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News Archive July 07

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31/07/2007

20-07-07

Knockhill holds its Classic Speedfair this weekend(21-22 July) with Sir Stirling Moss as one of its celebrity guests. With races for tin-tops, single-seaters and sportscars it's well worth a visit. If you're going on Saturday take waterproofs, the forecast isn't great but its supposed to be fine on Sunday!)  

Action from round six of the Clio Cup at Donington Park is now available to view online at www.renaultsport.co.uk. Simply follow the link from the homepage. Broadband connection is recommended

Formula Renault UK driver Will Bratt (pictured) heads into next weekend's 13th and 14th rounds of the season at Snetterton aiming to make yet another visit to the podium having enjoyed a consistently productive test outing at the Norfolk circuit today.

Riki Christodoulou set the fastest time in Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship official testing at Snetterton on Thursday, 19^th July. The Fortec Motorsport man’s benchmark time of 1min 05.386s (107.47mph) was set during the second of the day’s three sessions, with a lunchtime downpour ensuring slower lap times in the afternoon.  All 20 Formula Renault UK Championship drivers completed nearly four hours of testing in both dry and wet conditions ahead of rounds 13 and 14 at the Norfolk venue, which take place next weekend.  Christodoulou headed the timesheet as the majority of drivers set their personal best times. Team-mate Dean Smith was second ahead of AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe. Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims was fourth, with Fortec’s Duncan Tappy and RS Racing’s Richard Singleton completing the top six. The day’s first session saw Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt (Banbury), who has three race wins to his credit in 2007, set the best time of 1min 05.659s (107.02mph) at the 1.95-mile circuit. Smith took second place once again ahead of Christodoulou and Tappy. Manor Competition’s Kris Loane  took fifth place, just 0.02s ahead of team-mate Sims. Heavy rain in the afternoon meant the final session began in wet conditions, although the track dried quickly during the session. With lap times tumbling it was Sims, winner of round 11 at Donington Park on 15^th July, who set the best time of 1min 06.945s (104.96mph). Tappy got the better of Smith for second place, while Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid in fourth. Bratt was fifth and Hi Tech’s Bia Figueiredo, who is not a registered competitor, completed the top six. Commenting on his pace-setting day, Riki Christodoulou said: “Snetterton’s not a circuit I’ve raced at but I have tested here a fair bit. The car felt really good, particularly during the middle stint, and I think I was quickest when it was fully wet in the afternoon. As with most teams, we were waiting until the afternoon to use new tyres and the rain prevented that so there’s more time to come. I’m looking forward to coming here to race and I need to start finishing in the top three. Then I can get on the top step of the podium, which is my ultimate aim.”

Manor Competition continued its excellent return to form during official Formula Renault UK testing at Norfolk’s Snetterton Circuit yesterday, Friday, 20th July, all three of the New Ollerton team’s drivers ending the test inside the top 10 with a great all-round performance.

JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson set the fastest time of the day following three hours of ELF Renault Clio Cup testing at Snetterton on Thursday, (19th July). The track, where Lawson scored his first Clio Cup podium in 2006, hosts round seven of the 2007 series on 28th/29th July..

The Champ Car World Series' three-race stint in Canada comes to an end this weekend as the Series moves to the beautiful province of Alberta in Western Canada for the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton.

SEAT will be the first Manufacturer to run diesel-powered cars in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.The Spanish company announced today that next week in Anderstorp Jordi Gene and Yvan Muller will drive two Leon TDI machines equipped with a 280 hp turbo-diesel engine. SEAT Sport engineers have been working for the past few months to develop the engine and, after a long testing period, the project is now ready for its debut.  Benoît Bagur, SEAT Sport Chief Engineer, said: " We started looking into the viability of the project, and it took off a few months ago.  The basis for the engine is the 170 hp 2.0 mounted on the Leon FR. We kept the engine block and the cylinder head of the production model, but changed the turbo charger and gearbox. Furthermore, we had to alter the front part to house the intercooler and create new air intakes. The diesel engine is 35 kilos heavier than the petrol engine, so we had to redistribute some weight. After satisfactory test results, we are eager to check its potential in actual racing conditions." In line with the FIA Super 2000D regulations, the SEAT Leon TDI will be 30 kilos heavier than its petrol-powered sister car.

This weekend, Sam Schmidt Motorsports will be at Mid-Ohio for the inaugural Indy Racing League weekend, including the Indy Pro Series' Mid-Ohio 100. Although this is the first Indy Pro Series race at the track, all three drivers have experience on the 2.4-mile road course.  Ryan Justice and Logan Gomez both raced there in  Star Mazda where Justice won while Gomez finished eighth. They also tested at the facility with teammate Alex Lloyd before the Liberty Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Lloyd came away from the test feeling confident about how the team would do upon its return. More importantly, the natural terrain layout of the circuit was something he enjoyed quite a bit.

Highcroft Racing's David Brabham turned in the fastest time during Thursday's test for the Acura Sports Car Challenge.

The following statement is in response to stories regarding Matt Halliday driving a second car for Conquest Racing in the last five races of the season. Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner, "I want to start out by saying that Matt Halliday and Conquest Racing were only originally contracted together for the first three races of the 2007 season. We had considered trying to work out a deal for the last five races of the season but the economics did not work out and I feel it would be best for Conquest Racing to focus solely on the #34 car and Jan Heylen for the rest of the season. The entire Conquest Racing team and I wish Matt Halliday the best of luck in his negotiations to continue his career in Champ Car as well as his future plans in other race series."

The RSPORTS team gears up for its final race in 2007 north of the border on a track that holds high anticipation with drivers Justin Wilson, the defending Edmonton race winner, and Alex Tagliani this weekend in Edmonton, Canada. Last year Justin Wilson won his first race  in 2006, now, after two podium finishes, the Englishman is looking for his first win of 2007, hoping that it will make him back-to-back Edmonton champion. RSPORTS teammate, Tagliani, driver of the Tide@Wal-Mart Victory Lap Charity Program car, heads to Edmonton looking for a clean slate on home soil. His last two runs in Canada have resulted in double top-eight results

For $4,000 you can eat at the Paddock Club at an F1 race. That will get you a program and some ear plugs, coffee and croissants and a gourmet lunch. For $50.00 you can get fresh off the grill real Mid-American cuisine at the CARA Charities' Second Annual Champ Car Tailgate Party at Road America on Friday, August 10 at 6:00 PM.

ELF Renault Clio Cup driver Andrew Herron  produced by far the most competitive testing performance of his maiden car racing season at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk today, the Northern Ireland racer topping the category timesheets for the first time during the second of the day's three sessions.

19-07-07

A sensational field of Aston Martins - with an estimated value of nearly £30 million - will be one of the many highlights of the Silverstone Classic, in association with Bonhams, on July 27-29.

After impressing with Team West-Tec in the Spanish F3 Cup so far this season, Christian Ebbesvik has been signed up to test for Racing Engineering's GP2 team this winter, starting at Jerez on 3rd October.Following two formative years in British Formula Ford, four class victories in the first eight races this year with Team West-Tec in Spanish F3 have brought the Norwegian recognition within the paddock and has impressed Racing Engineering team boss Alfonso de Orleans-Borbon.With Racing Engineering being a well-backed winning team in GP2, opportunities with the outfit are highly sought after - with 30 drivers recently contacting the team following Ernesto Viso's injury at Magny Cours!

Franck Perera is hoping to keep his Canadian winning streak alive as the Atlantic Series heads for doubleheader in Edmonton this weekend….read more

Caltex Racing's Russell Ingall will be looking lead the way for the Caltex-backed drivers as the 2007 V8 Supercar Championship Series reaches the half way mark in round seven at the Queensland Raceway this weekend. Ingall has enjoyed an impressive record at the Ipswich circuit by finishing inside the top five in nine out of the ten rounds contested there since 1999. He was the winner of the corresponding round in 2003 and has finished on the podium on another two occasions. Caltex-backed drivers have taken the victory at Queensland Raceway in four of the past five years. With the venue being the home track for Ingall, his team-mate James Courtney and fellow Caltex-backed drivers Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, the quartet will be aiming to continue their supremacy around the 3.12km circuit.

James  Winslow is hoping to build on his successful debut in Formula V6 Asia at Sentul this weekend as it will  help overcome the disappointment of his latest Kumho Tyres Australian F3 outing. Round five of the closely-fought Australian series was to be the moment he made his move on the championship, but instead two seventh place finishes left him further adrift of top spot even though the Opes Prime car again proved to be on the pace. Winslow continues to hold down fourth place in F3 with three double-header rounds remaining. Before then, he has the  third round of the Formula V6 Asia Championship where a brace of podium finishes at Sepang in his first appearance  bodes well for the future. Winslow is confident that he can rise to the challenge again for Team Meritus. “Getting onto the podium at Sepang – especially after the accident we had in testing – was a great result, and really makes me confident for this weekend,” he said, “The team worked hard in Malaysia and I was glad I was able to reward them for all their hard work. Now I want to do it all again and really get myself into the championship mix.

Formula 3 comeback for VW: The German manufacturer will re-enter F3 as an engine supplier with a newly developed two-litre engine. The new power unit will debut at the seventh round of the Formula 3 Euroseries at the Nürburgring between 31 August and 2 September 2007. “Volkswagen won innumerable races and championships in Formula 3 during the nineteen-eighties and at the beginning of the nineteen-nineties and, as a result, proved impressively the performance of its power units,” explains Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of the Volkswagen Brand with responsibility for Development. Wolfgang Hatz, Head of Powertrain Development within the Volkswagen Group stated.  VW selected an engine from their production line, one which is used within the group(Audi, Seat, Skoda and  VW). The four-cylinder engine was modified in specific areas to suit the demands in racing and produces around 210Bhp due to the engine air-intake restrictor used in Formula 3.

Whether the drivers at the top the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport and Street Tuner divisions have got to where they are from multiple strong finishes or a number of victories combined with mixed results, consistency now becomes imperative in the championship as the series closes in on its final four races of 2007. read more

The venue and date for the Formula BMW World Final 2007 have been confirmed. The high point of the season for the four international Formula BMW series will take place at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain from 22nd - 25th November.The event will see the world wide leading Formula BMW drivers battling it out for overall victory – and a prize which would be a dream of every up-and-coming young racing driver: a Formula One test with the BMW Sauber F1 Team

18-07-07

Trackspeed Racing, 2006 GTC Champions,  returned to the Britsh GT Championship at Brands Hatch  last weekend and came away well deserved GTC Class win..read more

The Race of Champions has secured two further big racing stars for the unique event that will see Wembley Stadium transformed into a tarmac race track this December. Seven-times Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and former DTM Champion Mattias Ekstrom have announced their participation in the exciting event, which sees champions from all categories go head-to-head to find out who is the fastest.  The pair will join a prestigious line-up, including Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and David Coulthard, but are more than equipped for the challenge.

Fresh From Florida racer Jeff Segal moved to the Grand-Am KONI Challenge GS Class points lead after taking a hard-fought second place result in the Supercuts 200 at Watkins Glen. The young racer will look to extend his run of podium finishes with co-driver Jep Thornton this weekend as the Koni Challenge Series visits the new Barber Motorsports Park facility in Birmingham, Alabama. Qualifying for this weekend's 400K race at is at 10:00am on Saturday morning. The green flag for Sunday's race falls at 8:30am.

