASAP! Web: www.themastersseries.com

Master Historic Racing Goodwood Track Days – Friday 9th March and Saturday 10th March A great way to dust the cobwebs away and start your season off! All Masters eligible cars are welcome as long as you can pass the 105dba noise test. Spaces are still available on both days –You will find the booking form on the website in the Event Information section. 

Oulton Park – Saturday 17th March -  The Masters Season Opener, with races for Gentlemen Drivers, Pre-66 Touring, WSM, 70s Celebration as well as a couple of Invitation grids, it should be a fun & relaxed start to the season.   

Donington Test Day – Thursday 5th April  This is a great chance to shake-down your car. This is a ‘noisy’ day at Donington for historic cars only and will be run in sessions.   It’s £350 per car, £50 for a co-driver and there are a limited number of garages available to be pre-booked at £50 a garage (for 2 cars). You will need your current 2012 race licence to take to the track – booking forms are now available to download from Event Information section of the website.

Autosport Int: David Pittard has kicked off his 2012 season with successful appearances at the Autosport International Show at the NEC in Birmingham last weekend. Pittard, who is looking to move up to Porsche Carrera Cup GB this year following a successful test with Team Parker Racing at the end of 2011, completed his weekend with a guest appearance Formula Kart Stars(FKS) stage. “To kick off the year at the Autosport show was great!” commented David. “I was originally down to visit the show on Saturday and Sunday to help promote Brunel University, however on the Thursday I got a message saying that a space had freed up in the Celebrity Kart race and jumped at the opportunity. I drove to Birmingham as quick as I could only to find that the space had been taken! Over all it wasn’t a wasted journey as I stayed around to watch which was seriously good entertainment!” Heading into the weekend David managed to combine his promotional duties for Brunel University with some for his 2012 race season: “On the Saturday I was invited up onto the Formula Kart Stars stage as a ‘series old boy’ where I was interviewed by commentator Henry Beaudette. We talked about my racing in FKS and how it helped develop me as a driver, before chatting about my recent racing and plans for 2012. It was really great to go back to my roots and meet some of the new drivers. It was a real pleasure being up on stage in front of people to talk about my career and I would like to thank FKS for having me.” David also had an interview from BTCC Crazy. “The show was very packed for me. I also met up with other journalists asking about the season ahead and my off season antics, including Formula Renault and Porshe Carrera Cup tests. The show was a great success and I managed to make some good contacts for the season ahead which all go towards helping my ambitions to get to the next level and succeed!” Looking ahead to the new season, David is looking to dove-tail his Porsche campaign with a return to Sports 2000, hoping to settle some unfinished business from 2011 which saw him narrowly miss out on the Championship title. “I’m very much looking forward to returning to Sports 2000 and this time hope to come away with the Championship title. The team worked so hard last year and we were let down by a few mechanical failures beyond our control. This year I hope to repay everyone's efforts by taking the title.”  David’s first race of the season in Sports 2000 is at Silverstone on the 14th/15th April while his first  Porsche Carrera Cup GB race is at Brands Hatch on the 1st of April.

Marussia Formula 1 Development Driver Adrian Quaife-Hobbs was one of many international racing drivers who took part in the Ginetta Celebrity Karting Challenge at Autosport International on Thursday 12 January, raising more than £15,000 for Race2Recovery over the course of the four days. Around 100 professional drivers joined members of the public in the 90-minute race, located within Hall 4 of the Birmingham NEC, to raise funds for the national charity which aims to rehabilitate injured British servicemen and women by supporting wounded soldiers in a series of motorsports events. Adrian was joined in the Sky’s the Limit team by British Formula 3 Champion Felipe Nasr, F3 racer Dean Smith, 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholarship winner Daniel Lloyd, Formula Renault racer Alice Powell and race fan Scott Sheldon and after 176 fraught laps around the indoor kart track finished third. The former multiple kart champion raced alongside many other names from across the sport including David Brabham, Darren Turner, Sam Bird, Andy Priaulx, Johnny Mowlem and Riki Christodolou, and was delighted with his first appearance at the event which has so far raised more than £180,000 for various worthy causes.  “I have to say I didn’t have much of an idea what to expect, as it was my first time racing on an indoor kart track, and indeed the first time racing against a cross section of drivers from all forms of motorsport and the general public,” said Adrian.  “Despite it being a fun event for charity, I was forewarned to expect lots of bumping and barging throughout and that was very much how it was. The atmosphere was great however and everybody really had a good time, while raising money for Race2Recovery.  It was a great opportunity to raise funds for this very worthwhile cause, while having fun in the process. To get a podium finish was an added bonus!” Money raised by Race2Recovery will be distributed between three major charities that work tirelessly to improve the lives of British service personnel and their families: Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion and Combat Stress.It is still possible to support their incredible mission to help wounded servicemen and women go beyond injury and achieve the extraordinary by donating on-line at http://www.race2recovery.co.uk/

Other News: Fiskens, London’s foremost historic automobile specialist, swapped the cobbled streets of their Kensington Mews for one of the capital’s chicest boutiques last week (January 12) as they co-hosted a private exhibition of stunning work by renowned photographer Nick Clements. Overseen in conjunction with RRL, fashion icon Ralph Lauren's vintage-inspired lifestyle range, the exclusive event took place at the brand’s recently opened store on Kensington’s Mount Street. Clements was the man charged with capturing the unique history of the Mews and the celebrated cars it houses when Fiskens commissioned him to produce a series of promotional stills. The fabled street evolved from bustling royal stables into a hive of activity for some of Britain’s most celebrated privateer motor racers. The resulting images evoked the gloriously storied past of the Mews, which Fiskens proudly continue to uphold.

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Historics: The organiser of the Coppa Intereuropa, Jason Wright, will shake up the Monza meeting this year with a four-hour race echoing the Monza 1000kms of the '60s and '70s. The Monza 1000 km race was for many years the highlight of the Italian season, often eclipsing in popularity the Italian GP with the same cars eligible now that were eligible then. Essentially an extension of the 1000km series for pre-1972 prototypes, this will be one of the rounds counting towards the 1000km overall mileage and all 1000km cars are eligible. In addition Touring cars and GT cars of the same period will be accepted in their own classes. These will include Ferrari Daytona, Chevrolet Camaro, Porsche 911, Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA, Ford Escort, Boss Mustang, etc.The race is by invitation and will take place on Saturday afternoon June 2, with refuelling arrangements in place. On Sunday, the same cars will line up in reverse grid order for a five-lap shootout, the winner of which will receive a big prize. A full compliment of support races will be at the three-day meeting, including two of the most competitive series in historic racing today, Classic F3 and U2TC, not to mention the famous and very popular Alfa only race of the Scuderia del Portello. The GT & Sports Car Cup will field a huge grid of Pre-'66 GT cars and pre-'63 sports prototypes, with Cobras and E-types at the sharp end, with Alfa Romeo TZs, MGBs, Morgans and the diminutive Lotus XI and XV prototypes fighting for classes.  Earlier GT cars will be presented in the Pre-'63 GT race, last year dominated by the 330 GTO of Carlo Vögele against the ranks of Aston Martin Zagatos and Short Wheel Base Ferraris, while in the smaller classes, there will be a battle royal amongst a fleet of Lotus Elites, Alfa Giulietta SZs, AC Aces and Acecas. For fans of Formula One, Boss GP has confirmed their grid of recent F1 cars.

Star Mazda: Team Stange Racing, LLC has signed Lazaro Selegar for the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Selegar started his racing career in KARTS in 2009, competing until 2011 when he tested a Formula 3 car in South America. "I am so excited to make my journey to the United States and start working with Team Stange Racing and John Stange.  I am a hands on driver and want to be involved in every aspect of the team, I want to provide the correct input to put this team in the circles of Victory as much as possible", said Selegar. John Strange welcomed the young Brazilian to the team. "I welcome Lazaro with open arms to the race team, I think Lazaro has so much potential not only in the car but outside as well.  Lazaro is a bright young man that understands the business of racing, not only do you have to run well but you have to market yourself and carry yourself just as well if not much better because you are the face of the sponsor and that brand's ambassador and Lazaro understands that.” Adding, “Lazaro has what the sponsor is looking for, dedication, looks, maturity, and the determination to do what he has to do to satisfy his sponsors and to keep them held in high regard and represent them well both on and off the race track.” Team Stange Racing will announce Lazaro's sponsors in time for the season opener in St. Petersburg.  Before that they will start their testing in late February. Sponsors looking for a custom program built around Lazaro Selegar and Team Stange Racing please contact Team Stange Racing at:www.teamstangeracing.com 

NASCAR and EURO-RACECAR have reached a long-term partnership making EURO-RACECAR officially recognised by NASCAR as a NASCAR Touring Series, becoming the doorstep for European drivers to race in U.S. NASCAR series. Created in 2009 by Team FJ, with the support of the French Federation (FFSA), RACECAR Euro Series have always been inspired from their American model. Racing with tubular chassis cars powered by American V8s, and placing priority on fans and drivers with great competition, EURO-RACECAR has worked hard to adapt the keys that have made NASCAR one of the most popular sports all over the world.  The 2012 EURO-RACECAR will open on April 7-8 at Nogaro in France.  The Champion will be honoured at the 2012 NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Series Awards Gala, along with second- and third-place finishers, the Junior Trophy winner and the Most Popular Driver Award winner. The series will stay under the exclusive management of Team FJ, its creator and organiser, and registered as an FIA International Series. NASCAR will provide its knowledge and expertise to develop the series in Europe and create high-level sport events where passion, fans and fun on track and around are the key words. “Obviously, this is great news for everyone involved in EURO-RACECAR,” said Jérome Galpin, creator of the series. “Fans, drivers, sponsors, officials, teams, circuits, they all were a part of the series development. Joining NASCAR means entering a great family were key words are passion, professionalism and commitment. Beyond the recognition, this agreement is a fantastic boost for our series to become one of the main motor sport series in Europe.” George Silbermann, Vice President, Regional and Touring Series said, “We are proud to welcome EURO-RACECAR to our family of NASCAR regional tours in the U.S., Canada and Mexico,” adding. “Fans can enjoy the excitement of great stock car racing in locations across the Europe, while talented drivers take the important first step on NASCAR’s ladder system.”

Formula 4: Jean-Eric Vergne, Charles Pic,  Pierre Gasly... Do these names ring a bell? Like more than 550 other drivers, they have made their single-seater debut with Auto Sport Academy, the FFSA (Fédération Française du Sport Automobile) training centre.  This year Anthoine Hubert and Alex Baron, both members of the "Equipe de France FFSA Karting", with Florian Latorre and Lucile Cypriano, drivers in the FFSA 10-15 Programme, Britain’s Matthew Graham,Fin Ovaska Pyry and Anthoine Hubert, the latter pair both on the podium of the French round of the U18 World Championship, have all been invited this year to test at the Academy in the Formula Academy single-seater.  Other tests have been offered to the podium winners of the French round of the Academy Trophy: Monegasque Charles Leclerc, Britain’s Benjamin Barnicoat, and the Fin Juhi Valtanen, as well as to the final podium winners of the French KF2 Championship, Pascal Belmaaziz, Belgian Guillaume de Ridder, and Victor Sendin, as well as  Adeline Prudent, who won the French Female Cup. Enzo Guibbert has recently performed the test he was offered last year for his French KF2 Champion title. Organised by the Auto Sport Academy, the French F4 Championship is open to candidates born between 1st January 1989 and 31st December 1997 and there are still places open. Cost of the 2012 season payable by the driver: 59,800 euros inc VAT.  The Championship consists of  7 meetings with 14 races on various tracks, including Paul Ricard, Magny-Cours, Navarra, Pau, etc. Costs include provision of the car and supply of official racing overalls and clothing, An Official training day on the Bugatti circuit of Le Mans, data acquisition and media training, physical tests, conferences: mechanical functioning, insurances, motorsport rules, road safety, and medical tests) will be organised from 27th February to 2nd March 2012 and from 19th to 23rd March 2012. At the end of the season, the winner will receive 100,000 euros. For more information:  www.autosportacademy.com

Autosport Int: Formulec made its first appearance of 2012 at the AUTOSPORT International Show in Birmingham, UK, last weekend where it was invited to attend the sixth edition of the ‘Low Carbon Racing’ conference by the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA). The EF01 single-seater provided a striking backdrop for the speakers discussing themes such as reducing CO2 levels, alternative fuels, electric and hybrid vehicles, alternative energies and sustainable development. Chris Aylett, CEO of the MIA: “Formulec’s electric single-seater prototype attracted enormous interest. It was beautifully prepared and presented by Formulec, and really demonstrated how exciting the electric future will appear on-track.” With the conference over, EF01 spent the remainder of the exhibition displayed on the stand of motorsport television channel Motors TV where it attracted much interest from show-goers, media and industry insiders alike.  The show also offered an ideal opportunity for Formulec to be unveiled as Quimera and the International Motor Sport Association’s (IMSA) official single-seater class that will form part of a new global Electric Vehicle series currently taking shape in the US. As such, Formulec looks set to compete on the same bill as various future electrical classes, including GTs and touring cars, as well as motorcycles from the TTXGP World Championship.

Rallying: ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver Andreas Mikkelsen’s 2012 rally season has begun in fine style after he scored victory on the opening round of the Norwegian Rally Championship, the snowy Mountain Rally in Norway.Co-driven by Ola Fløene, the reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge Champion won the Gol-based event in his IRC title-winning ŠKODA Fabia S2000, which is now owned by his manager, Erik Veiby, and was run under the team Evenrally banner. Andreas finished 7.2 seconds ahead of WRC regular driver Mads Østberg, who was driving a more power Regional Rally Car.Østberg took the lead on the short opening stage, but Andreas – who was doing the event as a pre-season test – fought back to claim victory after all six stages had been completed.Andreas: “It’s very nice to start the new season off with a rally win, and I am very pleased. It’s a long time since I've driven on snow and ice and having been away for two years it was great to rally in Norway again. We had to drive fast to beat Mads and even though we were here to test, competing against such a good driver meant we really had to focus on our driving – so it was a very good test situation for us.” Andreas and Ola will next contest Rally Finnskog (4 February) as a final test in preparation for Rally Sweden (9–12 February). The ŠKODA UK Motorsport star will be on loan to VW Motorsport and will compete in a ŠKODA Fabia S2000 alongside Sébastien Ogier. Andreas’ main focus for 2012 is the defense of his IRC Drivers’ title with ŠKODA UK Motorsport, which begins on the Sata Rallye Azores (23-25 February).

