The Grid

Formula Palmer Audi have unveiled their 2008 Calendar. Next season the series will support some pretty prestigious events, notably the DTM, WTCC and A1GP…read more

Four of this year’s Formula Renault UK drivers will join forces at the Autosport International in January to race in the BP Ultimate Celebrity Kart Challenge in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Read more

Sierra Sierra Enterprises have signed Jonathan Bomarito to contest the 2008 Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda…read more

Formula Renault V6 champion James Winslow has officially been accepted as a full member of the British Racing Drivers' Club after landing his second title in as many years. Winslow, who won the BRDC’s Innes Ireland award in 2006, joins the likes of Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Lewis Hamilton and many more illustrious names at the club. Not in the glare of the UK spotlight while campaigning on the other side of the globe, Winslow maintained his impressive run of success by adding the V6 crown to his 2006 Asian F3 title, taking four wins and 9 podiums. Winslow also finished fourth in the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship despite missing the final two rounds to pursue his V6 ambitions, taking three wins in the most closely-fought year in the history of the series. Either side of winning the Renault V6 title at Zhuhai, in November, Winslow added two other categories to his resume, with tests in both the Champ Car World Series with Conquest and also with Renault in the World Series as part of his V6 title prize. The American series in particular, is on Winslow's radar for 2008, with tests in top line Sports cars and Champ Car in the pipe line for early in the New Year. Despite that, however, he has not closed the door on opportunities elsewhere, with GP2 understood to be an option. "I'm really honored to be a member of such an important and prestigious Motorsport club," Winslow said of the BRDC nomination, "I'm still working on next year, but I've got a couple of very exciting things going on."

February 2008 will see V8 star Lee Holdsworth swap his V8 Supercar-spec Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden for a production Commodore as he takes part in the 2008 WPS Bathurst 12 hour aboard the Briffa Smash Repairs entry. Read more

A1GP heads for Zhuhai this weekend and the next round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport (14-16 December). After two emphatic wins by Switzerland in Malaysia the other 22 nations will all looking to get back on terms at the top of the table in China…read more

The Porsche Cup has been won by Johannes van Overbeek, driver for the Flying Lizard Motorsports in American Le Mans Series. Johannes was presented with the Porsche Cup at the weekend, which goes annually to the world's top independent Porsche driver. He finished second in the GT2 driver championship with Flying Lizard teammate and Porsche factory driver Jorg Bergmeister. Van Overbeek appeared in all 12 ALMS rounds in 2007 with three victories and seven podium finishes. He and Bergmeister led the class championship through the seven races as the Lizards finished second in the team title chase

A1GP newcomer David Garza Perez is to race for A1 Team Mexico in Zhuhai this weekend. In what is a surprise decision, the team has opted to select its third race driver in four meetings after 19-year-old Garza performed strongly in a Formula Renault V6 test in South Africa.

Karting star Lewis Williams produced a superb performance in his final race of 2007, storming to the runner-up spot from a lowly grid position in only his second competitive outing with a new team. Williams, in the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow, was in the last round of the Shenington Kart Racing Club Championship with Ultimate Motorsport, and was up against recent Stars’ pace-setters Macaulay Walsh and Pippa Coleman amongst others. The two wet heat races were not straightforward. Starting the first from pole, he found himself knocked off the track on the opening lap and down to last. A fight back would see him up to eighth at the flag, whilst a back-of-the-grid starting spot in heat two was converted into seventh place, leaving Lewis seventh on the grid for the final. “I thought I didn’t have much of a chance from there,” he admitted. “I just didn’t feel that confident. I overtook Pippa on the first lap though, and the four drivers up at the front were all scrapping over the lead, changing places and slowing each other up so I just held back. By lap eight I knew I could do it, so I dived in and got into the lead.” Though Dalton would ultimately depose him, out-braking him into the hairpin before going on to drive a very defensive last lap to protect his position, second place – a scant tenth of a second shy of victory – was nevertheless an impressive result, and one that secured Lewis a close third position in the final season standings, out of some 26 drivers.

Four of the UK’s Clio Cup racers

have joined together in aid of the British Heart Foundation for a charity kart race at the Autosport International Show on Friday 11 January 2008 at the NEC in Birmingham. Andrew Herron(pictured), Andrew Bentley, Michael Doyle and Paul Rivett will team up for the BP Ultimate Celebrity Kart Challenge alongside a member of the public who will donate £300 to the charity …read more

HiQ, the nationwide vehicle servicing and tyre retailing network will be the Title sponsor of the BTCC, the UK’s premier motor racing series, for the next three years starting in 2008….read more.

Asian F3 Pacific Champion, Dillon Battistini, had a successful two day test for the Minardi Champ Car Team at Sebring impressing the team with his speed and feedback. Dillon shared the test with GP2 driver, Ernesto Viso, completing over 300 miles. Keith Wiggins of Minardi reported "I was impressed with Dillon with his professional approach and feedback. It was more of a jump for him from F3 but he definitely proved that with enough time in the car he'll be a good addition to the Champ Car World Series." Battistini, said: "It was fantastic. I went 1.5 seconds quicker today than I did yesterday, and I think that was only 0.5 seconds off what Robert Doornbos and Dan Clarke [Minardi's 2007 race drivers] did on their last test here. I think the brakes, the power and the downforce are fantastic, but I think the improvement was down to being able to visualise which way the track went and also just knowing better what to expect from the car. Physically I didn't find it too hard. But I think I did 70 laps yesterday and 65 laps today, so I was okay. I was working with Michael Cannon [Doornbos' engineer this season] which was brilliant. He said my feedback was good, so overall I think I made a good impression."

Le Mead 24 hour driving challenge in aid of Leukaemia Research raises over £3000…read more

The Danish Touringcar Championship will consist of eight rounds on four different circuits in 2008. After a one year sabbatical the Championship returns to the most demanding circuit in Danish motor racing, Ring Djursland. In previous seasons the hilly and twisty circuit traditionally staged the first round of the latter half of the season in the middle of August, but next year Ring Djursland will holding round two of the Danish Touringcar Championship. FDM Jyllandsringen will start and finish the season, while Denmark's most popular race circuit will also hold meetings in June and August. The latter meeting has been moved three weeks forward from its traditional date during the first or second weekend of September to the third weekend of August. Padborg Park will be hosting two rounds of the Danish Touringcar Championship -- Padborg Open just before the summer holiday break and the penultimate round of the series, Padborg Super Prix. Finally the Danish Touringcar Championship will having its annual visit to Sturup Raceway in the south of Sweden, this time during the first weekend of September

Andersen Racing held an open day at their new Headquarters in Palmetto Florida on Saturday, the all new facility that will be

home for the team’s F2000, Indy Pro Series and Star Mazda cars has it’s own 1 mile test track …read more

Muhlner Motorsport has a satisfactory season in 2007. Winning the Spa 24hrs and a 1-2 in the Porsche Cup class of the German Endurance Championship is pretty good after …read more

Silverstone to start work on new Pit Wall. Construction of a new Pit Wall at Silverstone is set to get underway on Monday 17 December when the existing wall will be replaced. Taking up to six weeks to build, the new Pit Wall will fully comply with the latest FIA regulations and has been designed to withstand considerable impact loadings and speeds of more than 250kph. The new wall, built with 10km of steel reinforcing bars; 1000 cubic metres of concrete; 330 metres of debris fencing and rear tubular handrail; and movement joints to control thermal expansion and contraction, is being worked on through the Christmas break by the construction team to ensure it is completed by the end of January 2008. Circuit bosses have also confirmed that construction of the new Pit Wall is a separate project to the Silverstone Master Plan (the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s long term plan to redevelop the circuit), but is evidence of Silverstone’s commitment to continue to invest in the circuit and its facilities to benefit competitors, teams and fans.