Renault Sport UK has announced its plans for the 2007 Formula Renault UK and Clio Winter Championships which will begin at Donington Park National on Saturday, 3rd November. Rounds one and two take place at the Derbyshire venue with rounds three and four at North Yorkshire’s Croft circuit on Saturday, 10th November.   The Formula Renault series will include a class for Formula Renault BARC FR2000 Class cars, which will have the air restrictor removed from the engine to allow them to run closer to the pace of the cars with the 2007 bodykit upgrade. As per last season, when SL Formula Racing ran a three-car team, there will be a European class for non-UK specification cars that will be ineligible for points.   At each race meeting, grid slots will be set by the two fastest times from one 20-minute qualifying session. Registration fee, which includes the testing, remains unchanged from the 2006 season at £1,550+VAT. Registrations will be accepted after the end of the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship campaign on 15th October. Alongside the Formula Renaults there is the ELF Renault Clio Winter Cup. A record entry of 43 cars is currently contesting the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup and hopes are high for capacity grids during the winter series. Last season saw Clio Cup racers compete in four races for the ELF Renault Clio Winter Cup, which was won by relative newcomer Niki Lanik after taking part in just 10 rounds during the 2006 season. Once again, like the single-seaters ,grid slots will be set by the two fastest times from one 20-minute qualifying session. The registration fee is the same,£1,550+VAT, limited to 36 and will begin after the end of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup campaign on 15th OctoberRenault Sport UK is currently negotiating exclusive testing for all competitors, which will take place on Thursday, 1st November at Donington Park and Friday, 9th November at Croft. 

Two wins for Stephen Taylor’s Lotus Exige as the LMA Euro Saloons try out Anglesey’s all new Full International circuit…

Max Chilton narrowly missed a points scoring finish for the second event in a row in the latest rounds of the British F3 International Series, as the Championship visited the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit in Kent….more

Joe Waters, just 14,  finished in both  Car races at the weekend at Castle Combe desite the difficult conditions.see reports

17-07-07

PICK-UP A FREE TICKET. This coming weekend at the BRSCC Racing @ Rockingham meeting the Club will celebrate 10 years of the Pickup Truck Championship. As part of the celebrations anyone who arrives in the event driving a Pickup will get in free (driver only)! The Pickup will also be able to take part in a special parade lap and there is a competition for the best Pickups in the utility, custom & classic categories.  There are 6 races on Saturday including a re-scheduled MAC Tools SCSA V8 round & Ferrari Open, Monoposto & Formula Jedi races. There are a further nine races on Sunday with the Caterham Roadsports joining the fray. One of the main attractions on Sunday will be the Craig Jones stunt bike display.      Tickets are priced at just £10 in advance (booking fees apply) and £15 on the gate - kids go free so Sunday promises to be a great day out for all the family. For tickets call 01536 500500 (option 8) or visit www.seetickets.com Tickets are valid for both days of the meeting. Saturday only tickets are £5 and are available on the day – they cannot be ordered in advance.          Passenger rides for spectators on Sunday will run from 9am for 45 minutes and then the action starts at 10am.

In a ground-breaking move, the A.A.C.I. has agreed a 2 year sponsorship deal with top British Top Fuel Drag Racing team, Carter Motorsport.  The deal, which will further extend the A.A.C.I.’s name into the American Car Enthusiast strongholds of Northern Europe, has been agreed with the team’s Andy Carter. “I’m delighted to be teaming up with AACI!” said Andy Carter. “We really enjoyed spending time with Harry and Pam Tune at the AACI Summer Nationals at Billing and I was so pleased that we were able to put this deal together. These guys are passionate about their club and our sport with all that it has to offer. This two year association is great news for us and we will do all that we can to promote AACI in that time and hopefully beyond!” he continued. In addition to spreading the name of the club, the deal also includes regular exclusive features from the team for the club’s superb magazine, Torque. 

CALLING ALL MARSHALS.  The BRSCC are organising the new POWERnights events at Silverstone on Thursday August 2nd and at Donington on Thursday August 9th finishing with the third event at Silverstone on August 30th.   The morning and half the afternoon of each event is being run as a normal track test session.  Therefore marshals are required for signing on at 2.30pm. The racing programme is schedule to finish around 8.30pm after which there is a free Paddock BBQ. Marshals will all get a free BBQ meal plus 4 free tickets for family and friends.  The race programme has been designed to ensure strong grids with each of four classes having two 10 minutes + 1 lap races, the second race grid being set in reverse order from the first race finishers. If you are interested in marshalling at one or more of these ground breaking meetings then please call Alan Tyson on 01525 403676 or 07796 123218, or email Alan at marshal.midlands@brscc.co.uk  

Franck Mailleux of Manor Motorsport  delivered a first class performance to take his first ever F3 victory in a highly entertaining race for round 10 of the Formula 3 Euroseries at Mugello on Sunday.  Read more

FREE TRACK TIME FOR FORDS AT SILVERSTONE. Ford Racing UK has been invited by Fast Ford Magazine to have an action display of Ford competition race cars at the annual Ford Fair being at Silverstone on 5th August. This event draws in crowds of over 12,000 and is a great opportunity to showcase the BRSCC’s Ford championships to a large and relatively untapped audience of Ford fans.Any BRSCC member who runs a Ford competition saloon and would like to use the day as a free test session is welcome to apply. At present, the format will see us occupying garages and having at least THREE sessions on track comprising of one 40 minute session followed by two 20 minute sessions later in the day. This is FREE to BRSCC members and if you wish to take part then please apply to Ford Racing UK. Contact fordracinguk@aol.com or telephone 01323 423767. Please have details of your Ford race car to hand and provide your name, address & contact telephone number.

Freddy Nordstrom’s weekend outing in the SEAT Cupra Cup ended in disaster when his car was badly damaged in a first lap accident in the first race on Sunday...

MEMBERSHIP CARDS.  Just a reminder to all competitors that if you are racing in a BRSCC championship you must be a Racing Member of the Club. It is a mandatory requirement that all Racing Members produce their membership card when signing on at a race meeting. So if you are not yet a member or need to renew please contact the membership secretary Jo Ward on 01732 780100 or at jo@brscc.co.uk 

Renault Sport UK has confirmed that cars in the FR2000 Class of its hugely successful Formula Renault BARC Championship will keep the current specification bodywork. An update kit has been launched in the Formula Renault UK Championship but this will not be introduced to the low-cost feeder series. read more 

RS OWNERS CLUB NATIONAL DAY. On the 18/19th August the BRSCC are running the Rockingham meeting in conjunction with the Ford RS Owners Club to bring together a weekend of racing and the largest Ford car club show in the country.   The RSOC National Day will attract one of Rockingham’s biggest crowds of the year with over 10,000 people attending. Saturday 18th will feature qualifying and racing including Pickup Trucks and MAC Tools SCSA V8s on the full Oval circuit, along with Ford Fiestas and Ford Saloons on the international circuit. Sunday 18th will see the Ford RS Owners Club take over the show site with trade stands, car displays and lots more. In addition to the racing there will be track-time available exclusively to RSOC and BRSCC members on both Saturday & Sunday. The Saturday session is an open pit lane with a 98db limit and costs £35. On Sunday there are 20 minute sessions for three different groups. Groups A & B will have a 98db limit while Group C will have a 105db limit. The cost is £85. For more information and to book call the RSOC on 08702 406215 

The Formula TR PRO Series was at Miller Motorsports Park last wekend for Rounds 11 and 12 of its 1600 and 2000 Championships

BRSCC SUITE AVAILABLE FOR WORLD SUPERBIKES AT BRANDS.  The BRSCC still have one of their hospitality suites available at Brands Hatch for the FIM Corona World Superbikes meeting over the weekend of 3rd – 5th August. The suite which is well presented and is equipped with a refrigerator, a microwave oven, a fan, a full set of crockery/glassware and has the race commentary `piped` in. It also offers excellent views of the Indy circuit.
The suite is also equipped with a 42" plasma TV that receives terrestrial and satellite channels and is also connected to the official timekeepers system, so you can get all the lap times/grid positions on screen. Exclusive use of the suite comes with 28 tickets & 14 car park passes for each of the three days. Call Dominic at HQ on 01732 783141 or email dominic@brscc.co.uk for more information. 

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) returns to Queensland's home of motorsport, Queensland Raceway, for the 7th Round of the 2007 Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series this weekend. This completion of this round marks the half way point of the fiercely contested 2007 series. After racing to a strong runner-up finish at Queensland Raceway last season, the goal of every FPR team member is to take the next step up on the podium this year with drivers Steve Richards and Mark Winterbottom. Currently placed 7th (Richards) and 8th (Winterbottom) in the Championship standings, strong performances at Queensland Raceway will enable the Castrol FPR Falcon and Orrcon Ford Credit FPR Falcon drivers to rapidly improve their positions in order to mount a serious second half of season challenge. This is the 11th time that the Willowbank circuit (near Ipswich) has hosted a V8 Supercar Round. Castrol FPR Falcon driver Richards has competed at every round held at the venue, with three podium finishes to his credit. The ultra-consistent Victorian driver has finished in the top six in four out of his last five visits to Queensland Raceway. Winterbottom's first FPR appearance at Queensland Raceway last season saw him finish 7th overall. The 25 year old driver has amassed thousands of testing kilometres at this sunshine state circuit during his early career and is very familiar with the intricacies of its paper-clip styled layout. The Orrcon Ford Credit FPR Falcon driver is making his fourth V8 Supercar appearance at the Willowbank circuit this weekend.

Northern European Cup Formula Renault 2.0, Assen.  A fortnight after the meeting at Oschersleben, teams and drivers from the NEC Formula Renault 2.0 are off to Assen forthis weekend. The famous "TT Circuit", home of the Dutch round of the Motorcycle World Championship, will be hosting the "ADAC Hansa Pokal" meeting, featuring the German Top 10 race package and the Northern European Cup Formula Renault 2.0.  First and foremost the "TT Circuit" is considered as a drivers' circuit with some really challenging corners and plenty of opportunities for overtaking. Traditionally a motorcycling venue, the circuit has also hosted many car racing events like German Super Touring and Formula 3 and numerous one-make series. The most prestigious car racing event will certainly be the round of the US Champ Car Series in September. Germany’s Frank Kechele, currently leads the title chase after 4 rounds. A pair of race wins in the season opener at Zandvoort and another win and a second place at Oschersleben puts him 33 points clear of his  team-mate, Tobias Hegewald, with Finn Valtteri Bottas in third place. Best-placed Dutch driver in the championship is Nicky Catsburg, who is jointly fourth together with Dane, Steffen Moeller. Dennis Retera and Romano de Ruit are jointly ninth, with Stef Dusseldorp only one point behind them in eleventh position.

Liam Kenney improved to third overall in the 2007 Formula TR Pro Series 2000 Championship Driver Standings following a solid pair of back-to-back second place finishes in Rounds 11 and 12 of the series hosted last weekend at Utah's Miller Motorsports Park, 13th - 14th July. Read more

Clerical Medical and Manx Sports Aid Foundation backed Alex Lloyd came away from the Nashville Speedway last weekend frustrated after being caught up in an accident involving 2 back markers.

Charlie Kimball experienced both highs and lows during the fourth race weekend of the World Series by Renault held at the Hungaroring, just outside Budapest, Hungary, this past weekend July 13-15. After qualifying a disappointing 21st, Kimball, in Race 1, moved through the pack, setting consistently quick race laps and executing a perfectly-timed flawless pit stop to move up to tenth position by the end of the race. This not only gave Kimball one championship point, but by virtue of the World Series’ reverse grid rule, also gave him pole position for Sunday’s Race 2. A solid result and significant points haul was destroyed at the first corner by Alejandro Nunez, who starting third, drove into the side of Kimball’s car, pushing him into second place starter, Mikhail Aleshin, taking both Kimball and Aleshin out of contention on the spot. Even though Nunez remained under investigation during the race, no penalties were served and Nunez went on to win the race. Kimball’s achievement in Saturday’s Race and his increased comfort and speed in the car bode well for the coming races, all at circuits Kimball knows and enjoys. 

