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Archive July 2011
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05/08/2011
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31-07-11
WTCC: Chevrolet's winning
streak came to an end after eleven consecutive victories.
On their home soil BMW and Franz Engstler claimed their first
success. The first for the new 1.6 litre turbo engine built in
Munich and the first ever in WTCC for the German driver. If
Oschersleben's Race 1 gave Chevrolet another 1-2 finish, with
Yvan Muller victorious from Rob Huff, the second race saw a more
variegated podium with BMW, Chevrolet and SUNRED/SEAT classified
in the order. Another evidence that the gap between the Cruze
cars and the rest of the field becomes closer and closer. The
Volvo too moved a further step forward, with Robert Dahlgren
finishing fourth in Race 1, the best result for the Swedish car
and yet, it could have been better without a clash with Menu
that dropped Dahlgren to eighth during the opening lap. Speaking
of the championship, Muller appears to be well determined to
defend his crown. Between Donington and Oschersleben the
Frenchman has takne away 23 of the 29 points that formed Huff's
leading margin after Porto. Even closer is the fight for the
Yokohama Trophy, with five drivers - Norbert Michelisz, Kristian
Poulsen, Darryl O'Young, Engstler and Javier Villa - covered by
only six points.The championship will resume after the summer
break at Valencia, Spain, on September 3rd for rounds 17 and 18.
The results of the two races at Oschersleben remains
provisional, pending the technical checks of two Chevrolet
engines. The 1.6-litre turbo units of Rob Huff's and Darryl
O'Young's Cruze cars have been sealed by the FIA Technical
Delegate, who will proceed to a complete check at RML factory
during the Summer break before the next event at Valencia.
 GP3:
Atech CRS GP demonstrated its continuing progress
in round five of the GP3 Series in Hungary, overcoming
ever-changing weather conditions, to take a race one finish just
outside the top 10. Swiss-Filipino Marlon Stockinger qualified
fastest of the Atech trio and improved by five places from his
grid spot to finish 12th.
Read more
 Spa
24 Hours:
Archie Hamilton’s #44 Faster Racing with DB Motorsport
BMW Z4 GT3
retired with just four hours remaining of the Total 24
hours of Spa this afternoon. The car suffered a suspected
mechanical failure and crashed coming through Blanchimont
towards the Bus Stop with team-mate Harrie Kolen at the wheel
ending the race.Having started the race mid-way down the 62 car
field following an accident in qualifying, the team set out on
the long journey of the many hours ahead. Lap after lap
consistent lap times were achieved Archie’s first stint was a
double of two hours in the dark, made worse by rain. He took
over in 15th and handed the car back after the ninth hour third
in class and lying tenth overall.At 2.30 am time was lost with a
pinched catch tank feeder pipe which was causing oil pressure
issues. Archie drove his second stint, again in the dark but
this time dry for another two hours just before dawn. The dry
gave Archie the opportunity to show his true pace and
consistency and again finished his stint in ninth place overall
but this time second in the Pro-Am class.During the morning the
car had again lost a little ground but had recovered by noon at
the twentieth hour to lie 9th overall and third in class.
Shortly afterwards the accident occurred ending the race for the
team. read more
Formula Renault:
British racer Will Stevens is setting his sights on adding
another Formula Renault victory
to his tally when he makes a guest appearance in the Formula
Renault 2.0 UK Championship at Snetterton onext weekend(6/7
August). The 20 year-old currently competes in the Formula
Renault 2.0 Eurocup, where he has won once in the opening rounds
and taken three podium finishes to go fourth in the title
battle.Making the most of the lengthy break in the Eurocup
calendar, Stevens returns to Snetterton, where he secured second
and fourth places last season, but this year without the benefit
of track knowledge following extensive winter work at the
Norfolk track. Now the BRDC Rising Star, who was fourth overall
in the 2010 Formula Renault UK Championship, will go
head-to-head with the regular British runners in the latest
rounds of the domestic series in preparation for the British
rounds of Eurocup at Silverstone next month. Driving for the
current leaders of the domestic series, Fortec, Stevens will
then contest two rounds of Eurocup, which support the World
Series by Renault event on 19/20/21 August. “We’re going to
Snetterton with only one aim, and that’s to win,’ said Will.
“We’ve had a good start to the Eurocup season, but now find
ourselves with a big gap in the calendar before the Silverstone
races.“We’ve learnt a lot from our time in Europe and racing at
Snetterton will give us the chance to put that knowledge to good
use, and go over a few things before we head to Silverstone.
With the break in Eurocup, it’s important to keep sharp, and
where better to do that than at Snetterton, where I have a good
record of results.The competition in Europe is particularly
close this season, with 35 cars all competing for victory, but
that’s not to say that the competition will be easy at
Snetterton. There are some quick drivers out there, many of whom
I’ve raced against before, but I will treat it like any other
race weekend and aim to be right on the pace come qualifying.”
 Porsche
Supercup:
Isaac Tutumlu completed an ‘interesting’ weekend at the
Hungaroring
in the Porsche Supercup. Tutumlu, who was driving for only the
second time in the championship, managed to overcome a bad
practice session on Friday after mechanical issues restricted
him to just 5 laps, leaving him down in 17th after qualifying.
“We improved in qualifying session, but obviously I lacked
confidence both my car and the track. Also I made a small
mistake during my best qualifying lap, losing five tenths and I
think I could have achieved 12th place on the starting grid”.
Sunday races started in the wet, “I have taken it easy during
early laps, because it was my first time in wet conditions
driving this Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. At the halfway point, I begun
to improve my lap times, but sadly I spun and l lost twenty
seconds. However I didn´t give up and I caught my rivals again
thanks to I set second fastest lap in race. Two laps more and I
think I could have to overtake them”, Tutumlu explained after
his 12th place. “It was a shame not to be in the top-ten, but
the result is good enough to approach next races in good shape”.
Next the Porsche Supercup takes it’s summer break until
26th-28th August at Spa-Francorchamps.
30-07-11
 Porsche
Carrera Cup GB
: Oman Air Racing Team driver
Ahmad Al Harthy made a flying visit to the UK this week for
his first test at the new Snetterton 300 Circuit – essential
mileage ahead of the resumption of the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup
GB Championship at the Norfolk venue next weekend, 6th/7th
August.Almost three weeks since he debuted in the FIA Formula
One World Championship-supporting Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at
Silverstone during British Grand Prix weekend, the 29-year-old’s
focus now returns to his regular commitments in the UK series.
On Thursday, 28th July, Ahmad arrived for a full day of running
at the newly configured 2.97-mile track and enjoyed a highly
productive test in which he and the team worked on qualifying
and race set-ups.Delighted with the progress made, the Oman Air,
Nawras, National Bank of Oman, Brand Oman, Oman Ministry of
Sports Affairs and Oman Ministry of Tourism-backed racer now
heads into the second half of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB season
feeling highly confident.“I’m really, very pleased with the work
we completed at Snetterton”, said Ahmad, “The new track is a
good challenge, I like the infield section as it adds something
different and I think it should deliver some really close
Porsche racing. We made some good progress with the set-up so
hopefully we can begin the second half of the season strongly
when we’re back here next weekend.” Pic
Jakob Ebrey Photography
 Karts:
The 2011 Formula Kart Stars KF3 Champion will be crowned
in a special one-off championship round at Whilton Mill
on September 3rd-4th 2011. Joining the MSA Cadet Championship
and the Formula Kart Stars Mini Max and Junior Rotax classes,
the fastest Junior karts in the UK and their drivers will
compete in a full weekend of race action with the Formula One
Management backed Championship. Drivers bidding to join the
likes of Alex Albon, Jake Dennis and Ben Barnicoat on the FKS
roll of honour in KF3 will also benefit from TAG Sector Timing
and the use of the successful Alfano Alspy data logging system
around a Whilton Mill circuit that is regarded as one of the
toughest physical tests in British karting. The overall champion
will be presented with the unique Formula Kart Stars Steering
Wheel trophy at the Autosport Awards in December and will
receive a TAG Heuer watch.An entry fee of £200 will include all
the aspects of the normal Formula Kart Stars race weekend with a
ten minute timed qualifying session, two twelve minute heats and
a fifteen minute final on Saturday and Sunday. With nearly an
hour of track time on each day there will be plenty of time for
drivers to have their appetites whetted ahead of the classes’
full time return to the Championship in 2012. “It’s a great
pleasure to welcome the KF3 drivers and teams back at Whilton
Mill,” says Championship Director Carolynn Hoy. “This event not
only gives the drivers a chance to experience a fantastic track
but also allows us to put on a really special event for any
teams and drivers wishing to do the championship in 2012.”
Drivers will use control fuel and tyres as per the 2011 Formula
Kart Stars Championship regulations and will be need to order
the Alfano Alspy mounting bracket from Debbie Sellers if they
haven’t already got one from the WSK or CIK events. Friday
testing is available at a cost of £45.
Pic
Chris Walker
/
www.kartpix.net,
 Formula
3:
Felipe Nasr delivered a true champion’s performance at
Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium during the seventh event of the
Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series over the
weekend – the Brazilian sensation overturning a series of
problems to secure his 13th and 14th podiums of 2011. Pic
Jakob Ebrey Photography
Read
report
 Menasheh
Idafar concluded a very difficult weekend at Spa-Francorchamps
with a positive race finish during round 21 of the Cooper Tires
British Formula 3 International Series this afternoon, Saturday,
30th July.Unable to build on the promise shown in pre-event
testing during qualifying and the first two races yesterday, the
British-born Bahraini was determined to secure a strong result
and he did manage to achieve that – battling through from the
back of the grid to end up the 14th placed British F3 runner.
Pic
Jakob Ebrey Photography
Read
report
Formula Renault:
Atech Reid GP driver’s Tio Ellinas and Oscar King
are showing Europe how its done in race one in the Northern
European Cup in Germany today. The Welsh based team took the
first race win this afternoon after Tio Ellinas met the
chequered flag from pole position, his nearest challenger
Stoffel Vandoorne more than two seconds behind him. Oscar King’s
assertive drive saw him move up four places from his starting
grid to finish the race in an impressive 6th place. “In
qualifying I was improving in every session and I knew that
today we had the car to be able to move up the grid.” Oscar
stated “ For the second race we are going to be starting from
grid 6 so I will be looking for a podium finish. I think the car
has the pace to be able to do it so we will just have to wait
and see.” Tio added “This win is very important for me and for
the team. We made a gamble by coming here to compete in the
Northern European Cup one week before continuing in our own
championship in the UK and it is definitely paying off! It is
fabulous to have taken a win and we will have to work hard in
race two from 4th position but, I think we will be able to
improve and take another good result.” Race two is at 16:40
Sunday afternoon (local time)
29-07-11
Formula 3:
Spaniard Roberto Merhi (Prema Powerteam)
has won the fourth season round of the FIA Formula 3
International Trophy. The points’ leader scored a lights-to-flag
victory from William Buller (Fortec Motorsport) and Jazeman
Jaafar (Carlin). Carlos Muñoz (Signature) came home fourth at
the 7.004 kilometres long Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix circuit
and was thus the second driver from the Formula 3 Euro Series to
cross the line. With his victory, Roberto Merhi extended his
points’ lead in the drivers’ standings of the FIA Formula 3
International Trophy.
In qualifying already, Merhi made a clear mark as he claimed
pole position with a margin of over a second. At the start, he
remained in front and quickly pulled a gap. After one lap, he
was already three seconds ahead of the rest of the field and at
flagfall, his margin was almost 13 seconds. Merhi’s Prema
team-mate Daniel Juncadella finished eighth, in spite of
activating his fire-extinguisher.For Marco Wittmann (Signature),
things didn’t go as planned in Belgium. In the first corner, he
collided with an opponent, he spun and dropped back to the end
of the field. From there, he started his recovery that brought
him up into eleventh place as the chequered flag was out.
Roberto Merhi: “My start was good, then I just tried to
extend my lead. Towards the end, I took it a little bit easier
to save my tyres. Of course, I am very happy with this victory
at Spa.”
Formula Renault: Atech
Reid GP driver Tio Ellinas has qualified on pole position
for the first race at round 5 of the Formula Renault 2.0
Northern European Cup at Oschersleben. As the support category
to the World Touring Car Championship, the Cypriot posted a time
of 1.26.198 to put a gap of 0.087 tenths between himself and
Belgian driver Stoffell Vandoorne. Team mate Oscar King will
start off row 5 in race one. Improving his pace by over a second
in the second qualifying session of the day King secured a
supurb 6th position on the grid and will start on row three for
race two, with Ellinas right ahead of him on the second row in
4th. The impressive 20 car grid for the NEC Formula Renault
championship means that both Atech Reid GP drivers will be under
lots of pressure from behind, but both are confident about
racing on Saturday. “I am really looking forward to the racing
tomorrow.” Oscar stated. “It is fantastic to have so may cars on
the grid and I am sure the racing will be interesting because of
it. I have been improving on track every time I go out and I am
looking to go forward in the racing tomorrow.” Tio added “The
team decided that it would be a good idea to enter the round so
after the long break in the Formula Renault 2.0 UK calendar we
will be on top form.” Tio stated. “It is my first time at the
circuit and I am happy with the results. I will have to hold my
own in race one but in the second race it will be good to make
my way forward from gird 4.” Team Principals Anthony Reid and
David Hayle are positive about the results for both drivers with
Anthony Reid stating that it was the right decision to send Tio
and Oscar to the international round. “Some other UK teams have
had the same idea as us to send their drivers overseas after the
long break.” Anthony stated. “For us it was the right decision
with so much at stake in terms of the championship with Tio. The
long break may see some mixed results next weekend at Snetterton,
but we have made sure that our drivers will be on the pace and
on form.”
-
 Spa
24 Hours : Qualifying for the 24-hour race at
Spa- Francorchamps provided a foretaste
of what the spectators could well expect on Saturday and
Sunday: a fascinating exchange of blows between the world’s
best GT3 sportscars in which the result is completely
unpredictable. As is so often the case at Spa-Francorchamps
the fickle Ardennes weather played a decisive role during
Thursday’s qualifying. Rain showers repeatedly swept across
the circuit. Rain tyres were de rigueur during the first of
two qualifying sessions. In the third and final session the
track dried out in the closing minutes. With 62 cars
representing 13 different brands an extremely close fight
developed for the best grid positions just before midnight
around the 7.004 kilometre long circuit. Qualifying was
interrupted twice by the red flag in the hectic closing
stages.In the end, the drivers at the front were the
luckiest in heavy traffic on the rapidly drying track who
found a clear lap. After the Audi R8 LMS had dictated the
pace with the fastest lap on a dry track during free
practice in the morning and again in first qualifying on the
wet track, the Audi drivers were unlucky in the crucial
final minutes of qualifying. Filipe Albuquerque (Audi Sport
Team WRT #32) spun off into the barriers when the circuit
was still wet. In the end he had to sit and watch as he
tumbled from second to 43rd position. Team mate Mattias
Ekström (Audi Sport Team WRT #33), who had recorded the
fastest time in the rain, jumped from the midfield to
seventh in a last gasp effort and was the fastest Audi
driver as a result. Mike Rockenfeller (Audi Sport Team
Phoenix #98) and Marc Basseng (Audi Sport Team Phoenix #99)
held fourth and seventh before the final red flag, they were
unlucky in traffic in the final seven minutes after the
restart and must be satisfied with tenth and 13th grid
positions.The three Audi R8 LMS fielded by customer team
United Autosports start the race from 30, 35 and 52 on the
grid.
-
Top ten at Spa
-
1 Martin/Leinders/Hennerici (BMW) 2m 24.488s
-
2 Goossens/Heylen/Soulet (Porsche) 2m 24.735s
-
3 Roda/Giammaria/Ruberti (Porsche) 2m 26.713s
-
4 Hayek/Kox/Merten (Lamborghini) 2m 26.807s
-
5 Westbrook/Menzel/Stursberg/Riegel (Porsche) 2m 26.952s
-
6 van Splunteren/Miller/Sougnez/de Crem (Porsche) 2m 27.195s
-
7 Ekström/Franchi/Scheider (Audi R8 LMS) 2m 27.842s
-
8 Gerber/Griffin/Cadei/Cioci (Ferrari) 2m 28.262s
-
9 Parisy/Vannelet/Haezebrouck/Vignall (Mercedes) 2m 28.355s
-
10 Fässler/Piccini/Rockenfeller (Audi R8 LMS) 2m 28.573s
 Thursday
saw Archie Hamilton take to the track for the Total 24 Hours
of Spa. Track action at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium
included Free Practice, Pre-Qualifying, Qualifying and Night
Qualifying sessions. Archie is one of four drivers in the #44
Faster Racing with DB Motorsport BMW Z4 GT3 car.Minor mechanical
issues delayed Archie’s first stint but once behind the wheel he
quickly got to grips with the BMW. His second session was in the
evening darkness and rain with a final stint in full night
qualifying on a drying track. While pushing for a qualifying
time team-mate Maasen had an accident on a damp track with
slicks at Eau Rouge causing damage to the car . The team has
until warm-up on Saturday morning the make repairs. Combined
qualifying results put the car 7th in the Pro-Am class and will
take 18th place on the overall grid for the start of Saturday’s
race.Archie Hamilton: “I’m comfortable in the car now. I learnt
the track on a simulator and then in a track car so it’s not
been too big a jump. The BMW’s got so much downforce! It’s like
a GT1 car. The team did well to sort out the niggles and
although we lost some track time hopefully we’re in better shape
for the race and we’ve got really good speed. The rain and dark
are a challenge but it’s an awesome experience. I’m really
looking forward to Saturday so resting tomorrow’s going to be a
test of patience.”
 ILMC:
Aston Martin Racing will continue to compete in the
remaining three rounds of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC),
reverting to last year’s V12-engined DBR1-2 LMP1 race car while
the new AMR-One programme continues to undergo review.In
addition to the ILMC races at Silverstone (UK) on 11 September,
Petit Le Mans (USA), 1 October and Zhuhai (China) on 13
November, the team will also compete at Laguna Seca, part of the
American Le Mans Series, on 17 September. Aston Martin Racing is
currently preparing a DBR1-2 chassis, which will continue to run
in its familiar Gulf livery, and will test in August. The driver
line-up for the single car entry will include experienced
factory drivers; Adrian Fernandez (MX) and Harold Primat (CH).The
DBR1-2 features Aston Martin’s famous 6.0 litre V12 engine
housed in a closed cockpit car. The LMP1 machine has already
amassed a series of impressive finishes including a fourth place
finish at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 2009 being the fastest
petrol car in the field. It then went on to sweep the entire
podium at the Nürburgring 1000 KM. The car also won outright the
second round of the Asian Le Mans Series and secured overall
team and driver titles in the European Le Mans Series after
finishing on the podium in all five of the Series races in
2009.In 2010, Aston Martin Racing competed in three races with
the DBR1-2 prior to achieving sixth place at the Le Mans 24
Hours. The team achieved a podium finish in every one, third at
Sebring, second at Long Beach and Paul Ricard.
 Volkswagen
Scirocco R-Cup
race winner Daniel Lloyd
has his sights set on more silverware when the championship
resumes for the sixth round of the season next Saturday, 6th
August, at the Nurburgring. Marking the beginning of the second
half of the campaign, the visit to the Eifel region of Germany
will be the final time this year the Huddersfield 19-year-old
will arrive at a track with no prior experience of the circuit.
Therefore, he’s aiming for a strong performance to set himself
up nicely for the last three events of 2011 at Brands Hatch,
Oschersleben and Hockenheim. Ahead of next weekend’s sixth race
of the championship, Daniel is third in the standings –tied on
points with Swedish racer Ola Nilsson. With 60 points up for
grabs for a victory, 48 points for a second place finish and 40
points for third, the title race could change at any time.
“Nurburgring looks an amazing track so I’m really looking
forward to getting out there”, he said, “I went on the simulator
to get an idea of what to expect but that was on the Grand Prix
track and we’ll be on the shorter track so I’ll have to get to
grips with that. Every track so far has been new to me but we’ve
been able to get up to speed quickly and there’s no reason why
that shouldn’t be the case next weekend either. Some of the
others have got experience at the Nurburgring so I’ll be playing
catch-up a bit but I’m aiming for a podium – that would be
great.”He added: “Mateusz (Lisowski – championship leader) and
Ola will definitely be tough to beat, they’re the most
consistent drivers I’m up against and they’re very quick. There
are a lot of good drivers in the championship though, it’s
proven to be really close so far this year and I’m sure it’s
going to be like that to the end of the season.”
Formula 3:
This weekend the fourth and fifth rounds of the ’FIA Formula 3
International Trophy’ will be held with the
British Formula 3 Championship at the Ardennes Rollercoaster of
Spa-Francorchamps. Six Formula 3 Euro Series drivers will use
this as an opportunity to race at the track including current
Trophy leader Roberto Merhi (Prema Powerteam), who holds the
championship lead in the Formula 3 Euro Series. Currently, all
the top-seven positions in the Trophy ranking are held by Euro
Series drivers. Behind Merhi, who celebrated back-to-back wins
in the Trophy season opener at Hockenheim, is his team-mate
Daniel Juncadella and Germany’s Daniel Abt (Signature) who are
second and third respectively. Marco Wittmann (Signature), the
2010 Formula 3 Euro Series runner-up, moved to fourth position
after winning round three, held in mid-May at Pau. The last
Formula 3 Euro Series race at the Belgian circuit was held in
2005, and featured Adrian Sutil and Lewis Hamilton, both winning
one of the two races contested.
Laurens Vanthoor (Signature): “It goes without saying that I’m
looking forward to my home races. My expectations are high, I’d
love to make it to the podium or even secure a race win. And I
think doing so should be possible. After all, I was quick on the
previous Formula 3 Euro Series weekend at the Norisring. I
executed an extensive workout programme to prepare for the
coming weekend and now, I’m perfectly motivated for the races at
Spa.”
 Official
testing ahead of this weekend’s Cooper Tires British Formula 3
International Series
races at Spa-Francorchamps concluded at the Belgian track
yesterday afternoon, (Thursday), with T-Sport’s Menasheh Idafar
posting eighth quickest time. With the final European-based
event of the British F3 season also being combined with the
latest round of the FIA Formula 3 International Trophy, several
invitational drivers from the F3 Euroseries are taking part and
so on overall timings Menasheh was still a highly creditable
15th fastest. This morning’s opening session took place on a
drying track and the 20-year-old produced a best lap time of
2m16.431 seconds in his Dallara-Volkswagen to finish the run
within just a second of the overall top six. In the end, that
proved to be his only meaningful running as an afternoon deluge
left the track extremely wet for the second outing. Conditions
were so bad it wasn’t really worth pushing for lap times and so
Menasheh chose the sensible option by not taking any risks. He
did venture out but only for a handful of laps, the same
approach adopted by most of the 28 car field. “We only did three
or four laps this afternoon, it was really wet and no point
trying to do anything as it wasn’t worth the risk”, said the
British-born Bahraini, “This morning went well, being the eighth
quickest of the British championship guys was good. The track
got quicker towards the end but we had used our tyres early so
I’m happy where we finished.” This weekend’s British F3 action
is taking place a day earlier than would ordinarily be the case
due to the fact the championship is running in support of the
Total 24 Hours of Spa endurance race. pic Jakob Ebrey
Photography
Porsche Supercup : Isaac Tutumlu is
taking part in this weekend’s Porsche Supercup at the
Hungaroring. Tutumlu, Spanish of Kurdish origin, raced two
months ago in Monaco and returns to drive a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
–under Kurdish flag colors- for the Barzani Racing Team-MRS. “I
am glad to compete in Hungary. In May I drove during Monegasque
meeting, but I was severely handicapped because I didn´t
previously know that hard street circuit. Besides I had
mechanical issues in free practice session, and it isn´t easy to
learn a new track in ten minutes. Qualifying session was hard
too and in race I was black-flagged for an unknown reason”,
Tutumlu explained. He added that “I approach this new race as
official driver and not just guest. On the other hand, it is
fair to mention that I know this venue and I don´t need to learn
it, because I competed here two years ago. I am confident for
Friday, and we want to get a good set-up for Saturday´s
qualifying. A good place on the starting grid is very important
to achieve the best possible result on Sunday”. Tutumlu, who set
competitive lap times in Monaco, wants to“ Gain mileage, because
I need as much experience as possible, to perform well at the
end of season”. Recently, Massoud Barzani´s mother passed away
so Tutumlu will wear a black ribbon on his race suit. (Barzani
is President of Kurdistan).
DTM:
Only three points separate Audi driver Martin Tomczyk from
Championship leader Bruno Spengler
after the first half of the 2011 DTM season. The 29-year-old
German is particularly looking forward to the Nürburgring,
Brands Hatch, Oschersleben, Valencia and Hockenheim. The
circuit in the Eifel region suits Tomczyk particularly well. The
native of Rosenheim, Bavaria, has won two of the last four DTM
races on the track in 2007 and 2009.This year another factor
comes into play: Tomczyk ‘s team Audi Sport Team Phoenix, has
been competing since the beginning of the 2011 season and this
race is a real "home Grand Prix" for Ernst Moser’s team, based
less than 3 Kms from the track, in the industrial area of
Meuspath. It is not only the Phoenix squad that regards the
track as a "home round" though. Timo Scheider and Mike
Rockenfeller from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline grew up near
the circuit. The same applies to Arno Zensen, the team director
of Audi Sport Team Rosberg, which recently hit the headlines by
winning day one and finishing day two in second place in the DTM
show event in Munich, both times with Edoardo Mortara. Timo
Scheider chances in the race for the title are certainly still
intact, the 2008 and 2009 champion has scored points in all five
races so far and if he manages to improve his form in
qualifying, then he should be be in contention. Dr. Wolfgang
Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "If you ask Martin (Tomczyk)
what his favorite track is he’ll probably say it’s the
Nürburgring. The circuit really suits him well. He has been
driving a great championship so far. I’m hoping that he’ll
arrive in the Eifel with this momentum and that when we leave
he’ll still like the Nürburgring as much as he did on our
arrival."
.jpg) Karts: KF3 class rookie George Russell
has produced a sublime performance to triumph in the CIK-FIA
European Championship Final at Zuera in Spain – the greatest
achievement of the 13-year-old Intrepid Driver Program member’s
career in the sport to-date.
Pic
Chris Walker
/
www.kartpix.net,
read report
 After
a brilliant start of season, French driver Esteban Ocon went to Spain for
the European KF3 Championship (Junior) with only on aim, to win!
But at the Zuera circuit Estaban got caught up in an incident
and found himself relegated to 26th at the start of the final.
In the circumstances his recovery drive to 9th,
despite a bent steering column, was a satisfactory and
encouraging result. The European KF3 Championship was one of
the main goals of Esteban’s season. In France, in early May, he
had taken the second step of the podium at the qualifying round,
the South European Trophy. He was therefore looking for a
similar result on the Zuera circuit, near Saragossa. “Since I
have joined the Spanish team Genikart, I have had some very
good races and I am really determined to keep this good
momentum going”, commented Esteban. Although he hoped for a
better result in qualifying - he had to content himself with the
31st – however he took advantage of the qualifying heats to work
his way up the order. “It is never easy to start from the 7th
row, because you can always find a driver a bit too impetuous.
Luckily I often made good starts and I also managed to climb to
2nd in a heat. Overall, I was 18th for the pre-final”. In that
race Esteban moved up a few more places and ended up 12th. For
the 25 km final, everything was still possible and Esteban could
still aim at a place in the top 5 or even a podium. “I made a
good start. But on the second bend, there was a crash in front
of me. A kart pushed me and warped my steering column. Nearly
all the pack passed me, and I concluded the first lap of this
decisive race in 26th place”. At that point, the Gravity
Management driver displayed great fighting spirit and made up
for lost ground, finally getting back into the top 10. On Sunday
evening, his feelings were somewhere between the satisfaction of
having made the best of the situation and the disappointment of
a missed opportunity. Esteban commented: “During the qualifying
heats, I did not feel totally in sync with my kart. Technically,
I knew that we could still improve the performances of my FA
Kart-Vortex. We analysed the situation, we tested a new
solution during warm-up and I think we worked in the right
direction to regain sufficient competitiveness and be able to
battle in the lead pack. Unfortunately, the crash that warped
by steering column also accelerated tyre wear. This is why I
could not climb any higher”.
 WTCC:
German racer Franz Engstler
is looking forward to his home WTCC event this weekend at
Oschersleben.Two weeks ago at Donington Park, at the wheel of
his BMW 320 TC run by the Liqui Moly team, Engstler claimed his
best result ever in WTCC, finishing third in the second race
behind the Chevrolet Cruze cars of Yvan Muller and Rob Huff.This
also enabled him to close the gap in the Yokohama Trophy where
he currently lies fourth, only ten points behind Norbert
Michelisz. Engstler, who turned 50 last Monday, hopes to have
another positive weekend at the Motorsport Arena."My podium in
the second race at Donington showed that our BMW 320 TC is
really working well. I am obviously very much up for the races
in Oschersleben. Another top result would be the perfect belated
birthday present!"
 WTCC
youngest racer, Pepe Oriola finished runner up
to touring car star Fabrizio Giovanardi in the FIA European
Touring Car Cup that took place last weekend at the Austrian
Salzburgring.In difficult weather conditions, with the track
flooded by pouring rain, the 17-year old Spaniard showed that
his first year in WTCC is bringing him to maturity very quickly,
and just like a veteran he fought with Giovanardi with no
awes.Giovanardi's Honda Accord and Oriola's SEAT León TDi shared
victories and second places, but the title was awarded on the
basis of the qualifying points, which meant that Giovanardi was
crowned champion by one mere point thanks to his pole position.
Oriola said: "Second behind Giovanardi was a great result for me
and the team. I did my best to follow him in the first race and
pushed at the maximum in the second. I am also very proud to be
the driver who gave the SEAT TDi its last victory."
Taking the opportunity of a test session with Tom Coronel
at the Adria Raceway, in order to prepare this weekend's event
at Oschersleben, the ROAL Motorsport team offered to Alberto
Cerqui his first drive in the WTCC BMW 320 TC.Cerqui, only
19-years old, is one of ROAL Motorsport's regular drivers in the
Superstars series in which he currently lies second in the
points after claiming his first race win three weeks ago at
Misano."I was very impressed by the WTCC car. Its strong points
are the agility in changing direction and over the kerbs, the
braking and cornering speed. The 1.6-litre turbo engine supplies
the power in a very peculiar way and needs to adjust a bit the
driving style. I thank the team for giving me this opportunity
that I hope could be repeated in the future," said Cerqui.
Chevrolet WTCC drivers Alain Menu and Rob Huff
will take part in the 200 Km of Buenos Aires, the main event of
Argentina's TC2000 championship, at the wheel of Cruze cars run
by the Equipo Oficial Chevrolet. This year the race takes place
on 21st August and has been moved from the Autódromo Municipal
de Buenos Aires to the Autódromo Roberto Mouras in La Plata, in
the surroundings of the federal capital. It is a tradition for
the Chevrolet WTCC drivers to join their Argentine fellow
drivers in this traditional event that attracts touring car
specialists from worldwide and huge crowds. Alain Menu has been
a regular invitee in recent years, winning the race in 2006,
while Rob Huff will be competing for the second time. The Equipo
Oficial Chevrolet are campaigning two Cruze cars in the TC2000,
achieving excellent results with Agustín Canapino and Christian
Ledesma.
At the 2011 Eco Targa Florio,
Ferrari will pay tribute to the Targa Florio and to its
historic route with the Ferrari Tribute to the Targa Florio. The
new route and programme have been created to connect the history
of this legendary race with the character, tastes and aromas of
Sicily. The 2011 route will pay homage to tradition, retracing
the historic route of the "Piccolo Circuito delle Madonie" from
the start to the finish line. So that entrants get a chance to
marvel at Sicily's breathtaking beauty and to sample its
wonderful food, a number of stops in the regularity trials have
been planned. This means that the excitement of the race can be
combined with the discovery of this wonderful region. As at the
historic revivals of the Mille Miglia and the Coppa Milano-Sanremo,
modern and classic Ferraris will line up at the start and will
open the regularity event. Ferrari sport and sport-prototypes
(manufactured from 1948 to 1977) are also eligible for the Eco
Targa Florio Classic and entrants can choose which event they
prefer to enter (the route and regularity trials will be exactly
the same). All Ferraris manufactured from 1948 to 2011 are
eligible.This year’s edition of the legendary road race takes
place from Thursday, September 29th, to Saturday, October 1st.
It’s a three day event with the start in Cerda (PA, Italy), the
historic Targa Florio starting point, with scrutineering on
either Wednesday September 28th or the morning of Thursday
September 29th. The prize-giving ceremony will be on Sunday,
October 2nd at Castello Utveggio (PA, Italy. Any owners
interested in participating should contact the following e-mail
address:
Ferraritribute@Ferrari.com or
info@ferraritribute-targaflorio.com Programme and
registration form are available on the following website
www.ferraritribute-targaflorio.com Deadline for
booking is August 31st.
 Star
Mazda:
In addition to putting on what observers called '…the race of
the season so far…'
Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear drivers Sage Karem,
Tristan Vautier, JV Horto, Tatiana Calderon, and Gustavo Menezes
hosted a group of guests, both Mazda enthusiasts and
representatives from Mazda Canada, in the Star Mazda paddock
last Saturday, After a meeting at the Star Mazda Championship
hospitality area, where they were greeted by Mazda Motorsports
Director John Doonan, Star Mazda founder and President Gary
Rodrigues and series Marketing Director Mark Rodrigues, the
group was given a tour of the Andretti Autosport, JDC
Motorsports and Juncos Racing race paddocks. The drivers gave
"walk-arounds” on their race cars, answered questions, and gave
guests the chance to sit in their cars. And of course hundreds
of pictures were taken and dozens of autographs signed. “
Mosport was Round 6 of the 11-race, 10-weekend 2011 Star Mazda
Championship, and was won by J.V. Horto, a second-season
Brazilian racer who scored his first-ever Star Mazda victory on
Sunday morning. The next event on the schedule, also in Canada,
is a first-ever double-header with Star Mazda and Indy Lights at
the GP3R street circuit in Trois-Rivieres this coming weekend,
August 5-7.
28-07-11
 The
Scottish SpeedFair and Classic Festival
returns to Knockhill on Sunday (31st July). Alongside 250
show cars from yesteryear, there will be a Classic competition
schedule, featuring Racing, Rally, and Autotest and a
celebration for the E-Type Jaguar’s 50th anniversary.
Topping the bill at Knockhill will be the Scottish Classic
Sports and Saloon races, something that is . undergoing a
revival with bumper entries for this season’s Classic
Championship. Such is the level of interest, there will be four
classic races and a 2-driver 30 lap classic endurance race at
SpeedFair. There is also the inaugural running of the David
Leslie Trophy for Formula Ford competitors Stuart Gray,
Knockhill Events Director commented: “Wherever you look at
SpeedFair there will be tremendous action for everyone. Some of
the classic cars on show are nothing short of sensational. We’ll
have cars from the 1920s through to the 1970s on display,
including a 1950 Bentley Brooklands. The Classic Racing element
of the event should be fantastic too. The Classic Scene in
Scotland really is on the up and running the David Leslie Trophy
will be a special moment for the Circuit.” pic Richard Pascal
11/56 Motorsport
 Spa
24 Hours:
This weekend six Aston Martins will line up on the starting grid
at Spa-Francorchamps
for the Total 24 hours of Spa race, part of the Blancpain
Endurance series. Four Aston Martin teams including Hexis AMR,
GPR AMR, Ecurie Ecosse and Speed Lover will battle for 24
gruelling hours on the famous road circuit. Official partner
team Hexis AMR, who also compete in the FIA GT1 World
Championship, will enter two GT3 DBRS9s in the Pro-Cup category.
The number 3 car will be driven by French drivers; Pierre Brice
Mena, Julien Rodrigues and Yann Clairay while the number 4 car
will be driven by Henri Moser (CH), Stef Dusseldorp (NL) and
Frederic Makowiecki (FR). Team GPR AMR will also compete with a
DBRS9 in the Pro-Am category with drivers Eddy Renard (BE),
Gavin Pickering (GB), and two drivers who are yet to be
confirmed. The team made an outstanding start to the Blancpain
Series with a 7th place finish overall and 4th in class in
Monza. They followed this up with a 7th in class finish in their
category in Navarra. GPR AMR has also teamed up with Pierre
Grivegnee to enter a further DBRS9 in the Gentleman Trophy
class. Also running a DBRS9 competing in the Pro-Am category is
Ecurie Ecosse, whose all-British team comprises of Oliver
Bryant, Andrew Smith, Alastair McCraig and Joe Twyman. The team
is returning to international motor-racing after an absence of
over 20 years. Belgian race team Speed Lover will be entering
their V8 Vantage in the GT4 class with drivers Christophe
Bigourie (FR), Sven van Laere (BE) and Peter van Audenhove (BE).
Live coverage of the Total 24 Hours of Spa can be found on
Motors TV on 30 July from 2.30pm and again at 8.00pm and
10.30pm. Coverage will resume on 31 July at 8.00am and 1.00pm
GMT.
.jpg) Karts:
James Singleton maintained his mid-season momentum
with a double podium finish in the Junior Max class of the
national Super 1 Series at Buckmore Park last weekend to move up
to third place in the British Championship standings. pic
Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net
read report
 The
CRG team have moved to the Spanish circuit of Zuera
several days as there are two major events due at the track on
successive weekends. Before the WSK Euro Series final, held on
29-31 July 2011, there was the second round of the World KF1
Championship and the European KF2-KF3 Championships to keep them
fully occupied last weekend. Team drivers Max Verstappen and
Felice Tiene performed brilliantly in KF3 and in KF1
respectively, and came very close to a podium finish.
Read more
Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship front-runner Alex
MacDowall
can’t wait for the resumption of the 2011 campaign at the new
Snetterton 300 Circuit next weekend, 6th/7th August, as the UK’s
most popular motor racing category gets set to begin the second
half of the season. After a busy few weeks, including some work
with the BRDC Superstars, involvement in the hugely popular
Goodwood Festival of Speed – where he piloted his Chevrolet
Cruze up the famous hill – and a short break in Cyprus, the
20-year-old from Carlisle is aiming for a successful outing in
Norfolk. Other than a track day session early next week, rounds
16, 17 and 18 of the championship will mark Alex’s first
experience of the newly configured ‘300 Circuit’ layout but he’s
confident of getting up to speed quickly. “It’s always nice to
go to a new circuit and to have a fresh challenge so I’m really
looking forward to seeing the new Snetterton”, said the
Silverline Chevrolet ace, “By the sound of things it should lend
itself well to touring cars with the new infield section so I
can’t wait to get out there and have a go.” Following the
previous event at Croft six weeks ago, Alex rounded-out the
first half of the season in ninth position in the championship
after a trying weekend in which terrific pace wasn’t rewarded
with the requisite results due to some robust action and an
unfortunate oil-leak in the second race. So far this year the
Cumbrian has scored in 10 of the 15 races although with more
than his share of misfortune during the first half of the
season, including being struck-down with illness during the
third event at Thruxton, his first podium didn’t come until
round 10 at Oulton Park. Alex is therefore determined to
kick-start his championship with a rostrum challenge in East
Anglia and with the addition of the new six corner infield
section at Snetterton, it could help level the playing field
somewhat between the normally aspirated 2.0-litre cars, such as
his RML-run Chevrolet, and the more powerful turbo-charged
Hondas, Fords, Vauxhalls and SEATs.
27-07-11
 Spa 24 Hours:
McLaren GT has confirmed that Phil Quaife will drive one of its
all-new MP4-12C GT3
cars at this weekend’s Total 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium, where
the car will make its 24 hour racing debut.Phil, whose Le Mans
Series outfit CRS Racing is playing a leading role in the
development of the 12C GT3, will join regular team mate Adam
Christodoulou, as well as fellow CRS stablemates Glynn Geddie
and Roger Wills, at the wheel of the #60 VonRyan Racing-run
Pro-Am Cup entry. Car 60 is one of three MP4-12C GT3s competing
at this year’s event. The 12C GT3 began the racing element of
its development programme at Spa-Francorchamps by taking pole
position on its British GT Championship debut earlier this
month. Quaife will draw on recent experience of
twice-round-the-clock events after contesting such races at the
Nurburgring and in Dubai this season. The 25-year-old also knows
the Ardennes circuit well having raced there in a variety of GT
cars over the past five years, while his only 24 Hours start
came there in 2009, also with CRS Racing. Phil said: “I'm
delighted to have been selected by McLaren GT to play a part in
developing the 12C GT3. McLaren GT is able to draw on its
McLaren Racing experience in Formula 1 and blend that with CRS
Racing’s GT car expertise. The 12C GT3 was reliable at the
British GT outing earlier this month and I can’t wait to test it
at Spa.This is a unique opportunity for me to drive a McLaren
race car and I intend to enjoy every moment.”