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Formula Renault: Josh Webster has been named as one of the MSA’s Team UK for 2012 – an elite group of seven circuit racers who will be mentored by National Race Coach, Le Mans 24 Hours winner and former Formula One driver David Brabham. Revealed at the Autosport International Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on Friday afternoon, the 2012 Team UK line-up features the most talented young circuit racers and rally drivers Britain has to offer. At just 17-, Josh is the youngest of the group – recognition of the excellent progress he’s made in only two years of car racing. Graduating from karting in 2010 to the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, Josh went on to be named the Racing Steps Foundation MSA Young Driver of the Year at the end of 2011. Stepping up to the Protyre Formula Renault 2.0 UK category during the six-round ‘Finals Series’ in November, Josh was third overall in the Championship. Operated on behalf of the MSA by the Brabham Performance Clinic, the Team UK programme is designed to give the drivers placed on the scheme each year the very best in driver coaching, fitness and nutritional guidance. In addition, advanced sports psychology techniques are utilised to ensure each driver has the best possible approach to their racing..Josh hopes his invitation into Team UK will help him secure the additional budget to compete in the full Certina Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship this year. Current sponsors Nine Telecom Group and Admiral Managed Networks are continuing as Josh's partners, but the step up to the high-profile national championship means the Suffolk racer is seeking further partners to secure the full funding for 2012.

Toyota Racing Series: Car racing rookie Shahaan Engineer made a big impact during the opening event of the Toyota Racing Series at Teretonga Park in New Zealand. The highlight of the weekend for Shahaan was undoubtedly the second of the three races at the 2.62 kilometre track where he steered his 215bhp Toyota-engined, ETEC Motorsport run car to a fantastic sixth place finish. Pic: Toyota Racing Series   Read report

Endurance Racing : Morgan Motor Company and OAK Racing have entered into a partnership that will see the new 2012 OAK-Pescarolo LMP2 cars compete as Morgan LMP2s. It will be manufactured by Onroak Automotive, OAK Racing’s constructor department, which is based at the Technoparc des 24 Heures in Le Mans. OAK Racing will enter one Morgan LMP2 in this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship where they will seek to emulate the achievement of the Morgan Super Sport that took class victory at the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours. 2012 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of their success and the company will seek to celebrate this landmark in style.  Charles Morgan, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Motor Company: “I am thrilled to be able to announce our partnership with Jacques Nicolet and OAK Racing. It is a source of great pride that we have the opportunity to work with a racing car designer and constructor who has achieved such success on the international stage. Whilst Morgan sports cars enjoy a great history we have also gained a reputation for pioneering new technology, and I believe LMP2 represents a superb proving ground in which to develop innovative new methods. Our partnership presents the opportunity for the next generation of Morgans to embrace new technological advances, particularly with the implementation of materials such as carbon fibre and top level aerodynamics.” Jacques Nicolet, President of OAK Racing: “I am deeply honoured and proud that OAK Racing has been able to form a partnership with Charles Morgan and the Morgan Motor Company. Like Charles, I believe our link-up places the emphasis on the future whilst also building on the strong foundations of our individual histories.In Morgan I feel the same passion that has inspired me since childhood, as well as the 'family spirit' that I hope I have been able to create at OAK Racing. Who better than Morgan to embody the gentlemen drivers’ spirit needed for LMP2 competition? What really cements this union is our common interest in both the Le Mans 24 Hours and endurance racing as a whole. The 2012 running of the 24 Hours will not only represent the fiftieth anniversary of Morgan’s class win at the race but also a celebration of our new partnership.”  Pic Jan Sedlacek - Digitlight Photography

Autosport International: The four days of Autosport International always heralds the unofficial start of the new season and it proved to be very busy on the BRSCC stand, which augurs well for 2012.  Many BRSCC members took advantage of the opportunity to claim a free ticket and check what’s new this year and get some bargains ahead of when the racing starts again in March.In addition to having a car on display on the Club stand, Formula Jedi also had eight cars running in the Live Action and they very much proved to be the stars of the Show. The revised BRSCC DVD guide on ‘How to get started in motorsport’ was popular with the public to the point where we ran out of copies a few hours before the Show closed on Sunday evening. A date for your diary: the 2013 Autosport International will be slightly later running from 17th -20thJanuary.

Over 400 marshals, officials and medical staff involved in motorsport attended the annual Motorsport Safety Fund Watkins Lecture at the NEC on the Friday of Autosport International. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team Principal  Martin Whitmarsh was originally scheduled to be the guest speaker but he was unable to attend due to a late change to his schedule. However, Jonathan Neale, the Managing Director of McLaren Racing, stepped into the breach to answer questions from Maurice Hamilton. As is the tradition at the Watkins Lecture, Professor Sid Watkins himself introduced the main guest, and as ever, he was on sparkling form. Skilfully interviewed by Maurice Hamilton, Jonathan Neale offered a very interesting insight into the world of F1 and McLaren in particular.

Club Sport: Leading UK specialist pipe coupling manufacturer Teekay Couplings Ltd has been announced as the title sponsor of the Production GTi Championship for 2012.The Production GTi Championship is a one-make race series for the iconic Volkswagen Mk 2 Golf GTi and is specifically designed to provide friendly and reasonably-priced racing for drivers of all ability; from novice to seasoned veteran. For the full story visit www.brscc.co.uk 

Norwich based Super Mighty Mini competitor Jonathan Lewis has announced plans for a two car team to contest both the Standard & Super classes of the popular Mighty Minis Championship. Team QSW, with support from Bailey Caravans of Bristol, will field Jonathan in the Supers and newcomer to circuit racing, Justin Cooper, in the standard Mighty Minis. Click here for the full story; http://www.brscc.co.uk/LEWIS-PLANS-TEAM-ATTACK-ON-MIGHTY-MINIS

Rallying:  Just a few days into the new year, the first event of Brands Hatch's busy 2012 season takes place this Sunday (22 January). The Chelmsford Motor Club will be returning to the Kent circuit with the TRS (Essex) Ltd Brands Hatch Stage Rally after a success inaugural event last year. Stage rallying is an event rarely seen in the south east and the natural amphitheatre surrounding the Brands Hatch Indy circuit makes it the perfect venue to catch all of the action of this spectacular sport. Rallying also lends itself well to the winter weather, with cars and drivers equipped to deal with changing surfaces and conditions. The rally will be bigger than last year's event and the eight stages, utilising areas of the Indy circuit, paddock, access roads and rally stages, have been increased in length. Starting at 9:45am, the later stages will also run into darkness, with the cars distinguished by blazing headlights, flaming exhausts and glowing brake discs. The entry list has also grown and with more than 90 cars registered, there will be a lot to look out for. From hatchbacks to purpose-built rally cars, there are also Ferrari and Aston Martin supercars featured on what will be a superb event. Tickets for the TRS (Essex) Ltd Brands Hatch Stage Rally on 22 January are available in advance for £10 until midday Wednesday, with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information, visit www.brandshatch.co.uk.

Croft Circuit’s year of motor sport begins in this Sunday (22 January) with the Jack Frost Stages Rally, organised by the Darlington & District Motor Club. The DDMC anticipates a high calibre entry of in excess of 70 cars for its annual rally. Competitors face eight competitive timed special stages held on a variety of configurations within the Croft Circuit boundaries. The action is scheduled to start at just after 9.00am. Aiming for a record-breaking fourth consecutive victory on the event will be Penrith’s Paul Bird in his Ford Focus WRC 07, but he faces some mighty opposition. Indeed, two other previous winners are entered, Thirsk’s Chris Wise (2007 & 2008) in his Metro 6R4 and Leek’s Dave Holland (2001) in his Ford Escort Mk2. Bird commented: “Although I’ve won the last three Jack Frost rallies none of them have been easy and this year’s event will also be very tough as there are a number of drivers capable of winning. Croft is my local circuit and Darlington & District Motor Club runs a great rally so this is one event I always look forward to.” Wise added: “It’s a friendly rivalry between Paul and I out of the cars, but when the event starts there’s definitely some needle. I normally get ahead of him in the early stages but then he seems to warm up and get into his stride – maybe that’s when he has his bacon sarnie! I’ve had extensive work done to the Metro and a fresh engine fitted. I won’t be hanging about.” Notably Wise is the owner of AUTOGAS 2000, the expert fuel conversion company sponsoring the event which is also supported by Cartersport.Elsewhere rising star Chris Anderson (Ford Fiesta) of Bishop Auckland and stunt driver Paul Swift (Escort Mk2) from Darlington are both fresh from stellar performances in the recent Christmas Stages Rally at Croft (Mon 2 Jan) and also in with very real shouts of victory. Another ‘one to watch’ will be Morpeth’s Tony Thompson in his evocative Vauxhall Chevette HSR.Tickets for Sunday’s Jack Frost Stages Rally at Croft cost just £10 per adult (payable on the gate) with admission for children aged 15 and under FREE all day. For more information visit www.croftcircuit.co.uk

Dakar Rally: Mini have congratulated the X-raid Team and Stéphane Peterhansel on their victory at the 2012 Dakar Rally. Stéphane Peterhansel (FR) and his co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret (FR) have made it to the end of the last of 14 demanding stages,in their MINI ALL4 Racing car as the winner of the in a time of 38h 54m 46s. This was Peterhansel’s tenth victory at the “Dakar” having already claimed six wins on a motorcycle and four in a car. Dr. Kay Segler, Senior Vice President, MINI Brand Management and Business Coordination, said: “On behalf of MINI, I would like to congratulate Stéphane Peterhansel, his co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret and the entire X-raid Team on their triumph at the 2012 Rally Dakar. To stand on the top step of the podium on ten occasions after the toughest rally in the world is quite simply an unbelievable achievement. Sven Quandt’s team has once again proven its class with all five MINI ALL4 Racings finishing in the top ten.”  Joan “Nani” Roma (ES) and Michel Périn (FR), also driving a MINI ALL4 Racing, finished runner-up to complete a one-two for the German Monster Energy X-raid Team. When the rally came to a close in Lima, Peru, the gap between the two leading MINI cars was nearly 42 minutes.

With a first, second and sixth place in the overall truck ranking, Iveco dominated the 33rd Dakar Rally, where most of the European and Asian Truck OEMs participated. The Petronas De Rooy Iveco team won the rally with the Dutchman Gerard De Rooy, driving an Iveco Powerstar, a vehicle produced and sold by Iveco in Australia. The Iveco Powerstar was equipped with an FPT Industrial C13 engine, with more than 900 horsepower, and Magneti Marelli parts. Behind De Rooy, the other pilots of the team, Stacey and Biasion drove two Iveco Trakker Evolution 2s, also equipped with the same engine. The three vehicles, while adapted to the extreme conditions of the rally, were standard trucks optimised for best-in-class energy efficiency. Iveco CEO, Alfredo Altavilla, commented: “The Iveco participation in the Dakar 2012 aimed to confirm once more the excellent reliability of the Iveco trucks and of the FPT Industrial engines. Winning the rally and ranking 3 trucks in the first 6 positions is an outstanding success which shows the efficiency, strength and safety of the Iveco Trakker and Powerstar, already considered by customers as the ideal solution for everyday use and for tougher challenges. My special thanks to the drivers and all the other team members for their commitment and dedication.” For Iveco, the Dakar 2012 was a great opportunity to confirm the reliability of its products on the ground: each vehicle was put on trial in extreme conditions crossing three countries of South America. The race, which started on January 1, 2012 in Mar del Plata, crossed Argentina, Chile and Peru, covering 14 stages, for a total of 8,500 kilometres, around 4,200 of which were against the clock.

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Dubai 24 Hours: The number nine Gulf Racing Lamborghini Gallardo, driven by Roald Goethe, Archie Hamilton, Stuart Hall and Mike Wainwright put in consistently fast lap times and at the end of the race had the third best lap time on the results sheet. The car suffered a mechanical failure and failed to reach the chequered flag in the closing stages of the race. After a strong qualifying performance, Archie and his team-mates started the race from eighth on the grid. Problems struck from the early stages of the race with mechanical issues dropping the car down the order significantly after a lengthy pit stop for repairs. Undeterred the team carried on, consistently setting lap times under the two minute ten second mark throughout the race. With the end in sight, perseverance looked to be paying off when, with Roald Goethe driving, a wheel hub failure caused a crash which ended the team’s race just thirty minutes before the end. Archie Hamilton: “ The car was great to drive and we had a great pace. I loved driving it and getting the opportunity to have that much time in such a great car has been fantastic, so a big thank you to my sponsor. Thank you also to the team who worked so hard to keep us going. I hope that people have seen my consistency and decent lap times which should stand me in good stead for the future.” pic David Lord, dailysportscar.com

Ginetta Jnrs: Seb Morris continues to enjoy the fruits of his championship success in Ginetta Junior after being selected as one of the newest members of the prestigious MSA (Motor Sports Association) Academy – one of the British motorsport governing body’s flagship schemes. Announced at the annual Autosport International Show at Birmingham’s NEC on Friday, 13th January, the 16-year-old is one of only 10 circuit racers invited to join the programme which is intended to give aspiring professional drivers access to top-line coaching from MSA experts.  As he prepares to make the switch from the closed-wheel, sportscar style action of Ginetta Junior to a career in single-seaters, Marford-based Seb is delighted to have received the honour and intends to make the most of being part of the MSA Academy. “Being selected by the MSA is a great way to begin 2012, it’s a fantastic opportunity and can only be good for my career as we move up the ladder”, said the Welshman, “I know the advice the coaches offer is invaluable and it really is a huge honour and a privilege to have been invited to be part of the MSA Academy. This only gives me even more confidence ahead of my move into single-seaters.” Also taking place in Birmingham on Friday was the Ginetta Awards evening where Seb received the champion’s trophy he earned during a dominant Ginetta Junior campaign last year. Off the back of winning the Winter Series in November 2010, The King’s School, Chester GCSE pupil shot into an early lead in the main 2011 title race and was never realistically challenged. Putting together an enviable record of 11 wins from 20 races, a tally of 16 podiums in total, Seb made the championship his own in only his second season of car racing action. His efforts were then rewarded by the Welsh Racing Drivers Association who named the teenager the WRDA Welsh Young Driver of the Year. Plans for the 2012 motorsport season are still being discussed and finalised although the intention is for Seb to compete in Formula Renault.  Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 
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Dubai 24 Hours: The Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy all-gamer team took a podium finish at the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai this afternoon, marking the end of the ‘Road to Dubai’ for the two 2011 winners, Jann Mardenborough and Bryan Heitkotter. They couldn’t have had more appropriate team-mates as they were joined by the 2008 and 2010 GT Academy winners, Lucas Ordoñez and Jordan Tresson in a 370Z race car.   Read report