Formula BMW USA Champion Daniel Morad has returned to his native Canada after spending the last few weeks travelling round Europe. His trek included a visit to the Red Bull Junior Team facilities in Austria, testing at a number of circuits all culminating in the Formula BMW World Final at Valencia in Spain where Daniel was one of three Champions and 32 other drivers chasing a test drive in a BMW Sauber F1 car . read more

A1GP race-winner Oliver Jarvis will be back in action in the British car next weekend when the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport makes its first ever visit to Zhuhai in China. After a promising start, A1 Team GB had a tough weekend lat Sepang, Two excellent qualifying spots proved the team's front-running pace, but an unfortunate run of bad luck prevented these from being reflected in the results. In an eventful Feature Race, Jarvis was first run into by an over-ambitious Michael Ammermuller of A1 Team Germany, then he lost more time in the second pit stop with a sticking wheel nut, a drive-through penalty followed for speeding in the pit lane, and to cap it all off, a two-second penalty after the race for a pit lane infringement. The troublesome weekend meant that the British entry did not finish on the podium at an A1GP round for the first time since Sydney, Australia last February. However the team is confident that they will come back in force at Zhuhai to prove that they are still championship contenders, and having won the season-opener at Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23-year-old Jarvis is eager to get back to winning ways as soon as possible. The 14-corner, 4.3km Zhuhai International Circuit will be a new test for all the national teams as the track is a new addition to the A1GP calendar this season. Also new to the series is A1 Team Great Britain's rookie driver for China, Danny Watts. Although joining the British squad for the first time, Danny brings with him a wealth of race experience having been crowned Formula Renault UK Champion in 2002, and winning races in both British Formula 3 and the Porsche Carerra Cup. Katie Clements, Team Principal: "We're delighted to welcome Danny [Watts] to the British squad, he is a committed driver and team-player, so his contribution in the rookie session and throughout the weekend will be invaluable, particularly given that Zhuhai will be a new circuit for many teams. After our disappointing result in Malaysia two weeks ago, which didn't do justice to Olly's pace and ability throughout the weekend, we're looking forward to getting back on the podium in Zhuhai where we belong."

Formula 3 Euroseries racer Edoardo Mortara will go all out for the overall Championship in 2008. Driving once more for the Signature team which has a works-deal with VW for their new F3 engine. Volkswagen has been extremely successful in F3 in the past, winning 92 races between 1979 and 1991 in the German F3 alone, as well as numerous other wins elsewhere. The manufacturer's new engine, which made its debut at this year's Nurburgring F3 Euroseries round, signals a firm intention for Volkswagen to return to its championship-winning ways. Mortara, who clinched the Euroseries rookie title with two wins and two podiums in only his second season of racing cars has already tested the Volkswagen engine and the French-Italian is looking forward to his new challenge. "I'm very grateful to Volkswagen and Signature for giving me this amazing opportunity," said Mortara. "The Formula 3 Euroseries will be as competitive as ever next year but the reputation of Volkswagen speaks for itself. Having worked with the Signature team throughout 2007, I know that together with Volkswagen we will form an extremely strong package. Now that I have won the rookie title, the next natural target is the overall championship. While this is sure to be an extremely tough task, it is nonetheless my firm aim -- as well as that of Signature." Kris Nissen, Volkswagen's motorsport director, said: "We are very pleased to have Edoardo in our team. For his young age he is already a very strong character and a good driver. He has everything that is needed to become very good in the future." Next year's Formula 3 Euroseries gets underway next April with the first of 10 race meetings.

08-12-07

A1GP race-winner Oliver Jarvis will be back in action in the British car next weekend when the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport makes its first ever visit to Zhuhai in China on 14-16 December 2007...read more

Eurointernational and Edoardo Piscopo join forces for assault on 2008 Champ Car Atlantic..read more

Holden Commodore driver John Goodacre grabbed pole for the opening race of the final round of the Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Championship at Sandown Raceway yesterday. Goodacre took his Brice Australian Holden round in a 1: 25.14.9 seconds to push pacesetter Kris Walton off the top of the timesheet. Series leader Bruce Heinrich has a 64 point lead over Walton going into round eight which has taken some of the bite out of the four times series winner’s challenge. Heinrich only qualified sixth alongside West Australian Clint Harvey.

Brazilian Alberto Valerio will compete in the GP2 Series in 2008 for the Durango team. The twenty-two year old has been confirmed at the Italian squad for both the GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series.

Rupert Svendsen-Cook will compete in the inaugural Formula BMW Europe Championship in 2008 after concluding a deal to race with Raikkonen Robertson Racing.Rupert’s second season of car racing will see him stepping up to the burgeoning series after competing in the Formula BMW UK Championship in 2007.Looking to build on a promising debut year that saw him overcome his inexperience to prove quick on the most competitive grid the series has ever seen, Rupert will race with front-running outfit Raikkonen Robertson Racing, also known as Double R Racing, the team having won the opportunity to graduate to the European series themselves after a successful maiden UK campaign that yielded a total of six wins.Raikkonen Robertson Racing is one of 13 teams from around Europe to earn a spot on the grid, in a series that will be featuring on the support package for several Formula 1 races in 2008.

2007 Volkswagen Racing Cup debutant Richard Walker, who won three races last year, will return to the Hankook-backed championship in 2008 with anew team and team-mate, one of his sons!..........read more.

FIAT launched its new F3 engine at the Bologna Motor Show yesterday(Thursday). It was officially presented by Engineer Paolo Martinelli, Vice-President of Fiat Power Train and the man responsible for Ferrari engines in F1. The 2 litre engine, developed by Fiat Power Train(FPT) technologies is based on an Abarth S2000 engine and is capable of 220 HP at 7000 revs with a maximum torque of 236Nm at 5750 revs. Two contract options will be available to teams: purchase at 38.500 euros (airbox, clutch, silencer and electronics included) or annual rent at 16.000 euros (comprehensive of control unit and injectors wiring). First delivers are awaited for the next few weeks, while a collective test with a car lined up by every team is going to be held within February.

The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires announced a provisional schedule of events for the series' inaugural season in 2008. ..read more

Canadian Philip Major has signed with Fortec Motorsport

for the 2008 British F3 Championship…read more

Bad luck struck Tobia Kipper in the final round of the Australian Formula Ford championship at Phillip Island last weekend. When he was involced in a 3 car pile-up in the last race…read more

Most Formula BMW USA teams went to Valencia for the Formula BMW World Final last month but Team Apex stayed at home to concentrate on its preparations for the 2008 Championship…read more

The Skip Barber Racing School has formed an all-new regional race series featuring the Mazda MX-5 Cup car, one of the most popular sports car used in amateur and professional road racing today. Read more

The Spa-Francorchamps 1000KM has moved from the weekend of May 17th/18th to May 10th and 11th. The date is better all round as it avoids clashing with FIA GT round scheduled for May 18th at Monza and offers those competitors involved in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans to have an extra week to prepare for the June classic.

The British Formula Ford Championship's 'Sampler Day',

run by series promoter RacingLine saw Sixty potential racing drivers (incuding Nelson Rowe , pictured left) in action at Silverstone yesterday (Wednesday) testing out the latest chassis and meeting the teams….read more

Just as in 2007 Guillaume Moreau

will take part in two major championships in 2008. The World Series by Renault and the Endurance series. In the latter he will join Luc Alphand Adventures’ team and drive a Corvette C6.R in both the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Le Mans Series. Read more..

Ollie Hancock enjoys positive Fortec test Ollie Hancock’s fledgling single-seater career received another boost last week with a successful four-day test with Formula Renault UK Champions Fortec Motorsport. The Hampshire racer spent the week in France testing the team’s title-winning car at Nogaro and Val de Vienne with the 20-year old, who finished 3rd overall and best rookie in this season’s Formula Renault BARC championship, immediately on the pace and setting competitive times at the challenging French circuits. Hancock admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed the experience and felt the whole week was a hugely beneficial experience as he assesses his options for 2008. “It was fantastic,” Ollie said. “Everyone at Fortec was superb and really made me feel at home. The team is very professionally-run and the car was excellent to drive. Spending a full week with them has taught me so much and working with the guys so closely has given me a real insight in how to optimise both the set up and my driving style in a Formula Renault car. I’d love to work with them again.”

The 2008 ItalianF3 Championship has been announced, it will consist of 8 double-header rounds and willl use FIAT engines and 2008 chassis. The season schedule is as follows:

Russia’s Sergey Afanasiev was quickest once again in Formula Master’s second official test day at Vallelunga yesterday…read more

Wayne Taylor Racing have joined forces with Penske Racing to run a Pontiac Riley in the 2008 Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona on Jan 26-27 in the first round of the Grand-Am Rolex Sportscar series. It will be driven by Helio Castroneves, Kurt Busch and Ryan Briscoe with sponsorship fromToshiba.

Chris Niarchos and Andrew Kirkaldy will head up a new team, CR Scuderia, in FIA GT and British GT in 2008 racing Ferrari 430s…more

On 16 December 2007, AIGO will be the official partner at the Race of Champions, to be held on a specially designed one kilometre parallel tarmac track in the brand-new, state-of-the-art Wembley Stadium in London. There is an expected audience of 80,000, all seats will have unrestricted views of the on-track action. Established in 1993, aigo specialises in making high technology mobile storage devices, digital products and self-assembling products. This includes MP3/MP4 players, high-resolution digital cameras and optomagnetic products.