 Confirming
yet again that the Star Mazda Championship is both a major step on
the Mazda Road to Indy and a gateway to other areas of world
motorsport, Adam Christodoulou, who won the 2009 Star Mazda
Championship driving for JDC Motorsports, will drive in the new
McLaren MP4-12C GT3 in the Total 24 Hours at Spa-Francorchamps
this weekend. A Director of the new
McLaren GT company, Chris Goodwin said: “I’m delighted with the
quality of the drivers we have enlisted as we take the 12C GT3
to its first 24 hour race. "This level of endurance racing is a
crucial test for the car technically, and we need the best
possible team working with us to ensure we receive intelligent,
objective feedback on the 12C GT3 driving experience. We will
use this feedback as we continue to develop the car in readiness
for customers to go racing next year."
4Two Cup
: The Moore family from Tockwith in Yorkshire made history at
Castle Combe
in the UK's first ever Smart race series, The 4Two Cup.
Siblings, David, Nigel and Sarah dominated the second race in
the pint-sized cars to rule the podium, something which has
never been seen in motor racing history. In a close battle with
his brother Nigel throughout the race, David held onto the lead
to take his second race win of the weekend pipping his brother
to the line. 'Nigel was behind me from the first lap and
throughout the race. We both had a bit of trouble with the cars
going into limp mode, so sometimes he was infront of me and I
was chasing and vice versa. We made it entertaining and it was a
very close battle.'16 year old David has competed in the Ginetta
Junior and G40 Championships and this year has seen him race in
the UK Formula Ford Championship and 4Two Cup. Nigel is the most
successful of the clan and at just 19 has won Championships in
the Ginetta Juniors and G50, the team Championship in GT4,
Formula Palmer Audi and was the youngest ever driver to compete
in the legendary Le Mans race. This year sees him race in the
Eurospeed Series. His first time out in the Smart cars proved to
be an enjoyable experience.'I started from the back but got a
good start and then battled with my brother. It was such a good
weekend and it made history in our family too as it was the
first time we?ve raced in the same class.' Playing the boys at
their own game, Sarah also won the Ginetta Junior Championship
becoming the first woman to win one on the British Touring Car
Championship package in 2009. That same year she won the
Autosport Club Driver of the Year Award and was nominated for
the BBC Young Personality of the Year. 2011 has seen the 17 year
old swap cars for single seaters and is currently contesting the
Intersteps Championship. Like Nigel, this was her first race in
the Smart.'I had a rubbish start, Nigel came flying through and
then I was battling with Tom Mills for ages. He then made a
mistake and I caught up with my brothers and battled with them
for the last few laps.' Sarah finished just 0.653 seconds behind
winner David in what was a Moore onslaught to the chequered
flag. With history being made, the family name is definitely one
to keep an eye out for in the future in the top levels of motor
racing. To add to it, there are still another two younger
siblings ready in the wings to take to the track!
 The
Formula BMW Talent Cup
event at Magny-Cours
on 25 and 26 July was a resounding success. Heavy rain on the
first day provided the drivers from seven nations with ideal
conditions for extensive wet weather practice, before two
qualifying rounds and two heats on the final day saw the
drivers, aged between 14 and 17,vying for the rankings. German
driver Stefan Wackerbauer was the first to cross the finish line
in both heats. He had already proven the fastest competitor in
Sweden on four earlier occasions, so he was delighted to
continue his winning streak: “I feel very comfortable in the
Formula BMW Talent Cup and am trying to implement what we have
been taught in the best possible way,” noted the lad from
Landshut. “So far that has been working very well. I’m going
home a happy guy.” After some extensive jockeying for position
amongst the chasing pack, both heats saw 14-year-old Maximilian
Günther from Rettenberg, Germany and Finnish driver Lassi
Halminen take second and third places respectively. “At the
start of the second heat I bested Stefan but had to concede
defeat later on,” said Günther. “However, I’m really pleased to
have earned two second places,” he added. Impressive
performances also came courtesy of Lukas Schreier from
Donauwörth, Germany and Airidas Siaurys of Lithuania. In the
first heat Schreier took the chequered flag in fourth place,
while Siaurys finished fifth from second on the grid. In the
special competition for the fastest lap times in Qualifying 1
and 2, Wackerbauer also won himself a travel voucher from the
company Airlink. Chief instructor and BMW works driver Dirk
Adorf was visibly delighted with the performance of his charges:
“I was impressed at the discipline the drivers showed when
driving in the rain. None of them overstepped their limit. In
the qualifyings and the races, there was no more than a second
separating the majority of drivers. The next event will take
place at the Monteblanco circuit in Spain from 5 to 7 August.
 Karts:
Jack Barlow had the
crowd on its feet applauding
his superb back-to-back victories at Buckmore Park last Sunday
(24 July). Having secured pole position for the first of the two
points-scoring finals in the fourth round of the national Super
One Rotax Championship, the Strawberry Racing star got a perfect
getaway from the startline and quickly set about establishing a
commanding lead. With his team-mate Nathan Harrison coming
through to 2nd - but having to fend off the attentions of the
chasing pack - Barlow edged further away to claim the victory
and his 4th win of the campaign.
Read report
The second of the five rounds of the World KF1 Championship brought another
victory for Nyck De Vries at the Spanish circuit of Zuera,.
However the weekend’s overall result did not fully reward the
young Dutch karter. The four races weren’t all easy for Nyck
however he did maintain his lead in the World Championship.
Read
report
 Just
one more victory could seal the Super One Rotax Championship
for Ed Brand after he triumphed - again - at Buckmore Park
last Sunday (24 July). The Strawberry Racing star secured pole
position for the first of the day’s two finals with another
classy display in the preliminaries - timed qualifying and two
heats.However, after getting the perfect getaway from the start
line, he was pressed hard by his Strawberry Racing team-mate
Jack Marshall at the beginning of the pre-final. Pic Simon
Burchett/Bigapix
Read
report
Sports 2000: Mike Jenvey was in action at the
recent Sports 2000 double header at Donington Park
run alongside the World Touring Car Championship. With the big
stage in mind Mike Jenvey went testing on the Monday prior to
the race, checking out some suspension changes made to improved
tyre performance. In then races he took second in the openintg
encounter before a black and orange flag for not showing a rain
light ended his chance of victory in race 2 .
read Mike’s report
Euroformula:
Frank Huyghe, founder of Ralf Tech watches has signed a partnership
with the Euroformula Driving School run by Laurent Fradon. The
school looks put for new young talent and Laurent Fradon has
organised the Euroformula Volant 2011 with a prize of € 60,000
to the winner who will also get a Ralf Tech model WRX “A” Hybrid
on his wrist.
 Silverstone
Classic:
With a total of 1104 race entries and more than 8000 classic
cars on display,
the 2011 Silverstone Classic (22-24 July) not only proudly lived
up to its claim of being the 'The World's Biggest Classic Racing
Festival' but also laid claim to being by far the biggest race
meeting ever staged in international motor racing history. The
entire Silverstone site was taken over by an amazing array of
competition cars spanning the decades, classic car displays and
parades, a mass of different entertainment attractions and
activities for the entire family, capped by sensational music
concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon.
Scintillating action across the 22 races was viewed by a massive
crowd of more than 80,000, a new benchmark for the event since
the turn of the millennium. Many grids were over-subscribed and
the great racing ran right through to the final race of the
programme on Sunday afternoon with a wonderful four-way battle
for the lead of the capacity Pre ’66 Grand Prix Car race. On
Saturday evening, the magnificent spectacle of Group C cars
racing as the sun set evoked magnificent memories of Le Mans in
the 1980s. Famous racing names in attendance included five times
Le Mans winner Derek Bell MBE and former bike and F1 World
Champion John Surtees OBE, while on-track there was a memorable
victory for the Aston Martin DB4 of Stuart Graham and Richard
Attwood in the RAC Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars. In the
Celebrity Challenge, more famous names were in action as Rick
Parfitt Jnr beat Heston Blumenthal and Brendan Cole in an
exciting race in Morgan Roadster lightweight race cars. To date
it has raised £11,790 for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer
Research UK. Off-track, in excess of 7000 classic cars from 120
clubs packed the Silverstone infield with the E-type Jaguar
taking pride of place in the key 50th anniversary event for
Britain’s favourite sports car. More than 1000 E-types were on
hand and in excess of 800 took part in a special track parade on
Saturday which is hoped will set a new Guinness World record.
Then, on Saturday evening a record grid of 52 E-types raced in
the first of two special E-Type Challenge races. pic Dennis
Goodwin
 Formula
2:
Jordan King has every right to look back upon his FIA Formula
Two Championship adventure
with a considerable degree of pride, after the talented
Warwickshire racer claimed four top ten finishes from just six
starts. As the youngest driver ever to compete in Formula Two’s
modern era aged only 17, Jordan headed to Brands Hatch’s GP
circuit for his final outing in the championship bidding to sign
off on a high, before refocussing his attentions upon the second
half of his 2011 Formula Renault UK campaign with Manor
Competition. Read report
26-07-11
The BARC
North West Centre’s website
has been given a mid season tune up and has moved to it’s own
web address!
www.barcnw.co.uk . The new site will make it easier for them
to keep it up to date and capture the excitement of the season
as it unfolds. Note that the site is still being created and
there is till a lot of material to add.
Saloons:
Scottish Sports/Saloon frontrunner Garry Watson
made his first appearance
in the CNC Heads NorthWest Sports Saloons Championship at Croft
over the weekend. After a dominant performance in both
qualifying and both races he came away with two wins n his
Westfield SeiW. However Danny Keenan made sure he didn’t have it
all his own way, keeping the pressure on for virtually the whole
of Saturday’s race finishing. Unfortunately despite his best
efforts, he couldn’t quite match Watson’s pace. Although he came
close on the final lap and nosed ahead out of the Hairpin as
Watson hesitated. But once onto the straight Watson powered back
ahead to win by 0.329s. In the second race on Sunday Watson
once again made a good clean getaway from pole to complete his
double with 1.84secs in hand over Keenan in second. “I couldn’t
give him a chance as he was still very quick,” said Watson.
Robert Spencer made it home third but only just, “I think the
gearbox just died, it was clunking and banging,” he said.
Read report
 GP3:
Thomas Hylkema recorded his best finish of the season to date
in the rain-affected ninth round of the GP3 Series at the
Nurburgring, the category rookie scything his way through from
the back of the grid to claim a deserved top 18 result. In only
his third event in the FIA Formula One World Championship
support series, the Tech 1 Racing driver continued to show
strong improvements and battled back strongly from an engine
problem during qualifying to gain 12 positions in the first of
the weekend’s two races. In race two, the 22-year-old was racing
on the fringe of the top 20 but sadly an off on the final lap
led to a non-finish.
pic Jakob Ebrey Photography;
read report
ALMS: Robertson Racing will
field the first all-female driver pairing in American Le Mans
Series
presented by Tequila Patron history at the upcoming Mid-Ohio
Sportscar Challenge on August 5/6. Regular driver and team
co-owner Andrea Robertson will be joined by experienced GT
driver Melanie Snow in the #40 Ford GT. Andrea’s husband and
fellow co-owner/driver David Robertson has taken the decision to
stand down for the two-hour 45-minute enduro. Snow, who
currently lies fifth in the IMSA GT3 Challenge by Yokohama
Platinum Cup standings, having won the 2009 Gold edition, will
make her first ALMS start since clinching the GT Challenge class
title in 2009. It’s been 12 years since her first and only main
GT class appearance when she won on debut at Sebring. A day’s
testing at Mid-Ohio the Tuesday before the race weekend will
offer Snow her first chance to sample the Ford GT. At this stage
the deal only includes the Lexington round, although further
outings could be added. Melanie Snow: “Andrea and I have been
friends for a while and always joked about forming an all-girl
team. It was something I never really expected though so when I
got an email out of the blue it was a shock, but also a nice
surprise. Obviously a lot has changed since I last raced in what
was the original GT class, but the Challenge cars aren’t too far
way in terms of performance so hopefully it won’t be much of a
step up. Having said that I’m expecting the Ford to handle
completely different to the Porsche I usually race. I’m sure
I’ll get to grips with it during the test so we can hit the
ground running in Free Practice. At the moment the deal is just
for Mid-Ohio but we’ll play it by ear and see what happens for
the rest of the season.”
 Karts:
Samuel Oram-Jones showed outstanding speed
and sensationally broke another lap record last weekend in the
fifth round of the 2011 British Super One Rotax Series at
Buckmore Park.Sammy, who competes in the Super One MiniMax class
for 11-15 years - and who also contests the same category in the
Formula Kart Stars (FKS) series, posted a 39.87 second lap in
the second final, bettering the previous marker - a 40.007s lap
- by over a tenth of a second. It was the second lap record he
has smashed this year in his RL Racing Department Ltd-run
machine, having done the same at the Three Sisters Race Circuit
in Wigan back in March.
Pic
Simon Burchett Read
report
 Nine
lucky Formula Kart Stars drivers spent the British Grand Prix
weekend
rubbing shoulders with their Formula One heroes at Silverstone
as part of their prize for winning the Bernie Ecclestone Driver
of the Day award in 2010. Prize winners Josh Smith, Ross Gunn,
Charlie Barlow, Philip Rawson, Lemuel Pay, Bobby Thompson, Adam
Glear, Darius Karbaley and Luke Whitworth enjoyed an
unforgettable weekend at the ‘Home of British Motorsport,’
meeting the drivers and teams, touring the garages and then
watching the dramatic race unfold from the start/finish line
grandstand, courtesy of Formula One Management. Despite some
traditional Silverstone weather, which did its best to soak the
winning drivers on Friday, meeting Lewis Hamilton, Jenson
Button, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and
many more in the highly exclusive Formula One paddock area made
up for any damp clothes. The prize winners were also given
guided tours around a working Formula One garage courtesy of
Mercedes GP, McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Hispania F1 and even
caught a glimpse of life inside the incredible Red Bull and
Mercedes hospitality units.
Spa
24 Hours:
McLaren GT returns to the Spa-Francorchamps
circuit this weekend
for the Total 24 Hours of Spa, following a successful race debut
there in the British GT Championship early in July. The second
race in the MP4-12C GT3’s development programme will see ten
drivers pilot three cars in the 12C GT3’s first ever 24 hour
race. The McLaren GT driver line-up for the Total 24 Hours of
Spa includes CRS Racing Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy and
McLaren Automotive Chief Test driver Chris Goodwin. Both are
Directors of the new McLaren GT company, which is led by McLaren
Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh and includes McLaren Racing Head of
Vehicle Engineering Mark Williams. The drivers for the race at
Spa are: In the Pro-Cup category - Car 58 (McLaren GT): Rob
Bell – GB, Chris Goodwin – GB & Tim Mullen a – GB: Car 59
(McLaren GT): Andrew Kirkaldy – GB, Álvaro Parente – POR &
Oliver Turvey – GB. A third MP4-12C GT3, car 60, will be run by
McLaren GT customer VonRyan Racing in Pro-Am Cup category - Adam
Christodoulou – GB, Glynn Geddie – GB, Phil Quaife – GB & Roger
Wills – NZL. McLaren GT is using the
2011 race season to develop the 12C GT3, with 20 cars due for
delivery to privateer teams for GT3 series racing in 2012.
Chris Goodwin said: “I was very happy with the performance of
the 12C GT3 in its debut race at Spa. We secured an amazing
pole position at the first attempt and importantly for future
customers; the 12C GT3 was reliable, fast and easy to drive. I’m
delighted with the quality of the drivers we have enlisted as we
take the 12C GT3 to its first 24 hour race. This level of
endurance racing is a crucial test for the car technically, and
we need the best possible team working with us to ensure we
receive intelligent, objective feedback on the 12C GT3 driving
experience. We will use this feedback as we continue to develop
the car in readiness for customers to go racing next year. We
will be taking the opportunity at Spa to work with a future
McLaren GT customer, VonRyan Racing. We want to develop close
relationships with all our customer race teams and this
experience will be valuable in developing our customer support
programme for 2012 and beyond.”
 With
no less than sixty cars on the grid, the 2011 Total 24 Hours of
Spa
could be described as the world’s greatest race for Grand
Touring cars, and more specifically those in the GT3 class. An
incredible feast of motorsport and endurance racing and one
which quite obviously the VDS Racing Adventures team of Raphaël
van der Straten and their Ford Mustang FR500 could not ignore,
Having clinched the laurels in the 12 Hours of Hungary earlier
in the season, the red blue and white striped Mustang has every
ambition of excelling in its category, the Gentlemen Trophy. “
This is most probably the car’s penultimate race, but we decided
not to alter our approach in any way, “ Raphaël van der Straten
explained. “Over and above all our team does not want to take on
too serious an air, but will focus on one specific mission: to
take the chequered flag. Last year we finished the 24 Hours of
Spa in 19th place overall, or 5th place in our category, and for
this incredible 2011 edition we hope to perform just as well in
the overall rankings, and far better in the hierarchy of the
Gentlemen Trophy.” To achieve its goal the VDS Racing Adventures
can count on not only Raphaël but also José Close, who will be
competing in his 24th 24 Hours of Spa., plus Benjamin Bailly and
Julien Schroyen. The Liège based drivers hcompeted in – and won–
the 12 Hours of Hungary together with their owner-driver in the
Mustang, which turned out to be a great trial run for this
twice-around-the-clock race in the Ardennes. “ With the rest of
the team we wanted to see to what extent Benjamin and Julien
could really fit into our set-up, and I must admit that everyone
was delighted”, Raphaël continued. “Not only are they fast, but
they have respect for the material, and above all they very
quickly understood and appreciated the atmosphere which exists
within the team. I believe that these two drivers, whose record
of achievements include one victory in FIA F2 for Benjamin and
success in the 12 Hours of Spa BTCS for Julien, deserve to be
given a chance. I’m delighted to have both of them at my side
for these 24 Hours of Spa. However there’s no question of going
out and playing with the lap times during the qualifying
sessions by taking unnecessary risks. The important thing is to
be at the start, build up the laps and racing hours in order to
check in on Sunday on the dot of 16.00hrs.” In keeping with
another tradition, the Total 24 Hours of Spa will kick off this
coming Wednesday afternoon in the centre of Spa for the
traditional Parade of the cars and their drivers.
 Formula
Renault BARC:
Hector Hurst
was once again left questioning the driving standards of his
rivals during Rounds Seven and Eight of the 2011 Protyre Formula
Renault BARC Championship at Croft. The Scorpio Motorsport
driver was harshly punted off on the final lap of the opening
race, when he was set for a season’s best finish of fourth, with
damage from that incident then hampering his progress in race
two. Read report
 Goodwood
Revival:
A record dozen or more Spitfires are due to fly over Goodwood
when the 2011 Revival gets underway (16-18 September) as a
fitting tribute to the 75th anniversary of this most-celebrated
of British aircraft. The revered Supermarine Spitfire was an
intrinsic part of Goodwood when the Aerodrome was an active
Battle of Britain air base as RAF Westhampnett during the Second
World War. Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes were regularly
scrambled at the historic Goodwood site, and these fine aircraft
have gone on to become frequent attractions at the popular
Revival event, with regular displays over the past 12 years.
The dozen Spitfires assembled for the 2011 Revival will be the
most to take to the skies over Goodwood since World War Two. The
Spitfire took its maiden flight in March 1936, and went on to
become the backbone of the RAF Fighter Command as the key front
line fighter during the war. Mostly assembled less than 30
miles away from Goodwood in Southampton, the Spitfire was
produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft,
with over 20,000 examples being built. During the War,
carpenters working for the Goodwood Estate helped to make the
Spitfire’s wooden propellers, using trees felled in the
extensive Goodwood forests. The grandfather of the Goodwood
Revival’s founder Lord March – Freddie March, the 9th Duke of
Richmond – was a keen aviator and aircraft engineer, and
established a partnership with test pilot friend Edmund Hordern
(Hordern-Richmond Limited) to manufacture high-density wood
laminate propellers using a pioneering new process known as ‘Hydulignum’.
During the Revival weekend Spitfires will undertake a series of
air displays, culminating in a special Goodwood tribute on
Sunday 18 September with a dozen examples being scrambled for
take-off. Once airborne, the Spitfires will do an en masse
fly-past as Goodwood honours these important aircraft on the
ground with suitable recognition and fanfare.
 GP2:
Jolyon Palmer says he is looking forward to this
weekend’s GP2 races
at the Hungaroring circuit, and is keen to build on his
impressive pace last time out at Germany’s Nürbugring where he
came so close to securing a top six finish.The 20-year-old Brit,
racing in his first season of the F1 feeder series, showed great
promise right from the off during last weekend’s two rounds in
Germany, beginning with a superb eighth place in the opening
practice session. After a hard fought Feature Race on Saturday,
the West Sussex racer then produced one of his best drives of
the season in race two before being cruelly robbed of a likely
points finish. From 19th on the grid, Jolyon leapt off the line
in tricky damp conditions to climb to an incredible 10th
position by the end of the opening lap. As the race continued,
the track began to dry and Jolyon was one of the first to change
to slick tyres. After the pit-stop shake-up, he was pursuing
sixth place when contact with Davide Valsecchi on lap 18
prematurely ended his race. Valsecchi was subsequently judged
to have been the guilty party and handed a ten place grid
penalty for this weekend’s visit to Budapest , where Jolyon is
hoping he can continue his strong pace and secure his maiden
points finish."In the second race at the Nürbirgring I had an
unbelievable first lap and made up a number of places, then had
some great scraps on wet tyres before pitting for slicks," said
Jolyon who was runner-up in the FIA Formula Two Championship
last year. "I was challenging for sixth place and then Valsecchi
made contact with me as he came out of the pits on cold tyres.
It was very unlucky after one of my best drives of the season,
but hopefully my luck will turn around soon and I can bounce
back in Hungary .” He added: “I’ve never been to the Hungaroring
before but it looks like a nice flowing track and I hope to get
up to speed quickly. Hopefully we have found something with the
car set-up since the Nürbugring and so we should be more
competitive.”
 Formula
2: Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit produced a
thrilling weekend of motor sport
last weekend (23/24 July), headlined by rounds nine and ten of
the FIA Formula Two Championship.The highly-competitive single
seater series made its annual trip to the legendary 2.3 mile
track on 22-24 July with Surrey driver Jack Clarke leading the
way in the opening round to secure his maiden victory on home
soil. The 24-year-old F2 driver also received his winning trophy
from Kentish athlete and double gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes
who was guest of honour at the event. Meanwhile Sunday’s second
race saw another driver collect their debut F2 win, this time
for Spaniard Ramon Pineiro. Speaking after his maiden F2 win
Jack Clarke said: “It's perfect. I couldn't have written that.
I've not looked like knocking on the door of a win this year so
to come here and to smash it so to speak is a big deal for me."
Guest Dame Kelly Holmes, who won gold in the 800m and 1500m at
the 2004 Athens Olympics, added: “I had a great day watching the
Formula Two championship at Brands Hatch, and what most people
won’t know is that I am hoping to get into racing myself…”
Alongside the fantastic F2 races, crowds also got to watch a
mouth watering collection of supercars take to the track in the
International GT Open where Soheil Ayari and Nicolas Marroc
collected both the weekend spoils in their stunning Ferrari 458.
 Motorsport
enthusiast George Veasey celebrated his 100th birthday last
weekend
and didn’t hesitate when it came to choosing the venue for his
party. Family and friends gathered for the event at Brands
Hatch, in one of the circuit’s hospitality suites overlooking
the racetrack. George Veasey’s motorsport links date back to
when he was a mechanic preparing an Austin Healey for racer Lyn
Reece at the Kent circuit. An engineer by trade, he was a watch
maker in the 1930s and when war broke out he worked on the milk
tankers which used to deliver milk to London . After the war he
moved to Henley ’s Jaguar where he was their vehicle tester once
the cars had been serviced. In addition to his motor racing
interests George was a keen sportsman in his youth and used to
play football and cricket. He’s also a very good snooker player.
Several generations of his family met up at the Cooper suite
within the circuit’s MotorSport Vision Centre. George’s place at
the table gave him a panoramic view of the FIA Formula Two
Championship races, where drivers young enough to be his great
grandchildren competed.During the festivities George Veasey
reflected on his personal landmark, saying: “Brands is in my
blood and I’ve stayed loyal to this place. My life is
wonderful.” George’s daughter Shirley Sax added: “He was part of
that age group that was into racing and he’s been in it all his
life.”
25-07-11
 ALMS: Robertson Racing admitted feeling slightly disheartened to finish
seventh and 14th at the Grand Prix of
Mosport last Sunday, home to round four of the American Le Mans
Series presented by Tequila Patron. It’s a mark of the
Braselton-based outfit’s recent run of strong performances that
their solid top-ten, incident-free outing in Canada would prove
a source of frustration, despite contesting world motorsport’s
most competitive GT championship.Following the team’s podium
finish at Lime Rock Park two weeks ago, hopes were high that the
#04 Ford GT could again spring a surprise amongst the more
fancied factory entries. David Murry started strongly to keep
the car inside the top ten before handing over to co-driver
Anthony Lazzaro who overcame a late splash and dash fuel stop to
take the chequered flag seventh, two places higher than where
the duo started.Meanwhile, husband and wife pairing David and
Andrea Robertson kept their noses clean on a busy but fast
3.96-killometre circuit throughout the two-hour 45-minutes to
bring the team’s #40 machine home 14th. Pic Richard Prince
Photography
Read full report
 Formula
2: Successful FIA Formula 2 Championship racer Will
Bratt
was forced to miss the latest two rounds of action at Brands
Hatch over the weekend, 23rd/24th July, due to last-minute
funding difficulties – all but ending the Banbury driver’s 2011
title hopes. Despite a tremendous effort by Will’s management
team and the principles of F2, quite literally all the way up to
the final few minutes before qualifying began, the required
budget for the weekend just couldn’t be raised in time. The
23-year-old was therefore forced to frustratingly sit on the
sidelines for an event in which he would almost certainly have
been a contender for two race wins.In recent weeks, Will’s title
challenge has really gathered momentum with his maiden victory
coming at Spa-Francorchamps amid a run of three podiums from his
last four races contested. So strong have the last couple of
outings been, the Oxon driver is still fourth in the standings
even though not racing at Brands Hatch on Saturday and
Sunday.Although running on a race-by-race basis this year with a
limited pool of resources to call upon, the British racer is
determined to be back at the wheel of his Williams JPH1B for the
next event in Austria five weeks from now. “We started the year
with really only enough budget for the first two races at
Silverstone, somehow though we managed to get half-way through
the season”, said Will, “Not doing Brands was a serious blow as
it's both a circuit I like and a circuit I’ve won on three times
in the past. I was very confident we’d have been really
competitive this weekend. The F2 organisation has been brilliant
but, at the end of the day, there’s only so much you can do if
you can’t raise the funds. Although it’s not mathematically
impossible the title bid is over, but I want to be back to fight
for more race wins. We’re talking to several potential sponsors
and I am confident of being in the car for Austria, although
we’ve got nothing secured at this point in time.” Over the five
weeks ahead of the FIA Formula 2 Championship’s visit to
Austria’s Red Bull Ring on 27th/28th August, Will and his
management team will be working harder than ever to secure the
funding needed to take part. Commercial investors and
prospective sponsors keen to associate with one of Britain’s top
aspiring Formula One drivers are invited to contact Henry Spratt
at Enterprise Sports Management on 0207 5903667 or at
henrys@enterprisesports.com
 The
2011 Silverstone Classic
drew to a close on Sunday
but not before a second consecutive day of exhilarating racing
on track plus non-stop automotive-themed displays and activities
– as well as top-class music acts – it kept a mammoth sun-soaked
crowd fully entertained.Undoubtedly, this was the biggest and
best Classic yet with more race and road cars spanning the whole
motoring spectrum in action and on display than at any other
time in the world-famous event’s history. Retail malls, many of
them with a nostalgic feel, added to the appeal and effectively
resulted in every corner of Silverstone’s usually vast site
being crammed with activity. A major highlight was an on-track
parade by many hundreds of cars belonging to the 120 owners
clubs present – in total they contributed a staggering
collection of some 7000 cars for the public to view. This
followed Saturday’s cavalcade of more than 800 E-type Jaguars on
the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit to mark the official 50th
birthday celebrations of one of motoring’s most iconic cars.
Saturday had also seen 14 celebrity names take part in a special
‘Celebrity Challenge’ race in identical Morgan sportscars in aid
of the ‘Bobby Moore Fund’ for Cancer Research UK. Rocker Rick
Parfitt Jnr won the race ahead of Heston Blumenthal and Brendan
Cole, although the major talking point was a spectacular crash
for ex-England footballer Luther Blissett whose car rolled over
three times.Sunday’s action was a continuation of glorious
sights and sounds of yesteryear with capacity grids of historic
Formula 1, sports, saloon and GT cars. Ewan McIntyre overcame
drivers in more powerful machinery to win the prestigious
Stirling Moss Trophy, named after the legendary F1 and sportscar
racer and for pre-1961 sportscars. Sam Wilson came out on top to
take Formula Junior honours but only after another race-long
wheel-to-wheel dice with Jon Milicevic. pic Dennis Goodwin
Read full report
 In
celebration of the golden anniversary of Britain’s best-loved
sports car,
the Silverstone Classic was a mecca for the E-type Jaguar
(Saturday 23 July). The whole Silverstone Classic weekend had a
strong E-type element, as the event marked the car’s official
50th birthday celebration for the leading Jaguar clubs. Indeed,
the date of the Classic tied in perfectly with the E-type story,
as the first UK customer car was delivered in July 1961. In the
leading 50th anniversary event for the iconic sports car, over
1000 E-types were on site and, on Saturday, more than 800 took
part in a special parade on the full 3.6-mile Grand Prix
circuit, forming a mammoth E-type traffic jam. The final number
of cars in the parade has been notified to Guinness World
Records and the outcome will be confirmed shortly. Supporting
the headlining E-type activities, thousands of classic cars from
hundreds of marques packed into Silverstone, with many other
Jaguars on show including C-types, D-types, XK120s, XK140s,
XK150s and more recent performance models like the XKR. On the
track, a record grid of 52 racing E-types contested a round of
the E-type Challenge, the special race series created for 2011
to mark the anniversary year. The race was won by Jon Minshaw
with a classy performance to stay ahead of Alex Buncombe and
Graeme Dodd.
 There
was high drama at the Silverstone Classic this weekend as 14
celebrities
became racing drivers for the day at what is the world’s biggest
classic car racing festival. The 14 celebrities who had all
undergone special training for the event were raising funds for
the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK. Rocker Rick Parfitt
Jnr won the race after narrowly defeating Heston Blumenthal and
Brendan Cole in a closely fought battle that had the crowds on
their feet but the hero of the day was ex-England footballer
Luther Blissett who stepped unharmed from the wreckage of his
Morgan Roadster lightweight race car after a spectacular
barrel-roll on the opening lap. The race was halted while the
battered remains of Blissett’s car were removed from the track
but Luther himself was unfazed by the drama. “I dived up the
inside of Brendan going into the corner and the back of my car
just got away from me,” Luther calmly explained. “It went over
the rumble strip, the wheels dug in and over she went… and over,
and over – three times in all. I know because I counted the
rolls as they were happening! When it stopped, I definitely
breathed a sigh of relief but I never felt in any real danger as
I knew the Morgan was strong. Has it put me off racing? Not in
the slightest. In fact, I’m even more determined to get my own
racing car ready to compete at Oulton Park next weekend.”
Starting from pole, Parfitt Jnr took an early lead when the race
was re-started but he had to fight hard for the victory in a
four-car battle with Heston, Brendan and Paul O’Duffy (the late
Amy Winehouse’s producer). All the drivers can still be
sponsored via The Bobby Moore Fund website at
www.bobbymoorefund.org.
 Formula
Renault BARC :
Dino Zamparelli went top in the Protyre Formula Renault BARC
Championship
at Croft on Sunday, after a fine second place finish in round
seven and a tremendous victory – his second of 2011 – in round
eight. Although qualifying on pole position for the opening
encounter, the Antel Motorsport driver lost out to a fast
starting James Thorp, the MTech Lite racer going on to take his
second win of the year with a terrific drive – including two
bonus points for the fastest lap. Zamparelli hit back strongly
though in race two, a sensational move around the outside of
erstwhile championship leader Josh Webster at the first corner
giving him a lead he would never relinquish, despite being under
constant pressure from the Fortec Motorsport driver. Webster’s
weekend, and that of team-mates Kieran Vernon and Archie
Hamilton was certainly dramatic. At Clervaux on the opening lap
of round seven, Vernon made contact with Hamilton as the pair
diced for position and Webster was also caught up in the
aftermath leading to a non-finish for the latter two and a
lengthy pit-stop for Vernon. Webster and Hamilton both hit back
in round eight in second and third place respectively, with the
former also setting the fastest lap of the race, while Vernon
was fourth. In the first encounter, Thorp was followed home by
Zamparelli with Scorpio Motorsport’s Kourosh Khani taking his
third podium of the season after a magnificent performance.
pic Jakob Ebrey Photography;
read report
 First
year Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship racer Zaamin
Jaffer
endured a problematic outing at Croft in North Yorkshire over
the weekend, 23rd/24th July, but despite a serious run of bad
luck the Indian star still managed to climb up into seventh
position in the driver standings.
pic Jakob Ebrey Photography
Read report
Archie Hamilton returned to the podium in the second race at the Croft round
of the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship. The 20 year
old had recovered from his first retirement of the season after
a first corner incident and his team managing to make
significant repairs just in time to get him back on track for
race two. Despite struggling with traffic on the track, Archie
managed to post the top time for the Fortec team to qualify
third for race one. Qualifying two was a tricky affair with a
strong wind and change in wind direction having a marked effect
on driving conditions. Archie posted a time that put him ion row
two again for the second race. The first race saw Archie making
a strong start, and after challenging Dino Zamparelli and James
Thorp ahead he slotted back into third for the first corner. He
was hit from behind and ended up in the middle of the pack,
collecting his innocent team-mate. He retired and the Fortec
team set to work to rebuild both cars for race two. Starting
from fourth, Archie gained a place at the race two start, taking
third from Thorp. Archie’s best chance for further progress came
when Josh Webster ahead ran wide but closed the door before
Archie could take full advantage. From there the trio pulled
away from the pack and crossed the line in the same order.
Archie Hamilton - “Race one is one to forget. It’s a great shame
that I lost valuable points needlessly. At least there is the
chance to drop one race in this championship. As long as I keep
a sheet for the rest of the season I’m hopefully still in with
a shout of a decent season result. I can’t thank the team enough
for its hard work on mine and Josh’s cars. It made my third feel
like a win after all the hard work.”
 Fortec
Motorsport’s Josh Webster raced to his fifth podium finish
of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship season at
Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire on Sunday, 24th July, to
conclude the weekend just a single point away from the top of
the driver standings.
pic Jakob Ebrey Photography;
read report
 GT:
European GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough
and his American counterpart Bryan Heitkotter faced the toughest
challenge so far of their intensive ‘Driver Development
Programme’ on Sunday, 24 July at Castle Combe. The pair
campaigned their PlayStation® Nissan Team 370Z to a
second-in-class finish (17th place overall) in the competitive
Britcar Dunlop Production GTN Championship. The strong result in
the two-hour endurance race secured each driver two more vital
‘signatures’ required for them to attain the international race
licence that will allow them to compete in the Dubai
International 24 Hour Race in January 2012. This latest outing
in the RJN Motorsport run Nissan 370Z race car presented a new
challenge, as the pair battled against a field of 30 cars during
the Britcar race, featuring Ferrari 430’s, Porsche 911’s and
open sports cars. The team’s weekend got off to a good start
having qualified in second place in the production class. Bryan
started the race, guiding the Nissan 370Z to 18th overall, first
in class, as he completed his one hour stint. After the driver
changeover, a racing incident with a car in the same class led
to a puncture. The team used the forced pit stop as an
opportunity to refuel the car, with Jann going on to drive very
consistently, as he took the chequered flag in 17th place
overall, second in class. Mardenborough said: “For drivers
like myself that have not raced at Castle Combe before, it’s a
really tricky circuit to get the racing lines right, but it
proved another great opportunity to learn. We were driving in
temperatures of 22 degrees and I was sweating buckets. It was
close to the end of the race when I noticed that I was driving
with the heating on. I guess it was not bad preparation for
Dubai though.”
 BRDC
Rising Stars, 20-year old Dan Brown and Glynn Geddie (21),
proved their speed and true mettle by taking a classy GT3
victory and fourth overall in a one-off International GT Open
appearance at Brands Hatch on Saturday. From a third place GT3
class qualifying slot and tenth overall - including a 15-second
new entrant penalty - the young British duo powered their
regular STP AF Corse Ferrari 458 up the field, to within seven
seconds of the outright GTS winner, to claim the GT3 class after
46 laps of the 2.3 mile GP circuit. Dan Brown commented: “It was
good to mix it with the faster GTS cars, and finish less than
seven seconds behind the overall winner, despite that fact that
they are quite a bit quicker through the turns. Our STP AF Corse
Ferrari 458 was faultless, which was really encouraging after
such a disappointing year to date with the car in the FIA GT3
Europe series. “Hopefully, those problems are now behind us and
Glynn and I can show our true pace in the remaining four GT3
rounds, starting at Slovakia Ring on August 21st.”With a smooth
driving style that flatters his tender age, Brown commented that
he’s already somewhat of a veteran of the Brands Hatch GP
circuit. ”It’s my sixth year racing here, starting with T-Cars
back in 2005, although I actually first took to the circuit at a
track day when I was 13.” An additional 15-second success
penalty pegged the duo’s progress in the second race on Sunday,
but despite that, they finished 5th in class, to cap a good
weekend.
 GP2:
Venezuealan Rodolfo Gonzalez
was again driving for his Trident Racing team in GP2 last
weekend as the GP2 series moved from a wet/dry Silverstone to
similar conditions at the Nurburgring circuit in the Eiffel
Mountains in Germany for the latest races in the GP2 series,
which supports Formula 1. If anything the temperatures were even
lower. pic
Chris
Roberts/Widerviewphoto
Read report
Formula Ford:
Daniel Erickson will join the 2011 Australian Formula Ford
Championship
from the next round at Queensland Raceway. The New South
Welshman will reunite with his former team, Borland Racing
Developments, driving the Bosch Batteries Spectrum 012. Daniel
will take over the seat which became available when a secondary
sponsor withdrew from Jesse Fenech, creating a funding shortfall
which prevented him from finishing the season. “We’re very
disappointed for Jesse, who is leading the Rookie of the Year
points and has been doing a terrific job,” said BRD’s Paul Zsidy.
“In saying that, we have to accept that without the funding to
continue, we had to ensure we were able to deliver to our
commercial agreements and we’re delighted to welcome Daniel back
to our team.” Erickson is looking forward to getting back onto
the racetrack, after many months on the sidelines. “This has all
come around very quickly,” he said. “I can’t wait to get into
the Bosch Batteries Spectrum with the BRD team.” Daniel
acknowledged the difficult task that faces him, commenting “I
haven’t driven an Australian Formula Ford since late 2008 and
the competition in this year’s championship looks as strong as
ever. I think QR will be tough, as it will take a bit for me to
get used to a car with no downforce or slicks again; but we’ll
dust off the cobwebs and give it our best for Bosch Batteries!
I’m sure it won’t take long for us to have the Spectrum at the
front.”
 Last
weekend, across three categories and almost 17,500 kilometres, Borland Racing
Developments designed and built racing cars delivered race and
round wins to their teams and drivers. Sandown Raceway, just 15
minutes drive from the BRD factory, played host to round three
of the 2011 CAMS Victorian State Circuit Racing Championship.
Formula Vee qualifying set the tone for the weekend, with Mitch
Martin securing pole position and the Junior Racing Developments
team mates Heath Collinson and Ash Quiddington locking in grid
spots two and three for a Sabre 02 lockout. Martin took a clean
sweep of the four races, Ash scored a pair of 2nd places and
Heath notched another podium and two top fives. The round win
was Martin’s, from Quiddington in 3rd and Collinson 5th. The
championship pointscore has Martin leading, Ash in 3rd and
Heathy 4th. In Formula Ford 1600, Scott Andrews, Lachlan
Marshall and Adrian Lazzaro mirrored the efforts of the Sabre 02
drivers, claiming the first three grid spots in their Spectrum
010b chassis. Andrews set the fastest lap in all three races,
winning the first two but
DNFing the last. Lachlan Marshall seized the opportunity to
score another race win and seal the round victory, after placing
3rd and 2nd earlier in the weekend. Lazzaro registered 3rd, 4th
and 3rd across the three races, netting him 2nd for the round
and moving him into the lead of the CAMS Championship from
Brendan Jones, another Spectrum 010b pilot. The Formula Ford
drivers had been set a high benchmark and set out to deliver.