Ginetta Jnrs: Charlie Robertson’s preparations for the 2012 motor racing season were boosted at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham on Friday, after being revealed as one of the newest intake to join the MSA (Motor Sports Association) Academy programme. One of just 10 drivers from national car racing invited into the Academy for 2012, the 15-year-old is the youngest of the group – confirmation, if it were needed, of the high regard in which he is held in the sport after just a single season in the Ginetta Junior Championship. Being part of the MSA Academy will enable Charlie to benefit from first class coaching throughout the coming year from a range of industry experts working with the sport’s governing body, with development sessions aimed at assisting career progress off-track and on-track performance. “I’m delighted to have been invited into the MSA Academy, it’s a huge honour and means a great deal to me – it’s the perfect start to 2012”, said Charlie, “Being able to benefit from guidance and coaching from the MSA is a real boost ahead of the new season and can only help me progress my career. I’m very proud to be representing the MSA Academy this year.” Although the Whyteleafe-based youngster hasn’t yet confirmed his racing plans for 2012, it’s widely expected he’ll return to the Ginetta Junior Championship for a concerted title bid having proven himself a true revelation in the category in his very first season last year. During the annual Ginetta Awards evening held in Birmingham yesterday, Charlie received his runner-up trophy from the 2011 campaign. He joined Ginetta Cars Chairman Lawrence Tomlinson, Ginetta Junior Championship co-ordinator Max Gregory, 2011 title winner Seb Morris and third place finisher George Gamble(Charlie is third from the right). Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

Porsche Carrera Cup GB : Daniel Lloyd, Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholar 2012, will contest his maiden season in the championship with front-running squad Team Parker Racing – the two parties having agreed a deal at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham on Friday. After winning the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholarship last November, including a substantial £80,000 bursary toward this season’s racing, the Huddersfield teenager says joining Leicestershire-based Team Parker was an easy decision to make. “The team has a great reputation”, said the 19-year-old, “Everyone always says Team Parker is one of the very best out there so it’s an amazing opportunity for me to race with them for my first year in Porsche GB. This is such a massive opportunity, to be able to benefit from the huge experience and knowledge Stuart (Parker) and the team has is going to be so important. My goal is to try and get a podium finish as soon as possible, I really want to make a big impression on this first year. The way I look at it, winning the scholarship has given me one big shot at making that kind of impression so I’m going to work harder than ever and try and shock a few of the experienced guys along the way!” Team Parker Racing has been at the forefront of Porsche Carrera Cup GB since the championship’s inception in 2003, winning multiple driver and team titles since that time. Speaking on the newly concluded deal, team principal Stuart Parker said: “Daniel is an exciting prospect, he has shown well in testing with us and we’re looking forward to working with him. I think he’ll be competitive straight out of the box.” This weekend’s Autosport International Show marks Daniel’s first ‘official’ appearance as the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholar 2012 and, as such, he’s been busy meeting motorsport enthusiasts and helping to promote Porsche’s sensational roadcar range as well as its superb racing programme.

Lloyd’s team on the podium in annual charity karting spectacular: In addition to his duties on the Porsche Cars GB stand, Daniel – who was recently named a ‘Patron of Yorkshire’ by the Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency – also took part on Thursday afternoon in the annual Celebrity Kart Challenge 90-minute endurance race to help raise money for Race2Recovery, a national charity aiming to help rehabilitate injured British servicemen and women. Competing as part of the ‘Sky’s The Limit’ team alongside reigning British Formula 3 Champion Felipe Nasr, former McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner and Formula Renault UK Champion Dean Smith, 2010 Formula Renault BARC Champion Alice Powell and GP3 Series front-runner Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, the talented quintet scorched to a fantastic podium finish in third place. Now, Daniel awaits the start of the pre-season testing programme for his debut campaign in Porsche Carrera Cup GB which will begin next month. Rounds one and two of the 20-race championship will take place over the weekend 31st March/1st April at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent.

More pictures from Autosport International  

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MSA Academy: Archie Hamilton has been selected by the MSA to be a member of its expanded Academy programme. He will benefit from a number of development sessions with MSA Academy coaches throughout the year and have access to MSA coaches to help him as he needs support.Archie is currently competing in the Dunlop 24H Dubai, with the race starting today, Friday at 10am GMT. The Gulf Racing number 9 car set the sixth fastest time in night qualifying yesterday and will start from 9th on the grid.Archie Hamilton: “Wow – what a brilliant start to the year. It’s only the second week in January and already I’ve been chosen as a promising driver and I’m at a race track taking part in a 24 hour race! It’s a great honour to be chosen by the MSA for their programme. I know there’s a lot of competition for places so I intend to make the most of all the assistance and support that they are offering and repay their faith with results on track.” Robert Reid, MSA Performance Director & 2001 World Rally Champion Co-driver: “Archie is a driver who is ultimately going places and the MSA Academy feels that we can help him propel his career. He has achieved success on track, which combined with his personality made us feel that he is someone we want to support.”

Ginetta Jnrs: British kart racer Nathan Harrison will graduate to car racing after agreeing terms to join Hillspeed Racing in the Ginetta Junior Championship for 2012. The Oxfordshire-based 15-year old has been offered a two-year deal to move up from karting after a 2011 campaign in which he finished second in the Junior Rotax class of both the Super 1 National and Euro Challenge competitions, before taking sixth on at the Rotax Max World Finals in Abu Dhabi. Harrison will join Hillspeed, who claimed the 2011 title with Seb Morris and took  the teams’ championship. “I couldn’t ask to be joining a better team for my first season in car racing,” Harrison admitted, “Hillspeed Racing has an incredible pedigree in both sportscars and single-seaters, and that will hopefully make the transition from karting much easier.” The Botley-based teenager’s initial plan had been to remain in karting this season before the chance to join Hillspeed arose. “I am fortunate to have been offered a two-year deal by the team, which will allow me time to learn the circuits in 2012,” he confirmed, “However, even though I am going to be a rookie this year, I am confident that I will be able to get to grips with the different discipline of racing a car, and am keen to be running at the front of the field as soon as possible.”  While Harrison’s enthusiasm for joining Hillspeed is evident, the team is equally excited to have landed one of the top kart racers in the UK. “Nathan is clearly a very exciting talent,” team owner Richard Ollerenshaw commented, “We weren’t aware that a switch to cars was imminent, and a deal only really came about because Ginetta was pro-active in giving kart racers a chance to test at Bedford Autodrome in December. But Nathan really stood out. It was immediately apparent that he is a focused individual determined to succeed - and we’d always like to work with anyone who shows that sort of drive.” Pic: Chris Walker / www.kartpix.net

The 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge enjoyed a very successful launch at Autosport International on Thursday as prospective teams and drivers learned of the plans for the coming season. Managed by Porsche Cars GB, the GT3 Cup Challenge will have a six-weekend, 12-race season starting at Snetterton over the Easter Weekend and culminating with a high-profile date alongside the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at the Silverstone BTCC meeting on 6/7 October. Geoff Turral of Porsche Cars GB introduced the 2012 GT3 Cup Challenge: “This is a great opportunity to race a thoroughbred factory built race car,” he said. “The series has very broad appeal and it is a chance to move towards the Carrera Cup GB for ambitious drivers. Central to the development of the GT3 Cup Challenge is linkage with the Carrera Cup.”  Competitors will pay a highly competitive season registration fee of just £3000 for all 12 races, while those who cannot commit to a full season can also join the series for individual events for a relevant entry fee. Amongst those on hand for the launch were the first six drivers to commit to the series:  Steven Liquorish, Gary Marsh, Joe Porter, David Porter, Peter Smallwood and David Willis-Hargreaves. Joe Porter is a promising young karter, while Willis-Hargreaves is making the step up from track days and will make his first ever race start at Snetterton in April. “I’ve done track days for three or four years in Porsches and decided it was time to try racing,” said Willis-Hargreaves. “I’ve got a car that was raced in the Porsche Supercup in 2005 and I’ve already done a few track days with it.” In total, up to 2000 911 GT3 Cup race cars have been built by Porsche since the introduction of the 996-model car over a decade ago and the GT3 Cup Challenge will have classes to cater for both the 996-model cars and the later 997-model cars. The GT3 Cup Challenge is now an established concept across the world, with successful race series in ten countries. The dates for the GT3 Cup Challenge, which is open to any 911 GT3 Cup car from the 2009 model year or earlier, are: Calendar 

WTCC: Italy-based ROAL Motorsport will run a two-car team in the 2012 FIA WTCC. After making a comeback to the series in 2011 with one BMW 320 TC car, the outfit directed by former world champion Roberto Ravaglia, are ready to double their effort adding Alberto Cerqui to Tom Coronel. Coronel will be facing his second season with the team, the 39-year old Dutchman emerged as the best of the rest in 2011, claiming one victory at Suzuka and ending up fourth in the Drivers' Championship behind the Chevrolet trio.The team's second car will be entrusted to Italian Cerqui; although only 19, he has already established himself as a rising star in touring cars,clinching the 2011 Italian Superstars title in his first year in a professional championship.
Team principal Ravaglia commented: "I am extremely satisfied for lining up two cars in 2012. It won't be easy to repeat the good results we achieved in 2011, but I am confident. Tom provides experience and reliability, while Alberto has already shown his talent in adapting to new circuits. 2011 was a positive year. Race after race I improved the feeling with the team and we ended up fighting for the podium in the last four rounds. Starting from last year's fourth place, our goal is to improve and win some more races; I feel I can fight for third in the championship," Coronel stated.  Cerqui added: "After winning the Italian Superstars, WTCC was the obvious choice to continue my career in touring car racing. Having the opportunity to continue racing for ROAL Motorsport is a further reason to rejoice, though I am aware that is not going to be a walk in the park as most of the tracks are new to me and the level of competition is very high."

The Chevrolet team have started their 2012 season where they will defend their second consecutive WTCC Drivers' and Manufacturers' title. The Cruze racing car hit the track for the first time in a two-day testing session, on Tuesday and Wednesday, at Valencia's Circuit Ricardo Tormo.Alain Menu was at the wheel of the test-car: "I haven't been driving a race car since Macau and is definitely very nice to be behind the wheel again! We were lucky to enjoy very good weather in Valencia and this allowed to take the maximum out of these two days. We achieved quite some mileage and performed the entire program foreseen. Basically, we tested a number of small evolutions, related to both the chassis and the engine, and everything went well." RML Project Manager Ron Hartvelt added: "The data collected in Spain will be very helpful in our work towards signing off the 2012 specs of the Cruze." The Chevrolet team will be again at Alan Menu tested the Chevrolet Cruze at Valencia on Tuesday and Wednesday

The 2012 season has already kicked off in a busy way for 2011 WTCC vice-champion Rob Huff. The Chevrolet racer attended last week the launch of the Cruze turbo road car for Israel's press, that took place at Donington Park. Huff attended the press conference and then took the car through a gymkhana course to demonstrate and challenge the journalists. This weekend Huff will also appear at the Autosport International at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, being available for interviews and autograph signings.

Targa Britannia, a race and rally tour for modern cars, was launched at Autosport International yesterday. The event, which will run in parallel to the well-established Tour Britannia (7-9 June) will open this type of competition to owners of modern cars, having previously only been accessible to those in classic pre ’75 machinery. The traditional event for pre ’75 cars will run to its well-established and popular format. Targa Britannia will give competitors the chance to tackle a unique event in British motor sport, with three full days of competition including three races and quality asphalt special stages at up to a dozen venues including the Harewood hillclimb and the sensational Oliver’s Mount motorcycle course. The competition car is driven between each venue, providing a challenge for both driver and co-driver as the public road route takes in some glorious British scenery. The total competitive element makes the tour excellent value for money when compared to single-day race meetings and the vibrant social atmosphere will add to the sense of occasion.  
The existing Tour Britannia will remain the province of the older cars and will remain unchanged. The two events will share a common route, taking in three races and a series of asphalt special stages during three days of competition. The event will be based at Harrogate and includes races at Croft, Cadwell Park and Mallory Park. In 2011, Mike Smith and Ian Ashley contested an invitation class of Tour Britannia in a Caterham R500 when their intended Porsche 911RSR hit gearbox problems just before the event. “It was a fantastic experience,” said Smith. “I don’t think anyone had ever competed across the Epynt ranges in the rain in an R500 before.” Now, event organiser Alec Poole has decided to open the tour up to more modern cars. “We think there are plenty of competitors out there with modern machinery who would like the chance to tackle something rather different,” said Poole.  
Targa Britannia will be open to any post ’75 road legal car, including sports, GT and saloon cars capable of carrying a crew of two, and complying with MSA race regulations. This covers items like roll cage, fire extinguisher, harnesses and towing eyes. Drivers must have race licences, while the co-driver only needs a basic MSA licence, available from £39. There will be three classes: up to 1600cc, 1600cc to 2000cc and over 3000cc. The organisers will cap the field at 35 cars to allow the entire Targa field to compete in a single race, while the main Targa award will be based on an Index of Performance to give the less powerful cars an equal chance of success. Team prizes will be awarded within the Targa event.  Co-drivers will work with a straightforward road book to guide their driver from one venue to another. The co-drivers stay in the car for the special stages, but leave it to the drivers at the race circuits. 
Finally, to make the event as flexible as possible for potential entrants, competitors can join in for a single day if they wish but would not be eligible for any awards other than ‘Driver of the Day’. Their day will run for 24 hours from 6pm the previous evening so that cars can be scrutineered and paperwork completed before having dinner and then being ready to start the following morning. More details about Tour Britannia can be found at the event website: www.tourbritannia.com

Karts: The 2011 season brought the CRG group some excellent results at all levels

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Dubai 24 Hours: Final preparations are underway at the Dubai Autodrome tonight for the start of tomorrow’s Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai. With all three cars qualifying well in their groups the scene is set for a good showing when the lights go green tomorrow. The GT Academy winners have qualified their Nissan 370Z in fourth place in the SP2 class with the Challenger’s Nissan 370Z taking the third spot in SP3. “We had a good session and I am happy with the balance of the car,” said Lucas Ordonez. “It will be important for us to keep the front left tyre safe here as it comes under a lot of stress. Everything is good and I’m excited to be here as the first GT Academy winner, competing alongside Jordan (Tresson), Jann (Mardenborough) and Bryan (Heitkotter). They have all set impressive times so I am looking forward to a good race tomorrow.”  Tetsuyo Tanaka who drives alongside Humaid Al Masaood and Richard Meaden commented. “My main qualifying lap was almost perfect. Sectors one and two were great but then I made a mistake under braking in sector three. The car is feeling very good and everything is ready for tomorrow. My team-mates are not experienced but they are both fast and by the end of the race they will have a lot of experience!” RJN GT Academy Team Principal Bob Neville was happy with the work completed by his team today and believes that the foundations have been laid for a good Dubai 24 Hours. “We’ve had a really smooth day and concentrated on getting the balance right in both of the 370Zs,” said Neville. “We had a couple of small problems but all of the drivers got plenty of laps in with Jann and Bryan also running in the SP3 car. They are all comfortable out on the track so all is well with us.”

The Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 will start the race from third place on the grid after a great drive from Michael Krumm. Considering this was Krumm’s first time in the GT3 car it was a great performance. “We had a tough start today as we had a few problems with the car but the guys did a great job to get it ready for qualifying,” said Krumm. “The car worked very well and I am very impressed with the engine in particular. I love the GT-R and I love it even more now. We just need to keep it all together for the long race tomorrow.” JRM’s James Rumsey added: “During the practice sessions today it was a case of one niggle after another but this was the first time we ran with some updated parts so it’s good to find all the problems during practice. I think the performance in qualifying demonstrates the potential of the car, especially as we had little opportunity for set-up work. This is a positive result for our continuing development programme.” The 24-hour race gets underway at 1400hrs tomorrow (1100hrs CET). Follow the race live on Motors TV, Radiolemans.com or on dailysportscar.com.

The 2012 Silverstone Classic powered by the AA will showcase an even greater spectrum of motor sport history following confirmation today (Thursday 12 January) that two new races will be adding to this summer’s on-track action. The two new grids are for super touring cars and F5000 and F2 single-seaters lining up alongside established crowd favourites such Group C sports prototypes and DFV-powered F1 cars.The Touring cars will have two races , one on Saturday and one on Sunday and the line-up will include front-runners from European, British and German Touring Car Championships spanning the years from 1975 to 1999. The result will be an entry celebrating Group 2, Group A, Super Touring and DTM including Jaguar XJ-Cs, BMW CSLs, Ford Sierra Cosworths and Rover SD1s alongside a more modern generation of BTCC classics from the Nineties such as the Nissan Primera and Ford Mondeo. More than 30 cars have already with more than 50 machines expected in total. As well as highlighting a golden generation in touring car history, the races will put a spotlight on the Sierra RS500 Cosworth, which turns 25 this year. When launched in August 1987, the iconic turbocharged winged Ford caused a sensation both on an off the track. The ground-breaking RS500 not only won countless national and international race and rally titles but also helped to rewrite the road car rulebook by offering supercar levels of performance for little more than the price of a standard Sierra model. Several RS500s are already on the provisional entry list and more are expected to join. The second new race is for Formula 5000 and Formula 2 single-seaters built and raced between 1967 and 1979. Once again a close to capacity grid is anticipated with plenty of entertainment guaranteed as the fastest of the nimble F2 cars battle with the thundering American V8-engined F5000s.

Volkswagen Racing Cup is to enter the 2012 season with a new title sponsor - US Volkswagen Group tuning specialist APR, which is backing the one-make saloon series as part of a new push into Europe.  Alabama-based APR, one of the biggest names in the world of Porsche, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen aftermarket performance products, has set up its European headquarters in Milton Keynes alongside those of Volkswagen Racing UK, and is set to become not just the championship’s title sponsor but also a technical partner. APR will assist with scrutineering and offer technical assistance to competitors in the APR Volkswagen Racing Cup. “APR was established in 1997 and has many years of motorsport experience in the USA,” said vice-president Keith Lucas, “and it is a logical progression for us to bring the expertise we have gained to the European motorsport market and to offer it to competitors here.“Britain is the ideal place for us to start our European programme and the Volkswagen Racing Cup is a natural partner for us. It is a great championship and the competitors are enthusiastic and driven, just like APR.” Sam Roach of Volkswagen Racing UK welcomed APR to the series: “It’s a great fit - APR has built a peerless reputation in the world of motorsport and aftermarket Volkswagen performance parts and the company’s knowledge and experience will prove a major benefit to the championship.” In the United States, APR Motorsport has enjoyed major success over several seasons in GRAND-AM sports car racing - the team is set to contest the Rolex 24 at Daytona later this month with the first Audi R8 LMS in North America - and also races two Mk VI Golf GTIs and three Mk VI Jetta GLIs in the ST class of the GRAND-AM challenge.

Monte Carlo Rally: The Rallye du Var was a decisive first experience for Nelson Panciatici  as he takes on the 80th  Monte Carlo Rally on January 17 to 22. Nelson will drive an Automeca team DS3 R3 in the colours of Sedis System, Euroformula, Ralf Tech watches, P1 Advanced Racewear and the Citroen Aubenas car dealers. Nelson Panciatici, who is still learning in this discipline, especially for taking notes and “reading” the road, can count on the full Automeca team’s experience, led by Philippe Buglaski. Nelson Panciatici: “The Rallye du Var was a thrilling experience, I had an incredible time at the wheel of my Ford Fiesta and as soon as I had finished, I wanted to do the Monte Carlo! It has mythical names like Moulinon, le Burzet, Saint Jean en Royans or the Turini and I want to discover them outside of the videos I’ve watched very closely since. I know it won’t be easy, especially if it snows because I don’t know that surface but I have my co-driver, René Padovani, at my side. His help was invaluable in the Rallye du VAR et he will know how to train me up fast. My first and foremost reason to be there is for pleasure but that won’t stop me from taking it seriously. Before the start I will take part in a practice session with the DS3 R3 so I can get my bearings and really get the notes “on board”. I will use the same method I used in the Var, putting on the pressure as I go through the stages because, from what I’ve been told, I will compare the Monte Carlo rally to endurance racing on the track. The only difference is that there are many more traps! I want to thank all my partners and I will do my utmost to get the best possible result and put on a good race!”  Nelson will join the Automeca team in a couple of days for practice in the Chambery region which will give him an opportunity to get used to driving his DS3 R3.

GT: McLaren GT is building on its 2011 development programme for the new MP4-12C GT3 by adding Britons Rob Bell and Alexander Sims to its driver line-up for 2012.  Bell and Sims will join Portuguese racing driver Alvaro Parente at McLaren GT, with each driver available to teams racing the stunning new MP4-12C GT3 in 2012. Rob Bell said: “I’m very excited to be joining McLaren GT and the opportunity to drive the new 12C GT3 in its first full season of racing.  When I was invited to drive the car last year at Spa, I welcomed the chance to sample this new British racer.  As I anticipated from a company which is synonymous with cutting edge technology and a dedication to success, the car lived up to its expectations.  It delivered the speed and showed the performance potential necessary to win in the highly competitive environment of sportscar racing. I’m looking forward to contributing to further development of the car with a customer team when we take to the track at the start of this season.”  Alexander Sims won the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award in 2008, and joins McLaren GT following a successful period in his career racing single seaters. Sims said: “I’m really looking forward to the forthcoming season with McLaren GT and the opportunity to race the MP4-12C GT3. I am delighted McLaren continue to support young drivers in their careers and I’m proud to join the likes of Rob and Alvaro on the driver programme for 2012.” McLaren Racing Chief Vehicle Engineer Mark Williams has been at the forefront of technical development of the 12C GT3.  Williams said: “In the last month the McLaren GT team of engineers, technicians and test drivers have been concentrating on refining the calibration of vehicle electronics during tests in Portugal, Spain and Germany. We are very close to the finished article now and I am looking forward to seeing our race cars at the front of the grid in 2012.” McLaren GT will deliver 25 cars to established GT race teams and private customers for racing in Europe in 2012. The new race car manufacturer will announce its full line-up of customer teams and contracted drivers prior to the first race of the 2012 race calendar.

Autosport Int. Road and race versions of the new 12C to star at Autosport International 2012. McLaren GT plans to present three versions of the stunning new 12C GT3 at this year’s Autosport International event, which is held from 12-15 January at the NEC Birmingham, UK. One example will feature on the main Autosport Central Stage, another will feature in the Live Action Arena and a third will be displayed by MIS. In addition, McLaren Automotive will be supplying a very special Production Prototype (PP) edition of the MP4-12C sports car to Pistonheads.com, for display throughout the event.  Finished in signature colour McLaren Orange, PP7 was the first ever 12C to be tested by the world’s media. Following its debut test at the Portimao Circuit in January 2011, PP7 went on to record a remarkable 1:16.2 lap of Dunsfold Park at the hands of BBC Top Gear’s ‘The Stig’, and subsequently achieved an impressive 7:28.0 lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, this time with Sport Auto’s Editor-in-Chief Horst von Saurma-Jeltsch at the wheel.  A short film featuring PP7 in action at the Nordschleife may be viewed here: http://youtu.be/u7WGC1iXS_U   For pictures from the show click here

MSV: Following three successful years BMW UK has renewed its partnership with MotorSport Vision (MSV), and will continue to offer ‘M’ car thrills on some of Europe’s best circuits for the next three years.  BMW’s class-leading M3 Coupé features as part of the RaceMaster driving experience at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park.  Thrill-seekers on this package also get the opportunity to drive some flying laps in an F1-style single-seat race car. Additionally MSV will continue to offer M3 Master, an exclusive M3-only experience at Bedford Autodrome, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park allowing drivers even more time behind the wheel.  The BMW M3 Coupé will also continue to feature in MSV’s adrenaline-fuelled PalmerSport corporate driving events at Bedford Autodrome. The renewed partnership will see BMW provide race meeting safety vehicles located at five MSV circuits – Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Snetterton, Cadwell Park and Bedford Autodrome.   Six M3 safety cars, four X5 medical cars and four X6 course vehicles will be utilised across more than 120 events each season.For further information on MotorSport Vision driving experiences visit www.msvdrivinggifts.com. Information on the latest BMW M products can be found at www.bmw.co.uk/m.

Drivers as young as 11 years old can now experience MINI's driving fun on some of the UK's most famous circuits  MINI is delighted to team up with MotorSport Vision to supply a fleet of MINI One models for its YoungDrive programme. The scheme offers children as young as 11 years old (and a minimum of 4' 8" tall) the chance to have their first taste of motoring. The dual controlled MINI Ones are available at Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Bedford Autodrome and each car features a DSA-approved instructor who will teach young drivers essential skills in a traffic-free environment to prepare them for hitting the roads for real when they're old enough.

Environmental Racing: Strategic sustainability project specialists Quimera, the International Motor Sport Association (IMSA) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS)

Formula Abarth: Scot Gregor Ramsay is to attack a full season in the Formula Abarth European Series and Italian Formula Abarth Championship in 2012. Ramsay has been steered into Formula Abarth by Ferrari Driver Academy Manager Luca Baldisserri, the ex-Formula 1 Ferrari chief engineer who was hugely impressed with Ramsay’s performances at the Academy on the legendary Fiorano test track last July. It means that Glasgow lad Ramsay became the UK’s youngest driver in international single-seater competition when he made his Formula Abarth debut at Monza last October, at the age of just 15 years and three months! Two weeks later he finished 12th on his second appearance, at the Circuit de Catalunya season finale. Gregor has now switched to the Swiss-based Jenzer Motorsport team for 2012, when he will be engineered by Englishman Andy Welch, the man who guided the early car-racing careers of the late Dan Wheldon and USA racing star Danica Patrick. He will contest all eight race weekends, which comprise three races each and take place on top-level tracks including Monza, Hungaroring, Imola, Red Bull Ring, Valencia and Mugello.

“It’s fantastic for me to race on these tracks,” said Ramsay. “Jenzer was the best team for me to go to, as having a British engineer with Andy was the number-one box for me to tick. My plan is to win the Rookie championship in 2012 and then go for the overall championship in 2013.” 

Jenzer, run by Andreas Jenzer, has a leading record in most junior categories and particularly in Formula Abarth, where the team won the 2011 European teams title and carried Patric Niederhauser to the drivers title in Italy. Concurrently, the Jenzer Welch Asia Racing team – run by Welch on behalf of Jenzer – won the Formula Pilota China series for Formula Abarth cars with Matheo Tuscher. Talking of Ramsay’s performance at the Ferrari Driver Academy, Baldisserri said: “Gregor is very quick to understand what he has to do. He is precise and clean in his way of driving. He was quite consistent in improving the lap time run by run, and quite quick to achieve confidence needed for quick corners. He showed good coordination and ability, and doesn’t seem to be under stress. Despite his young age, we are very keen to suggest to Gregor the move from karts to cars, especially if his goal is to become the next British World Champion!”

Gregor attended the Ferrari Driver Academy with Tony Kart, the leading Italian kart team, which he moved to during the 2010 season and where he has been coached by Terry Fullerton, the ex-karting hero who Ayrton Senna once described as his toughest ever rival. He also formerly drove for the Zip Young Guns team of the late British karting hero Martin Hines. Gregor is backed in his career by East Kilbride-based Clyde Blowers Capital and is the son of Scott Ramsay, the 1992 Scottish Junior Formula Ford 1600 champion and 1995 BRC British FF1600 champion and a former racing rival of Paul di Resta’s father Louis – di Resta Snr is another to have played a role in coaching Gregor. His first race weekend of 2012, after an intensive testing programme, will be March 31st/April 1st at Valencia.

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British GT : Jon Minshaw will mount a major programme in the 2012 British GT Championship with a Porsche 911 GT3R from the Trackspeed team. For his graduation into British GT, the experienced racer of historic machinery will be partnered by Tim Harvey. The entry will be backed by Tweeks Cycles and Demon Tweeks. Minshaw has enjoyed extensive success in historic racing over the last decade and won the 2011 E-type Challenge, marking the 50th anniversary of the classic model. Now, he is taking on the new challenge of the British GT Championship. “I had such a good season in historic racing last year that it was difficult to see where to go next,” said Minshaw. “I’ve decided to have a crack at some modern racing. It will be a new challenge and I don’t underestimate the task. I want to try and finish every race and then see where we are at the end of the season.” In recent times, Minshaw has contested the 24-hour races at Silverstone and Dubai. Harvey, meanwhile, is delighted to be returning to the British GT Championship. “It’s the perfect place for me to race in 2012,” said Harvey. “I wanted to be in a Porsche and with a driver I’d enjoy working with. Jon is a seriously committed racer and Trackspeed has done a very good job with the Porsche.” While British GT will be the main focus of his season, Minshaw will retain an involvement in historic racing and hopes to fit in several high-profile events with his Jaguar E-type and Lister Jaguar.

FIA: In a letter dated 9th December 2011, the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, has announced that the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile has been recognised by the IOC. The FIA shares the Olympic sporting values as expressed by the IOC and aima at developing a better understanding between communities worldwide. With this is mind the FIA affirms its commitments to respect the Olympic Charter, in particular:

To establish and enforce, in accordance with the Olympic spirit, the rules concerning the practice of its respective sports and to ensure their application;

To ensure the development of its sports throughout the world;

To contribute to the achievement of the goals set out in the Olympic Charter, particularly in relation to the ongoing development of Olympic values and Olympic education.