Charlie Hollings  moved to the top of the table in the  Australian F3 Championship after round 5 at Eastern Creek where his team Astuti Motorsport took a 1-2 finish along with his team mate Michael Trimble.  Hollings made a great start in race one to lead heading into the first corner from 3^rd on the grid. He then led the field for all of the 15 lap race, taking 20 points to knock Tim Macrow, who came in third, off the top.The second race also saw Hollings get another good start as he came from fourth to third in lap one. Despite engine difficulties, Charlie held on for the rest of the race, cementing his hold on the points table.Charlie was delighted. “This has been a fantastic weekend for me and the team. It’s great to get another win here at Eastern Creek and to be leading the championship. I was easily fastest in testing so qualifying was a bit frustrating – but taking another win made up for it. The whole team is pushing hard and I think we’ll be very strong for the last rounds of the season – we’re really confident and I can’t wait to get to Phillip Island next month.”

Performance Racing’s Frankie Cheng dominated the British F3 National Class field this weekend in Brands Hatch, taking two pole positions, two victories, and two fastest laps at the famous British track. The Chinese driver was flawless all weekend, but had to work very hard on both races, as he fought to keep championship rival Sergio Perez behind him in the first race, and his own team mate Ricardo Teixeira in the second one! He was rewarded by moving back into the championship lead, together with Perez. As the fight for the championship hots up, the Kumho Tyres Formula 3 drivers return to Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit on 11-12 August to battle for round six.

16-07-07

Leading Formula Renault BARC entrant Russell Racing heads to Silverstone National Circuit next weekend, 21st/22nd July, aiming for yet another season’s best performance during rounds five and six of the championship…

Next weekend (21/22 July) at Rockingham it's the turn of the Motorsport News Caterham Roadsport Challenge to entertain, with championship leader Jeremy Ellis bidding to get back on to the stop step of the podium after missing out on victory last month at Castle Combe. Ellis's closest points challenger and Kent neighbour Toby Dicker will be out to stop him, as will mercurial Melton Mowbray 18-year-old James Davis on what is his home circuit. In Roadsport B there have been four different race winners already this season and the championship top four - Gareth Thomas, Chris Legg, Andrew Thomas and Paul Storton - will be out to gain an advantage.

Mark Primett was the winner in the Ace Deliveries Sports/Saloons race at Croft, his Banks Europa leading Paul Dobson’s Mazda RX7 across the line with 1.753 seconds to spare. Dobson had managed to get into then lead early on before Primett retook him with only a couple of laps to run. In the BARC Clubmans race Daniel Gibson beat Paul Gibson  by 0.6secs, Both drivers were in Mallock Mk35’s whilst third placed Mike Evans was in a Mk16. In the Universal Services Classic FF2000’s  Clive Wood and David Gathercole shared the honours with a win a-piece. Wood, in a Van DIeman RF82  held off Erik Pageno’s RF82 in race one to win by 1.153secs while Gathercole’s Pilbeam was third. In the second race the latter won from Tom Pope by 1.5secs with Andy Huxtable third. In the DDMC’s Northern Saloon race (Class A, E &G) Duncan Marshall’s Phoneix came out on top ahead of Tim Evans Honda Phoenix. In the Class B, C &D race Andrew Morrison won in his SEAT Cupra ahead of Steve Ferguson’s Pulsar GTi R and Chris Huntley’s Toyota MR2. In the Classic FF1600 race Rory Farrell won in a Crossle 45f from Simon Davey’s Van Dieman RF81. Andy Schulz won the Easytrack Production BMW race ahead of Liam Crilly and Andrew Partridge.

Leading Formula Renault UK entrant Manor Competition returned to its rightful place on the top step of the podium at Donington Park National Circuit on Sunday, 15th July, after seeing Alexander Sims take victory during the 11th round of the 2007 season…

In further news, the Formula 3 Euroseries operation of sister-team Manor Motorsport enjoyed a maiden victory for Franck Mailleux at Mugello in Italy on Sunday, the rookie’s first ever F3 race win.

In the Toyo Tyres Pre-93 Touring Car races at a wet Croft over the weekend Ken Lark was a double winner. His VW Corrado winning from Brian Steven’sJag Xj12 on both occasions. In the Kumho BMW races Richard Mallinson won both from James Perrott with Martin Webb third in race 1 and Dan Stringfellow in race 2. In the York Fitness Post Historic races Pete Hallford took his Camaro to victory,  twice! Stephen Primett was second in the opening encounter, 4 seconds behind the winner while Dave Thomas brought his Capri Mk 1 home in third. Race two saw Thomas take second with Roger Stanford third in a BMW 2002.  

Scott Dixon took his second win in a row at the Nashville Superspeedway  Leading from Pole Dixon  beat Franchitti into second to reduce the gap in the Championship to just 34 points. 

Leanne Tander finished second in race two at Eastern Creek at the weekend. She's still third in the championship

Mika Hakkinen won the DTM race at Mugello his Mercedes crossing the line just 0.371 seconds ahead of Mattias Ekstrom’s Audi.  Third was Paul Di Resta in the old 2005 model Mercedes. Ekstom’s second place puts  him back into the lead in the Championship, 6.5 points ahead of Bernd Scheider who failed to pick up any points in Italy, finishing back in eleventh place.

The Hitech Racing team scored another victory in the Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series, as Estonian Marko Asmer took a lights-to-flag win in Round 11 of the championship. His team-mate, Austrian Walter Grubmüller took two brilliant top ten finishes in the two races.

Richard Tannahill took his maiden British Formula Ford win at Brands yesterday(Sunday) by winning Round 11. Not content with that he then double his tally by winning round 12 later in the day. 

The weekend's two drama-filled Brands Hatch rounds of the Volkswagen Racing Cup in association with Hankook provided not only crowd-pleasing thrills but also some superb race action and a new championship leader

Bradley Ellis and teammate Alex Mortimer clinched a double Avon Tyres British GT Championship win in rounds six and seven on 14 & 15 July, made all the more sweeter on Ellis’ home circuit of Brands Hatch, Kent. Astonishingly, the pair started the weekend lying fifth in the championship but walk away leading the series.

Jeremy Metcalfe suffered disappointment at Donington Park National Circuit earlier today having seen his hopes of a potential podium challenge come unstuck through no fault of his own. 

Triple race winner Will Bratt saw his Formula Renault UK title campaign continue to gather momentum at Donington Park National Circuit yesterday(Sunday) during the 11th and 12th rounds of the season, the Apotex Scorpio Motorsport sensation moving into the championship top three for the first time in his career with yet another podium result.

JHR Developments racer Andrew Herron served up a masterclass in the art of overtaking during round six of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Donington Park National Circuit today, Sunday, 15th July, achieving an incredible ninth place to match his previous best result of the year after being forced to start a lowly 27th on the grid…

Team Parker Racing’s David Epton (right) had a tough Porsche Carrera Cup GB baptism during his championship debut at Donington Park National Circuit over the weekend, 14th/15th July, but the Preston 26-year-old remains up-beat and is now looking forward to the next meeting of the season where he aims to be a consistent top eight finisher…

Erkut Kizilirmak has moved into the top 10 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s Independents Trophy battle after a successful weekend of firsts for the Arkas Racing star at Donington Park, the event marking his maiden race meeting at the Leicestershire venue and also his first ever experience of racing in the wet…

Graham Fennymore gave a masterclass in race winning at Brands Hatch yesterday (Sunday), proving to all his Avon Tyres Caterham Superlight Challenge rivals that it will take an extraordinary effort to stop him retaining his championship crown

The BRSCC were back at Anglesey over the weekend with the Historic F3’/500cc F Junior race getting things started. Peter Williams won the first of MKXI and Roy Hunt Third in a Martin 500. In the second race Williams again won in his BT15 , Hunt was second and Gordon Russell completed the podium in a Markson 500. In the Club NW FF1600 race James Cole took his Van Dieman RF99 to victory in the race for Classes A & B on Saturday with Gary Jones second and Stuart Gough third. On Sunday in race 2 Gough took the glory beating Cole with 2 seconds in hand. Graham Carroll was third. In the first race for Classes C,D & E,  David Bailey won in a Reynard 89FF from Stuart Jones by just 0.448seconds. Third, 4 seconds behind was Lee Hannan. Bailey repeated the win in race two with Jones second once again, 1,2 seconds behind while third went to Douglas Crosbie 1.7 seconds behind the leader.

In the www.ddandautos.co.uk Ford XR Challenge Championship at Anglesey Mark Robinson took a brace of wins from Simon Robinson and Stephen Poolewhile in the Enterprise EDGE Club F3 races Jon Gray and Keith Baldwin were the winners on Saturday and Sunday respectively.  Chris Needham was second in both races with Stephen Clegg was third in Saturday’s race and Gray took the place on Sunday. Simon McFie and Martin Riman each won a racfe in the FIAT Challenge with Lee Malling second in the first race with Riman third while in race two McFie followed Riman home with Melling third. The Moose Trophy races for FF1600 were won by David Bailey and Gary Jones.

At Castle Combe , once again features wet weather racing, Ian Stapleton won the Alfashop Alfa Romeo race easily in his Alfetta GTV6 from Roger Evans GTV and Andy Page’s Guilietta. Daniel Brown won both the T_Car races with William Buller second in both. Ed Moore did the double in his Van Dieman RF00 in the Melton Concrete Products FF1600 races heading Ben Norton’s Spectrum by 0.7 secs in race 1 and Josh Fisher’s Mygale by 1.4secs  in race 2. Rod Birley won the first of two Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon car races in an Escort WRC with Richard Brent second in a Pegeot 205 and Andy Thompson third in a SEAT Leon. Birley also won the second event with Thompson second and Brent third. In Combe’s own Saloon car series, the National Mobile Windscreens event, Russell Humphrey’s Evo  took the honours by 16 seconds from Mark Wyatt’s Astra and Keith Murray’s Audi A4 Quattro. Rob Clarke won the savesometax.co.uk Special GT race in a Radical. Simon Tilling was second in another Radical with Shane Marshall third in a Mallock. Benn Simms won the Historic F3 race in his March 803B, Paul Smith was second in a Ralt RT1 and Alex Ames third in a Chevron B38. Mark Funnel won both the Lotus Elise races.   

Fortec Motorsport’s Dean Smith won  round 12 of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship at Donington Park National circuit on Sunday, his first win since May. The victory extends his lead in the title chase to 15 points, second is his team-mate Duncan Tappy , who finished third.. Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt was second to move up to third in the Championship. 

Ben Winrow scored his first victory of the season in round six of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Donington Park National circuit on Sunday,(15^th July). The Total Control Racing driver took the lead on the opening lap and was never headed and went on to win by 5.938s from JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson. Momo UK’s Stefan Hodgetts extended his Championship lead  with third place.

Jonathan Walker led nearly all the way at Castle Combe yesterday (Sunday) to win the Circuit Driver Caterham Academy Group 1 race. It was the Surrey-based Motorsport designer's second event win of the season and it extends his championship lead.

15-07-07

Jonathan Adam(below) and Tim Boardman takes the honours in the SEAT Cupra Cup as heavy rain causes carnage in the opening race. 

Calum Macleod wins round 10 of the British Formula Ford Championship at Brands Hatch although the race was marred by a series of incidents, includign one at the start when  Linton Stuteley stalled on the grid and was hit by Chris Maliepaard.

Fortec's Sebastian Hohenthal took the chequered flag for the first time in British F3 and he couldn't hid his delight. Atte Mustonen of Raikkonen Robertson Racing took his maiden podium finish, with Marko Asmer finishing 3rd to extend his championship lead to 78 points over Maro Engel.  'Frankie' Cheng finished off a perfect weekend with another win and fastest lap from pole position in the National Class. With Sergio Perez finishing 2nd, the pair are level on points at the top of the table after 12 races.   In the first race, Round 11, Marko Asmer scored his 7th win of the year, taking a dominant lights-to-flag victory. Behind the Estonian things weren't so clear cut early on but Stephen Jelley came out on top, leading Double R team mate Jonathan Kennard to the flag. Rodolfo Gonzalez had his best race of the year, fighting his way back from 12th on the first lap to finish 4th.   'Frankie' Cheng won the National Class but Sergio Perez was a lot closer to the Chinese driver than the qualifying positions would've suggested. Viktor Jensen took his 5th podium finish of the year after starting 24th on the grid and 4th in class after a long battle for position with Mike Meadows.