Caleb Rayner and Sam Power went oh so close to setting pole,
missing out by mere fractions of a second to qualify 2nd and 3rd
respectively. Rayner showed pace and consistency in the
changeable conditions; his 3rd, 2nd and 2nd giving him the round
win with the Activity Playgrounds Spectrum 012b. Power showed
equal maturity, taking 2nd, 3rd and 3rd in his Synergy
Motorsports Spectrum 011c; 3rd for the round and growing his
lead in the CAMS and club championships. Meanwhile across the
globe at the Castle Combe Racing Club’s latest round. Ben Norton
made a return to FF1600 competition, driving the Wiltshire
College Motorsport Spectrum 011c. Showing he hadn’t lost his
touch, he qualified in 2nd place, ahead of the Kevin Mills
Racing Spectrum 011b of Steven Jensen. Ben proceeded to set the
fastest lap en route to winning both races. Steve hounded him
for 2nd in race one and 3rd in race two.
 GP3:
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs closed down the gap to the GP3 Series
leader to just seven points with a hard-fought fifth place
at the Nürburgring on Saturday, only to have his efforts
unrewarded with a retirement in race two on Sunday. The 20
year-old qualified sixth for the first of two races held high in
the Eifel mountains in Germany, on an ultra-competitive 30-car
grid which was covered by just nine tenths of a second.
Read report
 BTCC:
There are now less than two weeks to go before the Dunlop MSA
British Touring Car Championship is back in action for the
second half of its season at Snetterton (6-7 August). After a
lengthy summer break, the teams and drivers will all want to
resume their 2011 campaigns by stealing a march over their
rivals. However, it is impossible to know who might have
achieved the biggest performance gains with their cars during
the break plus the action will be on Snetterton’s new, much
longer ‘300’ circuit, further adding to ‘the unknown’. Honda’s
Matt Neal will go into the event holding a slender 9 point
championship lead from Airwaves Racing Ford Focus driver Mat
Jackson. Neal, twice a BTCC Champion, desperately craves a third
title but Jackson is equally hungry to win the crown for the
first time in his career. Similarly, Neal’s Scottish team-mate
Gordon Shedden, Andrew Jordan and James Nash – both in Vauxhall
Vectras – are also chasing a maiden title, lying third, fourth
and fifth in the points table. The big question is can Neal’s
arch rival these past years, fellow double title-winner and
reigning Champion Jason Plato fight back in his Silverline
Chevrolet Cruze? He will start the season’s second half in sixth
some 40 points behind Neal. But with 15 races still to go –
three of them at Snetterton – and 15 points per win, Plato knows
there is time to strike back. The event will mark the debut of
the Welch Motorsport team and driver Daniel Welch in its new
Proton Gen-2 model, built to the BTCC’s latest, turbocharged
Next Generation Touring Car technical regulations. Also making
his BTCC debut will be Martin Byford who considers Snetterton
his home circuit having enjoyed many previous successes there in
junior formulae. Byford will be racing the VW Golf for the AmD
Milltek Racing.com team. The event will also include a further
11 support races, including Ginetta Jnrs, Ginetta GT Supercup,
Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK.
Among them will be Norfolk’s own Carl Breeze – the King’s Lynn
racer leads the Ginetta GT Supercup standings and will be
looking for more top results in front of his home crowd. .This
is the only visit this year by the BTCC toSNetterton . With
improved public viewing areas, a bumper crowd is therefore
expected at the circuit just off the A14 as fans clamour to see
the touring cars in bumper-to-bumper action. Live coverage is on
the Sunday on ITV4 and itv.com website. Race day (Sun 7 Aug)
tickets can be purchased at advance prices until next Tuesday 2
August priced £25 via the
www.snetterton.co.uk website or by calling the hotline 0843
453 9000. Admission for children aged 12 and under is FREE all
weekend. Car parking is also free. All admission includes access
for public – including children – to the BTCC paddock as well as
Sunday’s specially organised driver autograph session in the
Snetterton pit lane.
24-07-11
 Star
Mazda: João Victor Horto, a Brazilian racer in his
second season
of competition in the Star Mazda Championship presented by
Goodyear, scored his first win today in Round 6 of the 2011
season at Mosport International Raceway. The victory also marks
a first for the Juncos Racing team which won the championship in
2010 with a dominant performance by Conor Daly, but has been
shut out of victory lane so far this season. Horto, who
qualified 5th, drove his #18 Juncos Racing / Programa Leilões
Mazda to a 2.69-second margin of victory over 2nd-place finisher
Californian Connor De Phillippi in the Team Pelfrey / Justice
Brothers Products / Trademark Garage Floors Mazda. Horto made
his move into the lead in the closing stages of the race as De
Phillippi and pole-sitter Sage Karam braked side-by-side into
the Turn 5a/5b complex and both went wide. De Phillippi started
from the outside of the front row, got the best start, led the
first half of the 35-lap race and survived unscathed a
wheel-banging battle with Karam during the second half. Starting
from 6th and finishing third, her second podium of the season,
was the series' lone female racer, Tatiana Calderon of Bogota,
Colombia in the #10 Juncos Racing / JAC Motors Mazda. Calderon
passed pole-winner Sage Karam, then running 3rd, to secure her
spot on the podium. Rounding out the podium finishers was Walt
Bowlin, the top finisher in the Expert Series for drivers 30 and
older. Read report
ETCC: Fabrizio Giovanardi has crowned with
another FIA European title his comeback to international touring car racing.
Ten years after winning the European Touring Car Championship
twice for Alfa Romeo (in 2001 and 2002) e having added two
British Touring Car Championship titles in the meantime, the
Italian driver proved that at the age of 45 he is still a
winner. At the wheel of a Honda Accord car he won the Super 2000
cup at the Austrian Salzburgring, beating Pepe Oriola (28 years
junior!) by one mere point and giving the Danish Hartmann
Motorsport their third consecutive title after those won in 2009
and 2010 by James Thompson. The 17-year old Spaniard Oriola was
equally impressive, and showed that his first year in the WTCC
is bringing him to maturity very quickly. Just like a veteran he
fought with Giovanardi with no awes, and even managed to win the
second race, clinching the last international victory for the
glorious SEAT León TDi. Tomas Engström confirmed his consistency
and finished third, his fourth podium result in the Euro Cup.
Michel Nykjær had less luck, as his hopes to win a third
European title were swept away by unexpected engine problems
that plagued his Chevrolet Cruze in the qualifying and the
races. The Super Production title went to Serbian racer
Aleksandar Tosic, at the wheel of the very same Honda Civic car
driven by his fellow countryman Vojislav Lekic to become
champion in 2010.Thomas Mühlenz scored a double victory and
clinched the S1600 crown; an historical success as it was
achieved at the wheel an LPG-powered Ford Fiesta.
GP3: The Atech GP3:
CRS GP team suffered mixed fortunes in the latest rounds of the
GP3 Series
at Nurburgring this weekend. Swiss Zoel Amberg took his best
qualifying of the season to post the tenth fastest lap in a
session in which the 30-car grid was covered by just nine tenths
of a second. However in the race, the 20 year-old fell foul to
the regulations and suffered a stop-go penalty for the team
being on the grid three minutes before the start, as they
attempted to fix an electrical problem. Briton Nick Yelloly,
despite suffering with a broken front wing in race two, took
ninth, after a strong recovery from 16th on the grid. While
Marlon Stockinger was left frustrated with two non-finishes. In
race one, the Swiss-Filipino was eliminated after a collision
with another car. His non-finish meant he would take up the last
spot on the grid, but as the 20 year-old completed the formation
lap to line up for the start, his clutch failed, causing instant
retirement. Read more
 Star
Mazda: Quickest throughout most of pre-race testing,
Sage Karam
-- currently the hottest driver in the Star Mazda Championship
presented by Goodyear – has scored his second pole of the season
with a lap of 1:15.707 (116.930 mph) around the 10-turn,
2.4-mile road course at Mosport International Raceway. He set
the quick time on Lap 5 of the 45-minute session. Karam, driving
the #88 Andretti Autosport / MAZDASPEED / Comfort Revolution
Mazda, has won two races so far, back-to-back victories In
rounds 4 & 5 on the ovals at Milwaukee and Iowa Speedway, where
he also started from the pole. The 16 year-old driver from
Nazareth, PA won the 2010 USF2000 championship and is the 2011
Mazda Road to Indy scholarship driver in Star Mazda.
Read report
 F2000:
Remy Audette passed Chris Livengood on a restart
and held on for his fourth win of 2011, starting from fourth and
avoiding a massive opening lap incident at the front of the
field that produced a lengthy caution period. Livengood started
from pole and finished second ahead of Dwight Rider for Front
Range Motorsports, Angel Benitez for Alegra Motorsports, and
Dave Weitzenhof, in the Citation chassis. pic : Valet  read
report
23-07-11
ETCC: Fabrizio Giovanardi
crowned his comeback to international racing by claiming pole
position
for the FIA European Touring Car Cup at the Austrian
Salzburgring. The Italian driver and his Hartmann Racing Honda
Accord took the most out of a qualifying session full of drama
and managed to beat 17-year old WTCC driver Pepe Oriola's SEAT
León TDi by only one tenth of a second. Michel Nykjær was then
great disappointed of the day, as he had to sat into the garage
for most of the session while the team crew was working to
replace the starter on his Chevrolet Cruze car; unfortunately
for him, once he was finally ready to join a red flag and the
rain swept his hopes away. Once again changeable track
conditions had an influence on the session's result, as the
tarmac was damp in the early stages and then began to dry up.
However, after the session was disrupted by the red flag with
eight minutes left on the clock because Aleksandar Tosic's Honda
Civic spun at the first chicane and hit a pile of tyres, a
shower hit the circuit and definitely spoiled Michel Nykjær's
hopes. Fabrizio Giovanardi and Pepe Oriola took turns on top of
the time sheet throughout the first half of the session. With 15
minutes left the Italian racer set a provisional pole position
of 1:31.627 that he improved on the following laps to 1:30.612.
It was the winning move, because immediately afterwards Oriola
responded with a 1:30.716 that was too slow by only one tenth.
Then the rain came an froze the situation, with Tomas Engström
in third (1:31.538) and Ibrahim Okyay in fourth (1:33.307).As
for Nykjær, he was forced to qualify in very wet conditions and
still managed to clock a lap of 1:40.862 that was worth the 11th
position ahead of the Super Production and S1600 cars. Despite
his accident Aleksandar Tosic set the Super Production pole
position, while Thomas Mühlenz was the fastest in the S1600
class; the German driver and his LPG-powered Ford Fiesta ST
ousted Ulrike Krafft from the first place just before the red
flag was waved.Niek Oude Luttikhuis was the only driver not to
take part in the qualifying, as his team are still working to
solve the engine problems on his Super Production Mitsubishi
Carisma car. The 2011 FIA European Super Touring Cups will be
awarded tomorrow after two 12-lap races that will be aired live
on Eurosport 2 at 11.00 and 14.30 Central European Time.
 F2000:
American rookie Kyle Connery took his second straight
win
and fourth of 2011, vaulting from fourth in the race after
starting second to pass Tim Minor, Remy Audette and then Chris
Livengood for the lead in the first of two F2000 Championship
Series races at Mosport. “I didn’t get a great start and we were
behind Tim (Minor) for a while,” said Connery. “I got past him
and then the caution came out so we had a chance to get by Remy;
once I saw him I was just thinking championship.”
Read race report
 Chris
Livengood missed out on a race win to Kyle Connery on Friday at
Mosport
but bounced back for the Saturday morning F2000 qualifying
session to take the Afterburner Pole over Connery by three
hundredths of a second with a lap of 1:21.000 around the 10-turn
road course. Livengood took the lead during Friday’s first F2000
race from Remy Audette on lap two before Connery tracked him
down in the closing stages to grab his fourth win of the
year.Livengood, driving for Work Racing/John Walko Racing, won
his second career F2000 Championship Series race at Mid-Ohio in
early July and hopes to continue the momentum at Mosport.
read qualifying report for race 2
F2000 pics : valet
 WTCC:
Last weekend Jost Capito, director of Ford Global
Motorsport Business Development,
Mike Earle principal of Arena Motorsport and Paul Hui principal
of FRD Motorsport visited the WTCC paddock at Donington Park.
The Arena Motorsport and FRD Motorsport teams run Ford Focus
cars in the British and China touring car championships
respectively. Earle provided updated information about the
team's project with Ford to develop the Focus Global race car
based on S2000 regulation. "As Ford's development partner, we
are engineering the S2000 touring car based on the new Focus. We
work together with Mountune Racing Engines that is the partner
appointed to develop the 1.6 litre turbo Ecoboost engine for
touring car racing, based on the WRC power plant. We are well
advanced in building the first prototype and we expect to start
track testing in the first days of October. In the meanwhile we
are in touch with the FIA for the homologation procedure." This
evaluation project is part of Ford's global plan that aims to
support teams to race a common Focus touring car in different
championships around the world."Obviously, when you build a
racing car you want to actually race it! And I don't want to
hide that we are targeting to take part in the WTCC next year,"
Earle concluded.
 Rounds
15th and 16th of the FIA WTCC
will take place next week in Germany, at Oschersleben's
Motorsport Arena on July 31st. The German track, located in the
Bode region some 30 km from the city of Magdeburg, is a
traditional venue for the FIA Touring Cars having hosted the
European Touring Car Championship from 2001 to 2004 and the
WTCCfrom 2005. Oschersleben is regarded as BMW's home circuit,
because the BMW drivers have won ten out of the twelve WTCC
races held there so far. The Bavarian cars were only defeated at
Oschersleben twice by SEAT in 2007, when Yvan Muller scored the
first win of the León TDI car, and by Alain Menu's Chevrolet
last year. Therefore this year's event's leitmotiv is to see
whether the BMW 320 TC cars will finally manage to score their
first victory. Among the drivers who will try to achieve this
are Franz Engstler, the only German competitor in the
championship who claimed his first WTCC podium last week in
Donington Park, and Stefano D'Aste at the wheel of the car run
by the Wiechers-Sport team that is based close to the track.
-
The BMW 320 TC is granted a further weight reduction for
Oschersleben.
In the ballast calculation based on the lap times set in the
three previous events, the FIA decided to allocate a common
notional lap time to all the cars for Donington Park's
qualifying that were affected by changeable weather
conditions. The Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T remains the reference
car and will be carrying again the maximum weight of 40
extra kilos. The BMW 320 TC cars will be 40 kilos lighter
than the Chevy, 20 less than they were in Donington Park;
the SUNRED SR León 1.6T cars will also race with no extra
weight on board, adding 20 kilos to the weight they had in
the UK.
The Volvo C30 Drive and BMW 320si cars will benefit from
reductions on their minimum weight of 10 and 20 kilos
respectively.
-
Compensation weight Donington Park
+ 40 kg Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
± 0 kg BMW 320 TC, SUNRED SR León 1.6T
- 10 kg Volvo C30 Drive
- 20 kg BMW 320si
-
The fight for the Yokohama Trophy is closer than ever
as the latest event saw the leaders Norbert Michelisz and
Kristian Poulsen scoring only a few points, and at the same
time re-launched the hopes of Franz Engstler and Darryl O'
Young. The former dominated the British event, claiming two
victories and his first overall podium. Now Engstler and his
Liqui Moly team look at their home races in Oschersleben
with even more ambitions. "It was my best weekend ever in
WTCC. It was great for the whole team that did a great job.
My car was absolutely perfect, although it was not possible
to stay on the pace with the Chevrolet cars, I was able to
fight on equal terms with Coronel and Tarquini," said the
German. The first six drivers in the trophy's classification
are covered by only 16 points: Michelisz retained the lead,
with Poulsen only two points behind. O'Young and Engstler
moved up to third and fourth, with a gap of 5 and 10 points
respectively, while Javier Villa and Michel Nykjær are 13
and 16 points behind the leader.
Stefano D'Aste and Ibrahim Okyay
will rejoin the championship at Oschersleben. The Italian
returns after missing the previous event at Donington Park
because of a commitment in the GT4 European Cup at Zolder where
he won both races in his Lotus Evora. In Germany D'Aste will be
at the wheel of the Wiechers-Sport BMW 320 TC with which he was
leading the second race at Porto.Turkish Touring Car champion
Okyay will make his second appearance in the WTCC this year in
the Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW 320si; he had already raced
at Monza earlier during the season.
Michel Nykjær, Mehdi Bennani and Pepe Oriola
are among the favourite drivers who will be fighting to win the
FIA European Touring Car Cup this weekend at the Austrian
Salzburgring.Bennani will drive a BMW 320si run by Proteam
Racing, Oriola will compete in a SUNRED Engineering SEAT León
TDi, while Nykjær - who had already won the European title twice
in 2007 and 2008 - will make his debut in the Chevrolet Cruze LT
of Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden. The level of the field of the
Super 2000 class in the seventh edition of the ETC Cup is high
and promises exciting and close competition. Other major
contenders are double European and British Touring Car champion
Fabrizio Giovanardi in the very same Hartmann Racing Honda
Accord that James Thompson drove to win the ETC Cup in 2009 and
2010, experienced Swedish racer Thomas Engström (Honda Accord),
German ADAC Procar race winner Jens-Guido Weimann (BMW 320si)
and multiple Turkish Touring Car champion Ibrahim Okyay (BMW
320si). A fourth WTCC driver, Fabio Fabiani, is racing at the
Salzburgring in the Super Production class with a BMW 320i.
 Action
from Silverstone Classic - Jon Minshaws E Type - pic
Dennis Goodwin
 Formula
3:
Spa-Francorchamps will host the seventh meeting of the
Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series a week from
now – an event Bart Hylkema is absolutely relishing with the
Belgian track being one of only a small handful on the 2011
calendar he has past experience of. Piloting one of the
latest-specification Volkswagen-engined Dallara F311 cars during
last weekend’s event in Paul Ricard, the T-Sport driver
immediately proved his pace with a best result of eighth
position – a superb recovery drive after pitting at the end of
lap one for front wing repairs. Already making his mark in the
headline class of British F3, the visit to Spa affords Bart a
great opportunity to try and hit the ground running having
previously raced at the legendary circuit in Formula
Renault.“Most of the tracks we’re visiting this season are
completely new to me so it’ll be nice to go back to Spa next
weekend and already have some experience of the circuit”, said
Bart, “Of course, I need to learn how to get the most from the
F3 car but already knowing the track will be a big help. We’ll
be able to focus on finding a good set-up from the off really,
that has to be the main goal to begin.” Running as support to
the ‘Total 24 Hours of Spa’ endurance race, the British F3
action will therefore begin a day earlier than would normally be
the case with practice scheduled for Thursday, 28th July, while
qualification and racing will follow on Friday, 29th July, and
Saturday, 30th July.Some extra spice into the mix will be the
inclusion of several ‘invitational’ drivers from the F3
Euroseries will be involved adding another very interesting
element to the action. “With the guys from F3 Euroseries at Spa
too there will be even more competition next weekend but I’m
really looking forward to the challenge”, added Bart, “We showed
good pace at Paul Ricard and I was very happy to end the weekend
in the overall points. I think we have a good chance to improve
even more at Spa, I’m definitely feeling quite confident.”
22-07-11
 Spa
24 Hours: Legendary Scottish racing team Ecurie
Ecosse is all set to make its competitive sportscar return
for the first time in two decades next weekend (July 30/31) when
its newly Saltire-liveried Aston Martin DBRS9 heads to Belgium
for The Total 24 Hours of Spa. It will be the first time the
1956 and ’57 Le Mans 24 Hours winners have competed in a
twice-round-the-clock endurance event since running a Vauxhall
Cavalier GSi at Spa-Francorchamps in 1993. 18 years on Ecurie
Ecosse return to the Ardennes circuit with highly experienced
and successful Aston Martin Racing Partner Team Barwell
Motorsport, who have been sub-contracted to run the GT3-spec
DBRS9 for driver line-up Alasdair McCaig, Andrew Smith, Joe
Twyman and Oliver Bryant. All four drivers utilised their
extensive experience of Spa when sampling the car for the first
time at the event’s official test on July 6 where a day’s
trouble-free running helped them acclimatise to the
2011-specification updates and Avon tyres. Spa has proven a
happy hunting ground for Ecurie Ecosse in the past with their
1986 Group C2 World Sportscar Championship victory an undoubted
highlight. Team boss Hugh McCaig, who oversaw that first return
to international competition in the 1980s, said: “Spa holds
great memories for me and Ecurie Ecosse because our victory
there contributed towards us winning the 1986 World
Championship. We’ve also done the 24 hour race of course so
although it’s been almost 20 years, this isn’t a complete leap
into the unknown. It’s worth mentioning that the four guys have
been the real driving force behind this project. I can’t
emphasise enough how hard they’ve worked bringing the likes of
Barwell Motorsport and key sponsors onboard who all understand
Ecurie Ecosse’s significant heritage. But we remain realistic
and appreciate the strength and depth in the GT3 ranks this
year. Getting to the finish would be a fantastic achievement in
itself.” Twyman meanwhile is also no stranger to the rigours of
Spa’s 24 hour enduro having won the GT4 class, also with Aston
Martin, as part of Jota Sport AMR’s assault there last season.
Since announcing their return in February, the team has been
busy finalising its plans to contest one of world motorsport’s
most prestigious events by bringing onboard a host of partners,
including the Cayman Islands’ luxury boutique hotelier Cotton
Tree, Motor Sport Magazine, Uluvka Vodka and specialist
motorsport employment agency TechnoRecruit who, along with many
others, have helped make possible Ecurie Ecosse’s long-awaited
comeback.
 JK Racing Asia Series
: Afiq Ikhwan claimed the fastest time of the day
and beat the Series record at the circuit to claim pole position
for JK Racing Asia Series round 7. Ikhwan’s time of 1:30.918,
beat the qualifying lap record held by Sean McDonagh who set the
record back in 2008 by 1.1second. “I am so happy! We really
worked hard for this weekend. We tried a few set-ups and this
one really suits me”. When asked how he feels about the circuit
now that he has set the new lap record, with a big beaming smile
Ikhwan said “I am loving the track right now! We hope we can do
well tomorrow and I’ll try my best to keep my pace and keep it
consistent to win every race” ended the www.Meritus.GP driver.
Championship leader Lucas Auer was not too far behind, claiming
the second spot on the grid, with his 1:31.426. Although happy
with the time, Auer finds the circuit quite tricky but is still
aiming for a win. “Qualifying was pretty okay. Maybe I messed it
up because I was not 100% there. But I think we have a good car
for the race and the rest we will see tomorrow”. Australian
Duvashen Padayachee credited his time to the hard work put in by
his Eurasia Motorsport team. “The team did a fantastic job
today. We weren’t really up there the whole weekend but we
looked at some data and managed to make it back up. “I got the
quickest time after the red flag session then I had an off”
laughed Padayahee. He is looking forward to starting the race up
in the second row tomorrow. The third to ninth placed drivers
were all separated by just one second, leaving it to be a very
close race tomorrow. Rounds 7 & 8 will be held on Saturday,
23rd July 2011 at 11.15am and 3.15pm (local time) respectively
while Round 9 will be held at 9.55am while Round 10 will be held
at 2.40pm on Sunday, 24th July 2011.
 Croft:
More than 400 classic cars representing some 60 different makes
dating from the Forties through to the Seventies will be on
display at the Croft Circuit’s second Nostalgia historic motor
racing event next month (6-7 August). The mouth-watering
collection of cars, arranged by the Teesside Yesteryear Motor
Club, will feature many top names including Aston Martin, Ford,
Jaguar, Mercedes, MG, Porsche, Rolls Royce and Triumph. Notably,
some 17 E-type Jaguars will be present – the E-type is
celebrating its landmark 50th anniversary this year. Alongside
the cars will be a number of rare motorcycles from the same era,
plus a vast line-up of WWII machinery including cars, bikes,
weapons carriers, tanks and even aircraft – it is estimated the
number of wartime vehicles, organised by the Military Vehicle
Trust, will total 100 with many being positioned within ‘living
history’ displays. Indeed, Nostalgia is just as much about
entertainment off the track as it is the racing on it and
further attractions themed around music, fashion and catering
are also part of the bill as visitors young and old are invited
to share in reliving a bygone era… A major part of the weekend
is for public including children to dress in period style to add
to the atmosphere. Elsewhere, already confirmed are spectacular
air displays (on the Saturday) from the evocative Hurricane and
Spitfire WWII fighters and (on Sunday) a Jet Provost.On track,
no fewer than 18 races organised by the HSCC are scheduled for a
variety of saloon, single-seater, GT and sportscars. And the
HSCC has indicated that it is presently on course to beat the
180-plus entries registered for last year’s inaugural event.
Meanwhile, also on the Sunday, a WWII Chaffee tank will provide
further thrills by discharging blank rounds in the build-up to
each race. Tickets for Croft’s Nostalgia event cost £10
(Saturday) and £12 (Sunday) if purchased by tomorrow (Sat 23
July) from the circuit by calling 01325 721815 or by booking
online at
www.croftcircuit.co.uk. Admission for accompanied children
aged 15 and under is FREE all weekend.
 Formula 3:
Facu Regalia was the fastest man on track at Adria during the Italian F3
test on Thursday. The Team Ghinzani driver was second in the
morning session with a time of 1:11.925, less than half-tenth
from leader. Then in the afternoon he improved with a lap of
1:11.647 to top the timesheets, a time that was good enough to
beat Kevin Giovesi in second by 0.2s. “I am really happy with
my results achieved here at Adria, a track where I didn´t think
to become as fast as I was today. In the morning, in spite of we
ran on used tires, I was second a just thirty-eight thousandths
behind Maisano. My car was almost perfect, but we kept improving
in the afternoon, and we tested different issues for our next
venue at Spa-Francorchamps. My best lap, on new tyres and when I
tried my best, was perfect”, Regalia explained, adding, “those
results are really useful to boost my morale and confidence for
Belgium, where fourth meeting of 2011 season is scheduled in
August. There I want to continue improving my skills and
results”.
 F2000:
Championship leader Remy Audette bagged three more F2000 points
by taking the Afterburner Pole at Mosport for the first of two
F2000 Championship Series races this weekend in the #21 Audette
Racing Van Diemen.Audette, who set a fast lap of 1:21.317, will
be joined on the front row by rookie Kyle Connery, who is coming
off a win at Mid-Ohio, and trying to track down Audette from
second in the points.It was Audette’s first pole since VIR in
April, and the Canadian was able to just notch Connery, setting
a lap just under a tenth of a second up on the American.Audette
won at Mosport in the rain last year, but admitted the track
requires a much different approach in the dry as he looks for
his first win since Watkins Glen in June, when he swept the
weekend. Connery, meanwhile, had never been to Mosport before
Thursday practice, and is coming off a dominating win at
Mid-Ohio. The driver of the #91 CC Autosport and James Lee
Racing Van Diemen, like Audette, is looking for his fourth win
of the year as he tries to track down the Canadian from a 70
point deficit.
Pic: Valet
read more
 Star Mazda: In both hot and cool conditions
Thursday’s Star Mazda Championship testing at Mosport
International Raceway got underway. During the course of three
sessions French racer and current points leader Tristan Vautier
set the quickest time of the day, a 1:16.070 in his #5 JDC
Motorsports / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda, during the
relative cool of the morning.However
once got hot, Sage Karam, the 2010 USF2000 champion and Mazda
Road to Indy Scholarship driver who won the last two races (on
the ovals at Milwaukee and Iowa), turned in the quick times. In
the mid-day session he drove his #88 Andretti Autosport /
MAZDASPEED / Comfort Revolution Mazda to a 1:16.873 before
improving in the late afternoon by almost 0.4s with a 1:16.492.
Quickest of the Expert Series (for drivers 30 years and older)
was Texan J.W. Roberts, the 2010 Star Mazda Expert Series
champion, with a lap of 1:21.524 in his #65 Team GDT / General
Data Tech Mazda, set during the final session.
Read more
Ginetta Challenge
: HHC Motorsport once again proved its pace in the cut-throat world
of the Ginetta Challenge, where it recorded three top six
finishes at Brands Hatch at the weekend. Richard Sykes qualified
second for the opening 20-minute race and ran in second place
over the early laps until he was knocked into a spin at Graham
Hill Bend by a forceful Sean Huyton. Richard’s fightback was a
highlight of the race as he worked his way back into fifth spot,
but a late-race safety car period interrupted his challenge for
the podium. The race restarted but as the cars charged through
Paddock Hill Bend, a number slipped off into the gravel trap and
the race was stopped. That left Richard a frustrated fifth,
confident that he could have been better placed had the race run
its course. One of those drivers ensnared by the gravel was HHC
Motorsport’s Rick Parfitt but he was to be the star of race two.
From 10th on the grid, Rick kept out of trouble and fought his
way up to sixth place for a career-best finish in Ginetta
racing, while Sykes led the race having started on the front
row. Once again, though, the pack battled into contention and
muscled Richard down to fifth place.
 Castle Combe:
There are just 50 days to go until the Forge Motorsport Summer
Performance Car Action Day
at Castle Combe Circuit, on Saturday September 10th. And it’s
all geared up to be a massive packed paddock and track action
event – with almost 1,000 performance cars already booked in
from over 60 car clubs and a raft of new big name sponsors
signed up.The largest car club booking to date is from Briskoda,
with over 60 high performance Skodas confirmed. The Mercedes
Owners Club will be there in force, to celebrate their 125th
year. And there will be a huge display of Subarus, for a second
Castle Combe “Subaru Saturday” event run along with the Forge
Motorsport Action Day. The range, quality and quantity of
performance cars on display in the historic Castle Combe paddock
and out on the high-speed, testing 1.85-mile classic circuit
will take some beating.
Read more
 GT: Since Silverstone the acronym LMP could well stand for Lesoudier,
Martin, Podium!
The French team set up in 2010, which is competing in its first
international season, is already a contender for the European
GT3 category title. Its two Aston Martins put on a great
performance at home on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit. The no. 9
DBRS9 shared by Gaël Lesoudier and Maxime Martin scored its
third podium finish of the year. It is now in fourth place in
the FIA GT3 European Championship only 10 points behind the
leader, the equivalent of a fifth place. Next rounds will take
place at the brand new Bratislava Ring in Slovakia on 20-21
August, and then on the Zandvoort circuit in The Netherlands in
mid-October.
Read full report
Total Vauxhall Live:
The next event in Future’s Adrian Flux Auto event series, Total
Vauxhall Live
(TV Live) sponsored by Courtenay Sport, is being widely
anticipated by car enthusiasts as the countdown to the event
begins. Taking place on 30th July at Castle Combe Circuit, the
UK’s only circuit-based Vauxhall show will bring a taste of the
British Touring Car Championship to the South West. Uniting car
enthusiasts from across the country, some of the biggest names
in BTCC history will be attending the show, and TV Live will
showcase the finest racing champions, iconic racing cars and
displays from the best Vauxhall clubs. With an impressive record
of twenty times British Touring Car Champions, the Triple Eight
Race engineering team will be one of the highlights of the show.
Attendees will have the chance to meet the drivers James Nash
and Tony Gilham before they take to the Castle Combe Circuit in
their current championship cars. Other BTCC legends, John
Cleland and Jeff Allam, will also be at the circuit for TV Live,
driving their ex BTCC Vauxhall Cavalier GSI in demo sessions,
and also meeting with the crowd and signing autographs
throughout the day. Total Vauxhall Live is sponsored by
Adrian Flux and Courteney Sport. Children under 14 go free and
you can get your ticket online now at
http://live.totalvauxhall.co.uk/tickets/
21-07-11
.jpg) MG
Trophy
: The last time the MG Trophy visited Croft was in
April 2008 and their races were voted the best of the day
despite the headline act being the British F3 that weekend. A
lot has happened since then with MG back in business producing
road cars once again. MG Motor (UK) have publicly declared
backing for the Trophy Championship and this has been reinforced
with considerable support at races from MG dealers around the
country. Unfortunately this hasn’t been the case at this meeting
but co-ordinator Macwaters said “I’m very pleased that one of
our drivers, David Williams, has stepped in at the last minute
and sponsored both our races when the local MG dealers failed to
respond to my invitation to sponsor this event!” Williams, who
owns Cascade Print Systems Ltd, races a ZR 160 in class C of the
championship and had his best ever finish at the huge MG Live
event at Silverstone in June. Macwaters went on to say that
“David has got himself a bit of sponsorship from his local MG
dealer Apple, of Gravesend, who sponsored the Trophy’s opening
rounds at Brands Hatch in April”. “ It’s good to see that he, in
turn, is prepared to put some of that back by sponsoring these
races himself”. Most of the Trophy’s racing is done at MGCC
events but Croft is a circuit that the drivers voted for at
their drivers meeting. “Buying races is a risky business for us
in these difficult financial times however Croft is a track that
the drivers wanted to return to, so I’ve satisfied that request”
said Macwaters. The current leader in the championship is Oliver
Barnard in his ZR 160 closely followed by 2009 champion Chris
Bray (ZR 190) and 2010 champion Paul Streather in the ex Jack
Goff ZR 190. “Paul won the title last year in a ZR 160 and has
stepped up to the slick shod 190 for this season and he’s out to
show that he can do it again” said Macwaters.
Pic
by Dickon Siddall.
 F2000: One day before the F2000 Championship Series heads to Mosport for
rounds nine and ten of the 2011 season with the American Le Mans
Series (ALMS), Championship leader Remy Audette was on hand at a
major media and fan event in Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square.
Audette, from Quebec, spent the day in Canada’s biggest city to
meet fans, sign autographs, conduct interviews, and show off his
#21 Audette Racing Van Diemen. Cars were on display in the heart
of downtown Toronto, from 9 a.m., with the fan events happening
around noon, including an immensely popular autograph session
which featured Audette and drivers from ALMS. Along with
Audette’s #21, Corvette Racing’s ALMS GT car was on display,
along with the Aston Martin Muscle Milk Prototype, and various
other cars from the six different series racing at the 10-turn
Canadian road course in Ontario this weekend. The Canadian, who
has won three F2000 races this year, signed hundreds of hero
cards, and met with local media, conducting a number of radio
and TV interviews on a small media tour for Audette Racing and
the F2000 Championship Series. The F2000 Series had officials on
the ground to help promote the Championship, answering
questions, working with media, and also giving away boxes of
hero cards, stickers and promotional materials. It was a busy
day for Audette, who also drives the team’s tractor/trailer,
which arrived in Toronto on Tuesday night, and left in the
afternoon to load into the F2000 paddock for an early morning
practice session on Thursday, July 21.pic f2000
 Formula
Renault BARC:
Hector Hurst is looking forward to some good results in the
second half
of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship,
starting at Croft this weekend. The Scorpio Motorsport driver
has used the series’ eight week break to prepare mentally and
physically for the remaining six races of the season and is
feeling confident of some strong performances. The season
started well for Hector in the opening rounds at Donington Park
with a fifth place finish in his debut car race, before he
recovered from two drive through penalties to take twelfth in
the next race. Next at Brands Hatch he had his first retirement,
caused by a startline incident, before a solid run to thirteenth
in Round 4 At Oulton Park, a strong opening race saw him up to
fourth before contact from a rival forced him to retire again,
which he followed up with fourteenth in Round Six. Since then
an eight week lull which left Hector frustrated as he has been
unable to get out on circuit. So Hector, who turned 19 this
week, has been keeping busy keeping fit and building up
sponsorship packages. “It’s quite tricky in the summer as any
sportsman would want to be out practising their particular field
as much as possible, so it can be quite tough in Motorsport
because running is very limited, especially in this
championship.” He did get some track time however with a one off
appearance in the Mazda MX5 Championship. “The series organisers
have given all the BARC drivers a great opportunity by allowing
us to enter the Masters by Formula 3 event in August. To be
eligible for this you needed the full license and as this is my
first year I didn’t have that, so I chose to do some cheaper
racing. I did one round of the Mazda MX5 Championship at Oulton
Park, which was actually huge amounts of fun, so thanks to
Finish Line Racing for the great work they put in for that one
off weekend. I helped them develop their car, because they
hadn’t had much running with the Mazda before that, so it was
good to help out an up and coming team. The first race I climbed
up onto the podium, then in the dry we weren’t so fast, but
overall it was a good weekend though.” Looking ahead to the
remaining six races of the season, Hector was quick not to make
predictions. “Previously I think I might have had a bit of a
flaw where I’ve predicted results based on how fast we’ve been
at those particular tracks, putting unnecessary pressure on
myself. So I’m not going to say where we should be, but some
good results are definitely on the cards. There is no reason why
we can ‘t be running at the front as long as all the bits of the
puzzle stay together.”
 Cadwell Park hosts
an event with a difference on Sunday 31 July when Modified Live
roars in for a day
of high-octane entertainment. ‘Summer in the Park’ features
Europe ’s hottest modified car show and is a popular attraction.
On track the action is topped by the European Drift
Championship. The sport of drifting requires competitors to
spend as much time as possible on the circuit moving sideways in
a balletic display of car control. Points are awarded to the
most spectacular drivers, so entertainment is guaranteed!
Equally impressive is the Time Attack series. Featuring some of
the fastest modified cars on the planet, the drivers race
against the clock for the quickest lap of the track. Many of
these cars have to be seen to be believed as they record
breathtaking times around the twists of the challenging and
undulating Lincolnshire circuit. There’s also action for race
fans as the Mighty Minis take to the track for some frantic and
timeless fun. The series’ are renowned for close racing with
packed grids and whilst not the quickest cars of the weekend,
they’re just as entertaining to watch. However it’s not all
about on-track action at Modified Live. All around the circuit
there’s a variety of things to do, including a show and shine
contest for the best looking car plus a competition to find the
next grid girl. Tickets
for Modified Live at Cadwell Park on 31 July are available in
advance from £17, with free admission for children aged 12 and
under. For more information call 0843 453 9000 or visit
www.cadwellpark.co.uk.
 Formula
2: Double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly
Holmes is to make a guest appearance at her local circuit of
Brands Hatch this weekend for rounds nine and ten of the FIA
Formula Two Championship. The Kentish athlete, who won two gold
medals at the Athens Olympics games in 2004, will be the guest
of honour at the prestigious event which takes place from 22-24
July.Kelly will join fellow guests for the pre-race grid walk at
the 2.3 mile Grand Prix circuit meeting drivers such as title
leader Mirko Bortolotti and British hopefuls Jack Clarke and
Alex Brundle, son of BBC F1 commentator Martin. She will also
make the podium presentations to the winning drivers on
Saturday. Commenting ahead of the weekend Kelly said: “I’m
delighted to be attending my first ever Formula Two event and at
Brands Hatch which is my local circuit. I have a lot of respect
for racing drivers as, like Olympic athletes, they have to be
incredibly fit in order to cope with the G-forces developed by
the cars. It will be great to see them in action around the
Brands Hatch track as most people won't know that I am hoping to
get into racing myself. Maybe one of them can give me a few
tips!" Tickets for this weekend’s event are still available
with Saturday admission priced from just £12 and £21 on Sunday
with children aged 12 and under going free all weekend. For more
information call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk.
20-07-11
 The
F2000 Championship
Series roars into Mosport this weekend
with Canadian Remy Audette, from Sainte-Anne-du-Lac, Quebec, on
top of the points’ standings with three wins in eight races in
his #21 Audette Racing Van Diemen/Zetec. A tentative entry lists
stands 27 cars strong. Eight races down, six to go (two of those
are at Mosport this weekend), Audette leads American rookie Kyle
Connery by 67 points. Connery also has three wins this year in
his #91 Van Diemen. pic: Valet
Read more
Spa
24 Hours:
Seven Audi R8 LMS GT3 class sports cars will contest the 63rd
running of the Spa 24 Hours first staged in 1924 with Britain’s
only official Audi “customer” team, United Autosports, aiming
for glory with a three-car entry. .Having led the GT3 class and
achieved third and fourth places in its maiden 24 hour race in
last year’s corresponding event, Leeds-based United Autosports
heads to the beautiful Ardennes region of Belgium aiming for
outright race glory. Former Le Mans 24 Hour race winners Mark
Blundell (GB) and Stefan Johansson (SE) plus 1998 Indianapolis
500 race winner, Eddie Cheever (USA), three former Formula One
“pilots” who raced for United Autosports at Spa last year, are
joined by another Le Mans race and F1 Grand Prix winner, Johnny
Herbert (GB), plus double Indy 500 race winner Arie Luyendyk
(NL). Read more
 Formula
3:
Facu Regalia isn’t getting a lot of rest at the moment,
just days after his first F3 podium at Imola the Argentinean
driver heads for another test , this time at Adria. The Team
Ghinzani driver heads to the track near Venice on Thursday.
“After my podium at Imola I am focused on test session at Adria.
I know this track, because during pre-season tests, we were
there. It is very short, less than three kilometers long, and
Adria has another important feature: it is narrow and we can
hardly try an overtaking attempt. For us to find a good set-up
there for qualifying session is our main aim, because our
position on the starting grid could decide our chances”, he
explained. “This test is also useful to keep our good shape for
Spa-Francorchamps, a meeting which is scheduled on 7th August.
Belgium venue hits halfway mark, and it is a track I really
enjoy. A classic circuit in motorsport and where I will try to
be on top”.
 Formula
Renault BARC : MGR Motorsport has
confirmed Luke Wright will return to the Protyre Formula
Renault BARC Championship at Croft this weekend as an 11th hour
replacement for regular driver Russell Danzey. With budget
difficulties keeping 17-year-old Danzey on the sidelines for the
seventh and eighth rounds of the 2011 championship, Wright – who
is competing in the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK this season –
has stepped-in as a late replacement for the Loughborough squad.