The IOC recognition is provisional for a period of two years. The IOC has invited the FIA to introduce as soon as it is possible an Athlete’s Commission so as to make this recognition permanent. The FIA welcomes this recognition to join the Olympic family and confirms its commitment to participate in the activities of the IOC and its relevant commissions. Jean Todt, President of the FIA, will be sending a letter to the 129 national sporting club members of the FIA, inviting them to respect and share the values of the Olympic movement. “ I am delighted the FIA is now part of the Olympic family as this is a confirmation of the strength of our sporting credentials as well as a recognition of the values of Respect, Excellence and Friendship which we actively share with the Olympic movement. “ 

Porsche Carrera Cup GB:  Richard Plant will be a leading contender in the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB after confirming plans for a second season in the championship with Team Parker Racing. Twenty-one year old Plant was one of the stars of the 2011 season and finished fifth in the final points. He was best of the newcomers to the category and took his first overall podium at Snetterton in August. He was also one of the stars of the Porsche Carrera World Cup race at the Nurburgring and earned the ‘driver of the weekend’ award for a stunning drive from the back of the 98-car grid to finish eighth among the Carrera Cup field. “I’m delighted to be driving for Team Parking Racing for a second season,” said Plant. “After the experience I gained last year and the relationship that I built with everyone at the team, it was the perfect fit for a title challenge in 2012. Everything about the Parker squad is first class and I believe we have what it takes to really have a go at winning the series.”  Last year was Plant’s first season of sports car racing after making the switch following a successful single-seater career. He won the Formula Palmer Audi Championship and an FIA Formula Two scholarship in 2009 before being forced to take a sabbatical in 2010 due to an illness in his family. “Last year included some highs and lows but it definitely exceeded my expectations,” said Plant. “To be top rookie was a great achievement and now I know the circuits, the car and the series I am so much more prepared to go even better this time around. I am working on my fitness and preparation everyday – I can’t wait to get back in the car.” Team principal Stuart Parker said: “I was really impressed by Richard’s talent and application last year. He is a great lad that everyone gets along with, and he has the steely determination and ability to win races. We hope to provide Richard with the environment to fight for overall honours in 2012 and I’m sure he is capable of doing the business out on track.” 

Formula Ford’s newest contender - and the first British-designed chassis for the new era - is taking shape in the Norfolk workshops of Southern International with design input from the Caterham F1 team. The man behind the EcoBoost-powered Sinter is Lindsay Allen, whose Fluid Motorsports Development team hopes to field three of the new cars in the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain and the Formula Ford EuroCup. Southern International revealed computer images of the Sinter today; the first example is under construction and will be running by early next month. “It’s 100 per cent new,” Allen says of the Sinter. “Our designer Sam Owen and I started work on it 18 months ago, from scratch, we have been helped enormously by our technical partnership with Caterham F1, whose technicians have designed the bodywork. “Hopefully the Sinter will be running by the end of January or early February, and we are all very excited about its prospects. The introduction of the new technical regulations and the new EcoBoost power unit has levelled the Formula Ford playing field for everyone and it’s a good time to be launching a new chassis. The last thing that anyone here wanted was for Formula Ford to become a one-chassis series.”

French constructor Mygale revealed its new car at the Frankfurt Show last September; British show-goers will have their first opportunity to see it at this week’s (12-15 January) Autosport International show at Birmingham’s NEC, where it will be displayed on the BRSCC stand. Both the Mygale and the Sinter are designed around the production-based 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost direct injection, turbocharged engine, limited to producing around 165PS and 220Nm, and mated to a six-speed sequential transmission with mechanical shift mechanism.Increased safety levels, to the latest, stringent FIA standards, are mandated by the new Formula Ford technical regulations, which demand front and rear carbon crash structures, side intrusion panels, FIA-specification head restraint system, wheel tethers and an FIA removable seat.

Sam Roach of RacingLine, the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain promoter, welcomes the Sinter to the grid: “It looks like being an exciting addition to the championship; I am sure that with expertise of Lindsay and his team at Southern International that the Sinter will be a front-running proposition.  “Freedom of chassis design has driven Formula Ford since the inception of the category in 1967. Only Formula 3 and Formula 1 offer the same levels of freedom, which help drive technical standards to exceptionally high levels. The different implications of car set-up and each individual chassis variation create a steep learning curve for drivers, helping to accelerate the development of their abilities.” Formula Ford’s next generation will enjoy their first competitive action over the Easter weekend (7-9 April) at Oulton Park in Cheshire.

Croft Circuit has re-launched its website www.croftcircuit.co.uk – providing fans, media, competitors and officials with greater and far speedier details about its exciting calendar of motor sport events and performance driving experiences. Improved content and navigation all round will enable visitors to the site to regularly keep up to date with breaking news in the run-up to each race fixture at the North East’s motor sport venue as well as book tickets at specially discounted prices. The new-look site also includes plenty of information about the venue’s popular supercar driving experiences which provide opportunities to drive dream cars such as the new Lamborghini Aventador, a Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi R8 or Aston Martin V8 Vantage around its race track just outside Darlington. Furthermore, there are details of ‘new starter’ driving experiences for under 17s in MINI Coopers as well as ‘racing driver training’ days for those looking to take their ARDS* test and gain their motor sport competition licence. Croft Circuit Manager Tracey Morley commented: “Everything but the address has changed. The new croftcircuit.co.uk website is stronger in every department – it’s faster, punchier, more colourful, more vibrant, more informative and far more energetic.This will enable us to hugely improve communication with the many thousands of public who come through our gates each year, as well as our valued friends in the media and, of course, the many marshals, competitors and officials who make the events happen. Overall the new site is a much more enjoyable on-line experience for visitors wanting to find out more about what’s happening here at Croft.”

Croft Circuit has issued it’s motor sport fixture list for 2012 with the Dunlop MSA BTCC (23-24 June), its own historic racing festival, Nostalgia Weekend (4-5 August), and the Roger Albert Clark Rally on 24 November featuring the cars of rallying’s golden era from the Seventies among the major highlights. In all some 14 events spanning motorcycling and both car racing and rallying are scheduled for the year ahead at Croft, the North East region’s motor sport venue. Significantly the locally based and highly enthusiastic Darlington & District Motor, Northallerton Auto and North East Motor Cycle Racing clubs will all play significant roles, running some of their own championships at Croft as well as providing volunteer trackside marshals at many of the events. The visiting, award-winning British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) and Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC), two of the UK’s top organisers of motor sport events, will add a further touch of class in 2012. Events begin with the DDMC’s traditional Jack Frost Rally in little more than a week’s time on Sunday 22 January – its competitive timed stages are held within the confines of the Croft venue. The DDMC’s Northern Sports & Saloon Car race championship will be ‘one to watch’ when it twice appears at Croft in 2012. However, the first racing action of the new season at Croft will be on two wheels with the opening rounds of the NEMCRC’s championships on the weekend of 31 March-1 April. All events will run on weekends with the exception for 2012 – the Tour Britannia on Thursday 7 June. Britain’s only classic race and rally tour – which draws inspiration from the old Tour of Britain held in the Seventies – includes a mixture of races and regularity tests as part of its three-day route. The summer sees the annual visit of the BTCC (23-24 June), plus Croft’s own historic retro festival, Nostalgia Weekend (4-5 Aug). After a successful return to Croft in 2011, the British Rallycross Championship is scheduled to re-appear on Sunday 28 October. Similarly the Roger Albert Clark Rally will be back on Saturday 24 November.  calendar

Karts: RL Racing Department has confirmed Lewis Plato is joining its driver line-up for the 2012 campaign. Plato’s arrival signals the Suffolk team’s full return to competing in the senior Rotax Max class after Jake Ball’s retirement from racing early into the 2011 season.  The 18-year old Essex driver will spearhead RL Racing Department’s Super One assault. He will be joined by another, as yet unnamed, driver. “I’m obviously delighted to be joining a team with such a great pedigree,” said Plato during a break in winter testing in Lanzarote. “I’m gelling well with everybody and the equipment is fantastic. I’m really looking forward to showing what I’m capable of next year.”  Team boss Steve Armstrong believes his new signing is capable of making a significant contribution to his squad’s history of success:  “I'm very pleased to welcome Lewis into the RL stable. We've been very successful in the Senior Max class over the past three to four years with back-to-back Super One titles for Chris Lock and Mike Simpson, who won the 2008 Euro Max Championship and were vice-British Champions and International Open winners in 2010.” He added: “Lewis’s presence also complements our vastly strengthened Mini and Junior Max line-ups. All members of the team have undertaken a thorough winter testing programme in the Canary Islands. Albeit that it was at the last minute, we were able to put a package together and get him out there in December. He’s fitted in very well and I’m impressed with his pace and focus. I think we’ll all be in great shape come the opening race of the season.” 

Grand-Am: European race fans will have the opportunity to watch the entire 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season live on television for the first time this year through GRAND-AM’s new relationship with Motors TV. Motors TV, headquartered in Chaville, France, will begin its coverage with more than 15 hours of live action from the 50th Anniversary running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29 at Daytona International Speedway.  “Increasingly, the world is coming to GRAND-AM,” said the sanctioning body’s CEO, Ed Bennett. “This deal enables us to take GRAND-AM to a good portion of the world. With an unprecedented number of European manufacturers and competitors participating in the 2012 Rolex Series, we believe there will be strong interest in our series from European race fans. This is great timing – and a great addition to our television coverage lineup.”  Highlights of the 2012 Rolex Series schedule on Motors TV include the three events in the North American Endurance Championship, a new competition involving the Rolex 24, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on July 1 at Watkins Glen International and the three-hour Rolex Series debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. “We’re delighted to welcome GRAND-AM as one of the flagship programmes of our 2012 line-up”, added Motors TV Head of Programming & Acquisitions Frédéric Viger. “The series has been growing over the years, with European interest building consistently, and we believe it now has the coverage it deserves this side of the Atlantic.”

Lotus Cup: Professional dual sportswoman Liz Halliday will return to regular motorsport competition in 2012 after sealing a deal to contest the Lotus Cup UK series with John Danby Racing. The British-based Californian, who combines careers as a professional equestrian and race car driver, has focused much of her energy on 3 Day Eventing in recent years, recording a string of impressive results during 2011. Halliday was nevertheless keen to maintain her involvement with four-wheeled as well as four-legged competition, working as a commentator for Eurosport's coverage of the Le Mans 24 Hours and as an expert judge on SPEED TV's GT Academy. In 2012 she will be back behind the wheel of a racing car along side her busy eventing schedule, launching an assault on the Lotus Cup championship aboard one of the marque’s 2-Eleven sportscars. The effort will be run by the John Danby Racing outfit, for whom Liz successfully contested a number of historic events during 2010. The Lotus Cup takes in eight races over the course of 2012, beginning at Silverstone on April 15. Other highlights include joining the DTM bill at Brands Hatch on May 19/20 and a trip to Belgian circuit Zolder on September 22/23. Liz Halliday: "I'm really excited to be going racing again in 2012. It’s shaping up to be an extremely busy year: alongside the Lotus Cup, I'll still be focusing heavily on my eventing competitions and on the running of Chailey Stud Equestrian Centre, and I am also keen to continue my TV work, so there will barely be time to catch my breath. Moreover, I'm thrilled to be renewing my relationship with John Danby Racing. They're a fantastic team, extremely hard working and reliable. They did an excellent job running the historics in 2010 and as a group they inspire a great deal of confidence in a driver. I can't wait to get started and to begin working with them again."John Danby, Team Principal: “We are extremely pleased to be welcoming Liz on board full-time for 2012. Having worked with her previously we know the commitment and passion she brings to her racing, and are looking forward to a thoroughly successful season together."

Indycar: James Hinchcliffe has been signed as Danica Patrick's replacement in the Go Daddy-backed Andretti Autosport entry for the upcoming IZOD IndyCar Series season.

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Saloons: Brands Hatch circuit will celebrate all things ‘Mini’ when it hosts a major new event in the form of the Brands Hatch Mini Festival on 16-17 June. With a history spanning more than 50 years, the Mini in its former and current guise is one of the most iconic cars of a generation and the Kent circuit plans to commemorate the marque with a unique event in the summer. A superb line up of Mini-based motorsport is set to entertain spectators while Mini owners from across the country will be invited to showcase their cars around the 1.2 mile Indy circuit. There will be various off track activities with a display of special motorsport Minis old and new, a Mini stunt show, trade village, parades, live music and festival fun for motor racing fans throughout the weekend. For fans of the new MINI, the MINI Challenge will head the on track entertainment with a round of their championship, which provides plenty of thrills and spills. The championship, run under the banner of MSVR, went down to the wire last season with Chris Knox overcoming Lee Allen and Luke Caudle to lift the title. MINI Challenge manager Paul Harvey said: “I’m really looking forward to the event. It will be great to get all the Mini clubs involved and hopefully if enough people get behind the event it will become a regular feature. I think all the MINI Challenge drivers will be looking forward to taking part in this meeting.” 

Enthusiasts of the original Mini, will be catered for with the Mini Se7en and Mini Miglia Championships. The Mini Se7en Championship is almost as old as the classic car, now entering its 45th year of competition. The popular series will see versions of the 998cc Mini compete against each other for valuable championship points, while the Mini Miglia championship will see highly tuned variants tackle the Kent circuit.    Mini Se7en and Mini Miglia championship commercial manager Colin Peacock, said: “The Brands Hatch Mini Festival will be one of the highlights of the year without doubt. It could turn into a mega event as we progress towards Mini’s 60th birthday. The racing is always close at Brands Hatch and all the drivers will be looking forward to it.”  There will also be action from historic Minis with a Pre-66 Mini race and a handicap race for both the new and old variants of the car. A bumper grid of pre-66 Minis is expected which will include several competitors travelling from Europe to take on the Brits at Brands Hatch.  Race organiser Nick Swift said: “The Brands Hatch Mini Festival should be a great event and we are pleased to be a part of it. There are still so many historic Minis out there racing and plenty of drivers who want to race them because they are one of the most enjoyable cars to drive. We should be welcoming drivers from Europe to race in an Anglo French battle which should be entertaining.” Tickets for the Brands Hatch Mini Festival on 16-17 June are available from £17 in advance with free admission for children aged 12 and under. To book tickets visit www.motorsportvision.co.uk or call 0843 453 9000. More information on the festival can be found at www.mini-festival.co.uk.