Red Devil Comtec made a winning return to the World Series Formula Renault 3.5 thanks to the performance of Alejandro Nuñez. Taking full advantage of his position on the reverse grid, the Spaniard went into the first corner in front before moving clear of runner-up Milos Pavlovic (Draco Racing). The ever-consistent Sebastian Vettel (Carlin Motorsport) finished third to extend his lead in the championship

Jason Plato regained his Championship lead in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Donington Park today winning the second and third races after Gordon Shedden had won the opening round. Erstwhile Championship elader Fabrizio Giovanardi struggled in the wet conditions, his best result coming in race 2 when he finished third.

Alexander Sims wins his first race in  Formula Renault UK at Donington. after the race was red stopped due to torrential rain.

Tim Bridgman held off his Visma Formula Palmer Audi Championship rivals to win an incident-packed wet race on Saturday 14 July at Castle Combe while Stefan Wilson mastered the conditions best on Sunday to take his second win of the year 

Ultimate Motorsport had their best finish ofthe season today(Sunday) n the British International Formula 3 Series when Michael Devaney finish 4th in the second race of the day at Brands Hatch.

After Brendon Hartley's win yesterday, Epsilon Red Bull once again took the honours at the Hungaroring. This time, it was Monaco driver Stefano Coletti's turn to prevail after an impressive solo effort. Markus Niemela (BVM Minardi) scored his first podium finish, while Nelson Panciatici (SG Formula) confirmed that he was back on form

Marco Mapelli and Charlie Hollings both win at Eastern creek in the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship..

Scott Dixon won the Nashville 200 in the IRL closing the gap to Championship leader Dario Franchitti who finished second. Third was his team-mate at Andertti Green, Danica Patrick.

Robbie Pecorari claimed his first Indy Pro Series victory winning the Sunbelt Rentals 100.

14-07-07

BUSY START TO THE SUMMER FOR KYLE MARCELLI - FORDS & MAZDAS, TESTING & RACING . 17 year-old Kyle Marcelli has had a busy start to his summer as he continued to impress in the Ontario Formula Ford Championship and started the next phase of his development by testing and racing a Star Mazda series car at the prestigious Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto.

Northwest Autosport driver Eric Freiberg has served notice that he will be a driver to contend with for the remainder of the season after another strong showing, running in the top three for a time, and finishing eighth in Round Seven of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear on the Exhibition Center street circuit in Toronto, Canada during the Champ Car Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto weekend..

13-07-07

12-07-07

A  total of five Volkswagen Race Touaregs will contest the 2008 Dakar Rally, it is confirmed today (Thursday), with double World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz once again leading the squad. Volkswagen today completed its driver line-up for the world's toughest rally, Germany's Dieter Depping stepping into the team alongside Spaniard Sainz, South Africa's Giniel de Villiers and American Mark Miller. The fifth Race Touareg, prepared by the Lagos customer team, will be driven by Portugal's Carlos Sousa. Welcoming multiple German Rally Champion Depping to the team, Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen said: 'Dieter and his co-driver, Timo Gottschalk, (pictured with Depping on the right)  fit perfectly in the team. They have covered an enormous test mileage in the last few months and their signing has enabled us to finalise the Volkswagen squad ahead of schedule. I think we have an excellent combination for the next Dakar.'Volkswagen is currently engaged in an extensive test programme with the Race Touareg 2 and its 290 PS, five-cylinder 2.5-litre TDI powerplant, an example of which Sainz and his co-driver Michel Périn drove to victory on May's Rally Transibérico.The team's next preparation event will be September's Moroccan Rally, followed by the UAE Desert Challenge in October. The Dakar Rally gets underway from Lisbon on 4 January.

The Nippon Formula Three Association have announced that it will  introduce a National Class next year. The move coincides with the Nippon F3 Association’s  three yearly review of the Technical regulations which are expected to bring in a new chassis for 2008 , thereby making the current cars redundant. This, along with a recent decline in entries, only twelve drivers participate in the championship this year, has forced the Nippon Formula Three Association to take action and introduce a National Class running the older chassis in an effort to boost grids. More details are expected shortly.

The name of the game for Sunday's Champ Car Atlantic race at the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto was survival, as the inclement weather took out almost two-thirds of the field before the chequered flag came out. To survive in these miserable conditions was a testament of a driver's abilities, and Justin Sofio utilized all  his to bring his Mathiasen Motorsports race car home in eighth. "Justin has an amazing talent to avoid trouble during a race." said Mathiasen Motorsports owner Ray Mathiasen. "He needed all of it this weekend to survive the carnage on the track. He drove a great race with almost zero visibility at times and still was one of the only drivers to avoid any contact during the race".

The Timetable for this month’s Silverstone Classic has been announced. More  than  600  entries  have  been  drawn  from  the  historic  car and motorcycle worlds. They will fight it out on the hallowed Historic British Grand Prix circuit in 22 races, some of which boast packed fields bursting with more than 40 machines…    For the latest timetable for the 2007 Silverstone Classic, please click on the following link: http://www.silverstone.co.uk/pdf/2007_classic_timetable 

Oliver Jarvis continued to notch up valuable Championship points last weekend for TOM’S Toyota in the All Japan F3 Series at Suzuka with a impressive second and fourth place.  Qualifying saw Jarvis, then just one point behind Championship leader, Roberto Streit, caught up in traffic leaving him with no choice but to pull out all the stops in his penultimate lap. But a spin in the tricky damp conditions left him in 9th on the grid for Round 9 while Streit was on pole.   Qualifying for Round 10 was better with Jarvis setting third fastest time in the  dry This time, Kodai Tsukakoshi was the quickest, followed by Streit with Jarvis.third. As Round 9 got underway  Jarvis made a superb start and quickly moved up through the field early on, eventually passing Marko Asmer to finish 4th.   The race was won by Streit.  Round 10 saw Jarvis starting from the second row of the grid behind Tsukakoshi and Streit. Tsukakoshi made a good start while Streit was simple off the pace whicj allowed  Jarvis to get by on lap 2 . Tsukakoshi went on the win with Jarvis second, challenging the leader all the way,.His TOM’S team-mate Kazuya Oshima was third with Streit back in 4th  holing on to his Championship lead ahead of Jarvis in second. Jarvis will be back at Donington this weekend (14-15 July) in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain

Two weeks after the Formula 3 Euro Series appearance in the support programme of the French Formula 1 Grand Prix, at Magny-Cours, the 23 drivers will have to contest the season’s ninth and tenth rounds, this weekend at Mugello. Championship leader Sébastien Buemi (Mücke Motorsport) from Switzerland, travels with a three-point lead over Romain Grosjean (ASM Formule 3) to italy. The French is the only driver who succeeded in winning more than just one race, in the season to date.

After a long break the World Series by Renault gets back on track this weekend with James Walker itching to get back behind the wheel. Rounds six and seven of the series takes place at the Hungaroring, home of the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix, on the outskirts of Budapest. This will be Walker’s  first visit to the track so the test day today(Thursday) will provide him with a great opportunity to learn the Hungaroring. The track is tight, twisty and notoriously difficult to overtake on so a good qualifying spot is crucial. “It has been very important for me to stay focused during the break,” said James. “My training sessions have gone well but there is a limit to what you can do out of the car. The team and I can’t wait to get back on it now. Although I’ve never been to the Hungaroring I’m looking forward to racing there; it looks challenging both from a technical point of view and, of course, physically. I need to score points this weekend. Our results so far haven’t shown our true pace so we will be working to put that right  in Budapest.”

Rahal Letterman Racing, which fields entries in the IndyCar Series as well as the ALMS, has announced that it plans to run a limited number of customer cars in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge next year. The all-Porsche series is one of the premier arrive-and-drive sportscar series in the US, with grids in excess of 45 entries at many of the races. "I have always had a passion for sportscar racing and I am very excited about the chance to share my passion with the public," said team co-owner Bobby Rahal. "This represents a new and exciting facet to our race operations and we are looking forward to providing customers with a quality program that will give them the opportunity to compete at a high level."  The series runs cars based on the Porsche 997 which come with sealed engines and transmissions, putting the emphasis on driver skill.  As part of the customer programme, RLR will prepare cars using staff of professional engineers and mechanics.. The cost of the entry includes a driver coach for the weekend, an engineer, weekend pit and mechanical personnel and transporter office space along with all consumables such as tyres, brakes and fuel.

Liam Kenney is looking to build on a run of form that has seen him take three victories and  of five podium places in his last six races as the 2007 Formula TR Pro Series 2000 Championship heads into the second half of the 20-race season with Rounds 11 and 12 hosted at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah this weekend.  Kenney, fourth  in the Driver Standings, is firmly on a roll after a slow start to his rookie season having decided to create Liam Kenney Motorsports to run his car.  Liam debuted at the brand-new Utah facility last season, scoring back-to-back podium finishes in Rounds 7 and 8 of the Formula TR Pro Series 1600 Championship -- experience which will no doubt prove useful upon his return this Friday and Saturday. "I can't wait to get back to Miller Motorsports Park," stated Kenney. "It's an unbelievable track and obviously it holds some pretty decent memories from my debut there last season. It's important to me that I continue to build on everything I learned from the first half of the year. We have to maintain consistency, keep winning races and hopefully go for the title!"

11-07-07

Joe Waters from Norwich, at 14 years old, is currently Britains youngest racing driving,has his next race in the T Car Championship at Castle Combe this weekend.  Sadly he didn’t have the funds to complete the remainder of the season until East Anglian company Silver Shield Windscreens stepped into save the day and have back Joe to race this weekend.  

Post Race fight mars IRL race at Watkins Glen.  The Indy Racing League did not sit idly by after the post-race fight in pit lane on July 8 at Watkins Glen. The officials and stewards had it all on tape plus the eye-witness reports from officals and The Glen's staff on pit lane. (and see link to video of the incident)

Richards Labels Queensland Track "Mind Numbing" . Jason Richards has lashed out at the venue holding the next round of the Aussie V8 Supercars, Queensland Raceway, saying it is in poor condition and labelling it "mind numbing". In 2005, the 30-year-old Kiwi survived a massive accident after tangling with rival Paul Morris.  His Holden Commodore hit an errant kerb which vaulted the car into a series of spectacular and frightening barrel rolls, Richards emerging from the battered wreck with only minor injuries.  "To be honest, I can't stand the place - it conjures up nothing but bad memories for me and I don't enjoy it," Richards said.  "The [track] designers did a poor job from the start. They had a blank sheet of paper and plenty of cash and came up with a paper clip. It's the most mind numbing track we drive and is seriously as painful as pulling teeth."  Richards said he believed the track was also not in great shape. "Not only is Queensland Raceway a lousy design, but the track is deteriorating and getting lots of bumps in it - it's in generally poor shape," Richards said.  "You can't enjoy the circuit on any level. Even if you are having a bad day at Phillip Island or Oran Park you can enjoy the circuit, but not Queensland. "I take my hat off to the local V8 teams for having the patience to test there as I wouldn't."