The 18-year-old, who graduated to cars in the 2009 Formula
Renault UK Winter Series and competed in Formula Renault BARC
last year, is something of a Croft specialist having enjoyed
good results at the track in both single-seaters and saloons. In
Formula Renault BARC last year, Wright secured his first victory
at the venue on his way to a top six championship finish which
also included four other podium visits. In Clio Cup this year,
he achieved his maiden category podium at Croft with second
place in June. Wright also has strong links with MGR Motorsport
having raced for the team in the 2010 Formula Renault UK Winter
Series. “We’re delighted to have Luke with us at Croft this
weekend but obviously disappointed for Russell that he’s had to
pull out of this one”, said team principal Mark Godwin, “This
will give him a bit more time to get the sponsorship in – he
hopes to be back out for the next round at Thruxton”. At Croft
this weekend Wright will join regular MGR racers Matt Mason and
David Wagner who are currently ninth and 11th in the
championship standings respectively. For 18-year-old Mason 2011
is his first season in cars while fellow 18-year-old Wagner only
has marginally more experience having debuted in last year’s
Winter Series.
 Formula
Ford:
Dan de Zille took part in his second Belgium EuroCup race this
month,
after his double podium adventures in Spa Francorchamps. This
round also counted for the Dutch Formula Ford Championship. With
25 cars on the grid at Belgium's former Grand Prix venue and the
track notorious for being a difficult circuit on which to pass,
Dan was playing catch-up after not being able to test at Zolder
before practice and it was once again Scott Malvern who romped
to a double victory of the weekend.After qualifying in 15th
position in Practice on Friday problems arose in both races, run
in tricky conditions amongst a whole new field of Dutch
competitors on their home circuit. Finishing both races well
down the order (12th in Race 1 and 15th in Race 2) it was only
after race 2 where a brake balance problem was found and thought
to be affecting Dan’s performance all weekend. Disappointment
for the Jersey based driver, following his success in the GT4
Challenge at Spa. However Dan is still lying 6th in the overall
driver Championship standings and is looking forward to the
fourth and final EuroCup event supporting the Zandvoort F3
Masters in the Netherlands in mid-August, with the three Dutch
races also counting towards the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford
Championship of Great Britain.
 Karts:
Ed Brand left onlookers stunned after posting a lap-time
that would have put him on the 3rd row of the grid at Brands
Hatch,
despite never having driven a racing car before. The 16-year old
Kart racer’s abilities in karting are well-documented, but quite
how they would translate into handling a two litre sports car
remained completely unknown - until last Friday (15 July).“I
have to say I was bowled over. He was really impressive,” said
Juno Racing Cars’ Ewan Baldry. “I was quite shocked how he
went.” Prior to the test, Ed - who races with the Strawberry
Racing team and is currently leads the British Super One Rotax
Championship - has long stated that he intends to pursue a
career in the elite category of sports car racing, LMP1, when he
graduates from karts to cars. “For me, GT and sports car racing
is proper racing. I like F1 but have always preferred the sort
of cars you see at Le Mans, so when I was offered the chance to
drive the works Juno, I jumped at it” Ed explained. “To begin
with, I didn’t realise just how quick it was! My first two laps
were very steady and then I thought, ‘Let’s open the taps and
see what we can do.’ Two very hairy moments followed. In the
first I had all four wheels on the grass and the car slewed
sideways but I managed to collect it. The second time round, I
beached it in the gravel.” As the team prepped the car for the
following session, Ed received some welcome advice from Juno
works driver Darren Burke and swiftly put it into practice,
recording a best time of 46.6s on the Indy circuit, leaving
Baldry somewhat taken aback.“I was blown away. That lap would
have put him 5th or 6th on the grid, in the corresponding Speed
Series fixture last time we were here, and just one second off
pole. Okay, round the Indy layout a second is quite a lot - but
not when you consider Ed has never driven a car before. It’s
actually very impressive.” He added, “When we looked at the
data, Ed was matching Darren’s speeds through Paddock (Hill
Bend) and Druids (corner). For his age, he’s very mature, not
egotistical in any way and full of potential.” After his
initial outing, Ed is keen to gain more experience and believes
this is only the beginning: “I liked the car a lot. Compared
with my kart, I’ve done a full day’s testing and nothing hurts!
The Juno is so comfortable, which gives you confidence. I’m
pleased with my performance but know there is still more to
come.”He returns to Super One duties this weekend (23/24 July)
at Buckmore Park in Kent, where he is looking to extend his
points lead and add to his tally of five victories this season.
 FIA
GT:
Over the weekend Hexis AMR were again struck by their ‘Paul
Ricard jinx’ For the third year on the trot, the team’s home
race proved to be a frustrating event for the FIA GT1 vice
champions. However just as the cars set off for China it has two
good reasons to be satisfied. Firstly, Andrea Piccini’s and
Christian Hohenadel’s fifth place, snatched against the odds,
and secondly, the determination the whole team showed ,repairing
the damage suffered by the Dusseldorp-Piccione Aston Martin on
Saturday, and getting it onto the grid 24 hours later.
Read report
Radical UK Cup:
Terrence Woodward celebrated his first solo drive in the Radical
UK Cup last weekend
at Brands Hatch with a comfortable victory, having dominated the
second half of the race in his Radical SR8. But heavy showers
proved an equaliser in the second race, and after finishing as
runners up on Saturday, Mark Smithson and Stuart Moseley
celebrated their first outright victory together in their SR3.
read report
The champagne was flowing in the Marks Electrical Racing pit at
Brands Hatch
last weekend, when after winning their class and finishing
second overall in the Radical UK Cup on Saturday, Mark Smithson
and Stuart Moseley took their first outright win together in
Sunday’s encounter.
Read report
360 Racing team leader Terrence Woodward celebrated his first solo drive in
the Radical UK Cup, with a fairly dominant race win at Brands
Hatch last Saturday. Terrence was expecting to share with Ross
Kaiser, “it was his fiancée’s birthday and he chose to spend
with her, rather than me,” joked Terrence.
Read team report
 Superleague
Formula:
Craig Dolby experienced a weekend of highs and lows as Superleague
Formula visited Zolder in Belgium, where the Englishman took a
brilliant victory in the opening race but was left wondering
what might have been after technical gremlins ruled him out of
the second run and dash-for-cash Superfinal.
Read report
19-07-11
 Club
racing:
No fewer than 15 races will take place at Croft Circuit this coming weekend
(23-24 July) as part of a BARC programme of club racing for
saloons, single-seaters and sportscars. Seven different
categories will be in action in a succession of 15-25 minute
races with more than 150 drivers are set to take to the track
over the weekend.Headlining is the Darlington & District Motor
Club’s Northern Sports & Saloon Car Championship which alone has
attracted an oversubscribed entry of 50 competitors. This has
led to organisers splitting the field into two grids to
accommodate numbers at what is the championship’s ‘spiritual
home’. Also on the bill is the Protyre Formula Renault BARC
single-seater series as well as Honda V-Tecs, MGs, Sports
Saloons, the Scottish Motor Racing Club’s Ford Fiesta
championship and a grid of ‘leaning’ Citroen 2CVs! The iconic
French cars will be in action three times over the weekend – in
two championship races plus, on the Saturday evening, a mini
two-hour endurance race featuring driver-changes. One to watch
will undoubtedly be Jeff Wilson from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who is
unbeaten so far this season in Northern Sports & Saloons with
victories in each of the four races he has contested in his
Lotus Elise (pictured). He’ll also be going for gold in the 2CV
enduro. Despite his four wins, Wilson is some way behind in the
overall standings after missing two races. Leading thanks to
wins in his class in all six races to date is Mike Cutt in his
BMW. Cutt said: “I need to keep my consistency going – I’m only
two points ahead and there are some other very strong contenders
in some of the other classes who also keep winning so it’s
important that I keep racking up maximum scores.” Among those
seeking to close the gap to Cutt is the reigning Champion Paul
Moss from Darlington – he’s back in sixth after losing ground in
the opening round with a mechanical problem with his Citroen
Saxo.This weekend begins on Saturday with qualifying sessions
from 9:30am, followed by five races starting at 3:30pm. Sunday’s
schedule starts just after midday and consists of a further ten
races. Tickets cost just £12 per day (payable on the gate) with
admission for accompanied children aged 15 and under FREE.
 Star
Mazda:
After a trio of oval-track races,
the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear returns this
weekend to the 10 turn, 2.4-mile road course at Mosport
International Raceway for Round 6 at the Mobil1 Presents the
Grand Prix of Mosport. Two of those oval races, Round 4 at the
Milwaukee Mile and Round 5 at Iowa Speedway, were won by Sage
Karam while the other two-race winner so far this season, Connor
De Phillippi, won the season-opener at the Grand Prix of St.
Petersburg as well as the first of the three ovals, the Night
Before the 500 at Lucas Oil Raceway. Karam and De Phillippi are
currently 2nd and 3rd in the championship battle. Leading the
points with one win and a series of consistently high finishes
is French racer Tristan Vautier.
Read more
 Sports
2000:
David Pittard made great strides in his Championship assault
on the Sports 2000 Title with a win and a 4th place supporting
the World Touring Car Championship at Donington Park last
weekend. read
report
Intersteps: Patryk Szczerbinski broke the
Fortec stranglehold in the Intersteps Championship at a wet
Donington Park, with a lights to flag win over
championship leader Jake Dennis. Although Szczerbinski secured
another podium finish in the weekends finale, two wins for
Dennis kept his chase for the title on track.
Read report
 Saloons:
Josh Wakefield took three wins in the Dunlop Production Trophy
races
(Class B) at Donington Park over the weekend, driving a Fiat
Abarth 500 as the WTCC meeting. As Wakefield explained “I was
asked to take part in the Dunlop Production Touring car
championship at Donington Park driving a Fiat Abarth 500, my
previous year's race car, just to help expand the grid. This
was seen as a great opportunity for me to learn the track in
preparation for one of the later rounds in this years British GT
championship”.There were three races over the weekend with one
on Saturday and the remaining two on Sunday. After qualifying on
pole for Class B Wakefield took the Class lead in Race1 from
the start held it throughout to cross the finish for his first
victory of the weekend. The second race on Sunday morning began
well ld and resulted in Josh taking another 1st place in class
after leading the race from start to finish. The final race was
a bit more challenging as one lap into the race it started to
rain quite heavily. Wakefield was out on slicks and after
starting in first place he dropped back to second and third at
times, due to difficult track conditions. After having to avoid
the cars ahead, some of which had spun off the circuit due to
tricky conditions, Wakefield also went off the track twice,
although he was conscious of the fact that as this was a one-off
drive he didn't want to damage the car. Despite his caution he
still managed to fight his way back to the front for his third
successive win of the weekend. Afterwards Josh summed up a
successful weekend “It was a great weekend and I would like to
thank everyone involved. It was great to be there with the WTCC
and I am now ready for the British GT visit to the circuit in
September.” pic
Chris Roberts/WiderViewPhoto
Having taken his maiden victory at Rockingham, Gary Duckman’s
Seat Leon
was the car to beat in the Dunlop Production Touring Cars at a
wet Donington. He just lost out to championship leader Adrian
Churchill in the first race, but was unbeatable during the rest
of the weekend.
read report
Mini Challenge:
Rain, red flags and more rain made it more of a survival
exercise than a race weekend
for the Mini Challenge at Brands Hatch. Despite all this
reigning champion Lee Allen shone through to claim two victories
and put himself firmly at the head of the chase for this year’s
crown too. Saturday’s race was on a drying track but only lasted
a matter of yards before it was red flagged. Nine cars were off
between the entrance and exit of Paddock Hill Bend! Poleman
Chris Knox, Sam Osborne and Lee Allen had all got through, but
Lee’s father George had electrical problems as he pulled away
and mayhem ensued resulting in the first red flag of the
weekend. Read report
Radicals:
Darron Anley took his maiden victory in the Radical Club Cup
with a dominant performance
in the first race of the weekend. But the second was red flagged
after a serious accident when David Jacobs’ SR3 went off at
Paddock Hill Bend, just missing a group of marshals who were
making a live snatch.
Read report
Ginetta Challenge:
Clive Richards and Mark Davies mirrored their successes of a month
ago by taking wins in the Ginetta Challenge at Brands Hatch,
this time on the Indy circuit. Davies won the opening 20-minute
race, his Optimum Motorsport-run car taking a lights to flag
win. His quest was aided by a tremendous battle for second place
involving Richard Sykes (HHC Motorsport), Sean Huyton (Academy
Motorsport) and Mike Robinson (TCR), the three disputing second
place and allowing Davies to break away. Race two was important
for Richards, after a spin to eighth in race one he needed of a
good result. After a hard fight with both Sean Huyton and
Davies he came out on top to take the win.
Read report
 GT
Cup:
Chevron Racing Cars made a stunning race debut in the GT Cup Championship inaugural
victory in the ballistic Chevron GR8 GT at Brands Hatch Indy
Circuit. Rising star, Jordan Witt, just 20 years old, took a
huge victory – by over 11 seconds – in the second of two sprint
races in the Chevron GR8 GT Car, blitzing Ferrari 430’s and
Porsche 911 GT3 racers to take the chequred flag in style, in
the pouring rain. Read report
 GP2:
British racer Jolyon Palmer is hoping Germany ’s
Nürburgring will yield his maiden GP2 points
finish when the series visits there this coming weekend for
rounds 11 and 12. The 20-year-old, who drives for Arden
International, has already shown great potential as one of the
leading rookie drivers in the F1 feeder-series but is still
chasing his first points score after coming frustratingly close
on many occasions.Jolyon, runner-up in the 2010 FIA Formula Two
Championship, is now looking forward to racing on the 5.148
German F1 venue, especially after a solid couple of weekends at
Valencia and his home circuit of Silverstone last time
out. Indeed, as well as out pacing his experienced team-mate,
Josek Kral, in every session at the Northamptonshire circuit,
Jolyon finished in a superb 10th place during the opening
Feature Race only to be later handed a 30-second denying him a
likely points finish in the weekend’s second race. “I’m looking
forward to the Nürburgring circuit,” said Jolyon. “I like the
flow of the circuit and I’m looking forward to building on a
solid couple of weekends at Valencia and Silverstone. Hopefully
this weekend I can improve and get some points.”
18-07-11
 Porsche
Carrera Cup GB:
Australia-based British racer Ben Barker will join Parr
Motorsport
for the Snetterton (6/7 August) and Knockhill (3/4 September)
rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB during a mid-season break
in the schedule for the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia. After
winning the 2010 Australian Formula 3 title, Barker (20) has
been impressive in the Carrera Cup Australia with Team BRM,
taking pole position at round two in Perth and is currently
sixth in the championship standings. Barker, originally from
Cambridge, started his racing in karts and then contested the
2009 British Formula Ford Championship before switching his
career to Australia. “I’m very excited to be returning to the UK
during the break in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia,” said Barker.
“I haven’t raced in the UK since my first year in car racing
back in 2009, so after some decent seat time in Australia, I’m
confident I can show my pace and produce some good results in
the Carrera Cup GB. I’m looking forward to the challenge. “The
main aim is to get my name a little more known back in Europe,”
said Barker. “It will also keep me on my toes for the Australian
series when I return to Phillip Island. In only my third year in
car racing, I need to drive as much as possible; the more
experience I get, the better driver I’ll become.” After
competing in the Carrera Cup GB, Barker will return to Australia
for round four of Carrera Cup Australia at the L&H 500 at
Phillip Island, Victoria in mid-September. “We’re excited to
have Ben on board,” said Paul Robe of Parr Motorsport. “He’s
been identified as a rising star in British motorsport so we’re
optimistic that he can produce some good results and mix it with
the front runners. He’s got some experience in the car and of
the circuits and with some testing we feel that he’ll do well.
We’re looking forward to working with him.”
 Radical
UK Cup:
Bradley Ellis recorded a rare DNF at the Brands Hatch Dunlop
Radical UK Cup
event on Sunday. A broken driveshaft ruined his unblemished home
track podium record after what should have been a promising
front row start for round 10 and a shot at his first race
victory of the season. The disappointing result and only
non-finish of the year followed his impressive fifth place
finish in the Supersport category in Saturday’s round nine in
challenging weather conditions.
Read report
 Touring
cars:
Jann Mardenborough, the Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy 2011
champion,
recorded a notable first in class, third overall, finish at the
Donington Park round of the Production Touring Car Trophy (16 &
17 July). More importantly, the weekend’s results have moved
Jann another step closer to qualifying for an international race
licence. With the 19-year-old from Cardiff collecting valuable
signatures at Donington, his licence has now been upgraded from
National ‘B’ to National ‘A’, and his motor sport CV now reads;
two race meetings, two podiums. Jann had a good start to the
weekend, with his class win coming in the first of the races. A
racing incident led to his retirement in the second race,
following a broken wheel and a puncture. The retirement saw Jann
starting the final race from the back of the grid, but he fought
his way through the field to finish sixth overall, whilst
recording the fastest lap of the race. “We set out what we
wanted to achieve, get the results and race finishes to qualify
for the licence upgrade,” enthused Jann Mardenborough. “It was
great racing for the first time on a track like Donington where
I could test myself against similar level of cars. It was a bit
different from my first races at Pembrey. Here at Donington you
had to perfect your race craft and it was an amazing feeling to
overtake cars because you earned it.” Jann’s transition from
virtual racing expert to real racing driver, continues at
Silverstone, where he is put through a programme of fitness,
karting and driving tests. His next competitive outing in the
Nissan 370Z race car will be at the Castle Combe round of the
Britcar Production Cup (23 & 24 July).
 Formula
3:
Victory number seven of Felipe Nasr’s brilliant 2011 season was secured during round
18 of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series at
Paul Ricard yesterday afternoon, Sunday, 17th July – a
drama-filled final lap allowing the Brazilian star to enjoy a
magnificent double success on French soil. Running in third
place and on course for his 12th podium of the campaign whatever
the outcome on the last lap, the dominant points leader couldn’t
believe his good fortune when team-mate Kevin Magnussen and
Antonio Felix da Costa collided at the last corner. For Felipe,
the outcome was all the sweeter after earlier suffering
front-wing damage through some aggressive driving from Magnussen.
Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography
read report
 Menasheh
Idafar emerged from two incident-packed, and wildly
unpredictable, Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International
Series races at Paul Ricard in
France today, Sunday, 17th July, with a pair of very hard-fought
top 12 results. As during Saturday’s 16th round, until his
unfortunate exhaust failure became apparent, the 20-year-old
performed very well indeed in both encounters and certainly
deserved at least one points finish from the weekend. Pic
Jakob Ebrey Photography read
report
 Bart
Hylkema confirmed his intent to be a major player
in the top tier of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3
International Series at Paul Ricard in France on Sunday, 17th
July, after rounding out his debut weekend as an ‘International
Class’ driver with a fantastic eighth place finish. Undeniably
the dominant force in the championship’s ‘Rookie Class’ over the
first half of the year, the 21-year-old opted to make the
step-up to the headline division ahead of this weekend’s
encounter and despite no prior running in his new Dallara-Volkswagen
he quickly got up to speed. Two extremely unfortunate
non-finishes in rounds 16 and 17 made for a trying and
frustrating start to his maiden race meeting in the
International Class but the Dutch racer put all of that firmly
behind him in round 18 on Sunday afternoon. Pic
Jakob Ebrey Photography
Read report
 Gary
Thompson overcame a frustrating Japanese Formula 3 Championship
outing at Fuji
International Speedway to score a pair of top-five finishes in
rounds six and seven last weekend. Ireland’s promising junior
single seater ace had earmarked the former Japanese Grand Prix
venue as the place to re-affirm his National Class title
aspirations having notched up a double podium there last month.
Read report
WTCC:
Yvan Muller struck back in Donington Park, claiming a double
victory and cutting by half his gap in the points from Rob
Huff to just 15 points. The Chevrolet team is a steamroller and
it’s drivers are re-writing the WTCC records, with 13 wins in a
single season and two back-to-back victories in the same weekend
for one driver, Huff at Monza and Muller at Donington. The
fight between Muller and Huff for the WTCC title becomes hotter
and hotter as again one of the races was decided by a
controversial manoeuvre. Two weeks ago in Porto Huff stole the
leadership from Muller by cutting a chicane, while on Sunday at
Donington Muller overtook Huff after hitting the rear bumper of
his car, costing the British driver three places on the starting
grid for the next race at Oschersleben. As for Alain Menu, he
now seems resigned to the role of the 'third man' having lost
more points from his team-mates; despite finishing third and
fifth in Sunday's races, the Swiss racer is now 71 points off
the championship lead. Franz Engstler had his best weekend ever
in WTCC, winning both races in the Yokohama Trophy and claiming
his first overall podium in the championship. The championship
will resume at Oschersleben, Germany, on July 31st for rounds 15
and 16.
Auto GP:
Dutch driver-team combination Daniël De Jong and MP Motorsport
enjoyed a positive debut in the Auto GP Championship at
Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend, 16th/17th
July, with the 19-year-old taking a best result of sixth
position during an extremely wet first race. For De Jong, who is
dovetailing selected events in Auto GP alongside his commitments
in Formula Renault 3.5 Series, this weekend’s race meeting
marked his first ever experience of the British track in
addition to his maiden run in the 550hp Zytek-engined Lola
chassis. MP Motorsport also broke new ground with its first
appearance in Auto GP, the front-running Eurocup Formula Renault
2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup team
unsurprisingly proving capable of delivering a competitive car
on its debut in the category.pic Autogp Read
report
 FIA
GT: Just one week after having
distinguished himself
in the 25 Hours VW Fun Cup at Spa-Francorchamps, young Belgian
Maxime Martin was back in business with the FIA GT1 World
Championship and the European FIA GT3 Championship, this time at
the French circuit of Paul Ricard in the Var.
read report
 The
German duo of Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr followed up Saturday's
GT1 Qualifying Race victory in the no.23 JRM Racing Nissan GT-R
with more of the same in today's Championship Race at Paul
Ricard, leading from beginning to end and putting themselves
back on top of the GT1 Drivers' Championship standings in the
process. The no.21 Sumo Power GT of David Brabham and Jamie
Campbell-Walter clinched an excellent fourth place after making
up seven grid positions during the course of the race, whilst
there were also good drives from Enrique Bernoldi and Nick
Catsburg in the no.20 car. The only sour note of the afternoon
for Nissan came with the retirement of the luckless no.22 JRM,
which encountered suspension problems late on in the race when
challenging for third place. Read
report
 Silverstone
Classic:
Fourteen celebrities, who have all been specially trained,
will tear up the Tarmac at Silverstone this weekend in 130mph
Morgan Roadster lightweight race cars in the Silverstone Classic
‘Celebrity Challenge’. Run in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund for
Cancer Research UK, the Celebrity Challenge is just one of the
attractions at the world’s biggest classic car racing festival,
which runs from this Friday to Sunday, 22-24 July.Sky Sports
presenter Vicky Gomersall and BBC Radio 2’s Sally ‘Traffic’
Boazman are the latest dare-devils to obtain their official race
licenses. Vicky and Sally join Jo Wood and model Zoe Cole on the
grid and they’re hoping the girls will show the boys the way
home when they make their racing debuts. “I hear that Rick
Parfitt Jr won the race last year – well he needs to step aside
because there’s a new champion in town!” laughed Vicky.
“Basically, I just want the women to win. It won’t be easy,
though, and it could be a bit scary. In fact, I think this is
probably the scariest thing I have every done. I’ve jumped out
of a plane before, but this is going to be right up there."
Sally Boazman is slightly less confident of a win, but she’s
still relishing the opportunity to race at the famous Grand Prix
venue. “It’s going to be a real challenge to drive around
Silverstone for 20 minutes and not make a complete pig’s ear of
it… which I probably will do! But as I keep saying to everyone,
if you come along and watch at least you’ll have a good laugh. I
hope that us girlies will outdo the boys – we’ll certainly give
it a good go,” she said. The girls face tough competition when
they take to the track for the race, on Saturday. Heston
Blumenthal, Brendan Cole (Zoe’s husband) and ex-England
footballer Luther Blissett are three of the names who are
returning for a second appearance in the Celebrity Challenge.
Last year’s winner Rick Parfitt Jnr is also back to defend his
title while The Apprentice winner Lee McQueen, ‘Comedy’ Dave
from Radio 1, actor Jimmy Akingbola and drummer Paul Stewart
(The Feeling) are all set to make their racing debut. Last
year’s Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge raised over
£25,000 for the charity and the celebrities are aiming to beat
that target in 2011. All the drivers can be sponsored via the
Bobby Moore Fund website at
www.bobbymoorefund.org.
DTM:
From 2012 on, Audi will bank on the A5 in the DTM. The
coupe, which is internally named "R17," will replace the
four-door A4 DTM with which Audi has won the DTM title four
times since 2004. The technically and visually upgraded A5 that
will be arriving at dealerships shortly provides the basis for
the new DTM car. "In 2012 new Technical Regulations will come
into effect in the DTM," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr.
Wolfgang Ullrich. "We’ve got exactly the right model for that in
the A5. We’re convinced that we’ll be able to continue Audi’s
success story with it in the DTM." The new technical
specifications have been worked out by the German Motorsport
Association (DMSB) and the DTM umbrella organization ITR in
close cooperation with the automobile manufacturers. "Our
engineers have been involved in bringing up safety in the DTM,
which had already been high before, to the highest possible
level," explains Dr. Ullrich. "At Le Mans this year we learned
again that our concept of designing safety structures is a very
good and appropriate one. This is exactly what we’ve been trying
to feed into the DTM’s safety concept together with our
colleagues from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. This new principle is an
outstanding example of what is possible when employees of three
premium manufacturers try to achieve a common aim: to get the
best possible, lowest-cost and safest vehicle - and a fantastic
car in general - off the ground." Like all new DTM cars, the new
Audi A5 DTM has a high-strength carbon-fibre monocoque that is
combined with a steel tube cage. In addition to the A- and
C-pillars the new regulations prescribe a B-pillar in front of
the driver’s head to be installed in the future. The sidewalls
of the vehicles feature a hybrid design with a carbon, Zylon and
Rohacell construction that is structurally reinforced by pegs.
In case of a side impact the walls have to be able to withstand
a static load that is about four times higher than before. "The
sidewall has been reinforced so that the new DTM vehicle can be
exposed to a side impact (T-bone crash) without the wall
failing," explains Dr. Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi
Sport. "Up to now, a bearable side force of 80 kN at a specified
point has been required whereas for the 2012-specification
vehicles 360 kN across the whole length of the sidewall is now
required. This means that the monocoque has not only been
reinforced at a certain point but across the entire length."
The requirements for the front and rear crash absorbers have
been increased as well. "At higher speed lower deceleration is
specified in order to protect the driver even better than
before," says Dr. Mühlmeier. "To achieve this, a crash test with
the whole vehicle is now prescribed for the first time as well -
according to FIA standards with 14 meters per second forward and
backward against a rigid wall. In the past, ‘only’ the front and
rear crash elements had to be driven against a wall with a
sled." The first prototype of the R17 is currently being built
up at Audi Sport in Ingolstadt. The roll-out is just around the
corner. The new Audi A5 DTM will be unveiled to the public at
the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The V8 engine
with about 460 hp will be adopted from the successful A4 DTM
nearly unchanged. The proven six-speed transmission will
continue to be used as well.
 Formula
Student:
Coatings specialist Zircotec
lent its technical and commercial support to 10 teams at Formula
Student 2011 held at Silverstone last weekend. The firm’s
ceramic coatings were used by a number of the participants
including University of Hertfordshire, Coventry University and
Cambridge, the latter adopting Zircotec’s patented carbon
composite coating to protect a composite bulkhead. “Zircotec
believes that Formula Student is an extremely worthwhile
activity, helping participants to understand and implement the
technologies of today’s contemporary race cars,” says Zircotec’s
managing director Terry Graham. “We now offer a growing number
of teams our coating service as a component part of a formal
sponsorship package. Teams have access to our coatings and other
products and in return we require them to provide a technical
report of the results achieved. This way we can both learn from
the use of the coating on the car.” Zircotec’s coatings are
appreciated by many of the teams using motorbike engines that
tend to run hot in the Formula Student installation. “We are
coating exhausts that keep heat inside the exhaust to prevent
damage to surrounding components as well as supplying heat
resistant foils to protect fuel lines, batteries and the
driver,” says Graham. “This year we also coated a composite
bulkhead and we expect to see more of these lightweight
materials requiring protection in future Formula Student cars.”
Zircotec is equally keen to expand links with International
universities and used this year’s event at Silverstone to meet
teams from Italy, Australia, Germany, France and Holland. “We
visited most of the teams during the week and provided samples
of our ZircoFlex foil for them to solve last minute heat
issues,” adds Graham. “The level of engineering on these cars is
often outstanding and we welcome further co-operation with
universities outside of the UK in the coming years.”
17-07-11
DTM:
In head-to-head duels at the 1.192 kilometres long track,
Mercedes-Benz driver Bruno Spengler made it all the way
from the last 16 to the finale and won the decisive battle
against Audi driver Edoardo Mortara, “This is just fantastic.
Winning in front of so many people and in such an incredible
atmosphere is simply great. For five seconds, I felt like being
on a different planet. I was having great fun”, the 27-year old
winner said. On his way to the overall win, Spengler had beaten,
next to his final opponent Mortara, his fellow Mercedes-Benz
drivers Christian Vietoris and Jamie Green and Miguel Molina
(Audi). Mortara defeated Renger van der Zande, David Coulthard
and Susie Stoddart (all Mercedes-Benz). Vietoris and Van der
Zande were tied in third place. Read
more
 Formula
3: Facu Regalia claimed his first podium in the
Italian Formula 3
championship today with an excellent third place finish in race
one at Imola. Regalia, who has completed just four races in
Formula 3, didn´t have the best of times in qualifying ending
the session fifth fastest, “I was third after using my first
set of fresh tyres. But then, with my second set, I met traffic
and my performance wasn´t that good either”. Come the first
race and Regalia had a great start before he was rival blocked
his charge. “I was really focused to get a good start, and I
have got so, because I overtook Michael Lewis, but I was blocked
by Maxime Jousse. Fortunately, I maintained P5, just to overtake
Brandon Maisano a few moments later. When I was in the Jousse´s
slipstream, he made a mistake and I have achieved third place.
My car had a good performance almost every lap, just suffering
from understeer halfway through the race. Anyway we will try to
fix this issue for tomorrow”, Regalia explained. “After my first
podium, I´m really motivated to approach race two and I will try
to continue in the same way. We have a good car in race terms,
and maybe another podium is possible on Sunday”. Regalia retired
on the first lap of race two after a collision with Maxime
Jousse. “I have had a terrible start, when I disengaged the
clutch, my car was nearly stalled. Then Maxime Jousse has tried
to overtake me, but I got to keep inside. However in next bend,
both collided because he went on the kerb. I lost control of my
car spinning, and both had to retire”, Regalia explained . Next
up is Spa-Francorchamps on 5-7 August.
Superleague Formula:
Frederic Vervisch has won the second round of the Superleague
Formula Championship at Zolder, taking home with him the
prestigious 100,000 Euro prize winnings. After an action packed
two and a half hours behind the wheel of his Luxembourg car,
Frederic finished ahead of the gaggle, in a race which saw the
top 4 drivers cross the line separated by only 1 second. The
Belgian driver fought hard in both races to secure himself a
podium position in the first race and, after starting from the
rear of the grid in race two, he fought his way up to 4th place
to secure the pole position for the 5 lap dash-for-cash Super
Final. Vervisch made a brilliant get away as the lights turned
green and drove away from the pack, but as the rain started to
fall on the very last lap his lead diminished considerably,
bringing the pack up to the rear of his car. Under considerable
pressureVervisch prevailed to cross the line in first, taking
his and the team’s first win of the Superleague Formula season.
Read report
 Formula
Ford:
Scott Malvern today underlined once again his status as
the top Formula Ford driver
of the moment with a dominant victory in the second EuroCup race
at Zolder in Belgium. Added to his Saturday race win, it earned
the Jamun Racing driver the overall Zolder EuroCup Champion’s
trophy to add to those he won in the previous rounds of the
mini-series, at Brands Hatch and Spa-Francorchamps. Malvern made
most of his pole position in race 1 to take a start-to-finish
victory. Behind him his Jamun Racing team-mates, Dutchman Jeroen
Slaghekke and Australian Nick McBride, fought a hard battle for
the final podium places. Finland’s Anti Buri, driving a GEVA
Mygale, was disappointed with his fourth place but was still top
finisher for the Dutch championship.Pic
Jakob Ebrey Photography
Read report
 Cameron
Waters produced a dominant display to take victory in round
three of the Australian Formula Ford Championship
at Eastern Creek this weekend. The Linde Mygale drive won two of
the three races to control the round ahead of Nick Foster and
CAMS Rising Star Trent Harrison. Foster won the final race of
the weekend after a great battle with Waters over the last few
laps, but it was Waters who extended his championship lead with
his maiden round win. Read
report
 GT
Asia:
It was a day of firsts for the GT Asia Series on Saturday
when it ran for the first time at the Fuji Speedway Circuit
where the Porsche 997 GT3 R, Asia Racing Team and Eddie Yau took
their first win in Round 5. Yau in his Porsche has had a superb
weekend so far, setting an impressive pace throughout the
practice sessions and Qualifying on his way to claiming his
first win of the season. The win also propelled him up the GT
Asia Series Championship points to take the lead before Round 6
today. Yau crossed the finish line with a total of 22 laps
completed in the 40-minute race. He beat the firm favourite
Ferrari F458 and the Lamborghini LP560 to the podium whilst
pit-stop mistakes caused the Ford GT GT3 and the Audi R8 to drop
down the ranks and off of the podium in fourth and fifth.
Read report
.jpg) Karts:
Matty Graham was the class of the field all weekend
in the opening round of the 2011 CIK-FIA Under-18 World
Championship at Ortona. Matty headed to the mid-Italian circuit
of Ortona under no illusions about the calibre of the 83-strong
field that he would encounter. Many of the front-runners were
local specialists with a ‘home’ advantage; all of them were
quick.pic
Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net
Read report
 Formula
3:
Mat Sofi has completed a clinic in ‘how to drive Eastern Creek’
during this weekends’ third round of the F3 Australian Drivers
Championship in Sydney. The Liverpool-based driver won race two
on Sunday morning before dominating the feature race to take
his first ever clean-sweep of F3 races in a weekend. In a near
faultless drive, the Astuti Motorsport driver won the feature
race by eight seconds this afternoon in the most crushing
weekend of his racing career. James Winslow (R-Tek) finished
second and Chris Gilmour (Gilmour Racing) third to continue
their close battle for the outright championship, however
neither could catch the inspired Sofi and his Mugen
Honda-powered Astuti Dallara this weekend. Sofi scored every
point available bar two this weekend – Winslow snaring a pair of
fastest laps and the new lap record – and now has four career
victories and 16 podiums to his credit. Pic
Nathan Wong /
speedshots.com.au Read
report
 Brazil’s
Felipe Nasr took a lights-to-flag victory at Paul Ricard
in the south of France yesterday afternoon, Saturday, 16th July,
during round 16 of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3
International Series – the Carlin driver’s sixth win of the 2011
season. Once again increasing his championship lead yet further,
his advantage now standing at 94 points, the 18-year-old didn’t
put a wheel wrong over the course of the 14 laps to seal a very
important win and a strong psychological boost over pole-sitting
team-mate Kevin Magnussen.
Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography
Read report
 Exhaust
failure cost Menasheh Idafar a near-certain points finish
at Paul Ricard HTTT on Saturday afternoon, during round 16 of
the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series – a
bitterly disappointing outcome for the T-Sport racer after
delivering one of his best drives of 2011. Pic Jakob Ebrey
Photography Read report
Porsche GT3 Cup
: Oly Mortimer took his fifth and sixth wins of the 2011
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge
season at Rockingham today, Saturday July 16th, but the Scot was
chased hard by Graeme Mundy in race two, just holding off his
rival in the final laps. The two races were very different,
Mortimer’s first win coming on a soaked track as the rain
lashed down, while by the time race two started later in the
afternoon the track was dry and lap times tumbled.
Read report
Porsche Club Championship: In
just his third ever race Porsche Club Championship driver John
McCullagh won the first of two races at Rockingham on Saturday,
his rally experience paying off as he drove away from the field
on a soaking track to take an impressive maiden win. In a dry
race later in the day, former champion Mark McAleer gave his new
968 CS its first win, championship leader Mark Sumpter taking
runner-up honours in each race to continue his unbroken run of
podium finishes in 2011.
Read report
WTCC:
Yvan Muller claimed his second pole position
of the season in a qualifying that was full of drama because of
the changeable weather. Despite the grip changed completely lap
after lap, the Chevrolet team managed to keep everything under
control and filled the top three positions of the starting grid
for Race 1 once again, with Rob Huff and Alain Menu in second
and third behind Muller. Tiago Monteiro was the best of the
SUNRED patrol, qualifying in fourth while his team-mate Gabriele
Tarquini did not manage to proceed to Q2. On his WTCC comeback,
Colin Turkington put in a strong performance and ranked fifth
overall, emerging as the best of the BMW drivers and winning
pole position in the Yokohama Trophy.
Read more
-
Superleague Formula: Kiwi
racer, Chris van der Drift will start off the front row for
race one of the second round of the Superleague Formula
Championship this weekend at Zolder. The 24 year old made it
through each of his knock out rounds to beat Australian
driver John Martin, and team mates Robert Doornbos (Japan)
and Luxembourg representative Frederic Vervisch but, in
tricky conditions and on his penultimate lap, van der Drift
locked his rears on an increasingly greasy circuit, handing
the pole position to England driver Craig Dolby. Atech Reid
GP had 4 of 5 drivers draw qualifying group A for Saturday
afternoon’s qualifying session with Robert Doornbos and
Chris van der Drift making it through comfortably, new comer
to the series Mikhail Aleshin (Russia) experienced a steep
learning curve in what was his first Superleague Formula
qualifying session; The unique format adding a little more
pressure than usual. The young Russian spun on his last lap,
but with little damage to the car Aleshin will be looking to
charge forward in race one today. After facing team mate
Frederic Vervisch in the first quarter final Doornbos
(Japan) will line up on grid 5 next to team mate Vervisch
(Luxembourg) on grid 4. With little between the two Atech
Reid drivers, race one promises to deliver an action packed
event Doornbos confident that he will be able to move
forward.
-
1) England (Craig Dolby)
2) New Zealand (Christopher van der Drift)
3) Belgium- RSC Anderlecht ( Neel Jani)
4) Luxembourg (Frederic Vervisch)
5) Japan (Robert Doornbos)
6) Netherlands- PSV Eindhoven (Yelmer Buurman)
7) Spain- Atletico Madrid (Andy Soucek)
8) Australia (John Martin)
9) South Korea (Max Wissel)
10) Czech Republic- Sparta Prague (Filip Salaquarda)
11) Brazil (Antonio Pizzonia)
12) Turkey- Galatasaray SK (Duncan Tappy)
13) France (Tristan Gommendy)
14) Russia (Mikhail Aleshin)
16-07-11
 Formula
Ford:
Cameron Waters took a dominant victory in race one at Eastern
Creek Raceway
during round three of the Australian Formula Ford Championship
today.The Mygale driver, who took pole position in the morning,
vaulted off the line as was never headed over the nine lap race.
CAMS Rising Star Jack LeBrocq continued to impress with a fine
drive to second ahead of teammate Trent Harrison, but neither
driver could catch Waters who secured his third race victory of
the year. Read report
 F2000:
Radon Rn.10 chassis #001 is officially set for its debut
following a full-day shakedown test
in Monticello, New York, earlier this week. The new F2000
Championship Series car, which has been under development by
Radon Sport LLC since 2009, and subject of much speculation,
will be under the GTP Motorsports awning at Mosport and is
scheduled to be driven by returning F2000 driver Blake Teeter,
who last competed at VIR in 2010. The test at Monticello
followed a two-day test in New Hampshire the week of July 3, and
allowed the GTP Motorsports team along with engineers from Radon
to further bring the car online in anticipation of its
competition debut in F2000.The principal behind the car, Dr.