Karts: George Russell, 13, from Tydd St. Giles has started the year in a dignified fashion by receiving his award for winning the CIK-FIA European Championship this weekend at the Pavillon Gabriel just off the famous Champs Élysées and Place de la Concorde in Paris. Thie event honours the elite in karting and George was fortunate to be one of the few to celebrate at one of the most important nights of the year for the sport. George who will be racing in the European Championship in 2012 with his Italian works team, is flying to Italy next weekend where he will be unveiled as one of the official drivers for the Intrepid Driver Program. To keep up-to-date with George's latest career news and results, please visit www.georgerussellracing.com "

Year after year, Dutch team AVG Racing has continued to consolidate its reputation at international le­vel. Victory remains the priority objective for AVG and indeed the hard work made by Anton Van Grunsven’s team in 2011 proved to be successful. And with the same passion, rigour and competence, they are getting ready for the for­thcoming season. A privileged partner for the PCR company, AVG will also be able to count on a top level recruit, Arnaud Kozlinski.  Read more

To give anyone’s pre-season preparations a major boost, Dan Holland Racing and Strawberry Racing have teamed up at Autosport International*. Order a new 2012 FA Alonso Victory chassis at the NEC and you will receive a £200 voucher to spend on OTK parts and accessories. Not only that, you will also get the choice of either two days of professional tuition or a weekend’s racing at the club meeting** of your choice with DHR, enjoying the same facilities and support as Super One and Euromax star, Sean Babington. Dan says: “In the current economic climate it is difficult for karters at all levels to afford a new kart. With the new season just around the corner I wanted to give added value and extra support to drivers. This is great offer is our way of giving something back to our customers.”  Visitors to the Karting Pavilion in Hall Six at the NEC will able to discuss the offer and find out more information about the OTK range of karts, parts and clothing and get first-hand advice from Strawberry Racing’s experts. Warwick Ringham of Strawberry believes interest and demand will be high: “Everyone loves a bargain and this is a fantastic deal, whether you’re a novice or a seasoned campaigner. The offer must end on Friday 20th January and availability is limited, so you’d better get your skates on and come and see us on our stand, or call Dan directly.”  A new 2012 FA Alonso Victory chassis at Autosport International this weekend is priced at just £2,850, plus VAT. For more information about the Victory chassis and details of this offer, or to pre-order your FA Kart visit www.danhollandracing.co.uk, or contact Dan on 07960 047 810. You can also email him at dan@danhollandracing.co.uk - *Subject to Terms and Conditions **Venue/event to be agreed

Autosport International: Go Motorsport’s display stand at this week’s Autosport International Show (12-15 January) will be promoting all forms of grass roots motor sport as organised by hundreds of car clubs throughout the UK. Proving that motor sport is both more affordable and more accessible than many believe, the ‘Join Your Local Motor Club’ showcase at the National Exhibition Centre will not only feature an array of inexpensive competition vehicles but also be manned by members of car clubs from the region around Birmingham’s NEC complex. Cars on show will include those regularly used for a wide range of disciplines including asphalt rallying, sporting trials, autotests, sprints and road rallies. Indeed many are unmodified road cars providing potential participants with one of the most cost-effective ways of enjoying the thrills of competitive motor sport without the need to invest in specialist machinery. Several of the vehicles also feature special controls permitting those with disabilities to compete alongside their normally-abled opponents. In recent months the huge amount of competitive fun offered by the thousands of events organised every year by Motor Sports Association registered local motor clubs has been highlighted on several major television programmes. Former F1 driver David Coulthard experienced the delights of autotests, hillclimbs and sporting trials for a feature aired on the BBC’s award-winning Formula One programme. Then last month, Vicki Butler-Henderson teamed up with Skoda UK’s reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge Champion Andreas Mikkelsen to contest a 12-car navigational rally for Channel Five’s popular motoring show Fifth Gear. “It was all about showing just how easy it can be for all-comers to have some really great fun,” reported Coulthard. “As I found out, all these disciplines create very accessible and affordable opportunities for people to get into motor sport and, as there are classes for everyday road cars in hill climbs, autotests and trials, there really is something out there for everyone.”Those MSA registered car clubs participating on the Go Motorsport stand at Autosport International are: Herefordshire Motor Club; Loughborough Car Club; the Mercia Motor Sports group; North Humberside Motor Club; Owen Motoring Club; Oxford Motor Club; Peterborough Car Club; Quinton Motor Club; Wolverhampton & South Staffordshire Car Club and the British Motorsport Marshals Club.

Charlie Robertson will be demonstrating his talent at the Autosport International Show this Thursday, 12th January, and Friday, 13th January, in the Live Action Arena. Charlie, who celebrated his 15th birthday on New Year’s Day, finished his maiden season in the Ginetta Junior Championship as runner-up with three wins and nine podiums. He then went on to claim two further victories in the end-of-year Winter Series. Fully expected to return for a title challenge in Ginetta Junior this year, ahead of any confirmation regarding his 2012 plans the teenager has been asked by Ginetta Cars to pilot a Ginetta G40 in the Live Action Arena as part of a specially organised demonstration by the manufacturer. “I can’t wait to get back in a car and have some fun at Autosport International”, said Charlie, “It’s a fantastic show, the true start to the motorsport year, and it’s a real privilege to have been asked by Ginetta to be involved. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and really looking forward to it.” 

FIA Action for Road Safety : December’s FIA Annual General Assembly and Gala Prize-Giving in New Delhi saw FIA Action for Road Safety establish a strong presence, with a dedicated information display at which delegates from around the world were invited to sign a commemorative book pledging support for the campaign’s aspirations and goals.  The response was overwhelming, with messages of advocacy coming from all over the world. Pledging his support, John Mutenda, President Automobile Association Uganda and Chairman of the Uganda National Road Safety Council wrote: “We in Uganda are in full support of road safety for the good of all the people in the world.” Vijay Mallya, chairman of host club the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India also offered his support, writing: “The FIA Action for Road Safety Campaign is, perhaps the most important initiative taken by the FIA. We, in India offer our fullest support.” Further messages came from the UAE, Syria, Tanzania, Algeria, Austria and the Czech Republic among many others.The AGA was notable also for a special FIA Action for Road Safety presentation at which two impressive campaign initiatives from Australia were commended. The campaigns, originating from the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), and the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ), revolve around a Facebook game set within the popular V8 Supercars series. The initiatives clearly demonstrate that both pillars of the FIA are working well together on initiatives for FIA Action for Road Safety. Commenting on the initiatives and the success of AfRS so far, FIA Deputy President Brian Gibbons said: "It's important that we learn each year of the clubs' initiatives as it allows us and others to gain confidence and ideas of how they, as clubs, can engage with the campaign. "The success of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign will only come from the commitment of clubs to embrace the programme's goal."

9-01-12

Autosport International: Marussia Development Driver Adrian Quaife-Hobbs will join an impressive line-up of international racing stars raising money for Race2Recovery, when he takes to the track in the Ginetta Celebrity Karting Challenge at Autosport International on Thursday 12 January. The former multiple kart champion returns to his roots alongside some of the biggest names in motorsport for the race which takes place within Hall 4 at Birmingham’s NEC. Adrian and around 100 drivers from across the sport, including David Brabham, Darren Turner, Sam Bird, Andy Priaulx, Johnny Mowlem, Gordon Sheddon, Felipe Nasr and Boyzone’s Shane Lynch, will join members of the public in the Racing4Charity-organised event, which has previously raised more than £175,000 for various charities. The 2012 race will raise funds for Race2Recovery, a national charity which aims to rehabilitate injured British servicemen and women by supporting wounded soldiers in a series of motorsports events.“It is a privilege and an honour to be allowed to take part in the Ginetta Celebrity Karting Challenge and it is particularly rewarding to be raising funds and awareness for Race2Recovery and the many thousands of servicemen and women injured in the line of duty while serving their country,” said Adrian. “Every year Racing4Charity organises this fantastic kart event, which over the years has raised thousands of pounds for worthy causes, and it’s good to be able to give something back to the forces through the sport we love.” To be broadcast by Motors TV and officially started by current World Land Speed Record holder Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, the one and a half hour endurance race will be preceded by a 30-minute race for injured soldiers racing in specially adapted karts. Aside from his appearance in the Ginetta Celebrity Karting Challenge, 20 year-old Quaife-Hobbs will also appear on the Karting Stage on the Formula Kart Stars Stand to help promote karting to young up and coming drivers as they look to begin their racing careers at the grass roots of motorsport. Adrian is currently exploring his options for 2012 following a successful test programme encompassing GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 and three Formula One tests for Marussia Virgin Racing F1 team. Although Autosport International only opens officially to the general public on Saturday, it is still possible to join the fundraising effort and race alongside Quaife-Hobbs and other motorsport stars by contacting Bill Williams at bill@racing4charity.com or +44 (0)7712 578263.

Karts: RL Racing Department - one of Britain’s leading Rotax teams - has created two new opportunities to run with the multiple-championship winning squad. “We have two seats available,” explains RL team boss, Steve Armstrong. “One is in Senior Max and the other in the Mini class. This is your chance to join one of the most successful, best organised and motivated outfits in Britain and Europe. We have a legacy of taking talented drivers and turning them into champions.” He added, “Our equipment is second to none. This is because we have excellent partnerships with the likes of Strawberry Racing, who supply the all-conquering Tony Kart chassis, and Britain’s leading Rotax tuners. As a large team with a superb track record, we have access to the very best motors. This means that with RL Racing Department there is no longer a need to hunt around and try to buy a proven, fast engine before competing with us. We can provide genuinely quick motors on a race by race basis, or as part of our full season package.  Overall, we are in an excellent position to deliver the best kit in Mini, Junior and Senior Max. So we not only supply top-class driver management and tuition but also the best engines for each of the three classes.” Steve will be available on the Formula Kart Stars stand in the Karting Pavilion at Autosport International on 14/15 January. However, as demand will be high for the two remaining team places, so to avoid disappointment contact him via accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 07843 586 416 or register your interest with Cherelle Tooley at cherelle.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 01502 716 200 (9am-5pm Monday- Wednesday). You can also visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com  for more information.

08-01-12

Star Mazda: Gary Rodrigues, founder and President of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, will travel to the Autosport International Racing Car Show to meet with young drivers In response to the growing international recognition of the Mazda Road to Indy - the official IndyCar driver development program that provides scholarship funding for the champions of each series (USF2000, Star Mazda and Indy Lights) to move up and compete at the next level, Gary Rodrigues, founder and President of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear-- will attend the Autosport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham, England to meet with top young drivers from around the world. "There has been huge interest from drivers internationally, and many of them have questions about racing in North America, the Star Mazda Championship, and the Mazda Road to Indy," says Rodrigues, who founded the Star Mazda Championship in 1990. "Star Mazda, Mazda and INDYCAR have all been working to get the word out, and we have a lot of information up on the StarMazda.com web site, but we're asking these young drivers and their sponsors to make a major decision about the direction of their future. We want to do everything we can to help them make the right decision, and give them the information they need to put a good program together, whether it's for Star Mazda or another Mazda Road to Indy series. So I'll be meeting with drivers, as well as representatives of European racing organizations, at the AUTOSPORT International show. Any young driver, manager, sponsor or representative of European driver development programs interested in meeting should call my cell phone at 001-818- 620-2283. If you can't get through that way, send me an e-mail at Gary@StarMazda.com and I'll get back to you." The AUTOSPORT International Racing Car Show takes place January 12-15 at the NEC in Birmingham, England.

06-01-12

BTCC: Team ES have signalled their intensions for pushing forward in the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with the announcement that 2010 Renault Clio Cup Champion Dave Newsham will be joining the team. Following weeks of negotiations Newsham will join Team Principal Chris James in at least a 2 car assault on the BTCC. James also confirmed that there is still a very strong & realistic possibility of 3 or even 4 cars being presented by ES Racing. Talking of the signing James said: “2011 was a tough year for us with one of the oldest cars on the grid, but moving forward we are pleased to confirm Dave Newsham for the team along with two turbo race winning pedigree cars.” James goes on to say “Dave & I are very much alike, we both call a spade a spade. I am delighted to bring Dave in to our team as he is a very skilful driver with a proven track record. This can only mean good things for us in 2012 & beyond.” He added: “We’ve been in talks with Dave for some time now and we’re glad we can finally announce that he will be driving for us in 2012. It makes sense for us to double our chances of podiums and points by bringing him in to the team.” Dave Newsham stated “Chris is a passionate guy, I saw that from last year, racing with him and talking to him in the paddock. He’s very ambitious and wants to see his cars at the front.“I think with having a year’s BTCC experience under my belt I’ve learnt a lot last year and I feel that I can put that to good use this year. Having a quick car is going to help, and if all things go well we should get some podiums and maybe sneak a win or two.” An announcement will follow in the next couple of weeks regarding the choice of car for Team ES.

WTCC:  The new WTCC Ford Focus enjoyed its first shakedown at Ford's technical centre at Dunton, Essex in the UK, just before the Christmas break. Based on the Ford Focus which took two victories in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship, and built by Team Aon who clinched the BTCC Independent Teams' and Drivers' titles, they are now facing new challenges in 2012.With the first shakedown completed in full WTCC specs, with the 1.6L turbo engine and Yokohama tyres, the car is now ready to go through additional tests in the wind tunnel, while work will also be completed on revised suspension components, ahead of an FIA technical inspection later this month. Negotiations with drivers for 2012 are also well underway with the team hoping to make announcements in the near future. The Team Aon car will next hit the track at the end of January with further tests in the UK, before an extensive test programme in Spain in early February. "It has been very exciting to see the development of this new car," said driver Tom Chilton. "Of course we're already very familiar with the Focus, having won races with it in 2011, but there are certain elements which make the WTCC version a different challenge from a driver's perspective. We had our first proper shakedown with the car just before Christmas and hearing the new engine fire up was pretty exciting in itself! The engine was incredibly impressive even on its first run and I can't wait to see what else it can do when we get our full test programme underway. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but it's great to have such a new challenge."
Team Principal Mike Earle added: "The team have been working very hard to get the new WTCC car together in time for testing. There are more restrictions on the WTCC car than there are on the BTCC version so we've had to change a few elements, and of course the tyres and engine are completely different. The shakedown went well and we're going to be using the majority of January to work on the car in the factory before getting our test programme fully underway on track."

ETCC: The first teams announced their commitment to the 2012 FIA European Touring Car Cup that will be held on four race meetings, three of them coinciding with the WTCCat Monza (11 March), Valencia (1st April) and Salzburgring (20 May). The series will be concluded by a standalone event at Imola (24 June). Switzerland-based Maurer Motorsport announced they will run a couple of Chevrolet Aveo cars in the Super 1600 class for young Russian drivers Alexander Frolov (21 years old) and Vadim Meshcheryakov (19 years old) who were both crowned champions of the 2011 Russian Touring Car Championship in the Touring and the National class respectively. The 34-year old Czech driver Petr Fulín (a race winner in the German SEAT Supercópa and the Abarth 500 European Trophy) also announced his plans to take part in the European Cup at the wheel of a Super 2000 BMW 320si car run by the Autonagy team.