Team RAC and Tom Onslow-Cole have parted company ahead of the 2008 British Touring Car Championship. Having lifted the 2006 Renault Clio title, Onslow-Cole impressed in his debut BTCC season, finishing tenth overall in his RAC BMW 320si. He achieved four podium results, among them a memorable maiden victory at Snetterton. But a team statement today confirmed that the 20-year-old would not be part of its line-up next year. Onslow-Cole was unavailable for comment. Team Principal Dick Bennetts said: “Team RAC would like to thank Tom for his efforts with us in 2007. To record a race win in his debut season is an achievement Tom should be very proud of, and we wish him all the best for his future racing career”.

Tafel Racing have announced that they will run 2 Ferrari F-430 GTC cars in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in 2008. ..read more

Forsythe/Pettit Racing completed two days of testing with Champ Car Atlantic Rookie of the Year Franck Perera at MSR Houston. "Over the two days of running, we laid out some very stringent tests and performance requirements for Franck," explained Tom Brown, technical Director for Forsythe/Pettit Racing. "It was extremely encouraging that Franck met and exceeded each requirement set for him. He is a consummate professional with a rare touch and feel for the car." Within the very first few laps of the morning session, Perera's ability to quickly learn the car and track along with his shakedown and testing experience he was immediately be up to speed and provided valuable feedback. "I want to thank the entire team for everything, especially Mr. Forsythe and Mr. Pettit for giving me this chance," said Perera. "The Atlantic Cars are great, but being in a Champ Car is why I came from Europe to America to race. It was really fun to be in a fast car again like the F-1 and to help Tom Brown and all the engineers prepare the car for next season”.

Robertshaw Racing have announced plans to bring the Chevrolet Lacettis to the British Touring Car Championship in 2008, the first to be driven by reigning SEAT Cupra R champion Harry Vaulkhard. ..read more

Competitors in the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship and ELF Renault Clio Cup

will race on the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit for the first time, as revealed in the 2008 Renault Sport UK race calendar. The rounds will be held when the World Series by Renault makes its annual visit to the UK on 7th/8th June. In 2007 the UK leg of the World Series by Renault attracted a record 135,000 spectators making it the second largest race meeting in the UK behind the British Grand Prix and the biggest World Series race meeting of 2007. Rounds 11 and 12 will also be particularly important for drivers in Formula Renault UK who are looking to launch their single-seater careers towards racing at the Northamptonshire venue as Formula One drivers. The remaining nine race meetings on the Renault Sport UK calendar are linked with the British Touring Car Championship package, where both the Formula Renault UK Championship and ELF Renault Clio Cup provide thrilling support races. Kent’s Brands Hatch Indy circuit once again hosts the opening rounds on 29th/30th March. Leicestershire’s Rockingham Motor Speedway follows on 12th/13th April before a visit to nearby Donington Park National circuit on 3rd/4th May. The high-speed Thruxton circuit in Hampshire reverts to hosting one race meeting on 17th/18th May before rounds nine and 10 on 31st May/1st June at North Yorkshire’s Croft circuit.

After the World Series by Renault motorsport festival, Norfolk’s Snetterton circuit hosts the seventh race meeting on 12th/13th July. Cheshire’s picturesque Oulton Park Island circuit follows on 26th/27th July before a return to Silverstone, this time on the National circuit, on 30th/31st August. The final race meeting of the season proved critical in both championships in 2007 and the season finale will this time be held on the legendary Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit on 20th/21st September. The circuit has not featured on the Renault Sport UK calendar since 2005 and is sure to provide a spectacular venue to crown the new champions.

Commenting on the 2008 calendar, Renault UK Motorsport Manager Tim Jackson said: “Once again we have delivered an exciting racing programme to our competitors, with the race on the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit sure to be an obvious highlight for all of our drivers. Brands Hatch always provides great racing to open the season and it will be fantastic to return there for the climax on the highly challenging Grand Prix circuit.".

Minardi Team USA wrapped up two days of testing with Venezuelan Ernesto Viso and Englishman Dillon Battistini yesterday at Sebring The pair completed nearly 300 miles each around the 1.669 mile road course, which is the sight of the first Series test in early February 2008.

Niall Breen has signed up with Manor Motorsports to compete in the Formula 3 Euroseries in 2008….read more

Niall Quinn has won the chance to join Belmayne A1 Team Ireland at Eastern Creek, Sydney, Australia on 1 February 2008 to take part in the rookie test as part of his prize for winning the prestigious Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Year award. Quinn competed in the Formula BMW Germany in 2007, scoring two podiums on his way to seventh in the championship. As the winner of Irish Motorsports’s top award Quinn gets a prize of 50,000 euros and the legendary Sexton Trophy. His win was announced yesterday at Motorsport Ireland's Dunlop Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards lunch in Dublin. He will now jet out to Sydney to get behind the wheel of the A1 Team Ireland car on 1 February 2008. After participating in the rookie test session, the award winner will spend the whole weekend working with A1 Team Ireland and with the support of regular driver, Portadown's Adam Carroll.

Jonathan Palmer, series director of Formula Palmer Audi, believes the McLaren Autosport BRDC judges have made a great decision choosing Stefan Wilson. …read more

Nico Hülkenberg (ASM Formule 3) will make his debut at the wheel of a Formula 1 car this week in the testing at Jerez. The German who finished third in the 2007 Formula 3 Euro Series will test for Williams Toyota.

Signature will contest the 2008 Formula 3 Euro Series season with four Dallaras powered by Volkswagen engines. Apart from the French squad, Team R.C. Motorsport also will enter four Dallara-VW Formula 3 cars. “It’s our goal to score points in every single round and secure our first podium finishes, this year,” explains Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Still, I’m well aware that succeeding in the Formula 3 Euro Series will be anything but easy and that we will have to execute a lot of work on the way to realising our goals.” To have the chance of doing so VW have signed Signature in addition to R.C. Motorsport who have already cooperated with Volkswagen in 2007. The French squad have been in the Formula 3 Euro Series since it began. In 2003, they relied on Renault engines, one year later, they switched to Opel and from 2006, they used Mercedes engines. Neither Signature nor R.C. Motorsport have made the decision regarding their 2008 driver line-up, to date.

Vallelunga hosted the first of Formula Master’s official two-day winter test in Italy today with Sergey Afanasiev claiming the fastest time of 1:28.913 for J.D. Motorsport

Robert Foster-Jones took an emphatic KF2 win in the second round of the 2007/8 Winter Series (2 December) at Shenington, Oxfordshire.In poor conditions Robert won his first heat. In the second, he came from 22nd on the grid to 6th,in the wet and on slicks. Having secured a front-row position for the final alongside James Abraham, Rob passed his rival to win the race by the length of the main straight. Foster-Jones says: “I’m over the moon. I didn’t think it would happen for me. I thought I’d come here and really have to battle. Thankfully my main rivals had bad days but when we go to the next round, I’m sure they’ll be after me.”But before then, Robert and the RFM team are heading to Vendrell in Spain for the annual Copa Campeones (Champions Cup) - and this year’s race is going to be tougher than ever..”

Mackenzie Taylor maintained his 100% KF3 Winter Series record with a finely taken victory in the second round at Shenington last weekend. Over 45 drivers entered the KF3-class, with Mackenzie very much the man to beat. Mackenzie says: “It was great to win the first round. But in some ways it puts pressure on you. You have to do it again to prove that the first one wasn’t a fluke.” Any suggestion that his previous win may have been down to luck was soon dismissed when he won the first heat, driving from 12th place on the grid. In the second, he came from 22nd place to finish 3rd - sealing a front-row start for the final - “Practice had been wet, first heat was particularly wet and by the time of the second, the track was drying but still very damp. When we came out for the final it was bone dry on the racing line, but there were tricky damp bits off line. At the start, John (Norris) forced me wide onto the damp stuff, so I couldn’t get traction and drive around the outside of him. But this let Rikki Gordon through his inside and into the lead” says Mackenzie. Taylor passed Norris on the second lap and set about reducing Gordon’s lead. Having caught him, Mackenzie tucked in behind and began to pile on the pressure. The trick worked, Gordon made a mistake, slithering off line and allowing Taylor through. From there, the Ashford-based teenager banged in a series of quick laps to put a cushion between himself and the pursuing pack, to take a comfortable victory.