Nathan Ulrich, said: “It's exciting to finally see the car on
the race track rather than on my computer screen. Now that the
political and rules battles are behind us, we can focus on
developing the new car.” Ulrich expects a solid performance at
Mosport, adding: “Mosport is a challenging track, but one that
rewards good aerodynamic design, one of the strengths of the
Rn.10 ."The
Radon has unique lines for a Formula Continental car, with an
integrated engine-cover fin, low rear wing that connects to the
diffuser, along with an aggressive under tray and very sleek
looking “Formula 1-style” sidepods. 2006 F2000 Championship
Series title winner and open-wheel veteran Matt McDonough is the
development driver for the Radon, and shared the day at
Monticello with Teeter. “The car ran great with a few minor
glitches,” said McDonough. “Setup work progressed throughout the
day and we’re still learning what the design likes. It’s tough
to tell how it will compete under race conditions but it seems
to be very close.” Following its trip north of the border for
rounds nine and ten of the 2011 F2000 season, July 21-23 with
ALMS, four more Radon chassis that are in various stages of
completion are expected to hit the track. Ulrich expects
multiple cars on the grid for the F2000 doubleheader at Lime
Rock Park, September 16-17, with the NASCAR Modifieds. pics
F2000
 GP3:
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs completed a second test for the
Marussia Virgin Racing F1 team
at the wheel of the MVR-02 Formula One car at RAF Cottesmore on
Wednesday. The Marussia Manor Racing GP3 driver clocked up over
200kms at the Leicestershire airforce base, taking his total to
more than 350kms in a current-spec F1 car. Adrian first drove
the MVR-02 in May at Idiada Proving Ground in Spain, testing the
team’s updated aero package. On Wednesday he travelled to RAF
Cottesmore to carry our further evaluation work on the car as
the team worked to get a better understanding of the aero
configuration. “It was a very productive day and I’m happy to
say the car once again was a pleasure to drive. To be asked to
play such a role in the development of the MVR-02 aero package
once was good, but to be asked back a second time really
underlines their faith in me, which is particularly rewarding
and I hope proved useful to them.” John Booth, Marussia Virgin
Racing F1 team principal: “It was another solid day of testing
with the MVR-02 for Adrian, who has continued to acclimatise
well and get to grips with the Formula One car. It was another
productive test for us and it’s always good to see that we can
rely on young talents like Adrian, who responded well again to
the opportunity he was given and takes another step forward in
his career.” Adrian’s next event in GP3 is at the German Grand
Prix at the Nurburgring next weekend.
Karts: Formula Kart
Stars is throwing open its doors to Senior Max drivers to
come and join the biggest party weekend of the karting year, the
annual FKS visit to Genk in Belgium. For the sixth year running
the championship will head to Belgium on August 13th-14th with a
guest grid for Senior Rotax drivers as part of its programme.
Subject to a minimum entry of 20 drivers who have either
graduated from FKS or who haven’t yet experienced an FKS weekend
can enter for £200. (Testing is available at £45 per day on
Thursday and Friday). Drivers will compete in a ten minute timed
qualifying session, two twelve minute heats and a fifteen minute
final on both days, exactly the same as the regular FKS classes.
Trophies will be exactly the same as the regular championship
classes and the overall champion from the two days will be
presented with one of FKS’s unique steering wheel trophies on
the Karting Stage at the Autosport Show next January. Drivers
must use their own fuel and tyres (MOJO’s) and karts must
conform to MSA bodywork specifications. “I have been asked many
times by former competitors to put on a Senior Rotax class and
this is the perfect opportunity to do so,” says Championship
director Carolynn Hoy. “Many of the teams already in our
championship run senior drivers and this is their chance to
experience what is always regarded as one of the best weekends
of the year. Alternatively, for teams not in our championship
this is an ideal opportunity to test the waters Anyone who has
been to Genk with us over the last six years will agree that it
has superb facilities and is the perfect venue for an extended
karting family vacation. The atmosphere is always second to none
and the drivers love the track.” Senior Rotax drivers and
their teams can also take advantage of the traditional Formula
Kart Stars ferry-crossing discount with Norfolk Line ferries.
When booking your ferry crossing simply put SOT (case sensitive)
in the voucher box. For those who fancy the challenge and
(hopefully) plenty of continental summer sun, entries will be
accepted on a first come first served basis up to 30. Please
contact Debbie Sellers on +44 (0) 7759758636 or
debbie.sellers@formulakartstars.com. Closing date 25th July.
15-07-11
 WTCC:
Yvan Muller set the pace in today's test session at
Donington Park
with Robert Dahlgren's Volvo the second fastest car. Alain Menu
was the first to post a significant time, completing a lap in
1:38.725 in the early minutes; soon afterwards Rob Huff improved
the mark to 1:38.326 that kept him on top of the time sheet
until the mid of the session. Dahlgren ousted Huff from the
lead, posting a remarkable 1:38.209 that remained the fastest
lap until the last five minutes, when Muller set his impressive
1:37.194 opening a nine-tenth gap between himself and the rest
of the field. Only Dahlgren was capable to fill part of this gap
with two consecutive laps of 1:37.553 and 1:37.479, leaving Menu
(1:38.125) and Huff (1:38.223) well behind, in third and fourth
positions respectively.Tom Coronel was the fastest of the BMW
men in sixth (1:38.585), followed by Gabriele Tarquini
(1:38.640), the best of the SUNRED pack.Javier Villa (1:38.664)
topped the Yokohama Trophy in seventh, ahead of Michel Nykjær
(1:38.764), Colin Turkington (1:38.813) and Pepe Oriola
(1:38.839).Tiago Monteiro was not able to post any valid time,
as his SUNRED León 1.6T remained nailed into the garage while
the team were trying to solve engine bugs.The WTCC field will
hit the track again tomorrow for the usual two 30-minute free
practices and the 30-minute qualifying.
 Yvan Muller used the opportunity to be at Donington Park
for taking delivery of his new Norton Commando 961 Special
Edition straight from the factory of the legendary British
motorcycle company, which is based close to the circuit. For the
occasion, the Frenchman had traveled to the UK by road, with his
personal Chevrolet Captiva and a trailer, in order to be able to
bring home his new 80hp black and gold bike, which is unit # 195
of a limited edition of 200. "Since I was a kid, I have been
fascinated by motorcycles, it is a real passion and I have
several vintage and custom bikes at home. I am not too much into
sports bikes, what I really like is cruising around, enjoying
the landscape and the sense of freedom that only motorcycles can
provide. Some time ago, I had the opportunity to visit Norton's
factory and fell in love with the Commando 961 SE. I am sure I
will have a lot of pleasure riding it this summer," commented
the reigning world champion.
Club Racing:
The BRSCC will break new ground this weekend by becoming
the first club to use QR codes
in their race meeting programmes, an initiative that will
greatly enhance the raceday experience of spectators and
competitors alike. Two QR (Quick Response) codes will appear on
the cover of the programme for the BRSCC Midland Centre meeting
at Rockingham on Saturday & Sunday. When scanned with a
Smartphone one will immediately take the user to the live TSL
timing site for the meeting and the other will link to the BRSCC
website, where more information can be found about the
championships racing at Rockingham.“We see this as a great way
to keep competitors and spectators right up to date with what is
happening on the track. Any spectator with a Smartphone will be
able to take up their favourite position around the circuit and
then by scanning the code have all the qualifying times, lap
times and race results at their finger tips.” commented the
BRSCC’s Dominic Ostrowski . QR codes will appear on all
subsequent BRSCC published programmes this season. To see the
code click here
QR Code
As
mentioned above the BRSCC Midland Centre returns to Rockingham
this weekend, for the first of two ‘club’ meetings this
season at the Corby Speedway. There are 18 races on the two-day
timetable and they offer an eclectic mix of tin-top, sports car
and retro single-seater racing. A full preview of the meeting,
including the timetable, final instructions can be found at
ROCKINGHAM PREVIEW
 ALMS: Robertson Racing travel north
of the border next weekend
(July 22-24) as the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila
Patron makes its annual visit to Canada for the Grand Prix of
Mosport. Despite facing a round-trip of over 2000 miles, the
Braselton-based outfit will be in jovial mood ahead of the
championship’s fourth race following their maiden ALMS podium
finish at Lime Rock Park last weekend where driver pairing David
Murry and Anthony Lazzaro were in fine form behind the wheel of
the team’s #04 Ford GT.And just like Lime Rock, Mosport’s fast
ten-turn, 2.459-mile layout will demand much from the GT class
drivers who must balance outright speed with traffic management
in what promises to be a busy two-hours 45-minutes. Indeed, it
was those attributes that proved critical to the #04 car’s
podium result last time out. On the other side of the garage,
David and Andrea Robertson are hoping to bounce back from a
frustrating race at Lime Rock where a mechanical gremlin
curtailed their involvement just after the two-hour mark. Having
enjoyed a near-faultless run over 24 hours at Le Mans last
month, the team is understandably keen to return to the
bulletproof reliability that has been a cornerstone of their
self-developed Ford GT’s success. The #40 machine will therefore
race with a new engine in Canada while #04 has undergone
substantial bodywork repairs having been hit on numerous
occasions during its charge through the field last week.Their
Lime Rock podium was Robertson Racing’s second in as many
international sportscar races. But with the ALMS’ GT class
recognised as the most competitive of its type in world
motorsport, adding to that record will be a tall order for an
independent outfit up against factory-supported squads.
GT: Contractual
complications have led to a change in plans for Archie Hamilton.
Switching from USA to Europe, Archie will drive in the Total Spa
24 Hours with Faster Racing with DB Motorsport instead of two
races in the ALMS. Archie hasn’t driven at Spa and will learn
the track at a test and in a simulator so that when he gets into
the BMW Z4 GT3 he can focus on adapting to the car. The team
currently leads the FIA GT3 European Championship. Archie
Hamilton “We looked to America for a drive that fitted with my
Formula Renault calendar. When that didn’t work Spa was an
obvious choice and in many ways is a better option - it has
similarities to Le Mans. After finishing the Britcar 24 Hours
last year I’m really excited about competing in a sportscar 24
hour race. It all feels that little step closer to achieving my
goal of winning at Le Mans. Faster Racing with DB Motorsport has
been great and I’m looking forward to working with the team. The
drive is a fantastic opportunity, especially given the team
success and I hope to help them continue their winning form.”
The Total 24 Hours of Spa takes place on 30th & 31st July at
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
 Formula Ford:
Linde Mygale driver Cameron Waters
has set the pace during the opening day of competition for Round
3 of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Sydney's
Eastern Creek Raceway.The Championship leader was quickest in
the opening session with his time holding up for the remainder
of the day. CAMS Rising Star Trent Harrison topped practice two
just ahead of Waters, but was only third fastest overall behind
teammate Jack LeBrocq.
Read more
 Formula 3:
Mat Sofi has smashed the qualifying lap record
by almost a full second en-route to taking pole position for
round three of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship
today at Eastern Creek. In a dramatic two-part knockout session,
some big names were bumped early from the Quick Six ten-minute
shootout for pole position, staged in freezing cold and overcast
conditions at the western Sydney circuit this evening. But
through it all flew Mat Sofi, who set a quick time of 1m22.2958
seconds’ moments before a red flag ended the session, to take
his third career pole position and mark his comeback to the
series in the best possible fashion.
Pic Nathan Wong /
Speedshots.com.au
Read report
Facu Regalia completed an interesting day
at Imola prior to the hird meeting of Italian Formula 3
Championship. The Team Ghinzani driver was fifth fastest with a
time of 1.42.777 this morning, just four tenths behind the
leader. Unfortunately he couldn´t improve his time in the second
session but he did go third fastest. “In the morning my car has
worked quite well, and I could have improved my time but I met
heavy traffic when we used our second set of fresh tires. We
made different set-up changes just to test how the Dallara-FPT
Racing´s behavior was, but for sure our engine are the best news
today. It is running faultless and I am optimistic. In the
afternoon, when everyone was using new tires, I was first until
two minutes to go, when two drivers overtook me. I am really
motivated, because my car isn´t suffering from understeer as it
happened at Franciacorta and Misano”, Regalia explained
Tomorrow qualifying session is scheduled at 11.10, while race
one starts at 16.05.
 Cooper
Tires British Formula 3 International Series racer Menasheh
Idafar
produced a consistently strong performance on his debut run at
Paul Ricard HTTT in France today, Friday, 15th July, during
official testing ahead of the weekend’s sixth race meeting of
the 2011 season. Lapping with a time of 2m02.919 seconds during
this morning’s first 45-minute session to go a highly
respectable 11th on the timesheets, ahead of championship
front-runner and multiple race winner Lucas Foresti, the T-Sport
racer was similarly competitive in session two. Finding an
additional seven 10ths of a second during the afternoon run in
his Volkswagen-powered Dallara, the 20-year-old improved to a
best lap of the day of 2m02.240 seconds which placed him 11th
quickest once again. Rounding out the day within just 1.2
seconds of the outright pace, Menasheh thoroughly enjoyed his
first ever experience of the French track and ahead of
tomorrow’s all-important qualifying session the reigning
National Class Champion is focused on continuing his good early
form. Qualifying will take place at Paul Ricard tomorrow,
Saturday with the first of the weekend’s races, at 15.00. On
Sunday, 17th July, round 17 is expected to begin at 10.00 with
round 18 at approximately 16.45. Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography
 MSA British Rallycross:
Tony Lynch was left to rue a weekend of bad
luck when the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship
made the trip to mainland Europe for the fourth round of the
season at the Belgian circuit of Maasmechelen. Tony went into
the latest round of the Suzuki Swift Sport Rallycross knowing
that a maximum score would give him the championship lead at the
half way stage of the season, but instead a weekend devoid of
luck left Tony and Team Geriatric with plenty of work to do
before racing resumes at Lydden Hill at the end of August.pic
Tim Whittingham Read
report
 Formula Renault BARC:
Eight long weeks since the last two rounds of Protyre Formula
Renault BARC Championship action,
the country’s biggest-subscribed contemporary junior single-seater
category will return to the track next weekend, 23rd/24th July,
with its annual visit to Croft in North Yorkshire. Always one of
the most popular venues on the championship calendar, the
2.12-mile circuit offers a good mix of fast curves, long
straights and slower technical sections. Rounds seven and eight
of the campaign mark the start of the second half of the 2011
season and with five winners from the first six races, the title
battle is wide open. Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography
Read
more
 ILMC: Dumfries-born Allan
McNish was guest of honour while an example of this year’s Le
Mans 24 Hour race winning Audi R18 TDI was the centre of
attention at the Motorsport Industry Association’s Summer
Reception staged at the House of Lords in London last night (13
July).Former
double Le Mans 24 hour race winner McNish attended the annual
event together with leading players from the world of
motorsport, members of the House of Commons, House of Lords and
Ministers of Parliament. McNish was joined by ex-Formula One
World Champion Damon Hill, John Surtees and David Brabham.
Formula One car designer Adrian Newey was presented with the MIA
Award for Outstanding Contribution to the motorsport industry
award.“What a fantastic image it was having the Audi R18 TDI Le
Mans winning car positioned in front of the magnificent Houses
of Parliament,” said McNish. “In reality it was two power houses
together, both filled with integrity, strength and cutting edge
mentalities. The MIA members have always been leaders in
technical excellence which contributes greatly to the British
economy as well as continuing our country’s long success story
in Motorsport.Personally it was nice to be able to explain to
Government ministers the important role British company’s played
in Audi's 10th Le Mans victory with the R18 TDI sitting with the
backdrop of the historic Houses of Parliament.”While the German
prestige manufacturer posted its 10th Le Mans triumph with is
new turbo diesel Coupé in last month’s 24 Hour race (11-12
June), McNish and team-mate Mike Rockenfeller demonstrated the
incredible strength and safety of the Audi R18 TDI when they
both stepped out uninjured from two separate accidents caused
after contact with slower GT cars.The MIA is the global trade
association serving motorsport’s high performance engineering,
tuning and services industry which has almost 400 UK and
international members. Siegfried Krause, Audi Sport's Head of
Supply and Partnerships, was also in attendance. Audi Sport
utilises the services of a number of British companies for its
“factory” sports-prototype and German Touring Car (DTM)
programmes including AP Racing, Hewland Engineering Ltd,
Northbridge, PANKL Racing Systems UK Ltd, Progressive Motorsport
and Xtrac Limited.
 Formula 2: Will Bratt is
eyeing a swift return to the top step of the FIA Formula 2
Championship
podium next weekend, 23rd/24th July, when the category
makes its second visit of the season to UK shores for rounds
nine and 10 at Brands Hatch. Heading to the Kent track fourth in
the standings, the 23-year-old has delivered a string of superb
results over the course of the last two meetings at Spa and the
Nurburgring, including his maiden F2 victory at Spa. As the
campaign prepares to enter its second half at Brands, the Oxon
racer has every confidence of challenging for victory once again
as he seeks to close the points advantage currently held by
Mirko Bortolotti and Christopher Zanella.“I’m going out there to
win at Brands, that’s the sole aim really”, said Will, “We’ve
got as good a chance as any of the top guys, we won at Spa and
we had the pace to fight for a win at Nurburgring but a couple
of issues prevented that. I’m definitely feeling confident, I
want to re-assert myself in the championship and try and make
sure we take some big points off Bortolotti and Zanella. I like
the track a lot, it’s much better than the Indy Circuit and has
a lot of great corners”, said the 2009 Euroseries 3000 Champion,
“I always like fast, challenging circuits and that’s what the
Grand Prix track offers so I’m looking forward to being back
there next weekend.” All the race action will be screened live
in the UK and across Europe on digital satellite and cable
channel Motors TV – please check listings for further
information.
.jpg) Karts:
Ryan Anderton was firmly in the hunt for glory in the
fourth meeting of 2011 in the national Super 1 Series at
Larkhall in Scotland, but the Somerset kart racer found his bid
derailed right at the end of the weekend by a very literal sting
in the tail. Read report
Superleague Formula:
Atech Reid GP is proud to present the new look "Black Beauty"
Superleague
Formula car. Freehand Maori Artist, Richard Francis from
TOIARIKI Contemporary Tā Moko is the man behind the intricate
design which has been presented to Kiwi racer Chris van der
Drift who will be behind the wheel for round 2 of the
championship this weekend in Belgium, Zolder. Richard Francis
specializes in Moko (Maori Skin Art). Regarded as one of
Aotearoa (New Zealand's) finest tā moko artists, Richard is in
high demand for his Moko work and, from his studio in Rotorua
regularly travels to work on clients around New Zealand and
Australia. As a practitioner in the art of tā moko, Richard is
also a visual artist, carver, graphic designer, researcher of
whakapapa and tribal history, believing that the Maori arts are
an integral part of the New Zealand culture. An advocate of the
re-development of the symbolism and information attached to Moko
designs, Richard often gives seminars on the art of tā moko to
share his knowledge and understanding of the sacred meanings.
“Being an active part of the renaissance of Contemporary Maori
Art has seen Moko almost return to its full recognition as an
art form of integrity and important to ones identity.” Richard
said. “The design and meanings behind the New Zealand car are
pertaining to this ancient Maori proverb; Ko te pae tawhiti
whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina, which means
seek out distant horizons and cherish those you attain.” The
design of the car is synonymous with navigation and migration
with each part of the car represented by a part of New Zealand,
the North and South Islands and the Maori people. "Each section
of the car has a meaning." Richard stated. "The stingray
represents “Te Ika a Maui” and the discovery of ‘Aotearoa’ (the
North Island is the stingray of Maui). The waka ‘tauihu’ design
is the front section of the ‘Wakataua’ (War Canoe), what breaks
through the waves and challenges ahead. The South Island is ‘Te
Waka a Maui’ Mauis’ Canoe and the Great White Pointer Shark
represents the ‘Milky Way’, the stars for navigation and
guidance when traversing new horizons. Also when in the heat of
the Race one needs to adopt the characteristics of the Shark,
the never say die attitude.” Richard stated. If you would like
any more information about the art of tā moko, then visit
Richard's Facebook page by searching "Toiariki Contemporary
Maori Moko". The images of the car can be found by visiting
www.atechreidgp.com.
14-07-11
-
 The
2011 Silverstone Classic (22-24 July) can justify its claim to being 'the world's biggest
classic racing festival', with the final numbers
for the event amply demonstrating the vast scale of this
world famous festival. The entire circuit will be taken over
by racing, displays, attractions and activities, capped by
music concerts on Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday
afternoon.The 2011 event marks the 21st anniversary of the
first classic racing festival at Silverstone: Some of the
key numbers are:
1010 drivers in 22 races - Bigger
than any other racing festival, the 2011 Silverstone Classic
has attracted massive competitor support across 15
categories and 22 races. In total 1010 drivers are entered.
1030 total entries -
With many of
the race grids heavily over-subscribed and at least half of
the grids featuring more than 50 cars, a mammoth total of
1030 entries have been received.
124 F1 Cars -
With cars spanning 55
years, ranging from 1928 to 1983, there is an incredible
array of Grand Prix cars in action within a total entry of
124 cars. The earlier cars race in the Pre-1961 Front Engine
Grand Prix Car races, with the oldest car being the 1928
Bugatti T35B of Geraint Owen. The early 1960s are re-created
in the Pre-1966 Rear Engine Grand Prix Cars races, while the
Grand Prix Masters races will re-live the 1970s and early
1980s era of the Cosworth DFV engine.
50 racing E-type Jaguars
- Another
highlight will be a pair of races for the E-type Challenge
Fifty E-type Jaguars in one race will set a new world record
and will make an unforgettable sight.
More than 7000 classic cars of all shapes and sizes
will pack into Silverstone as a host of motoring
anniversaries are marked, with a record number of over 120
Car Clubs on show.
30 Group C prototypes - One of the
star races will be for the Sportscars of the 1980s in the
Group C category. Cars from Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes,
Nissan, Lancia and Spice will make a memorable spectacle
amongst a superb 30-car grid.
-
Celebrity race
- A gaggle of famous names will be tackling the Grand Prix
circuit on Saturday in a special Celebrity Challenge in
Morgan sport cars raising funds for the Bobby Moore Cancer
Fund. Finally there will be Live music by Suzi Quattro, 10CC
and Wishbone Ash and on Sunday the content switches to a
more laid-back classical focus. There will also be off-track
entertainment
in the shape of Funfairs, shopping malls, an assault course,
the Village Green, traction engines, hot-air balloon
fly-outs, air displays and even a lawn mower race are all
part of the most remarkable show of the year. As event
director Nick Wigley says."It is going to be a sensational
weekend!”
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge
makes its first visit to Rockingham this Saturday,
July 16th, the series providing a racing home for the 400BHP
Porsche GT3s formerly eligible for the Porsche Carrera Cup GB
and similar series across the world. The opening rounds at
Brands Hatch in April were dominated by Oly Mortimer, but the
young Scot retired from round three at Croft while chasing the
experienced Nigel Rice, before then taking second behind Rice in
the second round at the North Yorkshire venue. Mortimer’s Croft
non-finish promoted Graeme Mundy to the head of the points table
for the Driver of the Year award, but Mortimer struck back with
two wins at Donington Park in May putting him back in
contention. The consistent Steven Liqourish is well up in the
points, while ex-BTCC racer Simon Blackley took his first podium
finish at Croft and another driver to watch is Yucel Ozbek, who
has raced Porsches on the continent but is learning the UK
circuits. Peter Smallwood took the 2010 Driver of the Year crown
and has now stepped up to Class One in a 997 GT3, taking on his
2010 title rival Bertie Carruthers. Smallwood and Liqourish took
the opportunity open to GT3 Cup Challenge runners to race in the
Porsche World Cup on the full Nurburgring in June – though both
were eliminated on the first lap in the appalling conditions.
 Formula
3: James Winslow will be sponsored by
Haier Appliances
for the remainder of his 2011 Formula 3 Australian
Drivers Championship campaign. The British born, American-based
driver has returned to racing in Australia this year and has
confirmed the major appliance manufacturer will adorn the sides
of his #9 R-Tek Motorsport Dallara from this weekends round at
Eastern Creek and for the remainder of the season as he seeks to
win a second title. Haier is a major international whitegoods
company that manufacturers appliances including Refrigerators,
Freezers, Dryers, Dishwashers and Washing Machines. Winslow,
leading the Formula 3 title race after the first two rounds,
said he was thrilled to have a globally recognised brand on
board his Dallara. “I’m really excited to have this new
relationship with Haier Appliances. They are a great company and
have fantastic products that are known around the world for
their performance and quality, much like Formula 3 is,” James
Winslow said. “It is an honour for me to represent them in my
racing endeavours. Every driver looks for this kind of support,
so to be able to work with them this year is amazing. “It’s a
great vote of confidence in me and in the championship.”
Winslow leads the championship by 4 points over team-mate Bryce
Moore, with Chris Gilmour in third place. The top five drivers
are split by just 14 points after the first two of seven rounds.
The Haier Appliances R-Tek Dallara will be on track for three
races this weekend, all of them available to view online at
www.itvlive.com.au at this weekend’s Shannons Nationals
Event at Sydney’s Eastern Creek. Pic
Richard Craill / Race Torque Media
Photo
 Facu
Regalia is ready for the third meeting of 2011 Italian Formula
3 championship
this weekend at Imola. Driving the Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT,
he is looking forward to the fifth and sixth races of the
season. “A meeting which I hope to became very fast. Both my
team and I worked hard in the last few weeks, and after our
engine problems during collective testing at Imola, incerely I
hope everything works perfectly there”, said the 19 year old. Imola,
close to Bolonia, is 4,9Kms and Regalia believes it will suit
his driving style. “It is one of my favourite tracks in Italy.
Imola is really suitable for my driving style, a really fast
circuit at the wheel of Formula 3 car. During official test day
which was held there on 6th July, my car was good enough, but
because of engine problems I couldn´t set a brilliant time. If
they have been solved, and we are in luck at Imola, I am ready
to achieve good results and to show my progression like Formula
3 driver”. The weekend begins with two free practice sessions on
Friday with qualifying on Saturday morning followed by Race one
in the afternoon with Race 2 on Sunday
 Euroformula
Volant 2011:
The second Volant will be held by the
Euroformula School based in La Châtre,
south of Châteauroux. At the initiative of its director, Laurent
Fradon, the driving school, founded in the 70s under the name
“AVIA School La Châtre”, trains young talent from the kart
racing world who aspire to make a career in motorsport.Last
year, for its first “Euroformula Volant”, the school welcomed
forty students, and the finals, presided over by the 24 Hour Le
Mans winner Jean Pierre Jaussaud, name Paul Loup Chatin as the
first winner of the “Euroformula Volant” 2010. Just a few weeks
before the initial selection, the Euroformula school invited
journalists and young kart racing drivers to experience the
typical day of a “Euroformula Volant” contestant, alongside
Nelson Panciatici, the first student of the Training and
Competition Department and Paul Loup Chatin. The day started
with the traditional briefing by Joel de Miguel, a former driver
who raced in Formula Renault Europe with Alain Prost. Then onto
the track for the ten lap sessions to master the brakes ona
single-seater, followed by the study several laps until the
students match the expectations of their instructor. After lunch
the students got back behind the wheel and are let loose on the
whole circuit. At the end of the day De Miguel debriefs each
driver and explains where they need to improve, particularly
those who intend to take part in the Euroformula Volant. The
“Euroformula Volant” 2011 selections take place from July to
September in four two-day sessions, in groups of 8 to 12 drivers
using a Formula Renault. In total, 8 to 12 drivers will take
part this year in the semi-finals set for October 14 2011 on the
La Châtre circuit. The five qualifying contestants will then
take part in the final which will be held on October 15 2011.
This year, each contestant will have his own set of tyres to use
as he sees fit. The winner will pocket € 60,000 which he can put
toward the discipline of his choice in agreement with
Euroformula. Remy Deguffroy, kart driver for the French team
F.F.S.A. and member of the Rosny A.S.K. said: “I had an
unforgettable day. I met some very nice and professional people.
The excellent advice given by the Euroformula team allowed me to
progress in very little time and I dare imagine how much more it
would have been with the benefit of a complete 2 day training
course in the context of the Volant.”
13-07-11
 Goodwood
Revival: With this year’s Festival of Speed now a
fond but distant memory
for the 181,000 enthusiastic spectators that attended the event,
the excitement for motor racing at Goodwood is growing again
with just over nine weeks to go until the 2011 Goodwood Revival
(16-18 September) gets underway with its mouth-watering grids,
scintillating on-track action, and a number of significant
anniversaries to celebrate. The 2011 Revival is set to build on
the success of last year’s event, when a record-breaking 134,000
people attended over the weekend. As ever, the Revival offers
visitors of all ages a chance to revel in the romance and
glamour of motor racing as it used to be. It is the only
sporting event in the world set entirely to a period theme and,
every year, spectators and competitors take a magical step back
in time by getting into the effervescent Goodwood spirit. The
majority of visitors enter into the spirit of the event,
dressing in appropriate clothing from the 1940s, ’50s and
’60s. This September’s event will offer an action-packed weekend
of historic motor racing and period theatre for all the family,
as always – with much more besides.
Read details
 Formula
3:
Gary Thompson is hoping this weekend’s visit to the Fuji
International Speedway
will prove the catalyst for a sustained assault on this year’s
Japanese Formula 3 Championship. The 19-year-old Dubliner, one
of Ireland’s brightest motorsport prospects, sits third in the
ultra-competitive National Class standings ahead of the
championship’s second visit to the 4.563km former Grand Prix
circuit inside just five weeks. Thompson was in impressive form
at the picturesque venue overlooked by Mount Fuji back in June
where the SGC by KCMG driver, backed by Aviation Display and
Cebu Pacific Air, scored a double podium finish after earlier
overcoming a handling imbalance en route to sixth. That made it
three rostrums and two fastest laps in five starts this season,
even if a victory still eludes him. And it’s that statistic
Thompson is most keen to address in rounds six and seven.
Thompson: “It’s imperative that we start reducing the
championship lead this weekend. My stated aim for 2011 was to
win the title and I still believe that’s a real possibility.
Consistency has been key so far but we need to get a win or two
under our belts to start putting pressure on the guys ahead. The
speed has been there all along and it’s only a couple of small
things that have prevented us from taking the next step.
Fortunately in this championship you score points for pole
position and fastest lap, as well as there being a big
difference between first and second place, so you can claw back
a lot of ground with a strong round. I intend to have one of
those this weekend!” Friday will be the first time Thompson has
been back behind the wheel since Fuji last time out. But despite
that lack of seat time, he remains confident the team has made
improvements in all areas. “The guys have been working hard to
improve the car for the last month and we think we've made some
progress. So we would therefore expect to be extremely
competitive. The weather forecast looks good as well so, judging
by our pace in the dry there last month, we should be in for a
competitive weekend. The target has to be victories at this
stage of the season.”
 Two
drivers with a sole Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship
race win
to their credit are confident of extending that winning feeling
this weekend at Sydney's Eastern Creek. Fresh from recently
taking his first career Formula 3 victory, John Magro has every
reason to feel confident about that winning feeling continuing
this weekend. That’s because he drives for Team BRM has been
next to unstoppable on the twists and undulating turns of the
3.9km Western-Sydney circuit. Out of the last 19 races contested
at the track, Team BRM prepared cars have won nine times and
finished 1-2 on three occasions Meanwhile, Liverpool-based Mat
Sofi gives the F3 Australian Drivers Championship field an
additional local touch this weekend, joining Terrigal-based
Steel Guiliana as the local link to this weekend’s round. Sofi,
returning for another part-time campaign this season, raced at
Eastern Creek’s round last year and showed plenty of speed –
qualifying third despite not having driven for several months
prior to the meeting. Sofi’s only career win came at Eastern
Creek in 2009 and the Astuti driver says he expects to pick up
where he left off.
Pic
Dirk Klynsmith / Graphic DAK Photography
Read full preview
 The
FIA Formula Two
Championship heads to Brands Hatch on 22-24 July
for rounds 9 and 10 of a thrilling season, with several drivers
aiming to alter the destiny of the 2011 title. The championship
features a packed grid of Grand Prix hopefuls racing
turbo-charged single seaters designed by the Williams F1 team,
and this year’s champion will receive the prize of a full test
with the legendary outfit. After a superb fortnight at Spa-Francorchamps
and the Nürburgring, Mirko Bortolotti’s run of three wins out of
four races places him at the top of the championship table with
159 points. The Austro-Italian was stripped of his pole position
in first qualifying at the Belgian circuit, but bounced back to
take second place and a win, following it up with a perfect
score in Germany . With four wins in total this season Mirko,
who has already tested for Ferrari and Red Bull junior team Toro
Rosso, is favourite for overall honours. However Switzerland ’s
Christopher Zanella signalled notice of his intent this year
with a double win at Magny-Cours in May. He hasn’t been off the
podium since and is just 22 points adrift of Bortolotti. Third
in the championship is Spain ’s Miki Monras, who won round two
at Silverstone but has endured a few troubled races. His
position is under threat from the highest placed Briton in the
table, Will Bratt. The Oxfordshire-based driver picked up his
maiden win in the series at Spa and must be relishing the
similar challenge of the Brands Hatch Grand Prix track. A couple
of places behind Bratt in the standings is compatriot Alex
Brundle, the son of F1 commentator Martin. With great
performances in pre-season testing and a pole position in
Magny-Cours, Norfolk ’s Brundle has proven that he has the speed
to win races and will be determined to stand on the top step of
the podium at Brands Hatch.Surrey’s Jack Clarke has had a tough
start to the season but his first podium of the year at the
Nürburgring will have provided a welcome boost as he heads to
his home circuit. Jack recorded a second place finish here last
year and will be aiming to go one better this time.Also looking
to impress in the UK will be 17-year-old Jordan King. He only
joined the championship at Spa but has already impressed with
fast performances, culminating in a fifth place at Germany .
James Cole will also be looking for his first points finish, the
British F3 graduate steadily improving and on familiar ground
this time. Joining the action are supercars from the
International GT Open Series. There will also be support races
from European F3 Open, Lotus Cup Europe and UK , Elise Trophy
and Nippon Challenge.Tickets for the F2 & GT Open at Brands
Hatch on 22 - 24 July are available in advance from £17, with
free admission for children aged 12 and under. For more
information call 0843 453 9000 or visit
www.brandshatch.co.uk.
Formula Student:
Jaguar Land Rover is proud to be supporting the world's largest
student motorsport event
− Formula Student 2011 − which kicks off this Thursday (July
14th) at Silverstone. The event organised by the Institute of
Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is now in its 14th Year and will
challenge graduates from around the globe to design, build, and
eventually race single-seat racing cars around the legendary
race circuit. Formula Student aims to provide a new generation
of engineers with the extraordinary opportunity to combine
academic learning with practical experience to develop the
essential skills that can be transferred in to industry.
Students will be awarded in a host of categories designed to
test the limits of their skills, these include Sustainability,
Cost Analysis and Best High Voltage Powertrain Implementation.
As the highest ranking automotive manufacturer in the Times Top
100 Graduate Employers index, Jaguar Land Rover has a proven
track record in developing the future generation of innovators,
engineers, buyers and marketers needed to support its ambitious
plans for growth and fuel expansion into new and emerging
markets. This year 330 graduates will begin their careers at
the UK's largest manufacturer of luxury vehicles, taking the
total number of graduates employed in the last four years to
650. These graduates are joining the firm during one of the most
exciting and challenging periods in the automotive industry as
climate change, global consumer demands and economic volatility
combine to challenge current ideologies and demand greater
technological innovation. Jaguar Land Rover is contributing to
the Formula Student event in a number of ways including the
provision of judges, vehicle displays and sponsorship of two
awards − 'Leading Edge' Design and Quality Award and the,
Advanced Manufacturing for Weight Reduction Award. Also
showcased will be the Land Rover mini Terapod, a mobile off-road
course which will be available for use by members of the public
over the weekend.
 Formulec:
Next weekend sees Moscow stage a spectacular motorsport event and Formulec will be
there. The heart of the Russian capital, near Red Square,
Formula 1 teams Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus take to a
two-kilometre layout as part of the Moscow City Racing event.
Formulec’s 100% electrical EF01 single seater will also be there
proving that motorsport can be just as successful when utilising
clean propulsion and in doing so both accelerating technological
development and promoting a more dynamic image. As at Cancun’s
COP16 last December, Berlin’s Bibendum Challenge in May, and at
the Le Mans circuit in June, the EF01 single seater’s public
appearance will benefit from a superb backdrop. On this
occasion, Formulec will be supported by two leading Russian
companies: telecommunications operator Megafon and insurance
company Ingosstrakh. Regular driver Alexandre Prémat is joined
by Russian youngster Daniil Move behind the wheel of EF01, which
should run on Saturday night before appearing twice throughout
Sunday. This promotional event is part of a programme undertaken
by Formulec over the last few years in its race towards
organising a dedicated international electric single seater
championship. For more information on Formulec visit
www.formulec.org and for Moscow City Racing visit
www.mosracing.ru/About
12-07-11
 The
GT Asia Series
will be at Fuji this weekend(16-17July)for Rounds 5 & 6
in conjunction with Formula Nippon. Four new entries will join
the current lineup with one Audi R8 GT3 from Hitotsuyama Racing,
two Ferrari F430’s from Modena Motorsports and the return of the
Ginetta G50 with Track Torque. Kenji Kobayashi will make his
first appearance in the GT Asia series when he participates in
the two rounds this weekend. The 2003 Porsche Carrera Cup Japan
Class B Champion is an active race driver and has competed in
the Super Taikyu and also the ADAC Zurich 24-hour race.
Kobayashi and the Hitotsuyama will compete in the Audi R8 GT3,
the first to join the Series after three entries participated
and impressed at last November’s invitational race held at the
famed Asian street circuit during the Mac au GT. The Shen
brothers will be marking their return to the Series after a
one-year hiatus to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. John
and Wayne Shen will be making their way from a race weekend at
the Odros Circuit in China after competing in two rounds of the
PCCA. They will return with their Modena Motorsport tuned
Ferrari F430 and is sure to bring some great competitiveness in
the GTM class. Nigel Farmer will also make a return to the
Series in the GT4 Asia class where he will once again be in his
Ginetta G50. Farmer returns to the series after a hectic start
of the year away from racing. He will once again participate
with Track Torque but without teammate, Matthew Perry. The Fuji
weekend marks the halfway point of the 11 Round 2011 GT Asia
Season. Current Championship points leader, Tunku Hammam Sulong
will be looking to open up a gap in the points where he
currently only leads by five points from Eddie Yau.
-
The Porsche Club Championship
returns to the Rockingham circuit this weekend,
Saturday July 19th, for its first visit in several seasons,
and if the quality of racing matches that seen in almost
every race so far this season, then the action at the front
will be close and exciting. Mark Sumpter has headed the
points in the 2011 Porsche Club Championship since the very
first race, his Paragon Porsche winning the opening four
rounds and never off the podium in the following events.
Despite being in the oldest car in the field Sumpter has
continued to rack up the points, though his rivals have been
snatching the wins in recent races.With Sumpter’s 911 taking
pairs of wins at Brands Hatch and Croft, it was the 968 of
Pete Morris that broke his run at Donington, and team-mate
Andy Purdie denied Sumpter the win in the second race at the
East Midlands venue. At Thruxton in June it was two
first-time winners, Miles Maserati winning Saturday’s race,
and Richard Lambert fought race long with Sumpter in
Sunday’s rain lashed race to claim the win. Second in the
Class One points table to Sumpter is Ben Demetriou, who has
been consistently quick in his new 968, ahead of Morris and
Demetriou team-mate Paul Follett, another 968 runner.
Richard Ellis is the next rear-engined car in the points in
fifth, his 993 C2 the most powerful car it he race but also
the heaviest. Reigning champion Chris Dyer heads the Class
two points, just 12 behind Sumpter in the title chase. Quick
and consistent in his Strasse run 944 S2, Dyer usually works
his way up the overall order as the races progress.
 Karts:
William Taylforth has been Mr. Consistency
over the opening half of 2011 in the Super 1 Series, and a
brilliant double podium finish in the latest outing at Larkhall
in Scotland has seen the Lancastrian move to the top of the
championship table. Pic
Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net
read report
 FIA
GT4: The third round of the 2011 FIA GT4 European
Cup saw the teams head to Spa
for two one hour long, action packed races in a change to the
normal format. Sharing the grid with the British GT
Championship, the Dutch GT4 Championship and the Aston Martin
GT4 Challenge of Great Britain, the Generation AMR pairing of
Ant Scragg and James Appleby found themselves in the mix with 39
other GT4 cars and 15 GT3 cars in what was to prove to be an
epic weekend of motorsport at this legendary circuit. Having not
tested at the circuit prior to the meeting, Ant and James had to
rely on their experience of racing once at the circuit in 2010,
where they had battled against each other for over two hours in
the Aston Martin race. Both proved to be quicker than any other
GT4 drivers last year, so after the strong results at Round 2 at
Silverstone, where they had achieved two fourth places and a
third, both drivers were more than ready to battle with the
hugely experienced international drivers that have dominated the
series so far. Pics Xynamics Motorsport Photography
read race report
 Aston
Martin GT4 Challenge:
Dan de Zille came up trumps at Spa over the weekend,
where along with co-driver Karsten Le Blanc the pair secured a
double win in the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge. The results from
this European leg of the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge have left
the pair leading the Championship. Meanwhile in the Formula
Ford EuroCup Dan’s luck wasn’t on side. In Race 1 and 3 he
suffered from the close attention of some of his European
competitors who put in out off both races. In race 2 however Dan
set an excellent pace throughout making up places to finish 7th
overall. Read report
-
Silverstone Classic:
Three former Grand Prix racers plus a former British Touring
Car champion
are among the star names racing at the Silverstone Classic
(22-24 July). On top of the host of celebrities in action in
the special Celebrity Challenge race and rock music from
Suzi Quatro, 10cc and Wishbone Ash playing live on stage, a
raft of famous names from across the sport will be rolling
back the years and tackling the Silverstone Grand Prix
circuit in historic racing machinery.