T-Sport are pleased to announce the signing of Sh. Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa, the 2005 Formula BMW Asia Champion, for the remainder of the 2007 British F3 International Series. Salman will race alongside Rodolfo Gonzalez and Sergio Perez.  The young Bahraini is currently lying eighth in the British F3 National Class standings with 48 points. He started the season with Promatecme and scored his first podium at the first round of the season at Oulton Park.  Salman said, “I am excited about this move to T-Sport. Russell’s experience and guidance will be of great value to me at this point in my racing career. I am also looking forward to working with Rodolfo (Gonzalez) and Sergio (Perez), who are both great racers. It will be interesting to share data with them and learn from them.”

The 2007 Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda series champion will be crowned on August 12 following the Generac Grand Prix at Road America. However, the 2007  champion will have the opportunity to do battle against his fellow competitors once more on December 1 as officials from the Champ Car Atlantic and Grand Prix Arizona announced that the Atlantics will have a non-championship "dash for cash" alongside the Champ Car World Series season finale.  The 50-minute timed Atlantic race will feature a $100,000 purse and has been dubbed the "Dash in the Desert." "Adding Phoenix as a bonus event to the 2007 Champ Car Atlantic Championship is a tremendous opportunity for our series and I must thank Grand Prix Arizona and the Champ Car World Series for extending the invitation to us," said Champ Car Atlantic Managing Director Vicki O'Connor. "While the race will not count toward the championship, I believe the event will be a lot of fun for our drivers, teams and sponsors and will be just as hotly-contested as the 12 points-paying events on our schedule. Our teams have been extremely supportive of this decision to extend our season and our series partners are also thrilled with the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Grand Prix Arizona weekend with the Dash in the Desert.". It will also be the first non-championship Atlantic event since a race at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec as part of what was then known as the Labatt Challenge Series in 1978. "The Grand Prix Arizona is going to be a phenomenal weekend," said Grand Prix Arizona President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Freudenberg. "We are thrilled to host the 'Dash in the Desert' at our inaugural event and think our fans will see incredible racing action."

The 2007 Formula TR Championship Series resumes this weekend after a four week break with Rounds 11 and 12 on July 13 and 14 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. This will be the first of two visits the Formula TR PRO Series will make to the outstanding Miller Motorsports Park facility. These two rounds are in support of the NASCAR Grand National West series in their first visit to Miller Motorsports Park and will be using the 3.06 mile outside loop configuration of the circuit. Sergio Pena continues to lead the 1600 Series and John Knudsen remains on top in the 2000 Series at the half way point of the series; there are still 10 rounds of competition remaining which means everyone in the series still has a chance at the titles. The points at the half way stage are: 1600 Series Sergio Pena (301), Ryan Booth (281), Joshua Goshen (225), Felice Snider (186), Kristin Braun (156), Kerstin Smutny (120). 2000 Series John Knudsen (281), Bill Goshen (261), Luis Martinez Jr. (237), Liam Kenney (221), Christian Franck (217), Jim Booth (189).  Tickets are available through http://www.millermotorsportspark

WS FR3.5: Prema Powerteam - Hungaroring Preview The World Series by Renault engines will be lighting up once again for the fourth round of the championship, which will take place on the winding circuit of Budapest in Hungary from the 12th to the 15th of July.As this is the first time the series has raced at the circuit  the organisers have set up an extra test day for Thursday, to allow teams and drivers to familiarise themselves with the track. Friday will see official testing, while Saturday the drivers will take to the track for qualifying and race 1 with race 2 on the Sunday. Prema Powerteams’s drivers Ben Hanley and Xavier Maassen will set up camp at Budapest intent on making the race a turning point in their season. Hanley will be looking for his first victory, while Maassen in his debut year is looking to climb further up the grid and challenge for points. These are objectives that Prema are confident they can achieve.

A different Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship to the one that started the season will return to Sydney's Eastern Creek raceway this weekend.

The Australian Formula Ford Championship continues on July 20-22, with round five to be contested at Queensland raceway as the series welcomes talented local contestant Adam Graham, who will drive the championship winning Spectrum driven by John Martin in 2006…

Niall Quinn is hoping that last year's runner up spot in the Dunlop Young Driver of the Year competition will be the springboard to overall victory this year after becoming the third of six drivers nominated for the award. Quinn's performances in the German Formula BMW championship this year have led to his selection as Dunlop Young Driver of the Month for June, one of six nominated drivers who will be gunning for the €35,000 top spot at the end of the season

Patrick Carpentier officially announced on Tuesday at a press conference held in Montreal that he will compete in the inaugural NASCAR Series Busch race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 4, 2007. Sitting next to his new sponsors on the podium, the Quebec-born driver made public his plans to race in front of his home crowd in the two major events held the first weekend of August. The media conference was designed to update the Canadian media on the support of major companies such as Zellers, Komatsu, Dodge Quebec Dealer Advertising Association and Cinemas Guzzo in his new foray in NASCAR.. The Canadian driver revealed that he will drive the Fitz Motorsports Dodge in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 - Presented by Dodge. Based in Mooresville, North Carolina and owned by Armando Fitz, the team has been competing in the Busch Series since 2001 and is considered one of the leading independent teams in the division.

James Winslow returns to Eastern Creek Raceway for round five of the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship confident on several fronts. Not only is his Opes Prime Dallara at the top of its game and a proven racewinner, but the weekend is the first ‘return visit’ of the season, meaning that he will not have to spend the early part of the meeting learning the circuit or developing a set-up. Wins at each of the last two rounds have lifted Winslow into the thick of the action and he now lies just nine points off the championship lead. “I really enjoy Eastern Creek,” Winslow reveals, “The circuit has a bit of everything, from the downhill run into the flat-out challenge of turn one, the tighter corners at two and nine, and the tricky final turn that you have to get right to make sure you carry maximum speed down the long main straight.  “All I need now is a win or two and it could become one of my absolute favourites!”

10-07-07

New Ollerton-based Formula Renault UK team Manor Competition is gearing up for the first of two visits this year to its local circuit, Donington Park in Leicestershire, which will host the 11th and 12th rounds of the season this weekend, 14th/15th July

Ultimate Motorsport return to home shores for this weekend’s British F3 International Series Round at Brands Hatch hoping to build on their recent success in Europe as they continue to close in on their first podium finish.

Juno Racing raced to their second win of the VdeV season at the latest round, the 3Hours of Dijon. Taking the win now places Rob Croydon and Adrian Mardlin(pictured) at the head of the VdeV Championship table.  There was further cause for celebration with the Juno’s of Richard Bernans & David Zollinger and Sam Allpass & Sarah Reader finishing in 6th and 10th respectively.

After a break of over two months, the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 drivers are due to meet up again at the Hungaroring for the third round of the season. Six drivers have already moved clear at the top of the overall standings, but there is little between them. Who from Hartley, Pic, Turvey, Waldschmidt, Kechele and Mäki will end the summer as leader? With 4 races gone, the top 7 drivers are separated by just 14 points. After a faultless performance in Belgium, Brendon Hartley (Epsilon Red Bull) was off the pace at the Nurburgring, managing only 8th, he really needs to return to form at the Hungaroring. And he appears ready to do so after setting the fastest time in testing at Magny-Cours last month.  Second spot is currently held by French driver Charles Pic (SG Formula). Who hit top form at the Nurburgring taking his first race win. Now just six points behind Hartley if he can continue his good form this weekend at Val de Vienne in the French championship, he'll should head to Hungary full of confidence.  Oliver Turvey (Jenzer Motorsport) lies third in the standings, the British driver, voted McLaren Autosport BRDC young driver of the year, has so far only finished in the top three once, following the disqualification of Waldschmidt. He must raise his level be in the running to win races! Equal third with Turvey is Henki Waldschmidt, who has been the quickest driver so far this season. But two disqualifications for technical non-compliance have cost the Dutchman 22 points. Instead of being well ahead of the rest, he now has to push hard to get back to the top.  Behind these four, Frank Kechele (Motopark Academy) has yet to make it onto the podium while a third and a second place at the Nurburgring, for Mika Maki (Red Bull Epsilon) shows he is improving fast.

The Formula BMW UK Championship 2007 heads to Donington Park this weekend with the  series passing its halfway point last time out at Oulton Park. The race for the title is however far from decided.  Fortec’s Marcus Ericsson remains at the top of the table with 354 points, closely followed by his team-mate, Henry Arundel who is just 6 points adrift in second. Arundel scored his first Formula BMW win in Round Five at Thruxton. And his numerous trips to the podium have kept him in contention to become the first driver to convert a Rookie title into outright Championship success.  In third is Czech Josef Kral of Double R racing. After a non-finish at the start of the season, Kral has moced up the order. taking five wins 8 points off Ericsson.  Fourth-placed Carlin Motorsport driver Henry Surtees is looking for his first win of the season. He has the pace to challenge the front-runners, he now needs to make the final step to the top of the podium to his championship aspirations.  Whatever the outcome, Donington, with its fast, sweeping corners, promises some epic wheel-to-wheel action .

Chevrolet continued its dominance in the streets of Porto by scoring a historic 1,2,3 in the first of the weekend’s races. Alain Menu, Rob Huff and Nicola Larini finished the incident-packed race in the order they had started in, letting none of their competitors even have a look at the podium. It was the first time since the beginning of Chevrolet WTCC programme in 2005 that three Lacetti's locked out the podium. For Alain Menu, it was his third 2007 win, the first driver to achieve this level of success this year. Rob Huff scored his first podium finish of the year and set fastest race lap in race 1, but a misjudgment and dirty tyres from driving off line left him without points in race 2. Menu again finished on the podium in race 2, after Larini crashed under braking while in third. Andy Piraulx won with Jorg Muller second.  Menu now ties with Larini for fifth in the championship, but takes the position courtesy of his three victories…

The second-half of the DTM season starts at Mugello (Italy) at the weekend.. The Audi team aim to reclaim the championship lead they narrowly lost at the Norisring.  The omens are good. Circuits with fast, flowing corners have always suited the A4 DTM. Mugello, at 5.245 kilometres has many and these are extremely demanding, in which both the Audi A4 DTM and the Audi drivers felt particularly comfortable during the pre-season tests. The team under Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich also has fond memories of the last DTM visit in 2004, Mattias Ekström scored the first victory of the then brand new first generation Audi A4 DTM. The Swede, who celebrates his 29th birthday on Saturday at Mugello, travels to Italy in second place in the standings. Only 1.5 points separate him from championship leader Bernd Schneider. Lurking another four points behind is Martin Tomczyk. One of the two Audi A4 DTM cars will be driven by -time Motorbike World Champion Max Biaggi  The 36-year old  knows the Mugello track well as the circuit  has been the home of the Italian Motorbike GP for many years. more

09-07-07

The Classic Saloon Car Club and the Jag Enthusiasts Club were at Cadwell over the weekend. In the Toyo Tyres XJS races Steve Davis took two wins from two. In Saturday’ opener he headed Gail Hill by 6 seconds at the flag. John Lock was third 10 seconds behind the winner. In the second race on Sunday Lock was second 3.4 secs behind with St4eve Avery third. In the Lancaster Insurance MGOC races Jeremy Perry dominated the first race  with a lights to flag victory in his MGZR, 2.8secs ahead of Doug Cole. Nick Golhar was a distant third, 28 seconds adrift of the winner. In the Class A-F race Martin Wills was triumphant  beating Paul Savage by just 8 tenths of a second. Paul Naish was third

Silverstone Managing Director,Richard Phillips, has heralded this year’s FORMULA 1™ Santander British Grand Prix as one of the best and most successful events he has ever worked on.....read more

Hitech racing aims to continue its domination of the series that has so far resulted in six wins and a commanding 51 point lead by taking double victory next time out Brands Hatch (July 14/15). .