The Champ Car World Series and the Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda have finalized their pre-season test schedules with the announcement of additional testing days set in 2008 race cities Houston and Portland…

LEWIS HAMILTON AWARDED GOLD STAR AT BRDC ANNUAL AWARDS .The British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) celebrated 2007 at its Annual Awards Luncheon at The Savoy in London yesterday(monday)...read more

Wembley Stadium has been transformed into a tarmac circuit ready for The Race of Champions in just under two weeks' time and organisers today announced further plans for the entertainment line-up. In between The Race of Champions heats, which will see the world's best drivers compete to be named Champion of Champions, drivers and fans alike will be wowed by a series of daredevil exhibitions, including bike stunts and Formula 1 car demonstrations. With trick names like the Superman Backflip, Tsunami and Cliff Hanger, the Red Bull Freestyle X Fighters' Moto Exhibition is bound to be a crowd-pleaser with motocross master Mat Rebeaud headlining. ..read more

The 2007 V8 Supercars Championship was won by the Holden Toll Team and Garth Tander after a championship that went all the way to the final lap of the series. Four drivers entered the final race with a chance of winning the series. The race for the championship literally went down to the last lap with four cars battling for the lead of the final race. Eventual race winner Todd Kelly ensured that by winning from title hopeful Jamie Whincup he helped Tander secure the championship by the smallest of margins - 2 points! Tander was fourth behind Bahrain favourite Craig Lowndes in the final race with only a few meters covering all four cars at the finish

The Bahrain International Circuit was awarded the highest accolade by the V8 Supercars Championship during Monday night's end of season V8 Supercars Championship Awards ceremony in Melbourne. During the ceremony BIC's running of the Desert 400 race in November was recognised as the Best Event of the Year for the 2007 Championship. This significant award recognised the efforts made by Bahrain for organising the best and most entertaining event of the championship and was won against some extremely strong competition in what is recognised the world over as being the greatest touring car championship of them all.

HANS Performance Products is excited to announce their brand new HANS Device the Sport Series. The design is guaranteed to provide the same level of industry leading safety as existing HANS Devices, but retail at just $69 in the US. All models in the $695 Sport Series offer the same proven strength and protection as existing HANS Devices. Breakthroughs in carbon fibre molding technology have allowed HANS Performance Products to pass cost savings directly onto racers. Sport Series models become available in the new-year. The most popular sizes will be available first. Pre -- production parts will be at the HANS booth during this week's PRI show. Details and information about HANS Performance Products are available at www.hansdevice.com

The Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada (VARAC) has announced that Tom Stephani, son of one of the original owners of Nikey Chevrolet, will be driving the car in the Historic Can-Am race at Mosport June 20-22. The Vinegaroon, a Genie Mk 10, was originally owned by Dan Blocker, "Hoss" on the sixties TV show Bonanza, with sponsorship from Nikey Chevrolet. John Cannon, at that time from Montreal, drove the car to victory in the 1966 Stardust Grand Prix at Las Vegas. Stephani acquired the car in 2002 after it had undergone a meticulous restoration by Floyd Sable of Eden Prairie Minnesota.

F3 driver Callum Holland attended the German Motor Show in Essen to take one of the most prestigious prizes in Formula 3,the Rhinoís Energy Drinks driver program. Callum was selected after an on track assessment at the Eurospeedway earlier in November. The selection secures Callums career for up to 3 years as part of the Rhinoís Energy Drinks driver program. This includes financial backing, public relations & Media training and sports training camps on an ongoing basis. Callum will be the 1st British driver in the 3 years the Rhinoís program has been in operation. ‘This is a great opportunity for me to forward my career in the sport. I had been informed of my acceptance earlier but was asked not to divulge the result until the announcement at the 3pm press conference in Essen on Saturday. It was very difficult not to show my joy at winning the prize and the seat. It is everything I wanted for 2008 and onwards.‘I am looking forward to pre season testing which is scheduled for around 15 days in Italy or Spain, then getting into the fitness program in Munich’

A1 Team Portugal has named the first three drivers set to benefit as part of its new FPAK A1GP Portugal Junior Team project. The Portuguese Federation of Automobile and Karting and A1 Team Portugal are to join forces in the project which will give the winners of Championship, Portuguese Cup and Open Racing Series in Portugal the opportunities to take part in the rookie sessions in A1GP races. Goncalo Araujo, Bruno Serra and Frederico Duarte are the first trio who will take part in the sessions.Araujo, 22, will travel to China next week, and will take part in the rookie session at the Zhuhai track, with the other two appearing at later rounds.

Formula Palmer Audi driver Stefan Wilson claimed the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award at the Autosport Awards in London on Sunday. The 18 year old was one of six drivers nominated for the prize, which was decided by a two-day assessment at Snetterton in November. During the test all six finalists took to the track in a Porsche 911 Carrera Cup, Mercedes DTM and World Series by Renault machine, as well as facing questions from a selection panel. As part of his prize, Wilson will test a McLaren Formula 1 Car and receive a GP2 test. Stefan, who is the younger brother of Champ Car and ex-Formula One driver Justin Wilson, is overjoyed with the award: "It was a shock, I thought I was the underdog, so I was thrilled when I heard my name announced. I could barely see to begin with when I was walking through the confetti! It feels amazing. My brother Justin and my Dad were up before me, they were screaming and I was still in shock! It's incredible to see my name on the side of a McLaren Formula 1 car as well. My first year in single-seaters has been great. It's been fantastic being a part of the rejuvenation of Formula Palmer Audi, and the standard of driving has been very high. I've learned a lot, and it's great to be the first FPA driver to win this award. I've really enjoyed driving in the series, and it's led me to winning this award." Stefan finished second in this year's Formula Palmer Audi championship, 32 points behind winner Tim Bridgman. He joins previous McLaren Autosport BRDC winners including David Coulthard, Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson: "It's an amazing feeling to think that I'm on the same list as so many other great drivers," said Stefan. "I can't wait to drive a Formula 1 car, this is a massive opportunity." He added: "Now I'm going to see what doors this prize opens, before we make any decisions on what happens next year."

Johnny Mowlem has joined Corsa Motorsport to drive a Ferrari GT2 in the American Le Mans Series in 2008. Mowlem has won two major races in America, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Much of Mowlem's 2007 season was European based, where he drove Ferraris in 3 different series and it is this relationship with the Scuderia that confirmed his decision when Corsa Motorsport owner Steve Pruitt got in touch. "I have developed a very good relationship with the Ferrari factory," Mowlem said. "After Steve's initial phone call, I had several conversations with different people at Ferrari and I quickly realized that this project was very much on their horizon, as something they were giving their full support. With that in mind, it allows me to not only to continue to build on my relationship with them, but also to return to the ALMS, which my absence from this year has very much reinforced my opinion that it is the world's premier sports car platform for a professional driver." Mowlem will co-drive the Corsa Ferrari with ALMS veteran Gunnar Jeanette.

Team West-Tec have signed Christian Ebbesvik and Sean Petterson to race in Class A of the 2008 Spanish F3 Championship. Christian Ebbesvik won the Spanish F3 Copa de Espana with the teamin 2007 while Sean Petterson joined the team late-season at Valencia, when the F3 series supported the GP2 finale. The team conducted shakedown testing at Donington Park last week, where South African Petterson slightly shaded Ebbesvik. Further testing will now take place at Valencia, with five days scheduled between now and Christmas. where they will be joined by 2007 British Club F3 race-winner, and ex-Formula BMW driver Lars Viljoen who will test one of the team's Class B cars.

Victorian State Champion Jake Chapman has been selected as one of three drivers to represent the CAMS Rising Star program in next year’s National Formula Ford Championship. After missing out on the 2007 selection, Chapman was determined to make the grade for 2008, and successfully did so after capturing the Victorian State Championship and also managed to achieve strong results in the highly competitive New South Wales State Championship. “This year’s results have really helped my chances of being selected for the 2008 CAMS Rising Star program, said Chapman.“Last year I applied for the program but was unsuccessful in doing so, so I set about putting runs on the board results wise, and also keeping in touch with the CAMS Rising Star organising and not letting them forget about me. I think being unsuccessful last year really was a blessing in disguise, as it was certainly a wake up call, and made me even more determined to be successful in all parts of my motorsport endeavors.” Chapman has set down the goal of being a Top 5 contender in next year’s National Formula Ford Championship, and he knows it’s not going to be easily achieved, but it is a challenge that he is looking forward to tackling head-on. Driving the very latest Spectrum 011B, Chapman is very much looking forward to working with the Borland Racing Developments team next year in his chase for a successful step into the National Championship.