-
For the purists, though, the spotlight will be on the
line-up of races. Richard Attwood and Jackie Oliver and
Italian racer Arturo Merzario will all be in action over the
weekend, and all were Grand Prix racers. Attwood and Oliver
also won the Le Mans 24-hours, with Oliver winning in a Ford
GT40 in 1969 and Attwood giving Porsche its maiden victory a
year later.
 Oliver
will race in both the E-type Challenge and the Under 2-litre
Touring Cars, while Attwood will race in the Woodcote Trophy
at the wheel of the Aston Martin DBR1 that won at Le Mans in
1959. Merzario will campaign several cars, including a Lotus
Elite in the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy. Desire
Wilson, the only female driver to win a Formula 1 race, is
another contesting the E-type Challenge.Eight drivers with
experience of the BTCC will be racing, including a former
double champion and three race winners. John Cleland, BTCC
champion in 1989 and 1995, will race in the E-type
Challenge, while BTCC race winners Paul Radisich (Elva Mk7),
Mike Jordan (Lotus Cortina) and Patrick Watts (Ford Mustang)
are all competing. Others with a BTCC campaign under their
belt include Andy Middlehurst (Lotus 25), Charlie
Butler-Henderson (Cooper T56) and Tony Crudgington
(Chevrolet Corvette), while the story comes right up to date
with 2011 BTCC contender Rob Austin racing his Arrows A4 in
Grand Prix Masters.
-
A rising star of contemporary sports car racing is Le Mans
contender Andy Meyrick, who will partner his father Peter in
their Spice SE89C in Group C. Meanwhile Nick Adams, winner
of the Group C2 title in the 1989 World Sportscar
Championship, races a Lotus X in the Woodcote Trophy.
-
From the media ranks come TV presenter Tony Jardine (E-type
Challenge) and journalist Mark Hales, who will race a Marcos
1800GT in the Gentleman Drivers race. From rallying is
Norwegian veteran and multiple RAC Rally class winner John
Haugland who will field a Lotus Cortina in the U2TC race.
-
Finally, the entry list is packed with all the leading
racers of historic cars from across Europe. Notable crowd
pleasers include Brackley’s Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams in the
E-type Challenge, Willie Green (Ferrari 275 GTB/C), Simon
Hadfield and Martin Stretton. Among a variety of drives,
both Stretton and Hadfield will race Lola T70 Mk3Bs in the
World Sportscar Masters race.
-
With so many star drivers in action competing in 22 races
featuring more than 800 of the world’s finest competition
cars spanning more than six decades of motor sport history,
it’s no surprise that this year’s Silverstone Classic is
enjoying record ticket pre-sales. It’s a ‘must see’ event
for all generations.
 GP3:
Lewis Williamson, Dean Smith and Alexander Sims
flew the flag for Britain at Silverstone on Sunday, 10th July,
by locking out the GP3 Series podium – a proud moment for Manor
Competition with all three drivers having graduated from the
team’s Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship squad. Scottish star
Williamson won the eighth round of the FIA Formula One World
Championship supporting category, his first victory in GP3, with
Manor’s 2009 Formula Renault UK Champion Smith finishing in
second place and new GP3 points leader Sims racing through
superbly to third place. Pic GP3 Series Media Service
Read report
Tech 1 Racing’s Thomas Hylkema enjoyed his most competitive
outing yet in the GP3 Series
at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday, 10th July – the
Dutch racer delivering his best performance by far during the
second of the weekend’s two races. Steadily improving his pace
throughout the event, the 22-year-old from Delft in The
Netherlands made huge strides in round eight and despite an
unfortunate stall at the start of the race he climbed back up
the order well to finish just 0.3 seconds shy of the top 20. Read
report
 GP2:
Venezuelan Rodolfo Gonzalez had high hopes
when he returned to the familiar surroundings of the Silverstone
Grand Prix circuit for the latest GP2 races. The feature race
began behind the safety car due to the heavy rain. As the
circuit dried in the closing stages Gonzalez lost out due to a
late tyre change and had t, but didn't make any settle for 19th
place at the flag. In the sprint race. held in the dry, Gonzalez
had to battle through the field and got up to 10th place before
a technical issue slowed him down he finish. Pic Chris
Roberts/Widerviewphoto
Read report.
 F2:
Jordan King – the youngest driver ever to compete in the modern
era of the FIA Formula Two Championship
– wowed his fellow students after taking his new ‘toy’ into
college after he completed his AS-level exams at Princethorpe
College. The 17-year-old rookie claimed eighth place on his
debut around Spa-Francorchamps, before taking fifth position
second time out at Germany’s Nürburgring. Jordan now has one
more Formula Two outing remaining on home turfat Brands Hatch
later this month. The day was also caught on video camera by
ITV’s Central News team. “Since I became the youngest Formula
Two driver, I’ve attracted a lot of media interest,” he
acknowledged, unfazed by his meteoric rise through the motor
racing ranks and handling the ever-increasing limelight maturely
in his stride. “It was fun to film, and I think a lot of my
classmates were a bit surprised to see a camera crew at college!
They were impressed with the Formula Two car and how powerful it
looks. My friends don’t really know about my racing. I don’t
talk about it much; it’s just what I do. When I’m at college,
I’m like everyone else and get on with my work. The racing bug
bit when I was 11; I went to a go-karting birthday party, and it
all happened from there – I realised I was hooked. The more
speed and power you get in a car, the more you want to do it. I
don’t feel any danger at all.”
11-07-11
 Formula
Vee:
Borland Racing Developments congratulates Ryan Simpson and
Daniel Reynolds
on their sensational 2011 Clemenger International Freight
Formula Vee Australian Series performances. The 2011 Series
concluded last weekend at QLD Raceway, with Ryan emerging as the
series winner by just two points over Daniel. Ryan and Daniel
were the class of the field across the three rounds, between
them winning nine of the eleven races. Highlighting just how
competitive the racing has been, Daniel won five races to Ryan’s
four, but Ryan took the Series win by virtue of his consistency
in placing the Junior Racing Developments Sabre 02 on the podium
eight times. Strong performances in the 2011 Australian Series
saw Ash Quiddington and Heath Collinson finish in 5th and 8th
places respectively. Both drive Sabre 02s out of the Junior
Racing Developments team and have recorded a number of podium
finishes. The improvement these young men have made in their
driving this season is a credit to them and speaks volumes for
the preparation and guidance they receive from the JRD team.
Daniel Reynolds will now turn his attention to defending his NSW
Formula Vee crown. The Vintage Vee Dub Supplies driver is
leading the NSW title and has looked unstoppable so far. Then in
just a few months, he and his family team will make the trek to
Perth for the 2011 Formula Vee Nationals; a one weekend, winner
takes all annual title race. Last year the event was held at
South Australia’s Mallala circuit, with Daniel Reinhardt taking
the win in a Sabre 02. So at the mid point of the calendar year,
Sabre 02 Formula Vees have finished 1-2 in the National Series
and have been dominant in state competition in SA, NSW and VIC.
Karts:
Jay Goodwin may still have been looking for his first
Junior Max trophy
when he travelled to PF International in Lincolnshire, but the
talented young Sale-based karting star made sure that he broke
his duck in some style – by leaving again with his breakthrough
victory in the class courtesy of a characteristically gritty
performance. Read report
 Australian
GTs:
Klark Quinn has moved further ahead in the Australian GT
Championship
with a win and a third place in the fourth round at Townsville’s
Reid Park. The V.I.P. Petfoods driver now leads the
championship by 22 points after increasing his lead by 13 at
the north Queensland round. Klark battled transmission problems
and the effect of a 50kg ‘success handicap’, imposed after his
first win, to finish on the bottom step of the podium in the
second race on Sunday. His team mate, VIP Petfoods owner Tony
Quinn had a difficult race weekend in the team’s Aston Martin
DBRS9, which suffered severe brake fade in both races around the
tight 2.9km temporary circuit. Tony struggled to a seventh
place finish in Saturday’s race, and retired in the closing
stages on Sunday when the brakes failed completely, leaving
him11th in the points with three rounds remaining. Read
race report
 British
GT:
Jake Rattebury and Josh Wakefield were at Spa over the weekdn
with the Avpn yres British GT Championship.
With
qualifying split into two parts on Friday afternoon, Rattenbury
took the 1st part and Wakefield in the 2nd. Sadly after 3 laps
problems with the diff connector put the car out meaning they
would on the 19th row in the first race and the 22nd for the
second. Race 1 on Saturday morning saw Rattenbury take the first
stint before handing over to Wakefield. The changeover went
smoothly and Wakefield set about catching one of the Lotus
Evoras in 2nd place. After an incident at La Source hairpin
Wakefield slipped through to take 2nd place where they stayed to
the flag. Race 2 had Wakefield driving first, setting the
fastest lap for GT4 during his stint. Rattenbury took over
claiming 4th at the finish. Pic Chris Roberts/Widerviewphoto
read Rattenbury
report and
Wakefield report
 Another
fine performance from Gregor Fisken helped Trackspeed Racing
record their second Avon Tyres British GT Championship podium
finish in as many rounds at the demanding Spa-Francorchamps
circuit last Saturday. Three weeks after he and co-driver Tim
Bridgman won at Brands Hatch, Gregor came within a whisker of
repeating the feat in the second of the Belgian weekend’s races.
Bridgman’s excellent opening stint saw him scythe through the
order from 12th to move the pair into podium contention before
pitting to hand the Trackspeed Porsche over.Gregor returned to
the action running fourth but was soon on the tail of Jim
Geddie’s Ferrari which he dispatched on lap 16. Clearly enjoying
Spa’s famous high-speed layout, the Scot then closed down and
passed Andrew Howard’s second place Aston Martin before setting
off in pursuit of Duncan Cameron’s Ferrari. Although whittling
down a 7 second deficit in five laps appeared unlikely, Gregor
could sense a second victory of the season and piled on the
pressure, reducing his deficit to just 0.888 seconds at the
chequered flag.While the weekend’s opening race resulted in no
silverware, a seventh place finish ensured the crew of the #2
Porsche did leave Belgium with a solid points haul, even if the
result could have been so much better.This time Fisken took the
start and was immediately on the pace, moving up from sixth on
the grid to run third before the pitstops. After the team pushed
their tyres too hard in qualifying however it was soon apparent
that Bridgman would be powerless to stay there as his rears
began to fade badly. Seventh position was therefore an excellent
result given his problems. Gregor Fisken: “I’m delighted with
how this weekend turned out because Spa isn’t a circuit that
plays to the Porsche’s strengths. With so many championships on
track at the same time traffic was always going to be a factor
and I think we managed that particularly well. In race two I
enjoyed a great scrap with Andrew (Howard) and then Duncan
(Cameron). The gap was yo-yoing as we each cleared backmarkers
so to get within a second is very encouraging. We’ve learned
from our mistake in qualifying and won’t be going down that
set-up route again. I can’t speak highly enough of Tim who
somehow got the car to the finish of race one on tyres which
were practically down to the canvas. Without the problems a
podium looked likely but in the circumstances seventh feels like
a miracle!” read more
 Porsche
Supercup:
James Sutton was the top finisher of the seven drivers
from the Porsche Carrera Cup GB
to contest the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup race supporting the
British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday. Team SAS/Redline
racers Sutton and Michael Meadows used their previous experience
of the race to finish 11th and 13th in the 26-strong field, with
Sutton racing with former Supercup champion Patrick Huisman and
2011 title contender Sean Edwards in a bid for a place in the
top 10. Meadows, meanwhile, was one of the stars of the race as
he battled back to 13th after being boxed in at the start. The
other drivers from the Carrera Cup GB all enjoyed an incredible
experience, with Sam Tordoff finishing 15th and Ben Hetherington
16th. Ahmad Al Harthy was unfortunately sidelined by a
mechanical problem on the opening lap, while Carrera Cup Pro-Am2
racers Keith Webster and Andrew Shelley finished 23rd and
24th.The weekend started in challenging style for the Carrera
Cup racers when free practice on Friday ran in very wet
conditions. “That put us on the back foot,” said SAS/Redline
team boss Simon Leonard. “Qualifying was more like testing as
the drivers got used to the Formula 1 rubber on the track.”
Despite the challenge, Sutton qualified an excellent ninth, just
seven-tenths of a second away from the pole position time for
the two-minute lap around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.
Meadows was only a tenth of a second slower in 11th place as the
SAS cars sandwiched Edwards.Unfortunately, Sutton and Meadows
didn’t get good starts and Meadows in particular lost out as he
got boxed in on the run to the first corner. While Sutton
shadowed Huisman and Edwards, Meadows battled back up to 13th
after passing four cars during the race. “Michael had a
fantastic race,” said Leonard. “Both the SAS boys did well; they
were in with the best in the world.” In such tough company,
both Tordoff and Hetherington drove excellent races on their
first experience of the Porsche Supercup, finishing ahead of
established Supercup racers Alessandro Zampedri and Mathias
Lauda. Having started 20th on the grid, Tordoff drove very well
to work through to 15th in a race largely devoid of retirements.
 Porsche
Mobil 1 Supercup debutant Ahmad Al Harthy
remained buoyant and extremely positive on his departure from
Silverstone on Sunday, 10th July, despite having been forced to
retire from the British Grand Prix Support race on the very
first lap following an unfortunate timing belt failure. Read
report
 GP3:
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs got his British GP weekend off to a great
start
at Silverstone this weekend. The 20 year-old Marussia Manor
Racing GP3 racer set the fastest time in Friday’s free practice
and backed that up with his maiden pole position on Saturday
morning. Sadly in the opening race Adrian was denied the chance
to take up his front row start as the weather put an end to his
chances when rain started as then grid was forming up forcing
Adrian and a further 18 cars to headto the pits to change to wet
weather tyres. A quick tyre change allowed Adrian to get back on
track ahead of many of his rivals but still down in 13th.
As the depleted grid got away Adrian started his charge up the
order where a spirited drive in the opening laps saw him move up
to third place, but with his tyres going off in the final
stages he was forced to concede the position to cross the line
in fourth. In race 2 in Sunday Adrian took up his fifth place
grid position when the starter motor failed, leaving him
stranded as the rest of the pack filed away to start the green
flag lap, leaving Adrian to be pushed into the pits. With the
problem quickly rectified Adrian rejoined the race down in 29th.
After a fighting he passed 14 cars, setting fastest lap on the
way to finish 15th. Read
report
Atech CRS GP’s Nick Yelloly backed up his first podium of the
season
in race one on Saturday to claim sixth in Sunday’s second GP3
series round in front of an enthusiastic British crowd. Starting
from row three the Solihull racer leapt away at the lights, and
was battling for third place as the field filed into the first
corner. The 20 year-old lost out at the mid-point of the lap and
was pushed down to fourth, which he held for the opening six
laps. He lost two places but gamely hung on to a four-way
battle for third place eventually crossing the line sixth to
take a further championship point. Zoel Amberg recovered well
from his disappointment of not finishing Saturday’s opening
race, with a strong drive through the field in race two. The
Swiss driver lined up 23rd of the 29-car field, and made a good
getaway at the lights, making up seven places over the course of
the 14 laps to finish 16th. The team’s third driver Marlon
Stockinger, lined up 16th for race two after a 30 second penalty
from Saturday. Despite that the Swiss-Filipino was adjudged to
have jumped the start in race 2 for which he was awarded a
stop-go penalty, effectively ending any hopes of another top ten
finish. Read more
 Dean
Smith enjoyed home success at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit on
Sunday,
10th July, with a well deserved second place finish during round
eight of the GP3 Series – his second podium of 2011 lifting the
Addax Team driver to within 11 points of the Championship
lead. Yet again confirming his true front-running credentials in
the FIA Formula One World Championship support category, the
23-year-old was delighted to be back on the rostrum and
especially so on the morning of the British Grand Prix with his
best result yet in GP3. The 2009 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award
Winner, who is facing a continued struggle to be on the grid at
all with severe budget restrictions meaning he’s competing
race-by-race, also scored with eighth place in round seven on
Saturday, 9th July, during a peculiar, rain-affected outing.
That result was all the more impressive considering he was
racing with an unidentified suspension problem.pic GP3 Media
Service Read report
 GP2:
West Sussex GP2 driver Jolyon Palmer experienced a
weekend of mixed fortunes at Silverstone last weekend after
showing impressive pace throughout the event. A 30 second
penalty denied him an excellent top ten finish in Saturday’s
main Feature Race. The 20-year-old from Southwater was
immediately quick at his home round as he secured his best grid
position of the season, earning 11th in a qualifying session
disrupted by heavy rain. He continued to impress in Saturday’s
Feature Race by guiding his Arden International car through
changeable wet and dry conditions to finish tenth at the
chequered flag. However, the success was short-lived as the 2010
FIA Formula Two Championship runner-up incurred a 30 second
penalty after the race for contact during an overtaking move on
Esteban Guttierrez. As a result of the stewards’ decision,
Jolyon dropped to 21st in the official results. Despite
Saturday’s disappointment, Palmer, son of former F1 driver
Jonathan, produced a spirited and encouraging drive from 20th on
the grid in Sunday’s Sprint Race. He judged the start perfectly
to gain several places on the opening lap and he continued his
gutsy drive to eventually come home in 16th position. Jolyon
finished ahead of his more experienced Arden team-mate Josef
Kral in both races. Speaking afterwars he said: “Race one was
interesting. It started wet and I stayed in 11th but then as it
dried out, we stayed out for a lap or two too long and lost a
place. Then I had good initial pace on slicks and I caught and
passed some people including Esteban Gutierrez with a bit of
contact. I felt it was 50/50 because he turned in on me while I
was alongside. I made a good start to race two, moving up a
couple of positions and I had decent race pace. My rear tyres
started to go off slightly towards the end though meaning it was
hard to make up further places, but 16th from 20th is not bad.
It was always going to be tough after Saturday’s penalty. There
have been lots of positives this weekend, though, and I hope to
convert those into a points finish at the Nürburgring.”
Ginetta Challenge:
The Brands Hatch Indy circuit is the next venue for the
Ginetta Challenge
as the Leeds-built race cars do battle this coming weekend. With
double-header rounds at Oulton Park, Snetterton and Brands Hatch
Grand Prix circuit, Sean Huyton (Academy Motorsport) leads the
championship with a 20-point advantage over Clive Richards (Colards
Motorsport). Huyton has taken three wins to Richards’ sole
victory, but tree surgeon Richards has used his vast experience
to good effect to score points each time out and is a major
threat to Huyton’s advantage. Richards’ only win came at Brands
a month ago when he won on the Grand Prix circuit.
Double-winner, and former Ginetta Challenge champion, Mark
Davies (Optimum Motorsport lies third a further 10 points back
from Richards, the Yorkshireman trying to recover from a
disappointing second race at Oulton Park where he crashed out
after dicing with Richards. Mike Robinson (TCR) is another man
on a mission: he won on the road at Brands last month but was
penalised for not respecting the track limits. As a result,
Richards took the win but former Clio star Robinson is eager to
make amends, while the class for the G20s will be as competitive
as ever. Gary Simms (Optimum Motorsport) won the opening three
races of the season but lost out to privateer Stuart Pearson at
Snetterton in what has been a season-long duel between the two.
However, Ginetta returnee Dominic Pettit made an impressive
comeback to win the Brands Hatch opener before Pearson
retaliated to claim honours in race two. That means he heads
Simms by just six points with Matt Flowers third and the G20s
should produce an intense fight this weekend.
 Cooper
Tires British Formula 3
International Series racer Bart Hylkema
has today announced he will graduate to the headline
‘International Class’ with immediate effect – the dominant
points leader of the ‘Rookie Class’ declaring the time is right
to take his career progression one step further.With just a few
days to go until the second half of the 2011 season gets
underway at Paul Ricard in the south of France this coming
weekend, the 21-year-old is delighted to confirm he will remain
with Brackley-based T-Sport for his switch to a current
specification Volkswagen-powered Dallara F311. Since stepping-up
to British F3 at the beginning of the year, the Dutch racer has
been in a league of his own in the Rookie Class with 12 wins
from the 15 races contested so far. Following the most recent
race meeting at the Nurburgring in Germany, he increased his
series lead to 55 points. Believing he has more to gain by
competing in the championship’s headline class for the remainder
of the season, Bart cannot wait to get on track in his new car
during pre-event testing at Paul Ricard on Friday, 15th July. He
said: “I’ve wanted to do this for a little while now and after
discussing it with my family, manager, my sponsors and the team,
we’re all agreed this is the perfect time to make the move and I
want to thank them very much for making this possible. It really
is a very exciting step and one I’m sure will be the right
decision. There are 15 races left this year so we have plenty of
time to work on understanding the A class car and how to get the
most from it. It would have been nice to go on and, hopefully,
win the Rookie Class title but this step is much better for my
development as a driver and much more important for my career as
a whole. Since the start of the season I’ve learnt a lot and I
feel this is the right time to take that knowledge and move
things up a level. If you want to be the best you can, you have
to race the best.” Not underestimating the challenge which
awaits at Paul Ricard he added, “Paul Ricard is a totally new
track to me, a completely fresh challenge but one I’m really
looking forward to”, added Bart, “I like the European tracks as
they’re more the style of thing I’m used to, compared to the UK
ones, so hopefully that will help as I learn the new car. We’ll
have a look at the simulator before we go, see where we’re at
and then use that knowledge to work on a good set-up.”
10-07-11
 Formula
Ford:
Scott Malvern claimed a second Formula Ford EuroCup Champion’s
trophy
for his cabinet at Spa-Francorchamps yesterday, the Jamun Racing
driver following up his Brands Hatch triumph of last month with
two race wins and a second in the Belgian races. Geoff Uhrhane
was the other race victor, the Australian JTR pilot scoring a
topsy-turvy second-race win after a finish-line clash with
Malvern. Pic jakob Ebrey Photography
read report
 ALMS:
Four weeks after their first, Robertson Racing scored
a second consecutive international sportscar podium finish
with third place at the Northeast Grand Prix, round three of the
American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron. The
Atlanta-based team’s #04 Ford GT in the hands of David Murry and
Anthony Lazzaro proved a podium contender in the
manufacturer-dominated GT class throughout Saturday’s two-hour
45-minute race at the short and tight, but ultra-fast, Lime Rock
Park. What is more, the performance was also a victory for
efficiency with the Ford GT scooping its maiden MICHELIN GREEN X
Challenge win. Calculated on the principles of ‘Fast, Clean and
Efficient’, the end-of-season winner from each class will
receive an automatic invitation to the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours.
pic : Richard Prince Photography
Read report
GP3:
Atech CRS GP claimed its first GP3 podium finish of the season
in the weekend’s opening race at Silverstone today, after the
right call on tyre choice allowed Nick Yelloly to take a
fighting third place. The team elected to send Yelloly to the
grid on wet weather tyres after they saw that rain was
predicted. As the 30-car field made their way onto the grid for
the formation lap, the heavens opened, sending half the grid
rushing to pit for wet weather tyres at the conclusion of the
lap, and forcing them to start from the pit lane.On a depleted
grid, Yelloly made a superb start to get into second on the
opening tour. Thereafter the Solihull driver held the place
until the very last lap, when he was passed for the position,
taking third at the flag to collect his first points of the
season. Swiss-Filipino Marlon Stockinger also drove a strong
race from the start, another good decision by the team to send
him out on wet weather tyres saw the 20 year-old up to seventh
on lap one. After dropping to eighth at the mid-point, with the
possibility of starting from pole for tomorrow’s top-eight
reversed grid, he eventually crossed the line ninth. However
following the race, Stockinger was docked 30 seconds for
ignoring waved yellow flags and will now start race two from
16th on the grid. There was disappointment however for Swiss
Zoel Amberg, one of 18 drivers to gamble on starting on dry
tyres, and subsequently pitting for wets before the race start,
who was then forced into retirement on lap eight. Nick Yelloly:
“We made absolutely the right call with the tyres after the rain
fell on the formation lap. When we lined up there was just half
the grid there effectively and I was able to make up a few
places at the start, then when two cars collided ahead of me, I
managed to get up to second. At the start the track was pretty
slippery, but as it dried, I had to try and find the grip and
pace as it was drying quite quickly. Towards the end Sims was
very quick and managed to pass me on the last lap. I’m very
happy with my first GP3 podium and points though and now start
sixth for tomorrow, so if I can get a point out of that race
I’ll be happy.”
 Porsche
Supercup:
Ahmad Al Harthy declared himself very happy with his
performance at Silverstone on Saturday, 9th July, during the
qualifying session for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup’s British
Grand Prix support race – the Omani’s maiden outing in the
world’s premier Porsche championship.Breaking new ground once
again for the Oman Air Racing Team this weekend by competing as
part of an FIA Formula One World Championship event for the
first time, the 29-year-old posted the 21st fastest time to
qualify ahead of several Supercup regulars. Not only is the
weekend the Muscat racer’s first in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
it’s also, somewhat surprisingly, his first ever experience of
Silverstone’s full Grand Prix Circuit – pre or post the recent
reconfiguration of the track – despite the fact he has competed
in the UK since 2007.Taking that into account, and also the fact
Friday’s practice session was affected by rain, Ahmad was still
able to get rapidly up to speed during qualifying in his Oman
Air, Nawras, National Bank of Oman, Brand Oman, Oman Ministry of
Sports Affairs and Oman Ministry of Tourism-backed car.Although
knowing there is more time to find around the 5.8-kilometre
track during Sunday’s 14-lap encounter, Ahmad is confident of a
strong race performance on his Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup debut as
one of seven guest entries for the weekend from the Porsche
Carrera Cup GB Championship.“I’m very happy indeed with our
performance so far, this is such a completely different level to
any other Porsche Carrera championship in the world”, said
Ahmad, “Supercup is the pinnacle so I’m pleased with what we
managed to do in qualifying. The whole point of this weekend is
to continue my learning in Porsche and there’s no better place
to do that than against the very best drivers.“I’m delighted to
be part of a Formula One weekend with the Oman Air Racing Team,
it’s a privilege to be here at Silverstone for this event. Not
only is it my first time in Supercup, I’ve never driven the
Grand Prix track before so we know we can make some big
improvements on Sunday as we continue to learn more and more.
Our aim now is to have a solid race and to keep improving!”
Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography
08-07-11
 Karts:
One of only three motorsport events to carry the name
‘Grand Prix’, the annual Superkart race at Cadwell Park
next week will provide all of the action and entertainment
worthy of the name for its 31st running. Known as Lincolnshire
’s ‘mini-Nürburgring’, the Cadwell Park circuit is the perfect
location to hold a karting Grand Prix. The tight and twisty
nature of the undulating track plays to the handling strengths
of the machines, whilst the pit straight provides the
opportunity to showcase the incredible speeds these minature
racers can reach. Karting has for years been the proving ground
for many a motor racing star and the British Kart Grand Prix has
been contested by such diverse names in the sport as Valentino
Rossi, Rob Huff, David Coulthard and Colin McRae. Unlike racing
cars, the machines run on miniature tyres without suspension,
yet can reach breathtaking speeds, sitting just inches from the
tarmac. The simple mechanicals and close, evenly-matched racing
teaches drivers the basics of competition, yet are still great
fun in their own right and many drivers stay in the discipline
for their whole racing careers. This year, competitors will come
from all over the world to battle for one of karting’s most
prestigious prizes. 3 times FIA-CIK European Superkart Champion
Gavin Bennett is the favourite, with a wealth of experience
racing on the track to add to his superb pedigree. His
challengers include Chris Needham, who recently beat Gavin on
his class debut and 2009 British GP winner Peter Elkmann from
Germany. In addition to the headlining Superkarts, the event is
a celebration of the racing discipline, full of superb support
races from the various karting categories. Close and spectacular
racing action is typical throughout and every driver will be
eager to win here! Tickets
for the British Superkart Grand Prix meeting at Cadwell Park on
16 & 17 July are available in advance from £10, with free
admission for children aged 12 and under. For more information
call 0843 453 9000 or visit
www.cadwellpark.co.uk
DTM:
On 16th July, Munich’s Olympic stadium will stage a special DTM
event
on a 1.192-kilometre tarmac circuit built especially for the
two-day event. The DTM drivers will battle it out head-to-head
under the Olympic Stadium’s famous tent roof whilst spectators
can witness the DTM at their fingertips. There will also be a
full support programme featuring comedy acts and live
concerts. Read details
At Munich’s Olympic stadium the DTM stars from Audi
will compete against their rivals from Mercedes-Benz - in
races featuring a knockout format and in their original cars
from the current DTM season. For Martin Tomczyk, Timo Scheider
& company the eagerly awaited DTM debut in Munich will not (yet)
be about scoring championship points. But their ambition to win
the prestigious race in front of their home audience is
high.There was a good reason why one of the three rookies
from Audi’s current DTM squad was chosen to do the
reconnaissance run: Last year the Portuguese driver had won the
"Race of Champions" in Düsseldorf that is also held at a sports
arena and organized by the former Audi factory driver Michèle
Mouton. In Düsseldorf Albuquerque defeated Formula One
World Champion Sebastian Vettel, among others. Another racer
from Audi’s ranks has even won the "Race of Champions"
three times: In 2006 Mattias Ekström triumphed at the Stade de
France in Paris, in 2007 at London’s Wembley Stadium and in 2009
at the "Bird’s Nest" in Beijing where he defeated
Michael Schumacher at the finale. That is why Albuquerque and Ekström
know exactly what the fans can look forward to. The DTM race
in Munich, however, differs from the "Race of Champions" in
many respects. In Munich the drivers are not racing on two
separate tracks but on one and the same circuit. The start and
finish are directly next to each other in the opposite
direction so that the spectators can clearly see who is running
in front at the end of each semi-lap. In addition, the DTM stars
will not be driving cars that have been determined by
the drawing of lots but their own DTM race cars. And, last but
not least, one pit stop, respectively, which must be performed
by a maximum of six mechanics, is prescribed as of
the quarter-final runs. Therefore, in addition to the driving
skills on the shortest and most winding race track in DTM
history, the swift work of the pit crews will be crucial. This
is not a disadvantage for Audi at all. At four of the five first
races of the season Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline performed the
quickest pit stop for which tyre partner Hankook always presents
the winning crew with an award.
 V de V:
Jean-Paul Pagny driving the n°2 Ferrari withThierry Perrier won the GT/Touring
race in V de V at Dijon last weekend. Pierre and Lurent Dutoya
won the VHC Endurance Challenge behind the wheel of the n°5 Elva
Mk8S while once again Marc-Antoine Dannielou was dominant in the
Funyo Challenge, winning all three sprint races and the one
hours event. Antonino Pellegrino took the honours in the single
seater races , winning all three by over 20 seconds.pic
Maurice Camus Read
reports
 WTCC: Donington Park will host the
WTCC
for the first time next weekend. The championship's 13th
and 14th rounds will also kick off the second half of the season
which will end in Macau on November 20th. Before visiting the
Leicestershire racetrack, the WTCC UK was at Silverstone in 2005
and Brands Hatch from 2006 to 2010. However, Donington Park is
not a new venue for the FIA touring cars, as it hosted the
European Championship three times between 2002 and 2004. The
score in those six races was four wins for BMW (Jörg Müller 2,
Dirk Müller and Andy Priaulx), two for Alfa Romeo (Gabriele
Tarquini and James Thompson). Since then the circuit hazs
undergone a number of changes, including new pits with modern
facilities. The WTCC event will be the first FIA World
Championship meeting at Donington since the 1993 F1 European
Grand Prix.
 German outfit Wiechers-Sport has clinched a last-minute deal,
signing 2009 British Touring Car Champion and WTCC race winner
Colin Turkington for Donington Park.
After delivering a great show in Porto with Stefano D'Aste, who
led the second race for a couple of laps, the team was forced to
replace the Italian driver because of a previous commitment.
Team manager Dominik Greiner commented: "I'm happy we signed
Colin for the British event. He knows the track very well and
I'm confident that with him we may continue on our positive
upward trend that began last week in Porto with Stefano D'Aste
who was leading a WTCC race for the first time in the team's
history." Turkington returns to the World Championship after an
impressive 2010 season in which he claimed four podium finishes
out of ten races, also inheriting his first WTCC victory in the
second race at Okayama after Augusto Farfus was excluded because
of a technicality. This year Turkington is taking part in the
Scandinavian Touring Car Cup where he currently lies sixth. 'I
am delighted with this opportunity. It's great to be back racing
in front of my British fans on such a fantastic circuit like
Donington Park. I have raced there many times in a BMW but this
will be my first experience with the new 1.6 turbo engine. I'm
really excited to see how this performs and I'm confident we can
deliver a strong performance," said the North Irishman.
The BMW 320 TC and Volvo C30 cars will be granted a weight
reduction
for the next WTCC event at Donington Park. Accordingly the
Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T will be carrying the maximum weight of 40
kilos. The BMW 320 TC cars will be 20 kilos lighter, 10 kg less
than in Porto, while the weight is applied for the first time to
the Volvo after the Swedish car ran with 40kg of extra weight in
Brno and Porto, the first two events in which it was fitted with
the new 1.6-litre turbo engine. Thus Dahlgren's Volvo, just like
all the other cars - SUNRED SR León 1.6T, Dudukalo's SEAT León
TDi and Fabiani's BMW 320si - will benefit from a 20kg reduction
Compensation weight Donington Park
+ 40 kg Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
+ 20 kg BMW 320 TC
- 20 kg BMW 320 si, SEAT León TDi, SUNRED SR León 1.6T, Volvo
C30 Drive
 Aleksei Dudukalo is the last of the SUNRED drivers to switch
from the SEAT León TDi to the SUNRED León 1.6T.
driving the latter from the Donington Park event. This
marks the exit of the Spanish turbo diesel car from the WTCC
stage from its first event at Anderstorp in 2007. During that
time it has claimed 32 wins and made motor sport history as the
first diesel car to win FIA World Championships (2008 with Yvan
Muller and 2009 with Gabriele Tarquini).Besides securing to
world titles, the Muller-Tarquini duo also marked the beginning
and the end of this outstanding machine's racing career, as the
Frenchman claimed her first win at Oschersleben in 2007 and the
Italian the last one, two-and-a-half months ago at Zolder.
Rob Huff arrives at his home event as the Championship leader.
In the first half of the season the Chevrolet driver has built
up a comfortable lead of 29 points ahead of his team-mate and
reigning world champion Yvan Muller. Huff has won six of the
twelve races held so far, already matching the record of
victories in one season established by Augusto Farfus in 2009
and equalled by Andy Priaulx in 2010. However, he has never won
a WTCC race on the British soil. although he has come close, as
in 2008 when a blown tyre stopped him on the last lap when he
was leading Race 1 at Brands Hatch."My home record is not too
bad - with three podiums - but I miss a victory and I think it's
just time I take one. However, my goal remains to win the
championship this year, we've had a great start to the season
and my priority in Donington will be to score as many points as
possible, which is more important than a race win. I can't wait
to race in front of my home fans! Their support will be very
important and I hope they will cheer for me as much as the
Portuguese and Hungarian fans did for Tiago Monteiro and Norbert
Michelisz," Huff said.
With two victories in the Yokohama Trophy at Porto, Norbert
Michelisz stole the point leadership from Kristian Poulsen
who experienced his worst weekend of the season. Michelisz
collected 21 points out of the possible 23, adding pole position
and leaving only the race fastest laps to Javier Villa and Mehdi
Bennani. It was an almost perfect weekend for me. I collected
enough points to take the lead in the Trophy and also some
important points in the overall championship that enabled me to
move up to the seventh position," said the Hungarian racer.
In the Yokohama Trophy classification Michelisz has a 5-point
margin ahead of Poulsen, with Villa in third, a further 5 points
adrift.Michel Nykjær and Franz Engstler were the drivers who
scored more points in the weekend after Michelisz: 11 for the
Dane and 13 for the German. They are now fifth and sixth
respectively in the overall classification.
Proteam Racing's Javier Villa will be dropped by five positions
on the starting grid for Donington's Race 1, because of the
penalty that the Panel of the Stewards imposed to the Spanish
youngster for having caused the incident that eliminated Fredy
Barth and Aleksei Dudukalo during the first race in Porto. Villa
received an additional penalty of 10-grid positions that will
remain suspended for the events in the UK and Germany.Other
drivers under threat of suspended penalties of 10-grid positions
are Norbert Michelisz and Mehdi Bennani. The former following
the accident at the start of Budapest's Race 2 (the penalty is
suspended until Donington), the latter because of his collision
with Stefano D'Aste at the end of Race 2 in Porto (the penalty
will remain suspended until Valencia).
 Motorsport Week:
British sisters Leena and Teena Gade
have two of the most important jobs in world motorsport. Leena
Gade is the No. 1 engineer responsible for this year’s Le Mans
24 Hour race-winning Audi R18 TDI; while her younger sister,
Teena, is in an identical role, engineering Kris Meeke’s MINI
John Cooper Works WRC in the World Rally Championship.As the
cars would never meet on the race track or rally stage, the
sisters brought their two very different cars together at the
Goodwood Festival of Speed to compare notes and highlight their
respective roles as part of National Motorsport Week’s ambitions
to inspire the next generation of world class engineers, both
male and female.Leena Gade, 35, made history this year when she
became the first female race engineer to win the 24 Hours of Le
Mans, which gave Audi its 10th victory at the classic endurance
race. Teena, 31, is now looking to emulate her sister’s
achievement by helping Kris Meeke and MINI to win their first
ever event in the World Rally Championship. “It was an amazing
achievement for Leena. Le Mans is probably the toughest motor
race in the world,” said Teena. “She had to remain totally
focussed for the whole 24 hours, monitoring every aspect of the
car and ensuring her race strategy was faultless. In the end,
after a whole day of intense racing, she won by just 13 seconds.
I have the upmost respect for what she did and am amazed she has
any finger nails left.” While both sisters perform the same
role, acting as the interface with the driver and interpreting
what they want out of their cars, the MINI WRC is a very
different animal to the Audi R18 TDI. “I am lucky that my races
are always over in 24 hours, and sometimes as little as 6 hours;
for Teena her rallies often start on a Thursday evening and
finish three days later,” said Leena. “She also has to engineer
a car that can run over almost any surface from smooth tarmac
roads to rough mountain tracks at speeds of up to 130 mph.” The
sisters grew up in Wembley, West London. Their interest in
engineering led Leena to study aerospace engineering at
Manchester University, while Teena chose to study mechanical
engineering at UCL, before going on to complete a master’s
degree in aeronautical engineering at Imperial College. Teena
has worked for Prodrive, which runs the MINI WRC Team, for three
years, while Leena joined Audi Sport Team Joest in 2006.
However, their cars the Audi R18 TDI and MINI John Cooper Works
WRC made their competitive debuts on the same weekend in May
this year.
07-07-11
 Formula
Ford:
Drivers from nine different nations and Formula Ford
championships across Europe
and Scandinavia are set to descend on Belgium for the latest
races in the new Formula Ford EuroCup series. The EuroCup,
successfully inaugurated last month at Brands Hatch, visits Spa-Francorchamps
this Friday and Saturday (8/9 July) for a trio of 20-minute
races alongside the British GT and European GT4 championships.
Where Dan will be taking part in both the EuroCup and contesting
the Nicholas Mee Racing Aston Martin in the European GT4 rounds.
A field of 20 Duratec-powered cars are expected for the EuroCup
made up of runners from the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship
of Great Britain and the Benelux and Scandinavian series. Whist
Scott Malvern heads up the British Championship for the Jamun
Racing squad, Jamun's perennial UK rivals JTR will have its
usual trio of Mygales in action for Geoff Uhrhane, Tristan
Mingay and Dan de Zille. For the rest of the weekend Dan will be
back in the close-to standard Aston Martin V8 Vantage for the
5th round of the 2011 Aston Martin GT4 Challenge. The season has
so far been close, no more so than at Donington when the four
lead cars finished on the same lap. Dan has driven for Nicholas
Mee Racing twice this season, helping the team secure their
first outright race win at Snetterton. Dan’s busy weekend starts
with testing his JTR run Mygale Single Seater today followed by
Qualifying in the EuroCup on Friday at 11.25am and racing in the
afternoon at 15.30pm. Dan also will leap into the V8 Vantage
for a few practice laps at 12.00 and qualify with the NMR team
on Friday afternoon at 16.00pm. Dan said "I’m really looking
forward to the weekend, probably the best circuit on the
calendar and it will be an even larger challenge learning it in
two cars! But it's a challenge I'm really up for and I've been
spending some time in the simulator so should be looking to push
from the get go. However it goes it will be a great experience!"