FIA World Endurance : Greaves Motorsport have announced their driver line up for the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship. Christian Zugel, Ricardo Gonzalez and Elton Julian will drive for the team in Renate Ojjeh’s Zytek-Nissan in the LM P2 class. They will take part in the eight rounds of the new FIA World Championship, which includes the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours. Zugel, originally from Stuttgart, is an enthusiastic competitor in the US Historic Racing scene. During the past two seasons, Christian has also raced a prototype successfully in the LMPC and FLM categories in the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Series. Gonzalez, from Mexico, comes from a family of racers, both his father and brother competed at international level. Ricardo was in single seaters from 1994 to 2003 while in 2001-03 he raced in the European FC Championship and the World Series by Nissan. He returned to competition in 2010, in the ALMS driving a LMPC prototype. In 2011 he shared the LMPC Drivers’ Championship. The third member of the team, Elton Julian from Ecuador, has an impressive record in motorsport. Elton has the distinction of being the youngest driver to win a round of the British Formula Three Championship and was a test and reserve driver with the French Formula One team, Larrousse. He raced in all forms of motorsport around the world before taking a break from competition in 2001. He returned to endurance racing at the 2005 Le Mans 24 Hours and has continued since that time principally in the American Le Mans Series. Greaves Motorsport Team Manager, Jacob Greaves, commented: “ This is a great start to the new year for Greaves Motorsport, confirming a driver line up that will allow the team to challenge for victories in the new FIA World Endurance Championship. We are confident that together with these drivers and along with our partners Nissan, Zytek, Dunlop and Motul, we can achieve our full potential."  The 2012 FIA World Endurance will consist of eight rounds including the Le Mans 24 Hours and will commence in Florida with the 12 Hours of Sebring on 17th March.

GT- Dubai 24 Hours: Archie Hamilton starts his 2012 campaign with a drive in the Dunlop 24 Hour Dubai 2012. The 20 year old from Basingstoke will drive the same Gulf Racing Lamborghini Gallardo that he drove with Stuart Hall in the NKG UAE GT Championship in November, also at the Dubai Autodrome, when they took a podium finish. Archie’s teammates will be Stuart Hall and Gulf Racing co-owners Roald Goethe and Mike Wainwright.The 24 hour race begins on Friday 13thJanuary at 2pm Gulf Standard Time (10am GMT) with qualifying taking place the previous day. The event is receiving extensive TV coverage, with 12 hours of the race being broadcast live.Archie Hamilton: “It's a great start to the year. I’m really looking forward to the drive next week. I loved being in the car last November and I’ve really enjoyed the Spa 24 Hours and Britcar races – so the Dubai race is a fantastic opportunity and I’m very grateful to my sponsor for making it happen. My goal is to show that I’m a valuable member of an endurance team. It makes me more determined than ever to get to Le Mans."

After a season of success in 2011, which saw Nissan win championship titles across the board, the 2012 season is ready to go next week at the Dubai 24 Hours. There will be three Nissan cars in action in Dubai, all with very different reasons for being there. Nissan’s brand new GT3 car, the Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3, will compete in the A6 class in the hands of Michael Krumm (GER), Tom Kimber-Smith (UK), Franck Mailleux (FRA) and Alex Buncombe (UK). Those four drivers represent championships won in 2011, namely FIA GT1 World Driver’s Championship, the Le Mans Series LMP2 title, the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup LMP2 title and the Blancpain Endurance Series’ GT4 crown. Dubbed the ‘Champions Car’ the GT3-specification Nissan GT-R celebrates the successes of 2011 while continuing the new car’s intensive test and development programme. “2011 was a great year for Nissan and I am very much looking forward to racing the new GT3 car in Dubai,” commented Krumm. “The Nissan GT-R took us all the way to the top in 2011 so I hope we can have a good race with the new car. It’s great to celebrate a successful 2011 for Nissan and I’m excited to see how the GT Academy guys get on in the ‘All-Gamer’ car.”

That entry is the Nissan 370Z with an all-gamer driver line-up. The four winners of Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy will race together in the first ever all-gamer crew in a major race. The most recent winners, Jann Mardenborough (UK) and Bryan Heitkotter (USA), earned their place in the Dubai 24 Hours when they won GT Academy last summer. Since then they have been on one of the steepest learning curves imaginable to make sure they are up to speed for such a daunting race. Joining the newest recruits will be two ‘old hands’, the winners of Seasons One and Two, Lucas Ordonez (ESP) and Jordan Tresson (FRA). Lucas was the new boy in Dubai in 2009 but just three years later he is an international champion. “It’s a good feeling for me to go back to Dubai as this is where it all really started for me, just three years ago,” said Ordonez. “I know that Jann (Mardenborough) and Bryan (Heitkotter) will be very nervous but also very excited to take their GT Academy prize and compete in this race. I also know what an intensive development programme they have been on so they are more than ready for the challenges ahead of them. I hope that, along with Jordan (Tresson), I can help them to a good result. It’s going to be a tough race due to the heat but I am convinced that Jann and Bryan will prove that they are real racing drivers now, just as Jordan and I did last year.”

There will be a third Nissan competing in the race next week as RJN Motorsport will run a second Nissan 370Z for Humaid Al Masaood (UAE), Richard Meaden (UK) and Tetsuya Tanaka (JAP). "I have competed successfully in the previous two Dubai 24hr with my own team so to be invited to race with Nissan and their three car assault is a great honour and a new challenge,” said Al Masaood. “Although I am now racing in the USA there is something very special about racing in my local 24hr as it is this race that has helped me develop as a driver. I am looking forward to working with Nissan and my co-drivers and hopefully delivering a great result. It is really encouraging to see Nissan bringing talented young drivers into motorsport through GT Academy and I am keen to see drivers from the Gulf region be given the opportunity to start racing through such a professional programme."

Autosport International: Porsche will preview its British motorsport programme for 2012 at Autosport International, Birmingham NEC (stand 2450, Hall 20, January 12 - 15), show the innovative 918 RSR ‘super sports’ coupe concept for the first time in the UK, and celebrate the launch of the all-new Porsche 911 Carrera.  The 911 GT3 Cup car displayed on the Porsche stand is the latest edition of the best-selling racing car of all time, having been built in a production series of more than 1,400 since 1998. The ‘Type 997’ 911 GT3 Cup racer is based on the 911 GT3 RS road car, and is powered by a rear-mounted, 3.8-litre flat-six engine. The 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge will be launched on the Porsche stand at Autosport International at 09:30 on January 12.

Meet the winner of the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholarship - Visitors to the Porsche stand at Autosport International will be able to meet Daniel Lloyd, who has been selected from four young racing driver finalists to receive the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholarship. Nineteen year-old Daniel, from Huddersfield, was selected after two days’ intensive evaluation at the Porsche Experience Centre Silverstone. As the winner of the coveted prize, now in its fourth year, Daniel receives £80,000 from Porsche Cars GB to use as a significant element of his budget for the 2012 Carrera Cup GB season, together with a programme of driver training and personal mentoring.

The Porsche 918 RSR makes UK debut -  Unveiled at the 2011 North American Auto Show in Detroit and on show in the UK for the first time at Autosport International, the 918 RSR is a two-seat, mid-engined test-bed that combines the innovative flywheel and electric motor technology of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car and the design of the 918 Spyder concept to create a futuristic ‘super sports’ car concept. The 918 RSR is based on the Porsche 918 Spyder concept that was first seen at Geneva in 2010, and which has been subsequently confirmed for production in 2013. The 918 RSR artfully blends styling cues from iconic Porsche racing cars from the 1960s and 1970s with cutting-edge technology. The elegant flow of the car’s styling is dominated by muscular wheel arches, dynamic air intakes and a distinctive cockpit. A visible fan wheel above the rear engine compartment imparts further styling cues reminiscent of classic Porsche sports racing cars. Motor racing technology also dominates the specification of the RSR under the skin; an especially light, torsionally-stiff carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque. The V8 engine is a further development of the direct injection engine from the RS Spyder race car, tuned to deliver an output of 563 hp at 10,300 rpm. Two electric motors on the front wheels between them contribute 150 kW (204 hp) to the peak drive power of 767 hp. This additional power, which is generated during braking, is stored in an optimized flywheel accumulator, similar to that which has been successfully used in the Porsche Motorsport-developed 911 GT3 R Hybrid in 2010 and 2011.

New Porsche 911 Carrera makes Show debut  -  The new 911 arrived in UK Porsche Centres on December 17, and makes its public show debut at Autosport International on January 12. The Porsche 911 has been continually evolving since its launch in 1963, and motorsport has played a key role in the development of the iconic sports coupe. True to the 911 tradition, the new model combines a powerful rear-mounted flat-six engine with the iconic 911 silhouette and adds more power and efficiency, less weight and a host of new technologies to further enhance the sports car driving experience.

Organisers from Tour Britannia will be on hand at Autosport International (12/13 January 2012) to meet prospective entrants as Britain’s only classic race and rally tour heads for its biggest entry to date. Event director Alec Poole will be hand during Thursday and Friday of the show and will be based with the Historic Sports Car Club (stand 6700 in Hall 6), where he will be available to chat with anyone interested in the event as well as give updates to regular competitors.With over five months to go before the start of the 2012 Tour Britannia, more than 25 entries are already confirmed, which represents the highest number ever received so far in advance of the event. Early entries in the competition event include Tour regulars Mike Smith/Ian Ashley (Porsche 911 RSR) and Stuart Scott/Steve Wood (Chevrolet Camaro), while Yorkshire crew Roger Kilty and Lynette Banks are back with their Ford Escort Mk1 RS1600 and aiming to put their local knowledge to good effect. As one of the few drivers with experience of racing, rallying and speed events, Kilty is well placed to challenge for the overall podium. The concurrent regularity event already has entries ranging from an MGA to a Ferrari 250GT Lusso. The eighth running of this unique event will be based in Yorkshire and will run from 7-9 June, offering crews in both the competition and regularity events three full days of action taking in some old favourite locations as well as several new venues. Tour Britannia will be based at the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate, which will host documentation and scrutineering during Wednesday 6 June before another first for the event, a special prologue stage in the grounds of the hotel on Wednesday evening. More details about Tour Britannia can be found at the event website: www.tourbritannia.com and entry forms can be downloaded from the site.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB gears up for tenth sensational season - First run in 2003, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB is the fastest single marque racing Championship in Britain. With over 25 identical examples of the 450 hp 911 GT3 Cup race car battling for honours, it provides thrilling support to the British Touring Car Championship at circuits up and down the country. To celebrate the tenth season of the Carrera Cup GB, a special reward will be presented to competitors who register for the Championship by February 10. Each driver confirmed by that date will be able to offer two of their sponsors a driving day at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone. The driving experiences will be held on Tuesday March 13 to coincide with the pre-season Test and Media Day at Silverstone. The 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship kicks off at Brands Hatch on March 31/April 1.

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge:  For 2012, the GT3 Cup Challenge has a new six weekend, 12 race calendar. The season will culminate in a finale alongside the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship, in support of the British Touring Car Championship, at Silverstone on October 6/7.
Open to any 911 GT3 Cup race car from the 2009 model year or earlier, the GT3 Cup Challenge is designed to be a perfect stepping stone for drivers aiming to move up to the Carrera Cup GB in subsequent seasons. It is also ideally suited to younger racers with some sponsorship backing, as well as competitors graduating from track days. The series is open to drivers with a National B race licence. To mark the start of the 2012 GT3 Cup Challenge, and in line with the Carrera Cup GB, competitors who register by February 10 will be able to invite two sponsors to an exclusive day at the Porsche Experience Centre Silverstone. The GT3 Cup Challenge contenders will share the pre-season Test and Media day at Silverstone with the Carrera Cup GB drivers on Tuesday March 13.

V de V: In November 1992, Eric Van de Vyver was organising his first race at Paul Ricard and he decided it should last 24 hours and that race, the “2 Tours d’Horloge” ,should be exclusively for Historic Racing Cars. By its second year, 80 cars were crammed onto the starting grid while others sat motionless in their garages due to insufficient space. This was to be the beginning of a great adventure for the V de V Racing Team which went on to become V de V Sports. The “2 Tours d’Horloge” quickly became one of the flagship events on the French and European Historic Racing calendar. The 9-11 November this year will mark the 20th birthday of V de V and so 20 years on, Eric Van de Vyver, his daughter Laure, and the whole V de V Sports team have decided use  the “2 Tours d’Horloge” to celebrate this anniversary. As a prologue to the 24-hour event, a 2-hour race is planned, open to historic Prototypes built between 1972 and 1990.The great “2 Tours d’Horloge” event itself is open to GT and Touring Cars up to 1965, as well as those produced between 1966 and 1975. Entries for GT and Touring cars produced between 1976 and 1981 will be decided on submission of an entry dossier. Prototypes will also be welcomed, for the period pre-1965 and those designed between 1966 and 1971. Slick tyres will not be permitted.

Ginettas: Just a few weeks after he tested a Formula BMW, kart racer  Luke Whitworth has been described as having ‘a huge amount of potential’ following a run in a Ginetta G40. Having revelled in his Formula BMW baptism at Brands Hatch, Luke jumped at the chance to try out the Ginetta G40 at Bedford Autodrome – his prize for finishing a commendable 18th in the Junior Rotax class of the national Super 1 Series in 2011, his maiden campaign in the fiercely-contested British championship. The G40 is the model used in the Ginetta Junior Championship and as such, it is the perfect learning tool for a car racing rookie – and the 16-year-old Wickersley-based racer enjoyed his outing behind the wheel. “It was a brilliant day!” Luke enthused. “It was another new experience for me, and it has definitely opened my eyes with regard to options for the future. I didn’t expect the Ginetta to be that much different to the Formula BMW, but it was actually massively different. The Formula BMW test did help a bit in that it meant I had already been in a racing car, but the Ginetta is heavier, not as stiff and going round corners, it moves around more. It’s quick, too, and the extra weight affects the way you brake going into corners and get on the throttle coming out of them again. The back end of the car feels quite loose on the entry, so you need to try to find the right balance to ensure that you have enough rear grip on the exit.  The brakes are also a lot sharper than I had expected and it was certainly a big step-up from a kart, with the clutch and gears to get used to and the weight shift to have to think about as well – there’s generally a lot more to be aware of – but I felt I adapted to it all pretty quickly. It was damp in the morning and really slippery; the back end stepped out a few times, but that just made it even more fun! The afternoon session was then dry and there was a lot more grip, so we got the best of both conditions.  I learned from my instructor, and he gave me feedback after each of my runs that I tried to put into practice the next time. He gave me a lot of advice so that I could learn from my mistakes, and that helped me to get used to everything and understand what I was doing a lot better. Later on, I was really pushing to go as fast as I could – I was practically jumping out of the seat, I was so excited!”  His instructor Ian Parsons tipped Luke for a bright future in the sport. “In the morning, Luke was nervous like all the others, but he obviously has a lot of natural ability and he genuinely listened and took notice of what we were saying and acted upon it,” Parsons remarked. “By the end of the second session, he had found some pretty serious pace.  If he spent another day or day-and-a-half in the car with an instructor, I’m convinced we could get him right up-to-speed and have him competing at the sharp end pretty quickly. Luke was definitely one of the most talented drivers there on the day, and he clearly has a huge amount of potential.”