Team BRM has finished the 2007 Australian Formula Ford Championship by bringing two cars home inside the top ten in the final race at Phillip Island at the weekend. Young South Australian driver Nick Percat rebounded from difficulties earlier in the weekend to finish a strong 5th in race three whilst Lee Farrell – who will drive for Team BRM in the 2008 Australian Formula 3 Championship – completed a strong debut weekend in the Formula Ford series by finishing 10th in the finale.The strong double top-ten finish capped off a flying finish to Team BRM’s first full year in the Formula Ford championship after Nick Percat won the teams first race – and smashed the lap record – at Symmons Plains a fortnight ago, and finished on the podium at Sandown before that. Percat rebounded from an opening race DNF at Phillip Island to charge through the field in his #16 Walkinshaw Performance Van Diemen and finish fifth in race two. In race three, he made a stunning start from the third row and ran third on the opening lap, often dicing with the leaders throughout the race before consolidating and finishing 5th. Despite feeling unwell, Farrell climbed into the top ten in race two after failing to finish race two in another strong drive in his #20 Opes Prime Van Diemen. Once again Percat was the only Van Diemen to finish in the top five for the round.

24 hour Charity Vauxhall VXR sports car challenge at Millbrook Proving Ground.

2008 Australian Formula Ford Champion Tim Blanchard today(Sunday) sealed his title with two more race wins at Phillip Island. His team mate James made it a grat day all round for Sonic Motorsport by clinching the Rookie of the Year honours

Sweden's Felix Rosenqvist took his maiden single-seater victory as the Asian Formula Renault (AFR) Championship season ended at Shanghai International Circuit this weekend. ...read more

Duncan Tappy spent two days in World Series by Renault cars with two different teams as part of the next step in his racing career. He is looking to make the move to the international series and tested with Red Devil Team Comtec on Wednesday and Fortec Motorsport today....more

Asian Pacific Formula 3 Champion Dillon Battistini will test a Champ Car for Minardi Team USA at the famed Sebring International Raceway next week. Dillon Battistini is the 2007 Asian Pacific F3 Champion, winning the series in fine style with races in China, Australia and Indonesia.

GT Sport have announced the calendar for 2008's Spanish F3 Championship. Races at Spa-Francorchamps join Magny Cours on the schedule for next year as the series becomes ever more of a Southern European-based F3 Championship.Adding in F1 support races on the new Valencia street circuit at the European GP as well as retaining races at Barcelona, Jerez and the traditional Valencia Cheste track means that the series will be racing on no fewer than six current GP2/F1 tracks in 2008.With a new engine also coming on stream in the Fiat-backed Championship, interest is booming with two Italian teams set to enter next year, adding to the foreign influx started by Britain's Team West-Tec in 2007.West-Tec's John Miller was available to comment: "The schedule for 2008 really is fantastic. I know GT Sport want to build the series as a prime feeder to GP2 and adding tracks like Spa and supporting Formula 1 are very exciting for the future. In fact, if you do some analysis you will find that Spanish F3 already provides more drivers into GP2 and World Series by Renault than pretty much any other F3 series - which is part of the reason we chose to race in Spanish F3 in the first place.To hear of new teams joining is also really positive. With grids in the high-twenties this year, next year looks like being even bigger and better!".

25 years ago today on December 2 1972 Peter Gethin drove a Chevron B26 to victory in the sports car race at Welkom, South Africa

James Moffat won the first race of the weekend in the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Philip Island today(Saturday), setting a new lap record of 1:38.7257 in the process. It was Moffat's first win since round two at Barbagallo earlier in the season. However it was his Sonic Motorsport teammate Tim Blanchard who clinched the 2008 Australian Formula Ford Championship with third place,.

Martyn Culley,

one of the quickest and most spectacular drivers in the Volkswagen Racing Cup in recent seasons, is set to return to the championship in 2008 at the wheel of a home-prepared 3.2-litre Beetle....more

SEAT Sport UK will return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship next season with the same driver line up as 2007. Both Jason Plato and Darren Turner have been confirmed as the team's drivers for 2008 ...read more

The 2008 calendar of the Euroseries 3000 has been released: 8 weekends including 3 rounds in Spain with a grand finale in Jerez and Barcelona. The season will start in Italy, in Vallelunga, where a collective test is also scheduled on March 10 and 11. Most events will be together with GT Open and Spanish and Italian Formula 3. Live TV coverage will be provided for all the races. The Spa event will present a different schedule with a 120 km race instead of the two races, with inverted starting grid in race two, wich will be held in all the other rounds

James Moffat

was quickest in the opening session in this morning’s(Friday) practice session for the Australian Formula Ford Championship race at Phillip Island. Moffat set a 1:38.8912 in the day's one and only session with Ash Walsh second on a 1:39.2756

Three more cars will join the Formula Master grid in 2008 with GP2 team Trident Racing confirmed its entry. Team Principal Alessandro Alunni Bravi is so impressed with the Series, he has already secured one driver as well as key technical personnel ahead of next season.“The moment we decided to open a second programme alongside GP2, Formula Master was the natural choice of us,” said Alunni Bravi. “The Series has a great organisation from a marketing and commercial point of view; this year has been impressive especially when you consider it is the first year! The technical level of the car is very good too and is very close to GP2. I really think it’s the best feeder series to GP2.” 2006 German Formula 3 Cup’s rookie of the year Harald Schlegelmilch is the first of three drivers announced for the team’s 2008 Formula Master entry. The Latvian racer tested for Trident Racing’s GP2 team last month at Paul Ricard, impressing Alunni Bravi. “He has shown great talent already,” said the Trident Racing’s team principal. “We thought he would benefit from driving from Formula Master as his next step into international racing to refine his technical knowledge and racing skills.” Paul Ricard was also the scene for 2007 Formula Master runner-up Chris van der Drift’s GP2 test with Trident Racing. The Dutchman is now being considered for the team’s 2008 GP2 line-up.“I think he is one of the most talented racers in Europe,” added Alunni Bravi

Champ Car Atlantic Championship Rookie of the Year Franck Perera has been selected by the newly combined Forsythe/Pettit Racing to test its Champ Car at MSR in Houston today ."We are happy to give Franck the opportunity to drive the Champ Car. It gives us a chance to evaluate him and at the same time help the team with some testing items," said Neil Micklewright, V.P Forsythe/Pettit. With Toyota F-1 I did a lot of shakedown and some official testing and I am excited to work with Forsythe/Pettit for their testing this week and get time to know the car and present myself to the team and the series for a Champ Car drive next season," said Franck Perera.

Pacific Coast Motorsports gave Formula Atlantic driver Carl Skerlong his first taste of a Champ Car yesterday at Buttonwillow Raceway in central California. Skerlong completed 107 trouble-free miles on the 1.86-mile permanent road course. Skerlong,caught the eye of PCM team director Tyler Tadevic, and Skerlong was named to the PCM Jr Team, a program which recognizes and develops future open-wheel stars. "Carl did an outstanding job in his first outing in the PCM Champ Car," commented team director Tyler Tadevic. "His speed improved progressively throughout the day, and his feedback and ability to adapt not only to the extra horsepower but also to all of the additional features and functions of the Champ Car were impressive. Carl proved that he will certainly be ready to step up to big leagues in 2009 and I am sure he will fight for the 2008 Atlantic title with the King Taco car."

January's Dakar Rally promises to be the toughest yet for the Volkswagen works team and its squad of TDI-powered Race Touaregs, for the 30th running of the world's toughest motorsport event will be longer and more arduous than ever….read more

After Giedo van der Garde (Cram Compétition) on Wednesday, it was Marco Bonanomi’s turn on Thursday to (Red Devil Comtec) come out on top in World Series By Renault testing at Valencia The Italian set the fastest time in the morning while Van der Garde and Moreau (KTR) dominated proceedings in the afternoon….read more

Sam Abay will join Carlin Motorsport for the 2008 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series. The 20 year-old Australian, who finished eighth in Formula BMW UK this year, has already completed a number of test days with the team. Abay has already completed several days testing at Snetterton, Pembrey and Oulton Park and is judged to have made great progress by the team. Carlin, who are three times winners of the British F3 championship, have so far announced they will run Oliver Turvey, Brendon Hartley and Jaime Alguersuari alongside Abay next season. The 2008 British F3 championship will kick off at Oulton Park on 24 March, taking in circuits such as Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps during its 11 round season. Commenting on his signing to Carlin, Abay said, "I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the team and I believe that I can learn a lot from racing for them next year. I hope I can contribute to the enormous success that Carlin has already had ".Team Principal Trevor Carlin added, "Sam makes a big leap from Formula BMW to F3, but his progress in testing so far has been very impressive. He has continued to listen to the advice of the engineer and take on board any suggestions. He also has a great understanding of the mechanics and set-up of the car and in that respect he's a very intelligent driver. "It's fantastic that we have been able to announce four of our drivers so early on, this will give us a great opportunity to test throughout the winter and gel as a team, putting us in great shape for the 2008 season."