The DDMC were also at Cadwell with Rob Pritchard in dominant form in the Class A-E races. His Caterham winning the first race on Saturday by 9 seconds from Dunlan Marshall’s Phoenix. Duncan Cameron came home in third in a Ferrari 360. In Sunday’s race Pitchard again beat Marshall, this time with 17 seconds in hand while Tim Evans completed the podium in his Phoenix, urther 14 seconds behind Marshall.  In the Class B-D race for Saloons Andrew Morrison took a pair of wins in his SEAT Leon Cupra  with Mike Cutt’s BMW M3 and Paul Moss’s Citroen Saxo second and third respectively on both occasions .In the CSCC’s Formula Free races Chris Woodhouse won both events in his Jedi  from Chris Robinson’s similar car in second and Mark Smith’s Reynard 903 in third. Mark Steward took his Tiger R6 to victory in the RAFMSA Tiger race on Sunday holding off the Fletcher Hornet of Ian Fletcher to win with 6 seconds to spare.  Fletcher was beaten by Steward earlier on in the JEC Sports Saloon race where he came third behind winner Dave Weston’s Midget and the second placed Steward. In the Power Torque Morgan race Keith Ahlers won comfortably from Peter Horsman and Andy Green while Mark Campbell just won the CSCC’s Swinging 60s race in his TR5 ahead of John Ree’s Lotus 7 by 0.397 secs. Third a long, long way behind the leading pair(1min 41 seconds) was the Elan S1 of David Holroyd.

In the Vrederstein/Soilmec JEC Saloon encounter at Cadwell Dave Bye  took the honours just 0.298 seconds ahead of second placed Tim Morrant  and 0.718 secs ahead of third placed Richard Durlin. In the CSCC’s Tin Top race the Honda Integra of Gannon and Gannon beat Giovanni’s similar machine by 16 seconds while in the Future Classic race Ken Paton took his D type to victory ahead of Chris Palmer’s XJS and Rick Walkers XJ6.

Frenchman Guillaume Moreau returned to Le Mans Series action at the Nürburgring. Driving  a strong double stint in the middle of the race at the wheel of the works Courage-AER LC70, he kept the team’s podium expectations alive. Sadly his battle with Collard/Boullion's Pescarolo came to an end when his team-mate Jean-Marc Gounon went off with 25 minutes to go dropping the number 13 car from 4th to 12th overall, 8th in the LMP1 class.Guillaume is now heading to the Hungaroring, to take part in the fourth World Series by Renault event. 

Highland Spring, the UK’s leading producer of bottled water, is officially launching a new sponsorship with Scottish Formula 1 ace, David Coulthard. The partnership was launched as David prepared to race in his 220th Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday 8 July. Highland Spring’s logo appears on David’s crash helmet chin bar and fan baseball cap, reaching a global audience of tens of millions.  The Scots driver has already notched up 517 F1 World Championship points, making him the highest scoring British driver in Grand Prix history.  Highland Spring is a long term supporter of UK and international sport. Joe Beeston, chief executive of Highland Spring said: “We supported David Coulthard in his first years of racing and it’s an honour for us to be working with him again. David is a great example of a Scottish sporting hero with an international reputation and is proof that Britain is a hub of sporting talent.” Red Bull Racing driver, David Coulthard said: “Highland Spring was a key supporter during my formative years and I am delighted to carry their logo within my personal helmet colours throughout the world for this exciting Grand Prix season.”

GEMMA ATKINSON ROCKS SILVERSTONE! The Female Face of the 2007 Formula 1™ Santander British Grand Prix, Gemma Atkinson, rocked Silverstone when she attended the big race on Sunday 08  July  2007  -  Gemma  Atkinson,  the  Female  Face  of  the  2007  Formula  1™ Santander British Grand Prix, entered the F1 fast lane at Silverstone on Sunday with a little help from the Etihad Aldar Spyker Formula One Team. On the morning of the British Grand Prix Gemma, the successful British model and former Hollyoaks soap star, received top tips on the world’s most glamourous sport from Spyker F1 drivers Adrian Sutil and Christijan Albers during a fun photocall in the Silverstone pit lane. “I’m a massive F1 fan and this is my first time at the  British Grand Prix.  I’m  really excited to be here as the Female Face of the British Grand Prix.   The atmosphere here  at  Silverstone  is  incredible!    It  is  an  unbelievable  experience  and  I  never imagined I’d get so close to the action. I’m so thrilled to be here,” said Gemma

In a race that saw a 14:29 red flag and 13 cars retire due to contact, French rookie Franck Perera won his second consecutive Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda victory in the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto

Scott Dixon claimed his third consecutive victory at Watkins Glen International, winning the Camping World Watkins Glen Grand Prix.  Dixon tied Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dan Wheldon's record for consecutive victories at a track by beating Sam Hornish Jr., by 6.2591 seconds.  Dixon started second and followed polesitter Helio Castroneves around the 3.4-mile circuit for the first 19 laps before Castroneves crashed in Turn 11. Dixon led 23 of the final 41 laps, including the final 18 circuits to record his seventh victory in the IndyCar Series. Andretti Green Racing teammates Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Buddy Rice, Wheldon, Kosuke Matsuura, Darren Manning and Jeff Simmons rounded out the top 10. Castroneves finished 18th.  Franchitti remains the IndyCar Series points leader, holding a 47-point advantage over Dixon with seven races remaining

Following the successful return of 12 hour endurance racing to Mount Panorama for the 2007 WPS Bathurst International Motor Festival in April, event organisers today announced the Event will again descend on the legendary circuit in 2008 with a new name and on a new date.   The WPS Bathurst Motor Festival, as it is now called to reflect the true Australian core of the Event, will shift from its traditional Easter long weekend timeslot to February 15 -- 17, and is expected to be bigger and better than ever before. With spectator and manufacturer interest piqued by the inaugural running of the WPS Bathurst 12 hour in April this year, bigger crowds, additional marques, 40+ cars and more 'big name' drivers are expected for the 2008 Festival. Event Director James O'Brien said the decision to move the event from its traditional Easter weekend timeslot was a strategic one aimed at creating further opportunities for the event and its supporters. "We feel moving the event to the February 15-17 weekend will enable more of our fans, officials and corporate partners to maximise their experience and interactions with the event over its full three day duration, without feeling the need to compromise on family at Easter," said O'Brien. "The earlier running date also means the WPS Bathurst Motor Festival will not clash with other events, and places us as the first major national event on the calendar.

Fleetcare TanderSport’s Leanne Tander , the only woman driver in contention for a major Australian racing championship this season, hopes to use a strong performance at Eastern Creek Raceway next weekend to silence competitors whom she believes are struggling to cope with her success. After a combative round at Mallala raceway in South Australia last weekend Leanne is now hoping that further success at one of her strongest circuits will put her into position to win this years championship. Tander heads to Eastern Creek with one win, four podiums and 94 points to her credit and the aim of taking the lead of the series at the Sydney track.  ”I feel that I’ve proved in the first four rounds of the year that I’m not here to make up the numbers.” Leanne said today, in response to recent comments made by other competitors, regarding her driving. I’ve said from the start of the year that I believe that the Fleetcare TanderSport team and I would be contenders and at the half-way point in the championship we’re only six points from the championship lead”.

Australian racing driver Will Power has won his second Champ Car event for the season by capturing the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto at the Exhibition Place street circuit in Toronto, Canada today.  Power drove his #5 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia DP01 Champ Car to a superb victory ahead of Neel Jani and Justin Wilson. Power’s Team Australia team-mate Simon Pagenaud was fourth. The result lifts Power to second in the Champ Car World Series. Robert Doornbos now leads the series standings and Power’s rival and defending series champion Sebastien Bourdais now lies third. This is the second Champ Car win for Team Australia, which was formed in 2005 by veteran Champ Car team owner Derrick Walker and Australian businessman and Aussie Vineyards boss Craig Gore. Power collected his and the team's first Champ Car victory at the first race of the season in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 8...

Carlo Van Dam did himself a huge favour at the Nürburgring by finishing second and third at round four of the ATS Formula 3 Cup. The championship leader set the fastest lap during race one and took pole position for the second race. In the title race Van Dam increased his lead with 68 points after eight races. Round 8 was won by Christian.Vietoris with Riccardo Bruins second.

Kechele and Christodoulou each take a win at Oschersleben in the Northern European Cup Formula Renault 2.0.

08-07-07

Honda driver, Kodai Tsukakoshi (Honda Team Real) took his second win of season in Round 10 of the All-Japan Formula 3 Championship at Suzuka. TOM'S drivers, Oliver Jarvis and Kazuya Oshima were second and third respectively. Tsukakoshi made a splendid start from pole position  into the first corner. Roberto Streit (INGING) starting from second grid also held his position, however Oliver Jarvis (TOM'S) and his teammate Kazuya Oshima had a minor coming together dropping Oshima  to the sixth. As Tukakoshi escaped Streit couldn't hold on and was passed by Jarvis on lap 2. Oshima passed Yuhi Sekiguchi (Hiroshima Toyota) and Takuya Izawa (Honda Team Real) on lap 4 reclaiming fourth. He then set off after Streit setting fastest lap before passing him on teh eighth lap.  Up front Jarvis kept Tukakoshi honest but the latter held on to take the win with Jarvis second and Oshima  third. Points leader Streit finished in fourth thereby keeping hold of the championship lead.

In two previous years, Lime Rock has pointed to the season’s champion as three of the four past rounds were captured by the Overall winner.  This weekend Sebastian Saavedra earned his first Formula BMW USA win in Round 7, but perhaps it was the Round 8 victory of Daniel Morad(pictured between Saavedra & Rossi) – the fifth of the season for last year’s Rookie champion – that, with six Rounds remaining, made the crystal ball a little clearer.

Alex Lloyd continued his winning ways in the Indy Pro Series with a dominant run in the second Corning Twin 100 at Watkins Glen International on Sunday afternoon

Will Power won the Champ car World Series race in Toronto today. The Team Australia driver led PKV racing''s Neil Jani over the line with just over 2 seconds to spare. Justin Wilson was third less than a second behind.

An intense schedule of two races in the space of just three hours meant that Alexander Rossi ran the whole gamut of his emotions in little over 180 minutes.

Dane Cameron continued his domination of the 2007 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear with a hat trick in round Seven at the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto -- fastest in every practice session, won the pole in qualifying, led every lap on the way to his third win of the season in the #19 JDC Motorsports/Finlay Motorsports Mazda. Cameron's record includes four poles so far this season, and he scored an identical hat trick on his way to victory in Round Two at the Reliant Park street circuit in Houston.t

Jean-Francois Dumoulin passed Spencer Pumpelly moments before the final caution period came out in Saturday's Supercuts 200 at The Glen and held on for a .481-second advantage over Jeff Segal in Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series action at Watkins Glen International. Dumoulin and Dave Riddle co-drove to give the No. 26 Fiorano C-MAX/Denon Porsche 997 its first Grand Sports (GS) victory of 2007.

ADM Motorsport’s Norbert Siedler completed a superb rookie weekend by winning round eight of International Formula Master (IFM) today in Porto.The Austrian started third following a sixth place finish in yesterday’s round and spent most of the race battling with IFM’s other newcomer Erik Janis (ISR) for the lead, closely followed by Kasper Andersen.Andersen’s race was cut short however, when a Turn 6 incident with Johnny Cecotto Jr put both drivers out of the race on lap two, prompting the safety car to come out. Siedler used the restart to his advantage, overtaking Janis for the lead in the first corner.Other casualties of Porto’s demanding street circuit included driver classification leader Jerome D’Ambrosio on the second lap and yesterday’s race winner Pablo Sanchez Lopez on lap one. IFM’s only lady driver Rahel Frey climbed up to fifth from a ninth place start but retired on the restart after loosing control of her car at Turn 6.Second place went to Alan Racing’s Salvatore Gatto, IFM’s first-ever winner, closely followed by Promotorsport’s  Marcello Puglisi. The Italian pair fought on-track for the latter part of the race with yesterday’s second place finisher Puglisi unable to pass Gatto. Confirming his status as overtaking specialist, Chris van der Drift delivered a stunning  drive to 6th from 24th on the grid!