Other News: On Saturday 28th January, Barrie “Whizzo” Williams will be guest speaker at an evening hosted by the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. Not to be missed, Barrie will be entertaining his audience recounting tales from his incredible 50 year career in historic and classic motor sport.Barrie’s racing career started in 1957 and, to date, he has driven in over 1,500 races and rallies. He was the first person ever to win an international rally in a Cooper S in 1964, and achieved a win in his first Formula 3 race at Silverstone three years later. During his two year stint with F3 he was racing against such names as Derek Bell, Ronnie Peterson and Frank Williams. In 2007, driving a BRN, he won his last single-seater race at Goodwood. He is still enjoying the sport as much as ever, but would love to fulfil his ambition to drive a competition modern F1 car. With such an impressive track record, Barrie is sure to have some fascinating stories to tell. The evening, starting at 8.00pm, will be held in the Lecture Theatre of the National Motor Museum Collections Centre. A pay bar is available for the purchase of beers, wines, soft drinks, tea and coffee. Before, the Museum will open from 6.00pm for a private view. Tickets are £10 (with all profits going to the National Motor Museum Trust) and are available by contacting Theresa Browning on 01590 614792, email: theresa.browning@beaulieu.co.uk

05-01-12

The new Atlantic Championship Series, operated by Formula Race Promotions, has appointed Joe Griffin as technical director. Griffin brings years of Atlantic car experience to the Series, having been involved with the class going back to the Formula B days, and working for a former version of the Series from 1983 to 2006. “I first joined the SCCA in the early 1970s,” said Griffin, “working corners. Then I was a technical inspector for a few years and after that, a crew member for an Atlantic team – which was Formula B then. “I was with the pro series from 1983 through 2006, consulting and working with engineers, chassis manufacturers and teams during the development and testing of the current Swifts, Ralts and Reynards.”  Griffiin’s multiple-chassis experience should be ideal for the new Championship, which will allow various chassis and engine combinations per SCCA rules. “Having known Joe for over three decades, I am pleased he has agreed to join us and know he will ensure stability in our Atlantic paddock with his presence. A better man for the job just can’t be imagined,” said Formula Race Promotions Managing Director Michael Rand. Additionally, Griffin oversaw tech for the Atlantic class at the SCCA Runoffs, and spent time in New Zealand as the technical advisor for another Atlantic racing series. The inaugural six-race, three-weekend season starts at Road Atlanta, May 10 – 12.  www.AtlanticChampionshipSeries.com

Karts: Andy King capped the most successful year of his karting career to date with a top ten finish in the Rotax World Finals in the United Arab Emirates. The 17 year-old Senior Rotax driver confirmed his status as a top Rotax driver in an event regarded as one of the toughest in karting. Pic: Chris Walker / www.kartpix.net         read report

Silverstone: Further complementing its line-up of customer Thrills and Experiences, Silverstone has launched The Hypersonic*. This unique, custom-built two-seater race car offers a thrill like no other, providing members of the public with the chance to experience passenger rides around sections of the world famous Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. Passengers in the 3.7 litre V6 Ford Cyclone Hypersonic car, which accelerates from 0-60mph in just three seconds, will be taken on the ride of their life by a professional driver, reaching speeds of up to 150mph. What’s more, participants don’t need to have passed their driving test to experience this ultimate adrenaline rush. Paul Craven-Jones, Head of Activities from the Silverstone Experience Centre, said, “We are always looking for exciting new products and experiences that will appeal to a wide audience, so we are delighted to add The Hypersonic to our extensive collection of driving and riding related Thrills and Experiences. This passenger ride is a truly unique experience. Open to all*, it allows members of the public to experience Silverstone and the Grand Prix circuit in a way like never before.” To celebrate the launch of this sensational two-seater experience, The Hypersonic is available at an introductory price of just £50** (*Terms and conditions apply. See www.silverstone.co.uk for full details. **Introductory price ends 31 January 2012.)   For further information on The Hypersonic and the full range of Thrills and Experiences available at Silverstone, visit www.silverstone.co.uk or call 0844 3728 270.

04-01-12

Historics: Following a successful inaugural year in 2011, the JD Classics Challenge – an all-new race series for historic Touring Cars organised by Motor Racing Legends – is set to expand to cover a broader era of history, with Touring Cars from as far back as 1966 invited to take part in the 2012 races. The JD Classics Challenge will now welcome entries from owners of Touring Cars which ran between 1966 and 1985 inclusive, as long as they comply with the correct period regs for either the BTCC (or British Saloon Car Championship, as it used to be known) or ETCC (the European Touring Car Championship). “We have pushed the eligibility start-date back from 1972 to 1966,” said Duncan Wiltshire of Motor Racing Legends, “to bring such iconic and much-loved models as Ford Anglias and the earlier Escorts out to play – and provide an even better spectacle for race-goers. When we launched the JD Classics Challenge in early 2011, owners of genuine Touring Cars showed great enthusiasm for digging their eligible race cars out of the garage, and restoring them to race-ready condition – and we’re aware of even more cars being prepared this winter. But we also heard from owners of cars from a slightly earlier era, bemoaning the lack of high-calibre racingopportunities. So we studied the racing regulations from the time, and decided to extend the eligible years back to 1966. We’ll also consider cars complying with other National regs, on a case-by-case basis. This will help even more Touring Cars to return to the track, and enjoy our excellent calendar of one European and three UK races next year. Not only are the races enjoyed enormously by the competitors themselves, this era of Touring Car racing is hugely popular with spectators, both for its wheel-to-wheel action and because many of us remember these actual cars from their glory days.” As well as Motor Racing Legends’ plans to extend the eligible years, the historic race organisation is increasing the number of races from two to four, with a 2012 calendar for the JD Classics Challenge as follows:  calendar

Rallying: The all-season sport of rallying makes a return to Brands Hatch later this month (Sunday 22 January) as the Kent circuit hosts the TRS (Essex) Ltd Brands Hatch Stage Rally. The event follows a successful running in 2011, after a 20 year hiatus, and utilises special gravel stages and sections of the circuit’s paddock as well as parts of the Indy layout. Over 90 entries have been recorded so far and many more are expected in the coming days as drivers finalise their plans after the Christmas break. Plenty of rally classics can be found amongst the list, including Escorts spanning the years, Mini Coopers and GTs, small hatches from Lotus Sunbeams to Focuses and Peugeots, and 4WD world-beaters from Subaru and Mitsubishi. There are also examples of exotica on the list. The names Aston Martin and Ferrari may not be synonymous with gravel, pace notes and flying finishes but a four-litre AM GT and 308 GTB Michelotto will be competing. They’ll be lining up to beat last year’s winning Darrian piloted by John Indri and Dave Engwell. Several thousand spectators witnessed the unusual car win after a strong challenge from Nigel Mummery and Fiona Scarrett ended up with their Ford Focus beached at Paddock Hill. However the gravel is a lot shallower elsewhere on the course, and the sideways spectacle of a thrilling sport rarely seen in the south east will be something to behold. Another feature familiar to rally drivers is running in the dark and the event will finish after dusk, leaving a spectacular sight as the cars are distinguished by bright headlights, exhaust flames and glowing brake discs. With the eight stages extended from last year and a bigger entry list, a strong crowd is expected for the opening event of a spectacular 2012 season. Tickets for the TRS (Essex) Ltd Brands Hatch Stage Rally on 22 January are available in advance from £10 until Tuesday 17 January at midday, with free entry for children 12 and under. For more information, call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk

Silverstone Classic: This summer’s 2012 Silverstone Classic powered by the AA will be one of just three official showpiece events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the MGB sportscar. The world’s biggest classic motor racing festival has teamed up with the MG Car Club and the MGB50 committee to establish a special trilogy of birthday parties to mark what’s a very special golden anniversary for the enduring and endearing MGB. The celebrations open with MGLive! in June and conclude with a static showcase gathering at Blenheim Palace in September. In between comes this year’s all-action, three-day Silverstone Classic, staged at the home of the British Formula 1 Grand Prix from 20-22 July. All MGB owners attending these three special trilogy events will be presented with a unique commemorative rally plaque exclusive to the individual festivity. As well as featuring historic racing and live music, the Silverstone Classic is renowned for its car club displays often highlighting significant milestones in the history of iconic marques. Last year’s Classic marked the 50th anniversary of another truly great British sportscar when more than 1000 E-type Jaguars helped to establish a new Guinness World Record. Now the focus will switch to the much-loved MGB, first launched to the public at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1962. In total more than half a million MGBs were built between 1962 and 1980 in Abingdon – home of the MG factory situated just south of Oxford. From the original Mark I roadster, through to the elegant MGB GT and the GT V8, the evergreen MGB has endeared itself as one of the most affordable and adored models   “It’s shaping up to be a tremendous year for the B,” confirmed MG Car Club General Manager Julian White. “Each of the three events offers MGB owners something different and I know many enthusiasts will be keen to attend all three celebrations. The MG Car Club is based in Abingdon, the spiritual home of the marque, so we know first-hand how much the MGB means to people. So it’s only natural we have big plans for the MGB50 anniversary.”  Full details of the 2012 Silverstone Classic powered by the AA are available via the event’s official www.silverstoneclassic.com website.

Goodwood: Now often copied, but rarely bettered, the ‘original’ admission-free Breakfast Club meeting at the Goodwood Motor Circuit enters its sixth season for 2012 with the tempting promise of an eclectic mix of vehicles and a tasty breakfast menu to whet the appetite of any motoring enthusiast.  The Goodwood Breakfast Club remains free to all visitors. It is now firmly established as a ‘must attend’ event for thousands of car and motorcycle connoisseurs who appreciate an enjoyable Sunday morning drive through the quiet West Sussex country roads down to Goodwood, where they are able to meet like-minded enthusiasts, admire some fabulous machinery and eat a tasty breakfast, before heading back home in time for the Sunday roast, to do a spot of gardening and DIY, or simply put their feet up and watch the Grand Prix! For the 2012 season, Goodwood has devised a range of Breakfast Club themes to cater for all enthusiasts and vehicle types. As well as popular familiar themes, this year sees some new themes to reflect important celebrations and anniversaries taking place in 2012. These include an-all British vehicle theme to celebrate HRH The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, to be held on the Sunday of the long Bank Holiday weekend on early June. The 50th anniversaries of many iconic cars - from the popular Triumph Spitfire and MGB, through to the authentic and desirable AC Cobra and Ferrari 250 GTO, will be marked with a pre-Revival Thoroughbred Sunday meeting on 5th August. As in previous years, the Breakfast Club meetings will be held on the first Sunday of the month at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit, with the exception of July and September, when the popular Festival of Speed (28 June-1 July) and Goodwood Revival (14-16 September) motor sport events will be held. Visitors are encouraged to pre-register their vehicles by e-mailing the dedicated Breakfast Club team at cooked@goodwood.com. The Goodwood Breakfast Club website has updates on each monthly theme, and enables visitors to pre-register online at (www.goodwood.com/breakfastclub).

03-01-12

Ginettas: After clinching his second car racing crown in the Ginetta G50 Cup, Tom Ingram concluded 2011 with the another accolade – that of Radio Le Mans’ Young Driver of the Year. “It was an honour just to be put forward for something like this in the first place,” he reflected. “To then win it by such a margin up against a Red Bull-backed NASCAR driver and another who had won an international scholarship in the form of the GT Academy was really special, and quite a shock. It marked a brilliant end to what was a fantastic year – and hopefully we can make it a hat-trick of car racing titles in 2012!” This year Tom is aiming to step on up again to the G55 class of the Ginetta GT Supercup.  “Someone at Radio Le Mans apparently said, ‘this kid will be racing at Le Mans in a few years’,” he revealed, “and to compete there is definitely on my ‘to do’ list as one of my targets for the future. If you look at the drivers who have won the Le Mans 24 Hours, so many of them already had a lot of experience in that kind of racing – so it would be great to be able to go there at a young age and make an impact. Endurance racing is a whole different ballgame and requires a completely different approach to the standard sprint races that I’m used to – but I also think it would really suit the way I like to drive. You need to look after the car, get into a rhythm and then stay smooth and consistent and not make any mistakes – and you have to show respect to every other driver on the track. It’s as racing should be, and the Le Mans 24 Hours isn’t called the toughest race in the world for nothing. To be a part of it one day would be absolutely phenomenal.” Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

Karts: Having stepped up from Comer Cadet level to Mini Max class for 2012 with Tooley Motorsport, Dan Zelos has been right on the pace from the outset. Dan finished eighth in the MSA British Cadet class of the Formula Kart Stars Championship last year two victories. Mini Max marked the next step for the youngster who has concluded a deal with Tooley Motorsport, the outfit that ran Ross Gunn to the 2011 British title in the national Super 1 Series. “We wanted to make an early decision about which team to go with,” he explained, “and we gave it a lot of thought. When Andrew and Dave Tooley spoke to us, they made a very good impression. There’s a really friendly, professional atmosphere inside the team, and I already knew a few of the other drivers there, too, which helped. It’s important to have team-mates in the same class as you so you can improve the kart more quickly, and overall, I feel that I’ve settled in well.” A tremendously encouraging testing debut at Whilton Mill saw Dan lapping on the leading pace and his subsequent race meetings have proven to be every bit as auspicious. First time out at PF International he lined up on the second row of the starting grid for the final, where sadly Dan’s lack of experience showed as he was pressurised into a mistake that sent him down the order, but he fought his way back through to 13th at the flag. Next time out at Glan Y Gors, Dan rebounded from mechanical issues during the heats to wind up sixth in the final. Electrical woes at Whilton Mill in the heats left him with much work to do in the final from well down the order, however he scythed his way through to ninth. Finally in his last appearance of the year at PF  he was fifth with another fastest lap to his name. Acknowledging that he still needs more experience in Mini Max Dan headsinto 2012 fully fit and focussed.  “I definitely think Mini Max is the right way forward,” he underlines. “I know the competition will be extremely tough, with big grids and some very strong drivers remaining in the class and a lot of Cadet front-runners stepping up. With the kart being bigger than a Cadet, it’s harder to handle and with it being faster you get less thinking time, too. There’s a lot more grip as well, which means you can go much quicker into corners.That said, it was actually easier than I had thought it would be – I was worried I might struggle initially with the different handling characteristics and faster reactions required. It is tougher physically – especially on the arms – but overall, I didn’t find the step-up as hard as I had expected it to be, and I got into it pretty quickly, to be fair.Our pace so far has been very encouraging. I just need to work on being more assertive at the starts and a little bit more consistent in the races, and then we’ll be finishing up at the front. We’re really going to go for it. Top five in Super 1 is the target, and I think we can achieve that. We’ll certainly be giving it everything we’ve got!” Pic: Chris Walker / www.kartpix.net

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