Jeremy Metcalfe

took two excellent victories and three other podiums on his way to fifth overall in the Formula Renault UK Championship this year;...review

Andrew Herron ended the 2008 Clio Cup season as the highest placed car rookie before going on to take his maiden Clio Cup victory in November's four-round Winter Championship...read review

A1 Team Germany driver Michael Ammermuller has come in for harsh criticism from the two drivers who he collided with in last Sunday’s Feature race in Sepang, Malaysia….read more

Rahal Letterman Racing has announced that it has filed a lawsuit in US District Court Southern District of Florida Miami Division against Scott Sharp Sports, LLC, Scott Sharp Inc., driver Scott Sharp (collectively "Sharp") and sponsor Patron Spirits. The suit alleges, among other things, a breach by Sharp of a multi-year contract with Rahal Letterman Racing. The terms of the contract call for Sharp and Patron Spirits to participate in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Racing through 2008. Rahal Letterman Racing's suit seeks damages for, among other things, Sharp's breach of contract and Patron's interference with contractual relations as well as injunctive relief. Additionally, RLR will file an emergency motion for a preliminary injunction against Scott Sharp forthwith. RLR expects to be successful in its suit and therefore is planning on moving ahead with its plans for the 2008 season, including taking part in December tests in both the IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series.

WPS/WOW drivers Max Wilson and Jason Bargwanna have sighted tyre wear as crucial factor for the Dunlop Grand Finale at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this weekend.

David Epton looks back on what could be his last season in single seaters as he eyes a move to Sportscars...read more

British GT Championship racing driver Luke Hines took up an offer from Scuderia Ecosse team principle Stewart Roden to test the teams stunning Ferrari 430 GT at a dry, sunny and bright Knockhill. Luke commented "Getting the phone call from Stewart was absolutely brilliant and the sunny but dry conditions were a great start too. After a year racing the Panoz fighting neck to neck with Tim Mullen and Chris Niarchos, I cannot believe we were ever able to beat the Ferrarii, it is a great car and the team was fantastic. A Great experience!" Scuderia Ecosse team principle Stewart Roden said " he was very impressed with how quickly Luke was on the pace in the Ferrari 430 GT and that Luke was able to match the lap times of the teams full time drivers."

Carlo van Dam once again tested a World Series Formula Renault 3.5 yesterday(Wednesday). After testing one of the World Series cars at Paul Ricard (France) for Red Devil Team Comtec three weeks ago, the reigning ATS Formula 3 champion was in action at the Spanish circuit of Valencia and racked up the miles for Fortec Motorsport. Van Dam’s performance today for the British squad was all about getting to know the World Series better. The Dutchman started the test on the 3.100 metres long circuit on used tyres. On the twisty and bumpy track Van Dam was capable of setting fast lap times immediately, but it was not all going well. He was hampered by understeer problems and locking brakes, causing him to lose a lot of times in the short turns. With a set of fresh tyres Van Dam set his fastest lap time of the day. With a 1:23.1 the S-T-A-R-T driver ended up in the midfield. Van Dam commented , “We have used our day pretty well. We wanted to use the day to get a better feeling in the car. A fast lap time was not as important. I was able to do a lot of laps before and after the break and was able to improve the car. Unfortunately we were hampered by heavy understeer problems, which we were unable to get rid of. I want to thank Fortec Motorsport and my sponsors for the test. The World Series Formula Renault 3.5 remains a serious option for 2008.”

Edoardo Piscopo will enter the 2008 Champ Car Atlantic Series, partnering with Eurointernational. The team owned by Antonio Ferrari, that gave Edoardo the chance to debut in the American F.BMW, is a first timer in the series too. At the same time, Edoardo will continue his partnership with the Italian A1GP Team. "I'm very excited to be back with Eurointernational, as they gave me the first opportunity to step up from go-kart racing. The team - directed by Antonio Ferrari - is also a second family to me. The Champ Car Atlantic series proved to feature an high-level competition, but I'm excited by the new challenge; the United States are also a very fascinating country, and I think I'll have a good time there. The 2008 season will be tough, but we'll be starting to prepare early. We hope we'll have the chance to fight at the top; of course, testing will be vital, and we plan to start very soon...".

Frenchman Jean-Christophe Ravier had his first laps in a Champ Car Atlantic machine this week with Jensen MotorSport at Roebling Road in Georgia. Ravier was evaluated by team owner Eric Jensen and he performed well, adapting the circuit quickly. while setting faster times than other drivers under similar conditions. In the afternoon, Ravier worked with engineer Adam Marchitto on a whole series of setup changes in order to develop the car. Despite difficult conditions, they managed to improve the car throughout the day. "We did an excellent work," Marchitto said. "The technical knowledge and feedback of JC enabled us to test many setups and to evolve the car all day. It was a very good day." Eric Jensen added, "It is very rewarding for any team to work with a driver of JC's talent and experience. He has an immense knowledge of how to be quick, and also works extremely well in a team environment. Our team is very excited by the prospect of having JC as one of our lead drivers for the 2008 championship, since we have waited for many years for an opportunity to challenge for the Champ Car Atlantic championship." Ravier said. "I really appreciated the test, The car is super, the environment in the team is very good, and with Adam we worked very well by testing several configurations. I think that we managed to make the car evolve, on a track that kept getting worse. It's a pity that we did not have time to run on new tires to validate our work. But we still managed to leave with the best lap time of the two days."

Frédéric Vervisch visited Sepang for the first time last week for the first round of the Asian Formula 3 Championship in Sepang. On the F1 circuit, Frédéric was a lot faster than his rivals, over two seconds quicker in the first practice session. During qualifying, the Belgian was hampered by a technical failure but he still managed to take pole in front of his team mate Rafael Suzuki. Frédéric made a good start into race 1, but Hamad Al Fardan was going a lot faster and they went side by side into the first corner. Fred outbraked his rival from Bahrain easily, but Al Fardan then tried to retake the lead and pushed Fred off the track. “My engine stopped and therefore I had to continue the race in last position. But I found a good pace immediately and was able to overtake some rivals. When I was behind Al Fardan, the race was already over. I finished only a second behind him in second place.” In the second race, our driver started on the front row again. This time also, Fred and Al Fardan went side by side into the first turn. “I launched one attack after the other, but he just closed the door on me every time. He was constantly blocking me and driving very aggressive. I tried to keep myself out of trouble and secured second position. Like in race 1, we set the fastest lap and that gives us two extra points in the standings.I look back very positive on the first race weekend. We could have finished twice on the highest step of the podium, but it didn’t end up like that. We were the fastest on the track and that gives me a very good feeling for the next race in Zhuhai.”

With the merger of the F3 Euroseries championship winning team ASM, with two time champions in the GP2 series, ART back in February of 2007, it can now be confirmed that both teams will race under the ART banner effective immediately.With ART Grand prix winning the GP2 crown in the first two years in the sports history and ASM having an extraordinary record in F3, including multiple championships in the Euroseries and International events, the culmination of these two great entities will make a stronger force and adopting just one name was a necessary progression. Frédéric Vasseur: "To use two different names, ASM and ART, for the same company, with the same people working under the same roof did not make sense anymore, ART which is involved in the GP2 Series since its creation and ASM which won F3 Euro Series drivers and team titles the last four years, have merged at the beginning of the year. It?s a success and we go forward by using just one name from now on: ART." Nicolas Todt: "It is more logical to use only the one name for all our activities, which will make it possible to avoid any confusion and to give the company a stronger image. Therefore, all our new projects will be done under the name of ART."