International Formula Master
Porto round eight – Provisional result
1. Norbert Siedler (AUT), ADM Motorsport
2. Salvatore Gatto (ITA), Alan Racing
3. Marcello Puglisi (ITA), Promotorsport
4. Marco Bonanomi (ITA), Euronova Racing
5. Nick De Bruijn (NED), ISR
6. Chris van der Drift (NED), J.D. Motorsport

07-07-07

Silverstone  confirmed on Saturday (7 July) that British Grand Prix fans have re-written the record books as Lewis mania officially hit the Northamptonshire circuit..

New colours on the car and Alexander Rossi shows true colours on the track.A new team, a sleek new black and silver colour scheme, but Alexander Rossi was the same driver he’s been all year – committed and blindingly fast from the get-go for the FBMWUSA round 7 qualifying session. Having switched to the Apex Racing squad a mere four days earlier, it was Rossi’s first time with his new engineer and mechanics, but they gelled immediately. “Everything is going fantastic!” beamed the Californian. “I mean it’s only our second session together and we’re P5 – so you’ve got to be happy with that.” Of particular pleasure to Rossi was that he had out-qualified the driver he is chasing in the championship. “I’m very happy about that,” he admitted, “considering I’m trying to chase him in the points. So, we’ve just got to keep focusing on the second qualifying session this afternoon and try and be up there with the series leader this time.” And he did too, although perhaps a little too closely for his liking: In the dying moments of a topsy-turvy 20 minute qualification slot, Rossi was holding third position and on an absolute flyer of a lap when he came across the very same championship leader tooling along at the back of the circuit. Rossi and the car drafting with him had to get on the brakes and take avoiding measures costing valuable time .“Unfortunately, on my quickest lap, I got held up in the Uphill Bend an extreme amount.” Said the 15-year-old with a hint of frustration. “It was the fastest I’d been through 1-2-3-4 and there was a car stopped in Uphill’ and I had nowhere to go. I definitely believe that I lost more than half a second; my car was incredible.”“But we have a decent position for tomorrow, everyone’s real close, so they should be really exciting races. We are going to put our heads down and hopefully get a couple of podiums.” Daniel Morad took pole for both rounds

Alan Racing’s Pablo Sanchez Lopez  won today’s round seven of International Formula Master (IFM) in Porto, adding to his previous street race win at Pau, closely followed by Promotorsport’s Marcello Puglisi and Cram Competition’s Jerome D’Ambrosio. The race ran out of time when a red flag incident interrupted round seven after five laps. Once the track was cleared, the field of Formula S2000s resumed their race under safety car conditions with less than a minute remaining. Finishing eighth, Kasper Andersen will begin tomorrow’s race from pole position thanks to IFM’s reverse grid regulation.

Championship leader Roberto Streit (INGING) took his third win of the season from pole position in All-Japan Formula 3 Championhip round 9 at Suzula Circuit and extended the gap in championship. Kazuya Oshima (TOM'S) was the second place, and Honda's ace Kodai Tsukakoshi (Honda Team Real) took a podium in their home circuit. Also, Tsukakoshi took a pole position for tomorrow's round 10.

Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda points leader Raphael Matos scored his fifth consecutive provisional pole position in first round qualifying for Sunday's Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto  with a time of 1:1:05.694 (96.173 mph).  With the provisional pole, Matos again extended his lead in the championship standings over Hinchcliffe to 34, 202-168. On the final lap of the session, Jonathan Bomarito  claimed second with a lap at 1:05.917 (95.848 mph). Bomarito also started and finished second in last year's Atlantic event at Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition Place and has finished inside the top-four positions in four of seven events thus far in 2007 with PR1 Motorsports. Bomarito is still looking for his first Atlantic victory of the season. Like Bomarito, Hinchcliffe also jumped toward the top of the time charts on his final qualifying lap and wound up third at 1:06.049 (95.656 mph).

06-07-07

Record Friday crowd for British Grand Prix at Silverstone.  Silverstone Circuits Limited, the organiser and promoter of the 2007 FORMULA 1™ Santander British Grand Prix, has announced a record crowd figure for the first day of the three day  event.  42,000  fans,  four  thousand  more  than  on  the  Friday  in  2006, watched  Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson in practice as the British Grand Prix got underway. Richard  Phillips,  Managing  Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, commented: “Today’s attendance of 42,000 is a record for a Friday of the British Grand Prix. We have the best  fans in the world and the fact that they’ve all  come out in the current weather conditions is a true testament to their commitment and passion for the sport. “Each year we get more and more fans coming to Silverstone for all three days of the British Grand Prix. We are now a three day event which, with tickets available from as little as £99 – effectively £33 per day – offers great value for money. “The weather forecast looks good over the weekend, so we can hopefully look forward to a fantastic race on Sunday.”

The torrential weather conditions that have been affecting towns and events throughout the UK caused Silverstone to implement a series of further contingency plans on Friday (6 July), as circuit officials took precautionary action to preserve a number of temporary public car parks being used over the British Grand Prix weekend (6-8 July). Further heavy  rainfall  on  Thursday  evening  led  circuit  officials,  the  Highways  Agency, Police and other agencies, to limit access to a number of non-hard standing car parks on Friday morning. This enabled Friday to be used as a ‘drying out’ period which, following the  adverse  weather,  was  essential  if  normal  traffic  management  systems  and  car parking facilities are to be resumed in time for the weekend.

MSVR are once again holding an Open Sports/Saloon race on Saturday 21^st July at Snetterton. The format will be 1 x 15 min qualifying and 2 x 15 minute races for £150. Tyre choice is unrestricted and it is a great opportunity for drivers to get two upgrade signatures on their race licence.  It is supporting the VdeV UK series, a new endurance series for sports prototypes. Also on the racing bill is the CSCC Future Classics Series.

The British Formula Ford Championship's status as an international stepping stone to race stardom is to be further enhanced next weekend and later in the season as yet more nationalities join the grid…read more

Jeremy Metcalfe is confident next weekend’s rounds of the 2007 Formula Renault UK season at Donington Park will see him continue his recent run of form by challenging for  race wins.

SEAT Sport UK aims to get the balancing act just right at Donington Park, when the contradicting mix of low drag down the straights and higher downforce in the high-speed corners will play a significant role in the team’s success or failure at Rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the 2007 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship,  which take place at the Leicestershire track on July 14/15.

CAMS Rising Star national drivers Ashley Walsh and Joshua Scott will contest the 2007  Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch circuit with support from the Australian Motor Sport Foundation (AMSF)… Read more

Carl Skerlong is out to add to his points tally this weekend in Round 8 of the 2007 Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda this weekend..

Apotex Scorpio Motorsport driver Will Bratt is aiming for a quick return to the top step of the podium at Donington Park next weekend, 14th/15th July, as the second half of the Formula Renault UK Championship gets underway with the 11th and 12th rounds of the season.

After a break of over two months, the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 drivers are back in action this weekend at the Hungaroring for round 3. Six drivers have already moved clear at the top of the overall standings, but there is little between them. Who from Hartley, Pic, Turvey, Waldschmidt, Kechele and Mäki will end the summer as leader?...read more

The South East Motor Sports Enthusiasts Club(SEMSEC) has a race meeting at Brands Hatch on Saturday 8^th September and are looking to extend an invitation to competitors to take part in the event (perhaps as a practice/test and familiarisation opportunity?). The races planned cater for a wide range of competition cars and they are happy to offer special deals on registration fees and membership at just £10 where these are appropriate to the races anyone wishes to enter. LMA contenders, who are racing the following day at the BRSCC meeting should be eligible for the Saloon & Sports Car Championship Race or either of the Nikki Stevens Intermediate Challenge Race, the South East Sports & Saloons Challenge or the Closed Wheel All Comers Trophy Race. See www.semsec.org.uk for details

Carlin Formula BMW driver Henry Surtees will appear at the BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park this weekend, at the British Grand Prix. Surtees will showcase the Formula BMW race car and take part in a Mansell Masterclass, hosted by Formula BMW ambassador and former Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell. As part of the entertainment, Henry, who currently lies fourth in this year's drivers' championship, will demonstrate the sights and sounds of the Formula BMW car to the fans on a specially constructed test track. Commenting on the event, Surtees said "I'm really pleased to be taking part in the events at the BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park this weekend. It's great that the team offer such a unique level of access to fans in a sport which can offer appear quite remote. I'm very proud to be representing Formula BMW and showcasing the car in such a high profile environment." Surtees will complete a number of demonstration laps  over the  weekend.

Northern Ireland’s young saloon car prospect Andrew Herron has high hopes for his first ever outing at Donington Park National Circuit next weekend, 14th/15th July, the Leicestershire venue hosting the sixth round of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup..read more

Sebastian Vettel (Carlin Motorsport) and Alvaro Parente (Tech 1 Racing) will go head-to-head at the Hungaroring with jing the pair who have already opened up a sizeable gap on the rest of the field, leaving a dozen or so drivers to fight for third place in the overall standings.  For the first time in its history, World Series Formula Renault 3.5 is heading   for the Hungaroring, the peculiarities of the venue, a narrow, winding circuit with very little grip, will be equally unfamiliar to all the teams and most of the drivers.  With a third of the season gone,  Vettel leads the  title chasse, at Monaco, however, the Carlin Motorsport driver lost out to Alvaro Parente, a majestic performer on the streets of the principality. Both men were touted among the big favourites in the run-up to the season, and neither has disappointed. They are the only drivers to have scored points in every race.  In third place is Filipe Albuquerque (Epsilon Euskadi) who is 29 points adrift of the leader. The reigning Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion is 2 points ahead of Mikhail Aleshin (Carlin Motorsport) and Milos Pavlovic (Draco Racing). Milos.  Salvador Duran (Interwetten.com) and Davide Valsecchi (Epsilon Euskadi) won the second races at Monza and the Nürburgring respectively. They will be going all out to repeat the feat, but they will also have to show consistency if they are to feature prominently in the final overall standings.

Team Australia are at the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto for Round 7 of the Champ Car World Series in Toronto this weekend.  The Exhibition Place circuit is one of the mainstays of the Champ Car World Series, first hosting a round of the championship in 1986 and this weekend Team Australia drivers Will Power and Simon Pagenaud will be aiming to add their names to the winner’s list.  Power continues to knock on the door of his second Champ Car victory and a return to street circuit racing should favour the Australian. The Toowoomba-born driver’s first pole position at the 2006 Lexmark Indy 300 in October last year and his first victory in this year’s season opener in Las Vegas both came on street circuits.  Power’s team-mate Simon Pagenaud achieved his best Champ Car result last weekend in Mont Tremblant with fourth place after earlier leading laps to further cement his reputation as one of the rising stars of Champ Car.

Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) driver Simon Blanckley is looking for a solid weekend to move up in the Independents Cup standings as the championship moves to the legendary Donington Park circuit on 15th of Jul. yThe Durham driver has been picking up his pace throughout the season and he and his team sibsport are certain they would have scored several outright points finishes to increase their overall tally had it not been for some unfortunate events at Croft and Oulton Park.  Looking ahead to rounds 16, 17 and 18 Blanckley is positive about the Donington weekend. "As a team we are really upbeat because, despite the incidents we have had, we are contenders for points consistently based on lap times. The issues we have had have either been accidents or problems with the car that can be fixed quickly, so we have every reason to be positive."

Jos Menten is facing a busy weekend in Oschersleben. The 26 year old Dutchman will combine his regular FIA GT program with the ADAC GT3 Masters. As usual, Menten will share All-Inkl.com Reiter's Lamborghini Murciélago R- GT #8 with his fellow countryman Peter Kox. As for the GT3 heats, Menten will join rookie Marius Ritskes on a Lamborghini Gallardo GT3.