 The
Australian Formula Ford
Championship
will return to New South Wales next weekend
for the first time since 2008 for round three of the
championship at Eastern Creek. The last round at Winton in
Victoria produced another first time winner with Matt Brabham
taking a historic victory, but it was Sonic Motor Racing
stable-mate Cameron Waters who took an early lead in the
championship. The Victorian is looking forward to Eastern Creek
and feels confident heading into the weekend after a strong run
at the circuit in the New South Wales state series just a few
weeks ago. "The state round at Eastern Creek was really
important and I'm feeling much more comfortable heading into
this round knowing I have some racing laps under my belt at the
circuit," Waters said. "So far the year has gone really well,
but I'm still chasing that first round victory. It would be nice
to get it next weekend, but if I can't do it, I need to make
sure I'm still finishing near the front of the field. It is
still early in the season so I need to be scoring as many points
as possible at each round and hopefully if I'm doing that the
wins will come naturally." One of Waters' main rivals will be
Trent Harrison(pictured), who won the recent state series
round. The Mygale CAMS Rising Star driver has had a tough start
to the season, but looks to be finding his groove."We haven't
shown our potential yet this season, but I think we proved a
couple of weeks ago what we are capable of. We'll work on it
next weekend, but I'm confident in my ability and I'm sure we'll
get there," Harrison said."There is a decent gap to the front of
the championship, but there is a long way to go and anything can
happen. We just need to be consistent and make the most of our
opportunities and I'm sure we'll be in the fight at the end." Of
the 20 drivers competing next weekend, five New South Welshmen
will be in action, including round one winner Tom Williamson,
who has switched teams for the remainder of the season.
Williamson will see out 2011 with Minda Motorsport after parting
ways with Borland Racing Developments.
 Goodwood:
McLaren Automotive, McLaren GT and McLaren Racing joined forces to lead the
glamorous ‘Supercar Run’ at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011.
Making its world debut, the MP4-12C GT3 race car was piloted by
both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, and closely followed by
the 12C road car equivalent at this year’s event. Button piloted
the new MP4-12C GT3 race car for the first time on Saturday,
celebrating the 12C GT3’s world debut. Leading the second
‘Supercar Run’ of the day, McLaren Automotive Managing Director
Antony Sheriff followed Button in a Volcano Orange 12C road car.
 On Sunday Lewis Hamilton
took his place behind the wheel of the 12C GT3 as McLaren
Automotive Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin chased him up the
famous Goodwood hill in the 12C road car. Sheriff said: “I was
incredibly proud to represent McLaren at Goodwood this year.
The new 12C GT3 was a constant focus of attention in the McLaren
GT enclosure and obviously it was great to see Jenson and Lewis
delighting the crowds as the car made its dynamic debut. Having
debuted the 12C road car at last year’s festival, it was
terrific to bring the GT3 along for company this year. It really
feels now that our car company is taking shape.” Featuring a
recently revised aerodynamics package, the MP4-12C GT3 will make
its race debut this weekend in the Avon Tyres British GT
Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps where it will be driven
by CRS Racing Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy and Chris Goodwin.
See all the McLaren action at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2011
in a new short film:
www.youtube.com/mclarenautomotivetv
 Formula
3:
Facu Regalia set the sixth fastest time at Imola yesterday
during Italian Formula 3 collective testing prior to the third
meeting of the season next weekend, 16th-17th July. The
Team Ghinzani driver, out
in his Dallara-FPT F3, concentrated on set-up for next weekends
races, setting sixth best time of the day (1:42.563) in the
second of four sessions. Regalia said afterwards,
“for first time this year, we suffered from mechanical problems.
My car´s engine was losing performance hour to hour, and finally
it was a real problem because I couldn´t set times which I
should have scored”. Adding, “In the morning I finished fourth,
but in the afternoon my straight-line speed wasn´t that good,
and neither after bends. My result isn´t bad taking into account
I couldn´t use correctly my second set of fresh tyres.
Fortunately this problem with engine happened today and not in
race meeting. Now my team has to study what is going on with my
engine, and then to fix it for next race”.
 Radicals:
Sportscar star Bradley Ellis is ready to tackle his home Brands
Hatch track
for the second time this season, on July 16 & 17, as he aims to
take his third Dunlop Radical UK Cup podium in rounds nine and
10 of the popular domestic series. The former British GT
Champion boasts a podium perfect record having finished on the
rostrum at least once at every race meeting he’s contested in
recent years at the Kent circuit. Ellis upheld his unblemished
record while returning to race at Brands Hatch after a four-year
absence last month with a display of sportscar prowess,
finishing third in round five after climbing through the field
from 16th position. A seventh place finish for round six in
challenging weather conditions also helped secure vital
championship points for Ellis and teammate Andy Cummings.
Despite not contesting every round of the Radical UK Cup during
their debut season, Ellis and Cummings lie seventh in the
Supersport title battle. Heading into the second half of the
season, the Supreme Racing duo will be equipped with a
completely new Radical SR3 at Brands Hatch to help build on an
already positive start to their partnership. The new car will
be delivered just in time for Friday’s test session which will
offer Ellis his first and only opportunity to try out and
develop the new chariot before the double-header event, staged
on the 1.198-mile Indy Circuit, kicks off on Saturday. “It
seems strange to be returning to Brands Hatch twice in as many
months after not racing at my local track for four years
previously,” said Ellis. “Of course, it’s great to be heading
back but I haven’t raced on the Indy Circuit since I last
contested select Radical races back in 2007, so I’m really
looking forward to facing the tight, twisty track once again.
The new car will be delivered the day before testing at Brands.
Although that doesn’t give us much time to develop the car, it’s
an exciting update for the team as we work together to help
Supreme Racing grow throughout the year and move forward as a
team.It’s rewarding to have such a key role in an evolving team
like Supreme Racing. The guys are doing a great job and I’m
positive we can make the most of the new car in the time we
have, and then continue development in the following rounds. As
well as getting to grips with the new Radical SR3, we’ll need to
be on the ball as we once again race alongside the SR8s. With
only short straights around the Indy Circuit, the SR8s won’t
have enough distance to pull away and we will be quicker through
the corners, so that will make things even more interesting.”
BWRDC:Motors TV and the
British Women Racing Drivers' Club (BWRDC)
will launch a new mutually beneficial partnership this summer
with the aim of increasing the profile of women competing in
motorsport and engaging with the ‘High Speed Television’
channel’s female viewers. The partnership will see Motors TV
provide significant support to the BWRDC’s members with on-air
promotional ‘bumpers’ as well as special features, including
mini blogs and interviews, highlighting the female drivers
competing in each of the channel’s 80 featured championships.In
addition, BWRDC members will carry the Motors TV logos on their
cars and race overalls this season, while several other
initiatives are also being developed in what is envisaged to be
a long-term agreement between the two parties. Georgie Shaw, PR
Officer, British Women Racing Drivers’ Club: “This is a
brilliant opportunity to promote the BWRDC through Motors TV.
We’ve already had some great support from the channel, so we’re
keen to forge a long and successful partnership to spotlight
women drivers and encourage more to join us and get behind the
wheel!”
 Rallycross:
Tony
Lynch will hope to reclaim the Suzuki Swift Rallycross
Championship points lead
when the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship heads to
mainland Europe this weekend for the fourth round of the season
at the Maasmechelen circuit in Belgium. Tony makes the trip to a
venue known as the ‘Devil’s Hill Circuit’ sitting second in the
championship standings behind defending champion Dave Bellerby.
This weekend will mark Tony’s second outing at the Maasmechelen
circuit although he will be keen to avoid a repeat of the result
he gained last season, when an incident on the opening lap of
the final robbed him of any chance of victory. With one victory
under his belt already this season – in the opening round of the
year at Lydden Hill – Tony and his Team Geriatric-run Suzuki
head to Belgian soil knowing that a maximum score this weekend
will see him reclaim the championship lead at the mid-way point
of the season. “I’m really looking forward to the trip to
Belgium,” he said. “Although we had a disappointing result there
last season, it was a great experience and it’s a fun circuit to
drive. There are 14 cars making the trip this weekend and it’s
going to be vital to push hard in the heats to try and secure
pole position because it isn’t easy to overtake. The start of
the races will be crucial as the first corner is a long
right-hander leading into a right-hand hairpin, and with pole
position being on the right-hand side of the circuit, it could
make all the difference. Last season, Dave was able to get ahead
through the first few corners and was then able to just pull
away from the chasing pack, which is what I hope to do this time
around. The boys have worked hard to make sure the car is in the
best shape possible and I’m really up for it for the weekend. If
I can get a maximum score then I’ll be back on top of the points
at the halfway point of the championship and that’s the aim for
the weekend. We’ve been quick at every event and a second win of
the year would be the perfect way to end the first half of the
season.”
06-07-11
 Goodwood:
The ultra high-tech world of current-day Formula One was put on
hold for an hour or so
last Saturday for Red Bull Racing’s Team Principal, Christian
Horner, when at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, he sampled a
Formula One car of forty years ago on the Goodwood hill. Horner
slid into the cockpit of the STP March 711 that was driven by
Ronnie Peterson to runners-up spot in the 1971 F1 World
Championship, almost forty years to the day that Peterson took
it to a second place finish in the 1971 British Grand Prix at
Silverstone. Inevitably, with 40 years separating the March from
this year’s Championship-leading Red Bull RB7, the differences
are profound, not least in terms of engine speed. The iconic
3-litre Cosworth DFV Grand Prix engine in the March - the
powerplant that secured 12 F1 Driver’s Championships and 10 F1
Constructor’s Championships - developed some 480bhp at 10,000rpm
in 1971, whilst the RB7’s 2.4 litre Renault V8 delivers its best
at a mandatory 18,000rpm limit. But whilst Red Bull has been
grabbing all the attention at the head of the F1 field this
year, the Robin Herd-designed March took more than its share of
the limelight forty years ago. It’s distinctive ovoid front
spoiler, penned by Cosworth founder Frank Costin - and better
known as the ‘tea tray’ - explored innovative aerodynamics that
were to become so much a core feature of the development of
future Grand Prix cars.
 ILMC:
Larbre Competition continued their strong Intercontinental Le
Mans Cup form
at Imola in Italy last weekend where the squad’s Corvette C6.R
finished second in the GTE Am class to extend the team’s lead at
the top of the ILMC championship standings. Julien Canal,
Gabriele Gardel and Patrick Bornhauser were re-united behind the
wheel of the #50 machine for the first time since dominating the
Le Mans 24 Hours three weeks ago. Hot conditions, as well as the
circuit’s stop-start nature, make Imola one of the most
demanding venues on the calendar. Not that it affected the
French trio who all once again produced error-free performances.
Having finished third on the road, the car was subsequently
promoted to second place following a rival’s disqualification.
That leaves Larbre Competition a substantial 27 points clear at
the top of the GTE Am points table with three rounds still
remaining. pic
V-Images Read report
Silverstone
has announced that race day tickets for this weekend’s FORMULA 1
SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX
(8-10 July) have now sold out. However, individual and family
tickets are still available for Friday and Saturday. With two F1
Practice sessions on Friday, a third Practice session and
Qualifying on Saturday, plus support races and other off-track
activities. Silverstone Managing Director Richard Phillips,
said: “We expect this year’s British Grand Prix to attract one
of the biggest three-day crowds in the event’s history. We
anticipate nearly 90,000 people being at Silverstone on Friday,
over 100,000 on Saturday and a record crowd of over 120,000 on
race day.” Phillips continued: “We have all the ingredients for
this year’s British Grand Prix to be one of the best in recent
memory. It will certainly be one of the biggest! The atmosphere
will be incredible over all three days of the Grand Prix and we
cannot wait to see the new Silverstone Wing being used for our
flagship event, the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. In addition to
The Wing, we have a new start / finish straight, a new first
corner for the drivers to tackle, new and improved viewing for
the spectators and three British drivers to get behind. After
all the hard work, we cannot wait for the action to start on
Friday.”
 Following the great success of this year’s National Motorsport
Week,
the Motor Sports Association (MSA) and Motorsport Industry
Association (MIA) have today (Wednesday 6 July) confirmed
that next year’s National Motorsport Week will run from Saturday
30 June to Sunday 8 July 2012.This year’s initiative generated a
massive increase in activities and events ranging from open days
at M-Sport in Cumbria and fund raising cycle rides around
Silverstone to a plethora of novice taster days organised by
motor clubs throughout the country.National Motorsport Week 2011
also achieved widespread exposure across TV, radio, print and
online media. David Coulthard’s first experiences of grass roots
motor sport aired to more than three million viewers as part of
the BBC’s coverage of the European GP at the start of the week.
Other national media carried dedicated National Motorsport Week
stories including BBC Radio 5 Live, Daily Telegraph, Daily
Mirror and The Sun, as well as specialist publications Autosport
and Autocar. Almost 10,000 enthusiasts entered a series of
online competitions to win factory tours at the eight UK-based
Formula One teams. These competitions were hosted on the MSA’s
www.GoMotorsport.net
website which enjoyed a ten fold increase in visitor numbers
during National Motorsport Week. It is hoped that National
Motorsport Week 2012 will again coincide with the Goodwood
Festival of Speed and take place during the immediate build up
to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, provisionally
scheduled for Sunday 15 July.
Historics:
The Masters one-day event season will make its annual trip to
Mallory
a little earlier this year. This Top Hat Raceday on August 7th
will have races for Pre-66 Touring Cars, Oldies but Goldies,
Cloth Cap (inc. XK’s), Stars of the 70s/Touring 70s, Formula
Ford 1600 and an Allcomers Invitation Race. Entry Forms and
provisional timetable for this event are now available for
download from the website
www.themastersseries.com
The Oldtimer Grand Prix is in its 39th year and is one of the biggest historic
racing events in the calendar, always attracting huge crowds.
Masters have grids open for GP Masters, WSM, Gentlemen Drivers
and the AvD Historic Marathon (4-hours on the legendary
Nordschleife). Don’t forget that the GP Masters, WSM and Gent
Drivers are all 2011 Championship rounds with points up for
grabs!
The Donington Masters Historic Festival
will take place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th September. Final
details are due to be announced very shortly. Races for GP
Masters, Masters Sports-Prototypes, Protos 70s, Gentlemen
Drivers, WSM, Sports Racing Masters, Pre-66 Touring, 70s
Celebration race and Formula Ford 1600 - its going to be a
packed 2-day Festival!
 The Jaguar E-type – celebrating its 50th anniversary this year
–
has been voted the UK’s favourite sports car by race-goers and
classic car fans. Almost 3,000 visitors to an on-line poll voted
for their favourite from a list of 15 hopefuls. The E-type
sprinted into an early lead and at the chequered flag had
claimed nearly one in four votes to beat the evergreen Morgan
into second place. The brutal TVR Griffith claimed the final
podium spot in third. The poll was run by the organisers of the
Silverstone Classic, the world’s largest classic motorsport
festival which takes over the Northampton circuit over the
weekend of 22-24 July. “Britain is famous for its sportscars but
until now no one has ever been able to say which one is the
best. That’s a long-running debate we have now put to rest,”
said Silverstone Classic Event Director, Nick Wigley.And the
result is fitting, for the E-type’s birthday is being marked at
this month’s Silverstone Classic with two headline races with up
to 58 examples taking to the grid. The organisers are also
hoping to set a world record with a cavalcade of 1,000
road-going examples parading around the 3.66-mile long Grand
Prix circuit. The three day festival of rocking and racing
promises to be action-packed from dawn to dusk. With 22 races
planned, racing fans are guaranteed plenty of action from huge
variety of historic and classic racing cars.
Saloons:
With the rained-off event from Thruxton added to the scheduled
trio of races
on Rockingham’s challenging infield circuit, the Dunlop
Production Touring Car Trophy field enjoyed a bumper weekend.
Despite winning two of the four races, Adrian Churchill saw his
championship momentum pegged back as Gary Duckman picked up his
first two wins and emerged as a serious title contender. With
the grid for race one already having been set at the abandoned
Thruxton meeting three weeks ago, Saturday’s qualifying session
formed the grid for race two and it had a big impact on the
whole of Ryan Bensley’s weekend. Having set the fastest time in
the opening minutes of the session, his Astra got loose going
into the banked first turn and pitched Ryan towards the wall.
“I went in as normal – easily flat, but the back end just
stepped out. I managed to catch it first time but not when it
went the other way” he explained.The collision broke the engine
mount and ruled the luckless Bensley out of the opening race.
Although the team’s heroic efforts got him on track for races
two and three (helped by bits cannibalised from a donor road
car!) he wasn’t able to challenge the leaders. In Bensley’s
absence, the qualifying order gave a hint of what was to come,
as Churchill’s Astra came out on top, but by less than a tenth
of a second from an in-form Duckman.
Read report
Intersteps Championship:
The battle between Fortec Motorsport’s trio of young stars
for top spot in the Intersteps championship intensified at
Rockingham last weekend, as Alex Walker reduced the gap to
leader Jake Denn to just two points after dominant victories in
Sunday’s pair of races. Meanwhile, an impressive string of
runner-up spots helped Ed Jones slash his deficit from 35 points
to just 15. read report
.jpg) Formula Renault:
A busy meeting was awaiting Paul Loup Chatin at the Hungaroring with races in both
the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and the ALPS Championship. The
weekend started badly for Paul Loup however, as he made mistakes
in the first qualifying session for the Eurocup and found
himself down in 14th on the grid for the first race. He never
admitted defeat and went for it in race 1. Unfortunately he got
caught up in an accident and found himself consigned to the back
of the field loosing out on any chance of a points scoring
finish. The second qualifing session for the the Eurocup went
better and he came away with 4th place on the grid and a chance
of a podium finish. Sadly, the “Euroformula Volant 2010” found
himself stuck in sixth for Race 2, although his 3rd best lap
time was encouraging. Paul Loup was now left with the two races
in the ALPS Championship if he was to have any chance of a win.
Setting the fastest time in qualifying with his first set of new
tyres, Paul Loup could not improve on this second set and fell
to 5th place on the grid in both races. In Race 1 he set the
fastest lap but couldn’t find anyway to overtake and had to be
satisfied with 4th. Race 2 was run in wet conditions and Paul
Loup Chatin knew this was his moment, especially as the rain
made overtaking possible. So b y launching a fierce attack he
raced to his his first victory, setting fastest lap along the
way and ending the weekend third in the points. Paul Loup Chatin:
“The weekend started badly but finished well, this first victory
is the fulfilment of all the work I’ve put in with my TECH 1
team. I also showed that I was a contender in the Eurocup
because I didn’t miss the podium by much. We’re going up a
level, our next objective is to make our potential a reality in
the Eurocup.”
 Renault 3.5: Alexander Rossi brought home 28
well deserved championship points for the weekend after
finishing in 2nd and 5th place in the two races of Round six of
the World Series by Renault Championship at the Hungaroring near
Budapest . The result moves Rossi to fourth in the points.
read report
 The debut season of the Formula BMW Talent Cup
has proved a runaway success, with talented young drivers
from seven nations taking part in BMW’s motor sport education
programme. The first test session for next year is fast
approaching: it will be held in Monteblanco, Spain on 10th and
11th August. Up-and-coming young talents whose driving
experience so far stems solely from the karting arena will have
the opportunity to test the Formula BMW out on the race track
and sign up for the Formula BMW Talent Cup 2012. As well as the
event in Monteblanco, there will be testing opportunities in
Groß Dölln near Berlin (10th and 11th September), Brands Hatch
in England (26th October) and Valencia, Spain (21st and 22nd
November). Plus there will be a shootout among all registered
participants. The winner will receive funding from BMW worth
100,000 euros net for a cockpit in the Formula BMW Talent Cup
2012. From basic theory to intensive test drives and races,
novices to formula racing aged 14 and over are taught everything
they need in order to advance to competitive racing drivers.
After the one-year programme, BMW Motorsport will sponsor the
winner of the Formula BMW Talent Cup for a season in the ATS
Formula 3 Cup or a comparable race series in the following year.
Over the ten or so events per season, in which around 12 races
are run, the youngsters spend approximately 100 hours out on
track gathering extensive practical driving experience. The
vehicle provided by BMW Motorsport for use by all participants
is the FB02 race car, which proved itself in Formula BMW as an
absolutely safe and powerful car. At the same time it offers the
young drivers many of the set-up options they will encounter
time and again in the course of their career. As part of the
programme, internationally renowned experts pass on
indispensable skills and insights in the areas of vehicle
set-up, data analysis, technical understanding, fitness,
sponsoring and media work. BMW works drivers and experienced
instructors give the young drivers the perfect preparation for a
career in motor sport. Further information on the Formula BMW
Talent Cup and application forms for the test sessions can be
found at:
www.formula-bmw.com
05-07-11
-
 Historics:
In just two weeks, more than 100 Grand Prix cars from six
decades
of motor racing history will deliver a fabulous spectacle at
the Silverstone Classic (22-24 July). The 2011 Silverstone
Classic will be the biggest gathering of Grand Prix cars
ever seen, as around 110 cars will be in action in six of
the weekend’s 22 races. A magnificent 32-car field for the
Silverstone Classic Trophy for Grand Prix Masters will
re-live the 1970s and early 1980s and the Cosworth DFV
engine era. These are the iconic cars raced by World
Champions such as Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell, James Hunt,
Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi. This
was also the era when sponsorship truly arrived in Formula 1
and stirring the memories every car on the Silverstone grid
runs in period livery of sponsors like Yardley, Marlboro and
John Player Special. Every car on the grid has a history,
and some of the key cars are the ex-Mansell Lotus 92 (raced
by Roger Wills), the ex-Andretti Lotus 79 (Chris Locke) and
the ex-Fittipaldi McLaren M23 (Richard Meins).
-
Stepping back a generation from the DFV-powered cars will be
nearly 50 cars in the Silverstone Classic Trophy for HGPCA
Pre-1966 Rear Engine Grand Prix Cars. These fabulous
machines come from the time following the rear-engined
revolution when Cooper and Lotus turned racing car design on
its head and put the engines in the back of the cars. This
was the era of Jim Clark, Graham Hill and John Surtees and
one of the star cars racing at the Silverstone Classic is
the Lotus 25
 that
Clark used to dominate the 1963 World Championship. Nearly
50 years later this famous car is still racing and will be
driven by former touring car racer Andy Middlehurst, a
self-confessed Clark fan.The Lotus 21 that brought Colin
Chapman’s team its first Grand Prix win is raced by another
Lotus aficionado, Dan Collins. The earlier 18 was the car
that started the rear-engined era for Lotus and famous
examples include those raced by Sir John Chisholm (ex-Jim
Clark) and Paul Smeeth (ex-John Surtees). Meanwhile, the
sensational engine note of the 1500cc V8 Climax engine in
Mark Piercy’s ex-John Surtees Lola Mk4 will be a real treat
for race fans. Another sensational field will
contest the Silverstone Classic Trophy for HGPCA Pre-1961
Front Engine GP Cars. These cars, in some cases dating back
to the 1930s, herald the early days of Silverstone and cover
the era when Ferrari scored its first Grand Prix win, 60
years ago at Silverstone on 14 July 1951. One of the most
glorious cars in action all weekend will be the Ferrari Dino
of Tony Smith, the car that Phil Hill used to score the
final Grand Prix victory for a front-engined car at Monza in
1960. The Ferrari will be challenged by the nimble front-engined
Lotus 16s and the rare Scarab from North America. Notably,
the Scarab to be driven by Julian Bronson will be racing for
the first time in nearly 50 years. Aston Martin, BRM,
Maserati, Cooper, Talbot, Alta and Gordini are all
represented, while the magnificent ERAs from the 1930s
represent the time when the small British manufacturer took
on the might of German technology. Mac Hulbert and Mark
Gillies will battle against the best of the 1950s cars in
their ERAs, while the car of Charles McCabe is the ERA that
racing journalist John Bolster famously flipped over at
Silverstone in the 1949 British Grand Prix.
Saloons:
Having missed the last round of the CNC Heads Sports and Saloons
Championship rounds at Cadwell Park while he sourced a new
engine, Robert Spencer was back to his winning ways in the first
of the weekends races. He could only manage third in race two
however, with Simon Allaway taking the spoils.
Read report
 Renault
3.5:
The KMP team turned up at the Hungaroring track with high
hopes.
They had brought in, alongside Nelson Panciatici, the 2010
title champion of the discipline, Mikhail Aleshin.This star
value gave the whole team a boost. In every instance Nelson
Panciatici did himself proud by the side of his new co-driver as
he was essentially the fastest of the two over the weekend. It
will be one of the positive aspects of this Hungarian meeting!
Read report
 Formula
Renault:
Will Stevens endured a trying day in the eighth round of the
Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup in Budapest on Sunday,
but left Hungary with fourth place in the points table. Despite
making set-up changes to his car following Saturday’s race, the
20 year-old was not able to reproduce his Friday practice form
that netted the third fastest time, qualifying on row seven for
the race. Read report
 Sportscars:
Jann Mardenborough, the Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy 2011
European champion,
took another step forward at the weekend, as he continues his
transition from virtual racing expert to real racing driver. On
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July, both Jann and Bryan Heitkotter
(winner of the US version of GT Academy) took to the track at
Pembrey in Wales, competing in the Welsh Sports and GT
Championship. Driving the RJN Motorsport run Nissan 370Z race
car, Jann recorded an impressive first place in class, third
place overall, in the final race of the weekend and was
presented the ‘driver of the day award’ Jann’s entry at Pembrey
marked the start of a comprehensive driver development programme
that sees him living near Silverstone for the next five months.
He will participate in a series of national races, with the aim
of qualifying for an international licence in time for the Dubai
24 Hour race in January 2012. On Saturday, Jann did not finish
the first race at Pembrey due to a problem with the car’s shock
absorbers. American driver Bryan went onto finish the race in
sixth position overall and he was awarded the ‘driver of the day
award’ for Saturday. During Sunday’s very hot conditions, Jann
finished the first race in sixth position overall, before
recording a first in class, third position overall, in the final
race of the weekend, which was one place ahead of his US
counterpart. Jann’s first-in-class finish marked an award
winning performance and a notable debut into circuit racing. “I
really enjoyed the two races on Sunday,” enthused Jann
Mardenborough. “I finished in good places and got two
signatures, so I am really pleased. It's been a real learning
curve to work out where the limit is on the track. With the
races taking place in Wales, my Mum, Dad, friends and half my
neighbours turned up to support me, so that made the weekend
even more special.” Jann is out again next weekend at Donington
in a support race to the WTCC
 Porsche
Supercup: Oman Air Racing Team star Ahmad Al
Harthy will achieve Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at Silverstone
over the Grand Prix weekend. Taking full advantage of the
summer break in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB calendar, the
29-year-old from Muscat will compete as part of a Formula One
weekend for the first time in his career and simply can’t wait
to soak up the atmosphere of the British Grand Prix. “Supercup
is the biggest of the Porsche championships so this really is a
major step for me, I can’t wait to get out there”, said Ahmad,
“Being part of a Formula One weekend is going to be absolutely
amazing, the icing on the cake, and the racing will be a whole
new level. It’s going to be a huge event for the Oman Air Racing
Team and all of my sponsors – Oman Air, Nawras, National Bank of
Oman, Brand Oman, Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs and Oman
Ministry of Tourism. This will be a very big challenge,
extremely tough, but we’re ready and focused on learning as much
as possible.”
 Karts:
Larkhall in Scotland hosted the fourth round of the Super 1
Championship,
and it proved to be a largely happy hunting ground for the
official UK Tony Kart team, Strawberry Racing. In Mini Max Harry
Webb battled gamely to protect his points lead and was rewarded
with 4th and 5th in the two finals. His Chinese team-mate, Zhou
Guan Yu – or ‘Joe’ as he prefers to be known in Britain –
continued on his steep learning curve, but showed that he
possesses a fine turn of speed. Meanwhile both Ed Brand and
Nathan Harrison scored wins while Harry Webb and Jack Barlow
consolidated their points leads in Mini Max and Juniors
respectively. Pic Alex Roache
Read report
 Jack
Barlow underlined his quality
with a blistering drive through the midfield to claim 2nd place
at Larkhall (26 June) and extended his lead in the Super One
Rotax Championship. Pic Alex
Roache Read
report
Formula One might well be the world’s fastest and most glamorous
form of motorsport,
but when it comes to maximum drama, nothing comes close to
karting, a fact confirmed by the several hundred spectators who
cheered Oxford’s Nathan Harrison to a nail-biting victory at
Larkhall (26 June). Pic Alex
Roache Read
report
.jpg) Ed
Brand turned up the temperature
on his fellow Super One Rotax title aspirants with a searing
performance in Scotland yesterday (26 June). Vettel’s
co-combatants in Formula One may be queuing up to already
concede defeat to the brilliant young German, but Strawberry
Racing’s Brand still believes he has a fight on his hands –
despite claiming his fifth win of the campaign.Pic
Alex Roache
read report
 It
has all the makings of a classic bodice-ripper and Boys Own
adventure.
With its blend of fast straights and corners that offer a wealth
of overtaking opportunities this weekend’s (9/10 July) Easykart
double-header at Whilton Mill promises to be a real pot-boiler.
Pic Alex Roache
Read more
GT:
Having closed the fantastic 24 Hours of Le Mans chapter, Maxime
Martin spent the following week-end covering
a considerable number of laps during the 12 Hours of Spa BTCS at
the wheel of a Seat Leon Supercopa entered by some long standing
partners. After that it was time to think about travelling on
down to Navarra, where this weekend two rounds of the world FIA
GT1 competition were on the programme, as also two rounds of the
European FIA GT3 Championship.
Read report
 Pikes
Peak: For the first time in the 89-year
history of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb the “Race to the Clouds”
course has been completed in under ten minutes. Record breaker
Nobuhiro Tajima sped up to the 4,301-metre summit in just
9:51.28 minutes in his GoPro Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special using
FALKEN tyres. 60-year old Nobuhiro Tajima beat the “young guns”
in his 910bhp GoPro Suzuki SX4 HillClimb Special racing on
Falken ZIEX S/TZ01 tyres. The veteran reverentially referred to
as “Monsuta Tajima” or Monster Tajima by his compatriots
achieved a new world record despite experiencing problems with
his radiator. Reaching the top in just 9:51.28 minutes, Tajima
beat 37-year old Rhys Millen, who came second with a time of
10:09.24, and 42-year old Jean-Philippe Dayraut who finished
third in 10:17.77 minutes. With almost 20 kilometres of asphalt
and gravel surfaces, 156 turns, and elevation changes totalling
1,439 metres, the “Race to the Clouds” is the ultimate mountain
challenge. The course winds its way into the clouds through the
superb Rocky Mountain scenery at an average incline of seven
percent. The race starts at an altitude of 2,862 metres and
takes drivers beyond the tree line to the finish at 4,301 metres
above sea level.
Video Link to on
board video of the ascent -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VAJaZAV-gQ
Formula
3:
Facu Regalia travels to Imola tomorrow(6th
July) for the second collective testing session of 2011 Italian
F3 season prior to the third meeting of the season at the
circuit on 17th July. Argentinean driver Regalia, who drives for
Team Ghinzani, has had a quiet period since the second meeting
at Misano back in May, his last test coming on 14th June at Spa
along with the t drivers and teams from Italian formula 3.
Regalia set the fastest time of 2:16.8 around Ardennes track,
and said: “We were the fastest ones at Spa-Francorchamps, where
we achieved a high mileage and we got to improve my car´s
set-up. We focused to solve understeer, that my car suffered
from in previous races and in my opinion we worked in the right
direction”. Now Regalia is focused on Imola. “It is another
collective testing, which is hosted at Imola. I arrive really
motivated, as my team does too, after I was close to podium
finish at Misano one month ago in spite of I have just driven
four races my Formula 3. I want to continue learning, developing
my skills at the wheel of Dallara-FPT Racing, but not forgetting
works on car set-up. I think we have an important work ahead,
because my car must suit perfectly my driving style”, he said,
adding, “times aren´t really important at Imola, no doubts they
are a secondary objective. After to say so, I hope everything
goes well, and Team Ghinzani and I leave pleased with our
conclusions and feedback there”.
 ILMC:
Britain’s Allan McNish recorded fourth place on Sunday at Imola in his
first race since his spectacular Le Mans 24 Hour race
accident.McNish, who stepped uninjured from his written-off Audi
R18 TDI at Le Mans three weeks ago, and co-driver Tom Kristensen
(Denmark) almost snatched a top-three podium finish in the
closing moments of the six hour sportscar endurance race at the
Imola in Italy. The McNish/Kristensen Audi started the race from
fourth place on the 48-car grid and remained fourth before he
handed the turbo diesel R18 TDI to co-driver Kristensen after
90mins. McNish took over again just after mid-distance before
Kristensen jumped in again with just over one hour to run. A
pit-stop to replace a punctured right rear tyre on the “sister”
Audi R18 TDI of Marcel Fässler (Switzerland) and Timo Bernhard
(Germany) with 45mins to run allowed the McNish/Kristensen Audi
to briefly snatch third place with 43mins to run.But
a final stop by Kristensen for a splash of diesel with just
24mins remaining, allowed the Fässler/Bernhard Audi back ahead
and to claim third place – Kristensen finishing just 2.634secs
behind Bernhard in the 670-mile race won by Anthony Davidson/Sébastien
Bourdais (Peugeot). “Fourth place for Tom and I is a
disappointing result personally and from an Audi perspective
with just third and fourth places here at Imola following last
month’s Le Mans 24 Hours victory,” confirmed McNish. “Our Audi
ran well and reliably but we weren’t fast enough in heavy
traffic and that was what this track was all about with such a
big field on a narrow circuit.” The fifth round of the
seven-race Intercontinental Le Mans Cup is staged at Silverstone
on 11 September.
 It
takes more than a couple of blown turbos to wipe the smile off
Mike Newton’s face, and he shared the team’s
positive outlook on a race in which the final result hid a very
encouraging discovery. RML AD Group’s preparations for
yesterday’s Imola 6 Hours had not only been disrupted by the
Italian weather, but also carried the legacy of the serious
accident sustained at Spa. That had destroyed the team’s
original HPD ARX-01d chassis, and the squad arrived for Round 3
of the 2011 Le Mans Series after very limited running with the
LMS homologated package. In a bold move on Saturday, between
final practice and qualifying, the team made some radical
changes to the car’s set-up, and it paid dividends – not in
outright pace for qualifying, where the car’s lack of horsepower
continues to restrict top-end performance - but in creating a
car that was perfectly suited to racing the Imola track.
Pic David Lord, Dailysportscar.
Read team report
 All
three OAK Racing prototypes made it to the finish of the 6 Hours
of Imola
as the team continued to build on the progress demonstrated in
earlier in rounds. This was especially true of the #15 LMP1 OAK-Pescarolo,
the squad’s only premier class entry in Italy, which recaptured
its Sebring-form by showing good pace throughout the weekend.
Guillaume Moreau underlined the car’s speed in qualifying to lap
in 1:34.746 – just two seconds shy of the Le Mans 24
Hours-winning, diesel-powered #2 Audi – and line-up first of the
petrol-powered runners in fifth. Come the race, electrical
issues ensured the #15 car faced a 25-minute delay in the pits
which ended its hopes of mounting a concerted challenge,
finishing eighth in class and 33rd overall. pics
Clement Marin
Read report
 Formula
2:
He might have made just four starts in the FIA Formula Two
Championship,
but Jordan King looks quite at home – as a superb performance
at the Nürburgring saw him snare a top five finish. The youngest
driver ever to compete in Formula Two’s modern era at just 17,
Jordan had already caught the eye with eighth on his debut
around Spa-Francorchamps a week earlier. Buoyed by that, he
travelled to the Nürburgring in optimistic mood. Pic
Xynamic
Read report
04-07-11
Goodwood: A memorable Goodwood weekend has
drawn to a close with Jaguar remaining the focus of the Festival as 50 years of the
E-type are celebrated. An estimated 180,000 people attended over
the four days of the event, breaking previous records for the
Festival – now in its 19th year.Familiar faces from the world of
athletics, motorsport and television joined Jaguar in its
celebrations. Friday saw former F1 driver and current BBC
commentator Martin Brundle take to the Goodwood Hill in the
XJR-9. On Saturday, American talk show host, avid car
enthusiast and collector, Jay Leno, drove the new, 550PS XKR-S
as well as the thundering Group 44 E-type race car while on
Sunday, British Olympic hopeful and Jaguar Academy of Sport
Ambassador Jessica Ennis took on the Hill as she rode in the XKR-S.
The 28-metre E-type sculpture continued to wow the crowds at the
Festival along with the spectacular range of vehicles both in
action and on static display. The event allows spectators
incredible access to vehicles and exhibits on display, with
enthusiasts of all ages being able to get up close to priceless
cars from the past including the beautiful XJ13 as well as from
the future, in the form of the C-X75.
 Martin
Donnelly is reunited with the only V12 powered Lotus in
which his career was ended by a massive accident at Jerez 1990.
pic Craig Sturgeon
 Taking
just 48.07 seconds to blast up the 1.6 mile driveway of Goodwood
House,
a 800bhp Toyota Celica was the fastest car overall at Goodwood
Festival of Speed, 2011.The car was driven and built by former
British Rally Champion, Jonny Milner. Milner had narrowly missed
out in previous years and returned in 2011 with an extra 100bhp
to clinch the FTD (fastest time of the day) in front of a
massive crowd swelled by the presence of stars such as F1
champion Lewis Hamilton. Rising over 300ft from the start line
to the finish, the course is very technical and challenging,
putting the skills of the world’s very best drivers and riders
to the ultimate test of concentration and speed. A small
mistake by former British Rally Champion Milner meant he
narrowly missed winning the televised “shootout” on Sunday
afternoon, but his time set earlier in the day was the fastest
of all 200 cars over the prestigious three day event. Based on
the sixth generation Celica, Milner’s car is super-lightweight,
tipping the scales at just 1,050kg. For better weight
distribution, the driver’s position has moved back 12 inches,
and the car’s centre of gravity has been lowered by raising the
wheel arches and upper suspension mounts. A flat floor and rear
diffuser add a degree of ground effect. The engine is from a
World Rally Championship winning Corolla, newly fitted with a
Rotrex supercharger that will help raise maximum output to more
than 800bhp. A nitrous oxide injection system helped reduce
turbo-lag for quicker acceleration off the line. Super soft
rallycross specification Michelin slick tyres also played an
important role in getting all that horsepower to the ground.
 The
2010 Ferrari F10 single-seater, driven by Scuderia Ferrari
Marlboro driver, Marc Gené,
wowed the crowds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Ferrari
F10 was previously driven by Fernando Alonso during his fight
for the title last season, notching up race wins in Bahrain,
Germany, Italy, Singapore and Korea. “This is one of the most
successful Ferraris and to drive this car up the hill at
Goodwood is an absolute honour. It’s really very special for me
to be here, and I can tell you that the hill is very very fast,”
Marc commented. A video of Marc Gene explaining and driving the
2010 Ferrari F10 is now available on
www.ferrari.com. The
video is also available to download for media use via the
Ferrari media website. There are also several fine classic
Ferraris on display at the Festival of Speed, including a unique
375 MM from 1953, a beautiful 246 Tasman from 1968 and a superb
312 B3 from 1973. They can all be seen over the weekend in both
the F1 Paddock and the Cathedral Paddock.The brand new flagship
V12 four-seat Ferrari FF, front-engined V8 California and award
winning V8 458 Italia all once again put on a fine display of
performance and speed in the “Windows 7 Supercar Run”. A video
of the 458 Italia from the first day of the Festival of Speed
can be viewed on
www.ferrari.com.
pic
Keith Loudon
 Porsche
906 is piloted up the hill by James Lindsay to a time of 71.19s.
pic Craig Sturgeon
Ferrari’s brand new flagship V12 four-seater, the FF was driven by James
Martin, TV personality and celebrity chef, at the famous
hillclimb course on the final day of the 2011 Goodwood Festival
of Speed. Following his trip up the hill, James commented:
“Fantastic! A great piece of kit, which handles like all the
other Ferraris and it’s surprising that you’ve actually got two
proper seats in the back. I’m 6ft 2in and I can sit in the back,
no problem. There’s plenty of leg room. Very, very impressed.”
Also making a special appearance at this year’s Festival of
Speed was BBC Radio2’s Chris Evans and his fleet of “Magnificent
Seven” Ferraris. Evans once again concluded his charity drive
and dine event with a full throttle assault on the hillclimb at
Goodwood, raising £1.1million for Children in Need. This year’s
selection of vehicles featured the best from Maranello’s past
and present, including the latest Ferrari limited editions, the
SA Aperta and the 599 GTO. They were joined by the F40, 250 GT
Lusso, 275 GTB/4, 288 GTO and 365 GTC. Several fine examples of
other classic Ferraris from the 1950s, 60s and 70s also took to
the hill today, including a unique 375 MM from 1953. The faded
and race-worn patina reveals the history of the vehicle and
highlights the unique fact that this particular 375 MM has never
been restored and retains all of its original parts. A video of
owner and driver, Andreas Mohringer explaining the history of
his unrestored 1953 375 MM and driving it up the hill, is
available on
www.ferrari.com.
 Formula
3:
Dutch racing driver
Bart Hylkema was named ‘Sunoco Driver of the Weekend’ at the Nurburgring on
Sunday, 3rd July, off the back of a memorable hat-trick of
Rookie Class race victories during the fifth event of the 2011
Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series. The
21-year-old impressed throughout the meeting, locking-out the
class pole position for each race and also competing strongly
against a number of the faster International Class cars on his
way to the three wins. In addition, he increased his Rookie
Class championship advantage to 55 points. Pic
Jakob Ebrey Photography
Read report
Menasheh Idafar departed the Nurburgring in philosophical mood on Sunday
afternoon, after a hugely difficult weekend of Cooper Tires
British Formula 3 International Series action which culminated
in a brace of highly unfortunate non-finishes in rounds 14 and
15 of the season.