Drivers in The Race of Champions will be competing in a selection of five cars, it was confirmed today, after FIAT and the Solution F prototype Touring car announced their participation. FIAT will be supplying its Grande Punto S2000 Abarth, a champion car that counts the European FIA Rally Championship, the International Rally Challenge and the Italian Rally Championship amongst its titles. FIAT Abarth's Racing Operations Director, Claudio Berro, says the car will definitely add spice to The Race of Champions action, which already promises to be a thrilling event with drivers including Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and David Coulthard battling it out at Wembley Stadium in a champion of champions decider. "The famous scorpion badge was chosen as a clear indication of what Abarth was all about," said Berro, referring to FIAT's performance arm. Small cars with a big sting in the tail! "Our car is a rally car, therefore it is designed for the tortuous and narrow roads; I think it will do very will on the demanding track at Wembley Stadium!" Meanwhile the prototype Solution F car, which proved extremely successful in the Dubai 24 Hours race where it dominated its class podium, is perfectly suited to the tight, demanding circuit according to the car's Technical Director, Hugues Baude. "For The ROC it's a new car," he said. "But we have been racing with it for two years in France and Belgium. It's a very easy car to drive. The drivers will be able to get around the corners at top speed!" Both cars, along with the previously announced Ford Focus WRC, Aston Martin Vantage N24 and the ROC Car, will be equipped by official ROC partner Castrol EDGE Oil, after it too announced its affiliation with The Race of Champions. "This is a great concept because it levels the playing field by providing everyone identical track conditions and car equipment and becomes a great test of driving skill," said Castrol's Global Manager Shyam Balasubramanian. "The recently launched Castrol EDGE Sport is designed to provide maximum horsepower for longer. We think that sustained horsepower will be at the top of the contestants' and spectators' minds so the event and the product have a great fit!" Sixteen drivers are confirmed for The Race of Champions, many of them multiple champions from disciplines including F1, touring cars, NASCAR, Champ Car, rally and sports car. To book tickets for The Race of Champions, go to www.raceofchampions.com or call +44 161 385 69 25 for less than seven tickets, or +44 207 930 3000 for eight or more.

Martin Byford, the 2007 Clio Cup Champion, is the first driver to officially register for the 2008 SEAT Cupra Championship. He will race a brand new Leon Cupra, run by Z Speed Racing and supported by A&B Glass, Saracen Security, UK Fasteners and G Signs. The 35-year old driver from Colchester in Essex, who also has the 2005 Mazda Max-5 Championship, 2003 Super Coupe Cup, 1995 British Formula 3 Class B Championship and two Formula Ford titles to his name, drove his New Leon Cupra for the first time at Snetterton last weekend. Martin hopes to win the Cupra title at his first attempt, as one of the main attractions of the SEAT Cupra Championship is the first prize of a touring car drive with SEAT Sport UK. Byford said: “After winning the Clio Cup, the next step towards British Touring Cars is the SEAT Cupra Championship. The BTCC is where I’ve set my sights on racing, and having won the Clio title we needed to move up in terms of performance and professionalism. The SEAT prize of a race in a Leon is very tempting – and that’s what we’ll be out there trying to win next year. “The first impressions of the New Leon Cupra on track were very good – I didn’t want to get out of it. We took it to Snetterton on Saturday to shake the car down, bed in the gearbox and engine and just use the day to prepare for the start of our pre-season test programme. The Leon ran faultlessly and it’s very well put together. It’s also very quick – it was a general track day, no timing was allowed and I didn’t really get a clear lap because there were a lot of different cars out on the circuit, but I was able to pull out from behind a brand new GT3 Porsche 911 and just blast passed it! “I felt very comfortable driving the SEAT. It’s the first car I’ve ever had to left-foot brake in, but I didn’t even think about it. It was like competing at a charity karting event, you just left-foot brake without thinking and that’s what I did at the first corner of the first lap in the Leon. I’m looking forward to starting our test programme and tailoring it to exactly how I like it and I can’t wait for the start of next season. Roll on March!” Martin plans to run the car again this year before painting it over the Christmas period and commencing a detailed test programme in January.

The Australian Formula Ford Championship is pleased to announce an eight round calendar for the 2008 season that will see the series showcased at eight different venues across four Australian states. Formula Ford's national category will kick start at Eastern Creek on 7-9 March in 2008 and finish up at Oran Park on 5-7 December. The series is set to travel to a host of new venues in 2008- Hidden Valley in the Northern Territory will be a welcome addition for Formula Ford with the series having never travelled to the top end. "It's fantastic to be able to take our category to places that don't traditionally get to watch Formula Ford live at a circuit, it also gives our young up and coming drivers the opportunity to visit tracks they wouldn't traditionally race," said Category Manager Margaret Hardy. "We hope to confirm our presence at Indy by the end of January, that event would certainly be another fantastic experience that I am sure all next year's competitors will be hoping we can lock away."Formula Ford will be a support category at seven of the V8 Supercar Championship Series rounds, and will support the V8 Development Series at Wakefield Park on 4-6 April.Continuing on it's relationship with Network Seven after returning to television screens this year, Formula Ford has confirmed a deal that will again see it broadcast nationwide in 2008

OIlie Hancock will spend four days testing with reigning Formula Renault UK champions Fortec Motorsport this week. Hancock, who has already had two successful test outings with Hillspeed Racing this winter, will spend the week in France sampling one of the Daventry-based team’s TOCA-spec Formula Renault cars at Val de Vienne and Nogaro. With Fortec’s CV containing multiple Formula Renault UK titles and many successes in the World Series by Renault, Formula 3 and Formula BMW, Hancock was understandably excited about the week ahead. “I honestly cannot wait,” Hancock admitted. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me because they are such a top team. Fortec have dominated the Formula Renault UK championship over the past couple of seasons and I’m sure I can learn so much from them. “It will also be a great experience to sample two new circuits. I’ve never been to Val de Vienne or Nogaro before, so to spend two days testing at each venue will be fantastic.” Ollie finished third overall and best rookie in his debut season of the Formula Renault BARC championship this year.

The Australian Formula Ford Championship heads for Philip Island this weekend with only one question on everyone’s mind. Will Tim Blanchard hold on and beat Ashley Walsh to the title or..?

Fortec have signed Canadian Philip Major to driver in the British F3 Championship in 2008. Major, from the capital Ottawa, has been competing in Formula BMW USA, taking a third in Montreal

Front-running Carrera Cup and Australian GT competitor David Wall will strap-in for his first ever Bathurst endurance event at the WPS Bathurst 12 Hour next February….read more

Forsythe Championship Racing owner Jerry Forsythe and RuSport owner Dan Pettit announced today that they will combine operations and run under the banner of Forsythe/Pettit Racing beginning with the 2008 season. Forsythe, a co-owner of the Champ Car World Series, said: "I am pleased to announce the combination of Forsythe Championship Racing and RuSport Racing. I know that Dan (Pettit) and I share the same goal and that is to compete for a championship. This partnership will enable us to do that and I look forward to a successful season for Forsythe/Pettit Racing in 2008 and for many years to come." Pettit, who purchased RuSport last season from Carl Russo and also serves as a co-owner of the Champ Car World Series, said: "I am thrilled to be partnering with Jerry Forsythe. The entire Forsythe team has experience competing at the highest levels and winning championships. I think combining our efforts will give us a team that can contend for a title immediately."

A fine day at the Rye House Kart Circuit on Sunday saw Sam Bird do battle with many top names from all levels of International Motorsport. Javier Villa, Ben Hanley, Jonathan Kennard, James Jakes, Stephen Jelley, Tim Sugden, Alain Menu, Tom Onslow-Cole, Riki Christodolou, Jon Lancaster, Bradley Smith, Rob Huff, Romain Grosjean, Sebastian Hohenthal, Paul Rees, Henry Surtees and Chris Holmes among others were all supporting the Race Against Cancer, which was organised by Rick Osborne and Matt Roberts. Qualifying took place on a damp track, and Sam’s time gave him a 9th grid slot for the first heat – he managed to weave his way up to third by the flag. The next heat was in reverse order, so, Sam started 27th! A good start saw him avoid the carnage to finish 2nd. The points system in operation for the day put him right at the top, on pole for the final.Alongside him was GP2 race winner Javier Villa, and right behind him Riki Christodolou and Jon Lancaster. Sam was hit from behind at the start, which saw him down in 4th by the first corner. He quickly fought back into 2nd place right behind Villa, where he stayed for the remainder of the race, battling for the lead, but it wasn’t to be – although Sam looked as if he could overtake, the opportunity didn’t arise and at the chequered flag, Sam was almost joined onto the rear of Villa’s kart! “It was great fun to be back in a kart, and I had a lot of fun” said Sam “I’m glad I had the opportunity to support such a good cause and I hope it was successful for the charity”.