With his first ever experience of the German track not getting
off to the best of starts in round 13 on Saturday, the
20-year-old aimed to get as much track time under his belt as
possible during Sunday’s pair of races but contact from other
drivers in both outings ruined those hopes.
Pic Jakob
Ebrey Photography
Read
report
 Karts:
William Taylforth entered the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2011
Formula Kart Stars
(FKS) Championship at Glan Y Gors needing a good result to lift
his mood off the back of a torrid time of things in fellow
national series Super 1 at the same track a week earlier. He
left again celebrating his best weekend of the season to-date.
Read report
 ILMC:
With a combination of performance, reliability, fuel economy and
tyre management, the Peugeot 908s dominated the 6 Hours of Imola.
Starting from pole position, Sébastien Bourdais and Anthony
Davidson celebrated their first race together in the no.7 car
with a superb win. They finished ahead of Franck Montagny and
Stéphane Sarrazin, who ensured the 908 racked up another one-two
to go with the one achieved in the 1,000km of Spa. Peugeot
therefore extends its lead in the ILMC Manufacturers’ standings.read
report
 Both
REBELLION Racing cars were 5th and 6th in the overall
classification
of the 6 Hours of Imola as the two first petrol cars behind the
four factory diesel cars from Peugeot and Audi. Andrea Belicchi
and Jean-Christophe Boullion led a team 1-2 for REBELLION
Racing with the #12 Lola-Toyota drivers Neel Jani and Nicolas
Prost in sixth place after a six hour battle with the #13 sister
car. This result places REBELLION Racing joint first in the Le
Mans Series Teams’ Championship with 28 points and only two
rounds remaining. Read
report
F1600:
The Spectrum F1600 Formula F Chassis has ended its debut weekend in the F1600
Formula F Championship weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
with pole position, the fastest qualifying and racing laps of
the weekend and a pair of second place finishes for rookie
Australian driver, Mitch Martin. Cape Motorsports with Wayne
Taylor Racing ran the Spectrum chassis for Martin, who had only
competed in three Formula Vee races prior to this weekend. Mitch
began the first race in second and looked set to take the race
win before getting caught out by oil on the track and losing the
lead to the Quantum Racing Services Honda of Wyatt Gooden.
Martin collected the pole in Race 2, but once again was the
first on scene at oil. He had a moment which allowed Wyatt
through, before several other competitors spun, bringing out a
full course yellow and the race ended under caution. Martin had
the fastest lap of the weekend in the race with his time of
1.28:4. “It was a fun race, and the Spectrum was absolutely
superb,” Martin said. “We tried to set a pace, and we did lead
the most laps, but Wyatt was able to get past on the oil that
was in turn four. The racing here has been intense. Wyatt and I
raced wheel to wheel for over 35 laps without so much as a
touch! Full credit to him on the race wins; we were so close,
but things just didn’t fall our way with the flags this
weekend.” The Spectrum chassis was delivered to the Cape
Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing St. Petersburg, Fla. race
shop just days before the race. It was essentially taken out of
the crate, assembled by the team and put in the transporter. “We
only did two test days in Australia before sending the car over
to the States,” said Mike Borland. “The guys at Cape Motorsports
with Wayne Taylor Racing were fantastic to work with, as were
the series organisers and everyone from Honda Performance
Developments. It was a great experience to be here this weekend
and I hope to see more Spectrums racing in such a strong and
well run series.”
WTCC:
Chevrolet's triumphal march towards a second consecutive world
title
seems unstoppable, as on the tricky Circuito da Boavista the
Cruze cars have collected their 10th and 11th victories out of
the twelve races held so far. Alain Menu and Rob Huff shared the
race wins in Porto, while Yvan Muller pocketed two second
places. However, the outcome of the Portuguese round was clearly
in favour of Huff, who managed to stretch further his leading
gap that is now of 29 points ahead of Muller. Although the
overtaking manoeuvre that decided the second race was not
investigated by the Stewards, it will remain controversial for
the fans and the drivers themselves. "I had no other place to go
than through the chicane," said Huff, while Muller rebuted: "If
this is the way we can overtake, is good to know for the next
races." Tiago Monteiro was definitely the driver who took the
most out of the weekend besides the three Chevrolet men. In both
races he emerged as the best of the rest and claimed his first
podium on his home racetrack that excited the Portuguese fans
who packed the grandstands. The official figures released by the
Municipality of Porto speak of 80,000 spectators on Sunday and
140,000 over the weekend.
 GP2:
Venezuelan GP2 racer Rodolfo Gonzalez is looking for better luck
this weekend
when the GP2 championship arrives at the British round at
Silverstone. The last races on the street circuit at Valencia
had promised much but the potential wasn’t met and Gonzalez only
managed to qualify in 24th place. Moving onto Race 1 Gonzalez
had an aggressive first stint of the race, getting up as high as
8th place but a mistake on lap 8 and a general fade in the car's
performances plagued his run as he was forced to give several
spots away in the closing stages and ended up in 15th place.
Race 2 was short lived for Gonzalez as he ended up in an
unavaoidable accident hitting the spinning Grosjean before being
hit by Pic. A deflated Gonzalez said afterwards “I really don't
have much to say. When I exited the second chicane I got my line
blocked by the spun car of Grosjean and couldn't do anything to
avoid a contact. I didn't get lots of damage, but Pic, who was
following me, literally jumped on my car. I hope for a much
luckier start at Silverstone!” pic Chris Roberts/WiderViewPhoto
read report
 Formula
Renault 3.5
Series rookie Daniël De Jong
continued his strong progress in the category during the latest
round at the Hungaroring in Budapest over the weekend, 2nd/3rd
July, with a pair of solid race finishes. Driving for Comtec
Racing, the 18-year-old from Westmaas in The Netherlands raced
from 25th on the grid into a 16th place finish during Saturday’s
45-minute encounter while on Sunday he again climbed up the
order – this time from 22nd on the grid into the top 18.
Read report
 F2000:
Mid-Ohio was another ‘couldabeen’ race meeting in Nathan
Morcom’s F2000 Championship
series campaign.The young Sydney driver was on the back foot
from day one of the seventh and eighth rounds of the American
development openwheel series.First, he was sidelined for two of
the four practice sessions after the throttle linkage broke on
his Rondo Van Diemen, costing him precious track time. More
niggling problems during qualifying prevented him from
qualifying higher than eighth for both rounds at the 3.9km
Lexington road circuit.Eighth and six placings in the two races
were as much as Morcom could manage in a car that was a full
second off the pace.Despite a frustrating weekend, the top 10
double retained his sixth overall and third rookie positions in
the series with six of the 14 rounds remaining.
pic by Valet
Read report
03-07-11
DTM:
Mercedes-Benz scored a 1-2 in the fifth Round of the DTM
at the Norisring. At the only street circuit on the DTM
calendar, Bruno Spengler won from his fellow Mercedes-Benz
driver Jamie Green. With his second victory of the season,
Spengler also claimed back the lead in the points’ standings.
Martin Tomczyk (Audi) completed the podium, having moved up from
tenth on the grid to finish third. Behind Timo Scheider and
Edoardo Mortara (both Audi), Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes-Benz)
ended up sixth. The race at the 2.3 kilometres long street
circuit was stopped after 65 laps due to continuing heavy rain.
Read report
Formula 3:
Marco Wittmann (Signature) won the 15th season round of the
Formula 3 Euro Series
at the Norisring. On a wet track, the 21-year old scored a
lights-to-flag win and moved up to second place in the
Championship. Roberto Merhi (Prema Powerteam) finished second,
but remains the Formula 3 Euro Series points’ leader. His margin
over Wittmann is currently 31 points. Daniel Abt (Signature)
took the flag in third place. Due to the rain, the race was
started behind the safety car and the green flag was only given
at the start of the fourth lap. Behind these three, Belgian
Laurens Vanthoor (Signature) showed a remarkable recovery that
brought him from twelfth place on the grid to fourth at the
finish. He finished ahead of Swede Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke
Motorsport) in fifthj with sixth going to rookie Kuba Giermaziak
(Motopark), his best Formula 3 Euro Series result to date.
Marco Wittmann: “Also winning the second race in front of my
home crowd at the Norisring is great. We managed to improve our
car from yesterday to today. In this race, remaining focussed
and not making any mistakes was particularly important because
of the rain.” Roberto Merhi: “According to me, a safety car
start wasn’t necessary. As I started from fourth place on the
grid, a normal start would have been better for me.” Daniel Abt:
“Finally, I have made it onto the podium at Norisring, too.
Actually, it should have happened yesterday already, but two
accidents prevented this. In the first race, I was a little bit
too aggressive, when I collided with Laurens Vanthoor. In the
second race, from my point of view the accident was rather Nigel
Melker’s fault. Today, I really wanted to score a few points and
that is what I did.”
 Formula
2: Will Bratt secured his fourth podium of the 2011
FIA Formula 2 Championship
during round eight of the season at the Nurburgring this
afternoon, Sunday, 3rd July – a well deserved second place
finish, from third on the grid, further boosting his title
chances. With only three weeks to go until F2 returns to the UK
for the second British round of the year, at Brands Hatch,
Banbury-based Will is fourth in the Championship but has closed
the gap to third placed Miki Monras to a mere four points. “I’m
very happy to have finished second today to get back on the
podium”, said Will, “It’s good for the championship position and
a positive way to end the weekend after the problems in
Saturday’s race. Three podiums from the last four races is a
pretty good haul, I’m pleased with that.”
Read report
 Cooper
Tires British Formula 3
International Series points leader Felipe Nasr
took his fifth victory of the 2011 season at Germany’s
Nurburgring this afternoon, Sunday, 3rd July, to move a
substantial 75 points clear in the chase for the title as the
championship reaches its halfway stage. Starting the second of
the day’s two races third on the grid, the Brazilian 18-year-old
made a great getaway to immediately move into second position
and quickly set about pressuring pole-sitter Kevin Magnussen by
setting the early pace. Into lap three, Felipe was within 0.4
seconds of the leader but the gap then fluctuated before the
South American star hit back with the fastest lap on the seventh
tour to close back to within just a second of his Carlin
team-mate. The gap closed yet further the next time around but
the race was neutralised on lap nine when the Safety Car was
deployed. At the re-start on lap 11, Felipe crossed the
start/finish line just 0.4 seconds behind Magnussen and the pair
rapidly pulled well clear of the pack. As the race entered its
final third, the order looked set but drama came on lap 18 when
the leader slowed with an engine problem. Felipe needed no
second invitation and swept past before cruising to a seven
second winning margin, setting his personal best lap of 1m56.120
seconds (151.54 km/h) on the penultimate tour to underline his
consistently strong pace. Pic jakob Ebrey Photography
read full report
 Volkswagen
Scirocco R-Cup
: Britain’s Daniel Lloyd recorded a highly competitive
top four finish on his race debut at the Norisring in
Germany on Saturday, 2nd July, to consolidate third place
overall in the 2011 Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup driver standings.
After taking fourth into the first hairpin on lap one of the
race, the Briton had dropped back one place just prior to the
appearance of the Safety Car to recover the stricken Volkswagen
of JD Mobley. At the re-start, Daniel wasn’t close enough to
challenge fourth-placed Aditya Patel but he steadily closed on
the Indian driver as the laps clicked off. Into lap 18, just 0.5
seconds split the pair and it only looked a matter of time
before positions would change. So it proved on the very same
lap, Daniel producing a brilliant move to cut to the inside at
the final hairpin to take fourth place and 40 points. Pic
Volkswagen Motorsport Read
report
F1600:
On his F1600 Series debut, Wyatt Gooden won out on an epic
battle for the lead in his Van Diemen/Honda with Mitch
Martin to take his second win in two days, and second win in two
ever F1600 races for Quantum Racing Services. Martin, in a
Spectrum/Honda and Gooden traded the lead for 16 laps,
separating themselves by 11 seconds from anyone else, before a
full-course caution for oil on the track brought the checkered
flags out at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Tim Kautz was third in
his Piper/Ford. Pic Valet
read report
 F2000:
Kyle Connery made it three wins on the year
and moved back into second place in the F2000 Championship
Series standings, leading all 18 laps from pole at Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course. Connery, driving the #91 Van Diemen,
separated himself from the pack and held off the competition
from a 28-car field on a mid-race restart to take his third win
in eight races. Tim Minor finished second, winning the Masters
Class, ahead of Afterburner Racing’s Brian Tomasi, who finished
second in the first race of the weekend. pic: Valet
read report
 VW
Cup:
With two wins under his belt from yesterday’s (Saturday) Dutch
rounds
of the Volkswagen Racing Cup with FUCHS Lubricants, it’s no
surprise to learn that Steve Chaplin loves the circuit of
Zandvoort. The Beetle-driving reigning champion not only won
both races but also claimed the fastest lap in each, and a new
lap record. Shrewd playing of his points-doubling ‘Joker’ card
in the first race has also brought him a handsome championship
lead.Seventeen-year-old Zoe Wenham delighted everybody,
including herself, with a fantastic second place in race two.
“What a great race. I can’t wait to do the same in England,” the
Golf GTI racer said after her superb performance. Not everybody
was as happy, however. Aaron Mason went to Zandvoort as
championship leader, but lost his points advantage after placing
16th and seventh in respective races. Steve Wood, who had been
second in the championship, fared even worse, finishing neither
race.
Pic
Chris Schotanus
Read
report
 Saloons:
It was a spectacular Asian Touring Car Series Round 6 race,
where Chen Jun San cemented his place at the top of the
Championship Points table. Chen claimed the win in a race that
was marred by a red flag when Malaysian driver, Perajun
Krishnan, lost control of his car after suffering what appeared
to be a brake failure and was unable to slow down, at the end of
the very fast main straight, before hitting the tyre barrier at
Turn 1. The Malaysian driver had minor cuts and bruises, but is
safe and was sent to the hospital for precautionary checks. The
race resumed after Perajun and his car were cleared off the
track. Chen was one of the drivers that suffered the most, after
anticipating a short race and opting not to use a cool suit. The
stint on the grid during the red flag was torture for him.
Despite the heat, Chen kept a cool head and maintained a steady
fast pace to claim the top step of the podium. He crossed the
line ahead of Hong Kong Touring Car Championship drivers Paul
Poon, Eric Kwong, and Samson Fung while Kenneth Lau and
Shugeriawan Sutanta claimed second and third in the Asian
Touting Car Series.
Read full report
 Formula
Renault:
Rising British racing driver Will Stevens notched up
tenth place in round seven of the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup at
Budapest on Saturday. The 20 year-old put his experience of the
Hungarian track, where he scored his maiden Eurocup podium
finish last year, to good use, getting off the line cleanly for
the start of the 14-lap race.
Read report
Nuremberg. Half-time in the DTM.
Seldom before did the fans get to see such exciting racing and
such an impressively close battle for the DTM title. There were
three different winners in the first four races. The two race
wins for Martin Tomczyk with his 2008-spec Audi A4 DTM show in
an impressive way that the DTM’s weight regulations are
effective and that all cars are competitive. The current season
being in full swing, DTM rights holder and promoter, ITR e.V.,
in co-operation with the DMSB and the three manufacturers Audi,
BMW and Mercedes-Benz, is working on the technical regulations
of the DTM for 2012. Ensuring the highest safety level for
drivers and spectators has always been the main goal of the DTM.
In a co-operative way, all parties involved contributed their
experience and their research and test results to guarantee the
highest possible level of safety for the future as well. At the
Norisring, ITR chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht, together with
Christian Schacht on behalf of the DMSB e.V., and the heads of
motorsports of Audi, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, BMW, Jens Marquardt
and Mercedes-Benz, Norbert Haug, presented the concept and the
safety structure of the DTM cars from the 2012 generation. Next
to the highest technical standard, the cars have an optimised
carbonfibre monocoque and a roll-cage of rigid steel. Moreover,
every car has six crash absorbers designed to give the drivers
additional protection at the front, at the rear and at the
sides. In order to test the DTM safety concept, the DMSB has
developed a test programme that is being carried out and
analysed by the independent expertise organisation DEKRA. All
the tests were completed without any problems.
 Karts:
Front-running British and European Cadet outfit Prima
Racing
has places available at Comer, WTP and Super Cadet level for the
remainder of 2011 and 2012 – with the team benefitting from a
wealth of experience within its ranks that means its expertise
and attention-to-detail are truly second-to-none. Under the
guidance and tutelage of former factory Birel karting star Jamie
Croxford and erstwhile Formula Palmer Audi Winter Series
Vice-Champion Paul Munn, Prima has tasted victory in both
national and international competition already this season,
thoroughly dominating the Super Cadet class in the UK, with
Billy Monger storming to success on the European stage for good
measure courtesy of a superb triumph in the 2011 WSK Master
Series curtain-raiser at La Conca. It has been a similar story
in WTP, with the team’s three drivers in that category all
currently placed firmly inside the top six in the Little Green
Man standings, whilst Dan Zelos ascended the top step of the
Comer Cadet podium in the Super 1 Series at PF International and
has shone in fellow UK series Formula Kart Stars (FKS), too.
Prima still has spaces remaining for drivers in Comer Cadet, WTP
Cadet (Little Green Man) and Super Cadet in 2011, and is already
taking signings for next year in all three classes in both
Britain – Super 1, FKS, LGM and club meetings – and Europe.
Arrive-and-drive packages are also available in Super Cadet for
the UK and Europe.
Formula3:
Marco Wittmann (Signature) claimed victory in the second
Formula 3 Euro Series
race at Norisring. The Franconian, who only lives 40
kilometres away from Norisring, had a thrilling battle for the
lead with Roberto Merhi (Prema Powerteam), in which the German
eventually came out on top. Spaniard Merhi remains points’
leader in the Formula 3 Euro Series. His compatriot Daniel
Juncadella (Prema Powerteam) ended up third after Daniel Abt
(Signature) was given a 30 seconds’ time penalty for a collision
with Nigel Melker (Mücke Motorsport) and thus lost his third
place. Jimmy Eriksson (Motopark) finished fourth.
Having started fifth, Merhi took the lead on lap two already,
after pole-sitter Alon Day (HS Engineering) had a rather poor
start, Kimiya Sato (Motopark) collided with Kuba Giermaziak (Motopark)
and Jimmy Eriksson (Motopark) failed to keep the Spaniard at
bay. The battle for the lead with Wittmann lasted a few laps,
but then Merhi made a slight mistake, allowing Wittmann to take
the lead for good. Daniel Abt was on his way to third behind the
two youngsters, but the son of DTM team principal Hans-Jürgen
Abt collided with Nigel Melker and was given a 30 seconds’
penalty. He dropped back to tenth.
Wittmann: “At last, I have won my home race at Norisring.
Initially, Roberto and I had more or less the same speed. Then,
I could benefit from a mistake by him and then pull a gap. At
the end, I drove victory home.”
Merhi: “Initially, I was in the lead, but then I made a
mistake. Maybe, I just wanted too much in this situation.
Towards the end, I was able to close up to Marco again, but it
wasn’t enough. I am happy with second place, which again brings
some points for the drivers’ standings.”
Juncadella: “I was lucky enough that Daniel Abt and Nigel
Melker collided right in front of me and that Daniel got a
penalty for that. Thus, I moved up into third place. Generally,
this track doesn’t suit me and I am happy that I have made it on
the podium here.”
Nigel Melker (Mücke Motorsport) won an action-packed 13th
Formula 3 Euro Series’ round
at the Norisring, after Laurens Vanthoor (Signature) and Marco
Wittmann (Signature), who had crossed the finish line ahead of
the Dutchman, each were given a 30 seconds’ time penalty for a
yellow-flag infringement. This made them drop back to second (Vanthoor)
and third (Wittmann) place respectively. In the drivers’
standings, Roberto Merhi (Prema Powerteam) remains on top after
finishing fourth from Jimmy Eriksson (Motopark).As the race got
underway on a wet track, Merhi took the lead and immediately
pulled a gap, just like Wittmann in second place. When the track
dried out, both turned into the pit lane to have their rain
tyres replaced by slicks, which allowed Laurens Vanthoor to take
first place. For a few laps, the Belgian had to defend his
position from a charging Daniel Abt (Signature). With ten
minutes remaining, Abt and Vanthoor collided, after which the
German retired with a broken right front wheel suspension. As
Vanthoor, Wittmann and six other drivers didn’t slow down
sufficiently when yellow flags were out, they were all given a
30 seconds’ time penalty. Thus, rookie driver Nigel Melker
inherited victory.
Nigel Melker: “It was an entertaining race. Staying out
with slicks in spite of the rain was the right decision, even
though I wasn’t quick in the rain. I significantly slowed down
when the yellow flags were out, which allowed the others to
close up, but I didn’t want to risk a penalty.”
Laurens Vanthoor : “It was a crazy race. Especially
during the first few laps, it was very slippery and not easy. I
am really sorry that I slightly tangled with Kuba Giermaziak.
Later on, during the collision with Daniel Abt, I almost spun
and stalled the engine. Daniel was much too far away for an
attack in that situation.”
Marco Wittmann: “We had opted for rain tyres, although
slicks would have been better. On lap 21, I came in to get
slicks. After the pit stop, I have everything and I still got
the maximum out of it.”
 Felipe
Nasr has increased his Cooper Tires British Formula 3
International Series points
lead to 59 after securing his ninth podium of 2011 at the
Nurburgring in Germany on Saturday afternoon, 2nd July, with an
excellent second place finish during the 13th round of the
season. Read report
FIA Formula 2
Championship front-runner Will Bratt
maintained his position in the top four of the driver standings
at the Nurburgring in Germany this afternoon, Saturday, 2nd
July, after salvaging a seventh place finish during an
incident-packed first race of the weekend. read
report
02-07-11
 Saloons:
Michael Choi took pole position for Round 5 of the Asian Touring
Car Series
on a hot evening at Sepang Circuit. The J.A.S. Motorsport driver
from Hong Kong made some set-up changes and clocked the fastest
time of 2 minutes 22.669 seconds. Choi was happy with the
outcome after a difficult weekend, “The time is good and I am
happy. We put new tyres on and did some settings yesterday and
it was much better. The car was better and easier to handle and
I will try my best for the podium”. Choi lines up ahead of
returning driver, Chen Jun San of Team AAI/Buddy Club who took
second just 0.196 seconds behind. Chen was having a difficult
time this weekend during the tests but was back on the pace
after the team decided to return to the settings from the
previous race. He was all smiles after the Qualifying session
and said “I am happy with the Qualifying time because for the
last three days during the test sessions, the time was getting
worse and worse. “We had a lot of problems with the set up and
when we went back to the settings from the previous race, we
managed to get good times. The ever positive driver said of the
weekend so far, “we had something bad happen to us and something
good happen to us” and he is hoping to end the weekend with good
results. Paul Poon of China Dragon Racing was also happy with
his time despite not being able to get a proper clear lap done
during the Qualifying session. “I did some good laps but I had
some cars in front of me. But overall I am happy with my time”.
Poon’s main goal this weekend is to keep Kenneth Lau, who he is
fighting with for the Hong Kong Touring Car Championship, behind
him and to claim a minimum of second place to secure the win in
their final two races of the season. Lau will be starting just
one spot behind and although was happy, he said he could do
better. “It was okay. I pushed a little too hard. If I had just
driven a little calmer, I would have gotten a better lap time. I
just need to be stable and relaxed.” Kuroki who clocked the
seventh fastest time of the day will start the race tomorrow
from the back of the grid after making an engine change.
 F1600: Aspiring racer Wyatt
Gooden won at Mid-Ohio
on his F1600 Formula F Championship Series debut, driving a Van
Diemen/Honda prepared by veteran outfit Quantum Racing Services.
Gooden started from pole and ran the fastest lap of the race,
but had to fight his way back into the lead at one point from
third, passing fellow aspiring drivers Sam Beasley and Mitch
Martin on his way to victory. pic Valet Read
report
 F2000: Chris Livengood
started from the pole and led all 18 laps at Mid-Ohio
to take his second career F2000 Championship Series win and
second win at Mid-Ohio in a repeat performance of 2010.
Livengood, driving for Work Racing with support from John Walko
racing, led from the drop of the green, briefly holding off
Brian Tomasi in the Afterburner Racing Van Diemen. Tomasi would
finish second by just under two seconds with Robert La Rocca
completing the podium. “That race went really well. The first
lap and a half was insane on cold tires,” said Livengood, who
becomes the fourth different winner in seven races in the 2011
F2000 season. “Then I just started to hit my marks and it all
went well from there. Mid-Ohio just feels like home.”
pic Valet
Read report
 Fuchs Titan Race MR2 Series
: Brunel Motorsport Engineering Student David Pittard
further stamped his authority on the Fuchs Titan Race MR2 Series
last weekend at Snetterton Circuit with another 100% record over
his rivals. Read report
 ILMC:
Following a sixth overall and highest petrol LMP finish at the
2011 Le Mans 24 Hour race,
REBELLION Racing continues with the remaining rounds of both the
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and Le Mans Series as they head to
Italy for the first ever « Le Mans » endurance race at Imola.
With the strong result that the team achieved at the Le Mans 24
Hours, the Swiss squad will arrive at Imola with more confidence
and higher expectation of finishing ahead of the petrol LMP
field and possibly on the overall podium. A variation of the new
aero package, introduced during the Le Mans Test Day in April,
will be used by the team at Imola. This variation of the front
aero was tested briefly at Spa in May, but was not scheduled to
be used during the Belgian race. The Toyota engines are not
scheduled to receive major updates at Imola but have been
optimised in some areas since Le Mans. After being fully rebuilt
after the Le Mans race, in a very short time period, the Swiss
team will field two Lola-Toyota cars for their regular driver
partnerships, the 12 car of Neel Jani (CH) and Nicolas Prost (F)
and #13 of Andrea Belicchi (Italy) and Jean-Christophe Boullion
(F). The 6 Hours of Imola race will be the third round of the Le
Mans Series and the fourth of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
Most of the teams at not familiar with the Autodromo
Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari track, but the REBELLION
Racing drivers have recent racing experience there. The 4,909
metre long circuit, one of the iconic Formula One tracks
combines high-speed and slow sections. The circuit has recently
undergone extensive revisions to the pit lane and its final
corners. Imola is a very demanding track on both tyres and
brakes. The endurance of the Michelin tyres and the brakes will
be the key to keeping the performance during the last stages of
the race.
 WTCC:
Rob Huff dominated the test session on Porto's Circuito da
Boavista.
The Briton and his Chevrolet Cruze car emerged as the fastest
from the very beginning, improving four times the fastest lap
and eventually posting a 2:09.026 that no one was able to match.
Huff's team-mates Alain Menu and Yvan Muller were second and
third fastest with laps of 2:09.667 and 2.09.758 respectively.
All the other competitors remained above the 2:10 mark. Norbert
Michelisz was the best of the rest, posting the fourth fastest
lap of 2:10.576 just ahead of WTCC comebacker Stefano D'Aste
(2:10.814) and an impressive Mehdi Bennani (2:10.969). With Tom
Coronel in seventh, Pepe Oriola was the fastest of the SUNRED
drivers, posting the eighth fastest lap of 2:11.950. His team
mate Gabriele Tarquini was not able to clock any lap times
because on some technical issues. "It looks like a fuel feeding
problem," he explained. The drivers had a very cautious approach
during this first session and no major incidents were reported.
However, the session was red flagged (and not resumed) with four
minutes on the clock, when Robert Dahlgren's Volvo C30 hit the
barriers at Turn 2 and stopped on the track. Huff commented: "I
really love street circuits! I managed to build up consistently,
looking for the grip when I needed it. The car's balance was
fantastic, perfect for this track!" The WTCC field will hit the
track again tomorrow for the usual two 30-minute free practices
and the 45-minute extended qualifying.
 Formula
Ford:
Drivers from nine different nations and Formula Ford
championships
across Europe and Scandinavia are set to descend on Belgium for
the latest races in the new Formula Ford EuroCup series.The
EuroCup, successfully inaugurated last month at Brands Hatch,
visits the Belgian Grand Prix venue of Spa-Francorchamps next
Friday and Saturday (8/9 July) for a trio of 20-minute races
alongside the British GT and European GT4 championships. The
following weekend (16/17 July), the focus switches to Zolder,
where the Eurocup joins the exciting Superleague Formula event.
A field of 20 Duratec-powered cars - plus one Zetec-engined
machine - is expected in Belgium, half of that number made up of
runners from the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great
Britain and the rest drawn from the Benelux and Scandinavian
series. British Championship leader and Brands Hatch EuroCup
victor Scott Malvern heads the entry and leads the Jamun Racing
squad into battle alongside his Mygale-driving team-mates Jeroen
Slaghekke, Nick McBride and Spike Goddard. Heading the Dutch
challenge are the Provily Racing Team and their Mygale men
Michel Florie and Bas Schouten, both of whom showed well at
Brands Hatch. Jamun’s perennial UK rivals JTR will have its
usual trio of Mygales in action for Geoff Uhrhane, Tristan
Mingay and Dan de Zille. Mygale dominance will be threatened by
several Van Diemen runners, including Fluid Motorsport’s
Wales-based driver Matthew Parry and JRT Racing’s Belgian
representatives Laurent Poncin and John Svensson. Cliff Dempsey
Racing’s young American Neil Alberico will head the Ray-driving
challengers, along with Danish Championship front-runner Jesper
Egebart.The Spa event will see the fulfilment of a long-held
dream for Getem Racing boss Jason Down, who has wanted to race
on the legendary circuit for years and who will slip behind the
wheel of the class-winning Mygale chassis his team prepares for
British championship regular Cavan Corcoran. “I haven’t done a
full season of racing myself since 2007, and my last Formula
Ford race was at Brands Hatch in 2009,” said Jason. “Since then
the team has been too busy running other drivers for me to find
the time. I remember walking the track at Spa in 2008 the last
time the British championship raced there and thinking ‘I wish I
was driving.’ Now this opportunity has come up and I’m really
excited to be making my Spa debut. “Cavan is concentrating on
winning the Scholarship Class in Britain this year and so I am
hoping to get a good run in his car and to be close enough to
the youngsters not to embarrass myself. I think that drivers
need to take any opportunity to race on a Grand Prix circuit
when it comes along.”
 ALMS:
Following their Le Mans 24 Hours heroics three weeks ago,
Robertson Racing return to domestic sportscar duties at Lime
Rock Park for the Northeast Grand Prix next weekend (July 8/9)
where round three of the American Le Mans Series presented by
Tequila Patron awaits. It will be the Braselton-based outfit’s
first ALMS appearance since the opening round at Sebring back in
mid-March after taking time out to prepare for a trip to France
that led to the record-setting GTE-Am podium finish at the 79th
Grand Prix of Endurance. While those memories remain fresh, the
team’s focus has shifted to Lime Rock Park’s two-hour 45-minute
race where the #40 Ford GT, now stripped and rebuilt following
its La Sarthe exploits, will be reunited with the sister #04
machine. Despite their success at Le Mans, Robertson Racing’s
driver crews revert back to previous ALMS configuration for Lime
Rock, the first of seven ALMS rounds during a packed 13 weeks of
racing. David Robertson and wife Andrea, who both tasted
champagne in France, remain at the wheel of #40 while fellow
podium finisher David Murry moves back across to the #04 cockpit
alongside Anthony Lazzaro. Freighting the team and equipment
back to America, as well as fully preparing two cars, has been a
tough task since Le Mans. Even so, Team Principal Andrew ‘H’
Smith is hopeful of a strong result.
 LMS:
Porsche has announced it will return to Le Mans with a works-run sports
prototype race car in the top LMP1 category. The first outing of
the completely newly-developed car is planned for 2014.
“Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand,”
emphasises Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at
Porsche AG. “So for us it was only a matter of time before we
returned as a factory to the top league of racing. The success
of Porsche at Le Mans is unrivalled.We want to follow up on this
with the 17th outright victory.” With the RS Spyder sports
prototype that was run with great success from 2006 to 2008 by
the factory-backed Penske Racing team in the USA, and to 2010 by
several customer teams worldwide, Porsche has set the benchmark
recently in the LMP2 category. “With the RS Spyder we proved
that our motorsport engineers in Weissach are at the forefront,”
says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at
Porsche AG. “For instance, we were the first to run a
high-revving race engine with direct fuel injection, DFI,
setting new standards in performance and efficiency. Recently,
with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, we adopted a completely new drive
technology for racing purposes and achieved a considerable
reduction in consumption.” Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche
Motorsport, is already prepared for one of the most challenging
development programmes in the company’s history. “We’re looking
forward to the task of developing new technologies and to
continue on with the success of the Porsche RS Spyder. After the
conclusion of our works-supported sports prototype programme in
the American Le Mans Series we have kept up with the latest
technological advances. Now we will begin with detailed research
in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our
new car. These obviously depend on how the regulations for the
year 2014 look in detail. In principle, these regulations are
interesting for us because the integration of our hybrid
technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option.”
With 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful
manufacturer in Le Mans. Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood
claimed the first in 1970 with the legendary 917 short-tail. The
16th and by now last overall win was secured by Laurent Aiello,
Stéphane Ortelli and Allan McNish in 1998 with the 911 GT1. In
the years 2008 and 2009, the Porsche RS Spyder sports prototype
won the title in the LMP2 category.
 Goodwood: Mephistopheles, the powerful,
giant record-breaking car from 1923, is to put its pace to
good use again this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The monster car, built by Sir Ernest Eldridge on the base of a
1908 Fiat SB4 Corsa and powered by a WW1 Fiat A12 aircraft
engine (the A-12 Bis), is the only one of its kind in the world,
and will be going up the Goodwood Hill twice a day over the
Festival of Speed weekend. Part of a group of big racers, it’s
in a batch called, ‘Pioneering Giants’ and will also be on
display in the Cathedral Paddock. Eldridge modified the car by
lengthening the chassis (the wheelbase was lengthened to 11ft 5
1/8thins), using parts derived from a London bus, and adding the
aircraft engine converted to deliver 320 HP. On 12 July 1924,
Mephistopheles – so called due to the bangs and puffs of smoke
that it emitted when capturing the world land speed record –
reached the extraordinary figure of 234.97km/h (146.01mph).Since
1969 it has belonged to Fiat’s historical collection, and
recently underwent a long and intensive process of restoration.
 Karts: Ryan Anderton went to Glan Y Gors
looking for consistency
for Rounds five and six of the 2011 Formula Kart Stars (FKS)
Championship and that’s exactly what he delivered with a pair of
runner-up finishes and with them the the lead in the
points.Following a disappointing end to his previous outing,
also at Glan Y Gors, in fellow national championship Super 1
when he was taken out by a rival on the last lap, Ryan returned
a week later with his sights firmly set on snatching the FKS
championship lead. Pic: Chris
Walker /
www.kartpix.net,
Read report
Team USA Scholarships:
The highest placed American drivers under 20 years-old in both
the F2000 Championship Series and the F1600 Formula F
Championship Series, following F2000 at
Mosport and F1600 at Mid-Ohio, will be included among the list
of candidates for prestigious Team USA Scholarships. The program
will provide end-of-season opportunities at the Formula Ford
Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy events in England for talented
American drivers rising through the ranks of the open-wheel
ladder system. “The F2000 Championship Series has proven to be a
fine proving ground for talented youngsters,” said Team USA
Scholarship President Jeremy Shaw, “and I was delighted to learn
about the addition of F1600 Formula F to the agenda this year.
Formula F(ord) has been existence for over 40 years, is very
cost-effective and has an unparalleled reputation for developing
the stars of tomorrow. I am excited about being able to invite
drivers from both F2000 and F1600 to be part of our selection
process.” In addition to being able to broaden their experience
by racing in Europe, the Team USA Scholarship winners also will
enjoy a number of opportunities to visit a variety of
manufacturers and teams. The precise itinerary is yet to be
finalized, but in past seasons scholarship winners have been
treated to visits to Lola Cars, the McLaren Technical Centre,
Jaguar Cars, Fortec Motorsport and Cosworth among others. In
2010 F2000 race winner Jonathan Scarallo was nominated for the
scholarship, narrowly missing out on a trip to England after a
shootout competition in Arizona. The scholarship winner list
reads like a who’s who of road racing and includes: A.J.
Allmendinger, Conor Daly, Memo Gidley, Joey Hand, Bryan Herta,
J.R. Hildebrand, Josef Newgarden, Buddy Rice, Bryan Sellers and
Jimmy Vasser, to name a few.
 Other
News: Eco-friendly racing cars built by
schoolchildren from across the region will battle it out
around the Croft Circuit next Wednesday (6 July) for a place in
the grand final of Greenpower – a national competition to
discover the top automotive brains of the future.Youngsters
from no fewer than 32 schools and colleges will take part in the
North East heat at the North Yorkshire track with electric cars
they have designed, engineered and constructed themselves. Among
those on the grid will be Ripon Grammar and King James in
Knaresborough – two schools that have made it to the final
before. In all some 5000 pupils and students from 600 schools up
and down the country are competing for places in Greenpower’s UK
final in October. This will be the ninth consecutive year that
Croft has staged the North East heat, being sponsored by
Newcastle University, and a further 100 pupils and their
teachers will also be present as part of an ‘Engineering Day’ to
learn more about Greenpower before potentially entering in 2012.
Tracey Morley, Croft Circuit Manager commented: “Next Wednesday
marks the culmination of more than a year’s dedication for these
pupils and the opportunity to show what their fabulous creations
can do on the same track on which the stars of the British
Touring Car Championship raced just two weeks ago. It will be
hugely exciting for them. We’re both proud and delighted to be
welcoming back so many talented
youngsters and their teachers for their shot at Greenpower glory
in 2011.”
 National
Motorsport Week had been taking place this week (25 June - 3
July),
and to get into the spirit of encouraging newcomers into
motorsport, Brands Hatch hosted a photography masterclass on 28
June with acclaimed F1 photographer Drew Gibson from LAT
Photographic.A group of 12 aspiring motorsport photographers
were present at the masterclass and were shown several examples
of Drew's award winning work, and received advice on composing
images as well as tips on selecting the correct camera
settings.The photographers then went into the spectator areas
and took photos of their own under Drew's guidance.Photography
enthusiast Simon Kavanagh, deputy manager for a parcel company
said; "It's been exciting listening to some of the things that
Drew has to say. I've never had photography lessons and I'm self
taught so the experience he has been able to pass on has been
invaluable." Gibson, a former winner of the Renault MSA Young
Motorsport Photographer of the Year Award said; "It's been a
very interesting day! It's been good to speak to people with an
interest in photography and to share my knowledge and experience
to help them learn more things about taking photos. "Whatever we
can do to get more people involved in alternate careers in
motorsport such as photography should be encouraged and this is
a really good initiative." National Motorsport Week is an
initiative from the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) and
the Motorsport Foundation which generates funds for good causes
and also encourages newcomers to the sport. For more information
visit the National Motorsport Week website at
www.nationalmotorsportweek.co.uk.
 Nurburgring
24 Hours:
Advanced ceramic technology played its part
in ensuring that Aston Martin’s latest V12 Zagato endurance
racing car was able to stay cool at the epic Nürburgring 24
Hours. The coating, derived from Zircotec’s ThermoHold° based
ceramic, was selected by Aston Martin as a highly effective,
durable yet lightweight method of reducing underbonnet
temperatures at the 25km Nordschleife track. The use of
Zircotec’s advanced coatings on the new Aston Martin reflects
the growing use of such coatings to manage heat both on the road
and track. With its origins in the nuclear industry, Zircotec’s
ThermoHold® technology is applied to the exhaust system by
plasma spraying to prevent heat being radiated by the 6.0 litre
V12 engine. The resultant lower underbonnet temperatures improve
reliability and prevent heat damage to bodywork, fuel and
electrical systems. Keeping heat inside the exhaust also lowers
cockpit temperatures, improving driver comfort and safety. The
advantages it offers, relevant to all performance and classic
cars, mean a growing number of classic Aston Martin owners are
also benefitting from using the Zircotec coating, which is now
available from Aston Martin’s Works Service
department.“Zircotec’s coatings are an attractive alternative
for classic and performance car owners looking to enhance
durability, performance and comfort,” says Peter Whyman, sales
director at Zircotec. “In addition, the textured finish and
range of colours ensure it is aesthetically more appealing than
legacy technologies such as wrap. And unlike wrap, it is fit and
forget too, meaning no maintenance is required for a 24 Hour
race and years to come after.” The improved reliability and
lower cockpit temperatures made the selection of the coating
compelling for Aston Martin for the 24 hour event held on the
25km Nordschleife track. “Driver comfort is crucial at long
distance events such as these,” adds Whyman. “The significant
speed differences, long lap and often challenging weather
conditions at the Nürburgring means anything that helps to
improve the environment and their focus is a worthwhile addition
to the specification.”
The opinions expressed
on this site are not necessarily shared by 11/56 MotorSport or any of
theGrid team
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