When it comes to relaxing, Peter Mücke, Mücke Motorsport’s Team Principal, opts for the track itself and goes racing himself. Whenever his schedule offers him the opportunity, he gets behind the wheel of his classic Ford Capri and simply races…read more

The British Touring Car Championship is to become the first motor racing series in the world to place a limit on CO2 emission levels produced by its competing cars….read more

Niall Quinn finished 10th overall in the Formula BMW World Final in Valencia. However, that fine result could have been even better if things had gone his way. Quinn added another podium finish to his season tally with third in his first heat on Saturday and followed that with a sixth place finish in his second. Another similar result in his third heat on Sunday morning would have given him a grid position on the first three rows for the final but unfortunately he was hit from behind at the first turn which knocked him out of the race. Net result Niall started 16th in the final, finishing 12th on the road which became 10th with the disqualification of two drivers ahead of him for technical infringements. Afterwards Niall weighed up disappointment with the many positives gleaned from the weekend: "It's a shame about that third heat because we definitely could have challenged for an overall podium finish without it," he said. "Still, we raced hard throughout the weekend and I gave it everything. A top ten finish in this company gives me great heart and proves that we're doing plenty right.”

Bobby Santos III of Franklin, Massaqchussets. gave Toyota a victory in its USAC Sprint car debut, winning the 40-lap Lucas Oil Western Sprint car feature at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway last weekt. Driving the Western Speed Racing TRD/K & N Filters Eagle, Santos trailed Cole Whitt for 31 laps, then led the last nine to beat Whitt, Tony Hunt, fast qualifier Nick Green and 2007 series champion Ryan Kaplan. Kaplan, along with claiming the seri es title, also earned the Western Sprint series "Rookie of the Year" honors. The series car owner title went to Michael Swanson.

Next month's British Formula Ford Championship 'sampler day' at Silverstone is all set to be a successful showcase for the series and the teams planning to contest it. Test slots at the 5 December event, which is being organised by RacingLine, promoter of the Ford-backed series, are filling fast, says RacingLine director Sam Roach: "The bigger teams have very few slots left. We've had many enquiries from prospective competitors, some from karting backgrounds, quite a few from overseas. It's very encouraging."

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) heads to the V8 Supercar Championship’s 14th and final round of the 2007 season - the Dunlop Grand Finale, at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this weekend as favourites.

Asia Racing Team (ART) Motorsports finished the 2007 Asian Formula Renault Challenge season on a high at the weekend, with an excellent victory at the Shanghai International Circuit in China. Alex Imperatori had been the the fastest driver of the field, but it was his team-mate Mathias Beche-Aussel who triumphed with his first win in Asia…report

Philipp Eng of Team Mücke Motorsport is the winner of the third Formula BMW World Final. At Valencia's "Circuit de la Comunitat", the 17-year-old celebrated a dominant start to finish victory. His team-mate, Josef Král, crossed the line in second, but was later disqualified due to a technical infringement….report

It just was not meant to be for Alexander Rossi

yesterday(Sunday 25 Nov). Just as the third and final heat on Sunday morning, the 16-year old from California got hit by bad luck in the Formula BMW World Final 2007. read more

Post race penalties change A1GP results. Canada Awarded Sprint Race Podium, France Promoted to Second in Feature Race..read more

25-11-07

Juno Racing have won the VdeV Championship 2007 with Rob Croydon taking the Driver's Title at the final round at Estoril today Sunday(25th Nov). Rob Croydon and Adrian Mardlin came home in 4th place today to seal the Championship in a year which has seen them take 3 victories. Indeed, all 4 Juno cars present finished in the top ten today marking a monumental year for Ewan Baldry's team which has seen the works cars finish with a 100% record. Sam Allpass & Ryan Hooker finished 2nd, with Rob & Adrian 4th, Tony Freeman & Duncan Williams in 7th and Richard & Nicola Bernans in 10th.

Brookspeed Motorsport have offered Anna Walewska a seat in 2008 in their Viper V10 8.0ltr British GT race car. ..read more

Philipp Eng dominated the Formula BMW World Final in Valencia winning from pole position. At the start he held off Daniel Morad into the first corner to keep the lead, a lead he never lost. He eventually crossed the line 3.778 ahead of his Mucke Motorsport teammate, Josef Kral.

Pole sitter and Sprint race winner A1 Team Switzerland took its second win of the day in this afternoon's incident-packed Feature race at Sepang in scorching weather conditions, moving the team into the championship lead by 10 points. Jani was joined on the podium by Brazilian rookie Sergio Jimenez, who started the race sixth and led for 15 laps, in second position and French driver Loic Duval in third....full report

Mark Bumgarner made his Formula Renault 2.0 debut for Asia Racing Team (ART) Motorsports in China at the Shanghai International Circuit. The 16 years old newcomer driver was an impressive 3rd best Asian driver in the Race 2 of the latest round of 2007 Asian Formula Renault Challenge. Encouraged that he was getting faster with each practice session, Bumgarner's progress continued throughout the two races on Sunday. Race 1 saw Bumgarner starting 11th on the grid for his first ever single seater race. A good move after the green light was enough to overtake several opponents. Later in the race Bumgarner catch up the Chinese Formula Renault old hand Jim Kato. The Philippines motorsport rising star had no choice but to try to take him from the outside at the hairpin which would be an astonished manoeuvre. Unfortunately ART Motorsports rookie picked up the dirty line and spun out on the grass. In the Race 2 the Macanese China based team new driver enjoyed a strong race to cross the line in the 3rd position of the Asian drivers. With a perfect car in hands Mark did a far-fetched race to finish in 9th, and was much faster than the two guys in front of him but decided not to take any risk as he really wanted to finish his first race. Team Manager Philippe Descombes was equally happy with the Mark results and the team's progress as a whole.ART Motorsports Philippe Descombes commented: "Mark did well today. I’m really impressed. He has continued to make progress and this was demonstrated with 3rd Asian best placed driver in the 2nd race. He was quite brave fighting with much more experienced drivers. I think based on what we have seen this weekend Mark could be very competitive next year in Formula Renault 2.0”.

Alexander Rossi displayed tremendous pride, determination and resilience in the final 15 lap sprint race of the Formula BMW World Final 2007, yet luck did not fall his way again this weekend as he as another forced retirement caused by a punctured tire (see inset picture). Starting from the 5th position the 16-year old rookie impressed on lookers as he held sixth position with a handful of wheel driving the ill machine for nearly five of the ten laps before pitting and calling it a day after tire became departed from rim and stripped wheel hub.

Oliver Jarvis scored valuable points in difficult conditions for A1 Team GBR in round three of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport at the Sepang International Circuit.

Renault Sport UK’s pre-registration initiative continues to thrive with the total number of drivers intending to be on the grid in 2008 across its three championships passing three figures. The ELF Renault Clio Cup has the most pre-registered entries at 44, with the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship attracting 37 and the Formula Renault BARC Championship 38, making a total of 115 potential drivers. The early interest in the championships means that all three have the potential to be over-subscribed. When registration opens in January, the Formula Renault UK Championship will have a limit of 32 entries, while the ELF Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault BARC Championship will be limited to 36.

Singleton leads the way in Formula Renault UK. Multiple champion team Manor Competition is intending to return to a four-car line-up in 2008, with Mark Burdett Motorsport, Apotex Scorpio Motorsport and Hitech Junior all announcing their intention to enter three cars. Russell Racing and Hillspeed have both pre-registered two cars, with Hillspeed listing 2007 Formula Renault UK Winter Cup champion Richard Singleton as one of its trio. Mark Burdett Motorsport, Russell Racing and Hillspeed also have plans to continue in the Formula Renault BARC Championship. Hillspeed lists Ahmad Al Harthy and Menasheh Idafar(pictured). as two of its four cars, while Mark Burdett Motorsport and Russell Racing have three and two cars respectively. Welsh racer Ash Davies with Taro Motorsport, Rossi with Worswick Engineering and Lee Dwyer with SSS Motorsport have all pre-registered for the FR2000 Class, Rossi as part of a potential two-car team. Vitulli Racing and Melvyn Marshall Racing have each pre-registered one space. Pearson Engineering Services have two cars pre-registered in the FR2000 Class and one in Club Class, listing reigning BARC Class champion Ian Pearson and his dad Bob as two of its three drivers. Also in Club Class are John Whitbourn and returning drivers Fraser Smart and Adrian Dixon

TCR out to reclaim Clio Cup title. Clio Cup pre-registrations have continued to flood in, led by former champion team Total Control Racing with four cars, Alex MacDowall continuing with Lee Brookes’ squad. Mardi Gras Motorsport, a former champion team in the Renault Sport Spider Cup with triple

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