Scuderia Playteam Sarafree heads into the fifth round of the FIA GT Championship this weekend at the Oschersleben in Germany determined to secure a big points haul and fight for victory.  Giambattista Giannocaro, team owner and driver commented, "I am excited to experience the Oschersleben track where Ive never driven before. Were all looking forward to a very competitive weekend now that we no longer have the 40kg weight penalty. At the last round at our home race in Monza, the weight penalty turned out to be more of a problem than we anticipated. With Maseratis data and the experience of Andrea Bertolini, a multiple winner on this track, the track should be good for our MC12 and therefore our expectations are quite high." Andrea Bertolini added, "It is going to be my fifth year on this track and I've won three times and finished second once between 2003 and 2006. As last years winner I know by experience that this circuit should suit our Maserati MC12 well. We lost too many points in Monza and we will push 110 per cent to make up for it here."

The FIA GT championship test at Spa earlier this week saw the Carsport Holland team’s Corvette set the fastest time in the wet morning session while in the afternoon the  Viaphone Racing team Maserati MC12 were quickest. 33 cars took part in the test for the Total 24 hours of Spa  which will be held at the end of this month.

5-07-07

There's a battle royal in prospect next Sunday (15 July) when the Avon Tyres Caterham Superlight Challenge protagonists go head to head on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in rounds five and six of the championship…read more

With half the season gone, Jonathan Adam (Total Control Racing) doesn’t look like putting the brakes on his incredible winning streak in the 2007 Blaupunkt SEAT Cupra Championship. Adam has won six of the ten rounds so far, failing to finish on the podium just once in the other four rounds. For his competitors though, they will be taking heart from the fact that the one non-podium finish was during the last meeting at Oulton Park. Is this the beginning of the end of his superb run of wins? Probably not, but it does prove that he isn’t invincible.

Kensai Racing with Compass360 have signed David Tuaty to drive their #74  Acura RSX-S for the remainder of 2007, starting with the KONI Challenge race at Watkins Glen on July 7th. "David and I have always been friendly competitors," noted Team Driver Karl Thomson. "He's always quick, and we're pleased to add another experienced driver to our line-up." Tuaty will co-drive with go-karting star Matt Pritiko, who has impressed so far in his rookie year in the KONI Challenge. Tuaty is no stranger to the Grand Am paddock, having competed in the series since 2001. Along with Guy Cosmo he took their Fountain BMW to victory at the inaugural Iowa Speedway event earlier this season. "I'm excited to join the Kensai/Compass360 guys -- they're really a team to watch this year," smiled Tuaty. "We're going to put the 74 car on the podium before the season is over!"

Champ car driver Ryan Dalziel (#28 PCM Coswoth/DP01/Bridgestone) has gradually been making gains since the first race of the year. Currently he is the only driver in the series that has been able to finish better than he qualified in each event. Last weekend, he recorded his fourth top-ten finish this season.

The  Lola  Group,  a  worldwide  leader  in  design,  engineering  and  manufacturing,  has  been  assisting  the Etihad  Aldar Spyker Formula One team with its aerodynamic programme, as the Northamptonshire based team prepares to introduce its revised B- spec Formula One car at the Turkish Grand Prix in August. read more

Justin Wilson (#9 CDW Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) will be returning to the site of his first Champ Car victory this weekend. Last year he took pole position and led the opening 10 laps before finishing fourth. In 2005 Wilson won the race from third on the grid, leading just 10 laps, but those were the ones that counted. In three starts Wilson has an average start of third in Toronto

The Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda has raced on the streets around Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition Place 16 times previously and all 16 races have been won by drivers hailing from either Canada or the United States…

Atlantic Points leader Raphael Matos picked up his fifth podium result of the season last weekend at Mont-Tremblant and owns a total of four victories in 2007. He won the first three races of the season at Las Vegas, Long Beach and Houston and picked up his fourth win two weeks ago in Cleveland. He has not finished worse than sixth in any event this season. He has also led every lap in all three races that he started from the pole position. French rookie Franck Perera is the only driver in the 2007 season to have finished every race inside the top-five positions and earned his first career Atlantic win last weekend at Mont-Tremblant. Canadian James Hinchcliffe has not finished worse than seventh in any race this season and has finished on the podium in four of his last five starts. He is still looking for his first win of the season.

This weekend's Champ Car Atlantic field will feature five Canadian drivers. Toronto natives James Hinchcliffe and Robert Wickens will drive for Sierra Sierra Enterprises and Red Bull Team Forsythe, respectively, while Saint-Eustache, Quebec native Kevin Lacroix is entered for Brooks Associates Racing. Edmonton's Mike Forest will drive for PR1 Motorsports and Coquitlam, British Columbia's Adrien Herberts is entered for Paladin Motorsports. In addition, the Jensen MotorSport team--which fields American drivers Frankie Muniz and Tom Sutherland--is based in Montreal

For the first time since the season-opening Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona, Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series competitors will participate in the same race as the Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) divisions in Saturday's three-hour Supercuts 200 at Watkins Glen International this weekend…

Three Canadian drivers, all rookies and all with one win each, will be battling for victory this weekend in the Star Mazda race at Toronto. Included are Toronto native Marco Di Leo, Vancouver driver Lorenzo Mandarino and Quebec's Devin Cunningham.   The only female in the series, Swiss Natacha Gachnang, now living in Toronto, has made Star Mazda history by scoring podium finishes in the last two races. Read more

04-07-07

Dean Smith negotiated a day of changeable weather and track conditions to set the fastest time during official Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship testing at Brands Hatch on Tuesday, 3rd July. The Fortec Motorsport driver, who leads the drivers’ standings, set a mark of 44.747s (96.43mph) in the morning session at the 1.20-mile Kent circuit.

Bradley Ellis is preparing to return to his home race circuit of Brands Hatch as the Avon Tyres British GT Championship heads to the premier Kent track on 14 & 15 July for rounds six and seven. Fresh from his FIA GT3 debut at Monza, Italy, where he clinched second and third place finishes, Ellis will be looking to emulate his 2006 home win at Brands Hatch, this time in the Team RPM Dodge Competition Coupe…read more

Peterborough-based Alexander Sims enjoyed one of his most promising test sessions of the year at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit today, the 19-year-old Formula Renault UK driver ending the day fourth fastest overall on combined times…

Formula Renault UK Championship title contender Will Bratt concluded a full day of official testing at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit yesterday afternoon very pleased with his top-six pace having run on used tyres for the entirety of the two sessions..

Double race-winner Jeremy Metcalfe continued his excellent run of form at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit today, the BRDC Rising Star topping the times during the second of two sessions of official Formula Renault UK testing at the Kent venue…

SELOC Summer event – 14-15 July at Castle Combe .Possibly the biggest get-together of fellow Lotus enthusiasts this Summer is almost upon us. You shouldn't miss it. As well as a full programme of racing, including the 6th round of the exciting LoTRDC Elise Trophy, SELOC have organised a we've fun-packed weekend.

Nick Sanderson  took second in the latest round of the Ford Fiesta Championship at Oulton Park last weekend.

ASTUTI Motorsport had an up and down weekend at Mallala Raceway in last weekend’s fourth round of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship but they achieved one goal – to close the gap on championship leader Tim Macrow. Drivers Charlie Hollings and Michael Trimble both produced at the weekend to allow Hollings close the margin between first and second to just five points. Contender Hollings had a turbulent weekend,in race one he was running a strong second for a majority of the event until a last-ditch move by Leanne Tander into the turn seven hairpin left him ‘hung out to dry’ and forced to concede two other places after avoiding contact with the passing car. He then secured a valuable 8 points for the team with his fifth place result. In the second 18-lap affair Hollings finished a consistent second behind Macrow to consolidate his second position in the championship. Michael Trimble returned the team to drive the #10 Lista Dallara and made an immediate impact after eight months out of the Formula 3 with pole for both races. Sadly he stalled the car on the line in race one, but a charge through the field on wet tyres took him up to second before he was caught out by the drying track which left him at the mercy of the cars on slicks and he drifted back to finish sixth. In race two Trimble knocked out fastest lap after fastest lap in his pursuit of the leader but settled for third in the end after he elected notto  fight his team-mate to ensure that the team secured the best possible finish for the championship battle.

James Winslow took another step towards the top of the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship with two strong results – including his second win of the season – at Mallala Motorsport Park. Despite the seven-week gap between rounds, Winslow showed that he had lost none of his winning form as he vaulted from fourth on the grid to claim victory in race one, taking temporary possession on the championship lead in the process. Unfortunately, a first lap incident in race two, in which the 2006 Asian F3 champion was the innocent victim, prevented a repeat performance, but sixth place still left Winslow within touching distance of the points lead.

For the first time in the 2007 season, both of Conquest Racing's Atlantic Team drivers finished in the top ten with Giacomo Ricci (#18 Banca Italease / Lotto / Global / Mazda-Cosworth) in sixth and Matt Lee (#44 Integrated Solutions / Mazda - Cosworth) in tenth place. Unfortunately, Ricci had originally been running for a third place podium finish when he suffered from a fuel pick-up problem just a few laps from the checkered flag and was dropped back to sixth place. Matt Lee, who was only able to participate in qualifying on Saturday, began the race in twelfth place but through a strong standing start and yellow flag restart, was able to climb into the top ten and hold onto his position.

The 2007 Formula BMW USA Championship enters the second half of the season at Lime Rock Park, in Lakeville, Conn., on July 6-7. .read more

As the FIA World Touring Car Championship reaches the half-way mark, the BMW national teams are preparing for the "Circuito da Boavista" in Porto (PRT) this weekend. Set on the Atlantic coast, this street circuit is 4.720 kilometres in length and promises some spectacular race action, even though opportunities to overtake are few and far between.

03-07-07

The Volkswagen Racing Cup in association with Hankook enters the second half of its season at Brands Hatch next week (14/15 July) - and the pace is definitely hotting up in the chase for championship honours..

IndyCar Series point leader Dario Franchitti stretched his lead to 61 points with a dominating victory in the SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM at the Richmond International Raceway. Franchitti, who started the No. 27 Canadian Club Dallara/Honda/Firestone from pole position, won for the second time in six days and the third time this season. He beat Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon to the line by 0.4194 of a second and led a series-record 242 laps (of the race's 250). Andretti Green Racing drivers swept the short tracks this season, with Franchitti also winning at Iowa Speedway and Tony Kanaan at The Milwaukee Mile. Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dan Wheldon finished third, with Kanaan fourth. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Buddy Rice advanced seven positions to finish fifth, his second consecutive top five. Danica Patrick, the third Andretti Green driver was sixth, followed by Vision Racing's Tomas Scheckter and Rahal Letterman Racing's Scott Sharp. Delphi Panther Racing's Vitor Meira, who was driving an untested backup car because of a practice crash a day earlier, started and finished ninth. Vision Racing's Ed Carpenter was 10th.

Robert Doornbos, Minardi Team USA, battled the weather as well as open wheel's best drivers to claim his first career Champ Car victory at Mont-Tremblant in Canada…

The fourth round of the 2007 South African National Formula Vee Championship, saw Alan Holm (Lasersprint Rhema 2) beaten for the first time this year, after Peter Hills (Vacuform Rhema 2) picked up his first win of the year, in the second heat, at the Zwartkops World of Motoring 

Macanese racing star Rodolfo Avila will make his racing debut in Portugal as International Formula Master (IFM) head for the streets of Porto. And it will also bring motor racing back to the city of Porto, nearly half-a-century after Formula 1 raced on the Boavista street circuit in 1958 and 1960. This race has a special meaning for the Macanese driver as he born in Lisbon, Portugal. Rodolfo Avila started his racing career in Macau, in 2002 but he never had a chance to race in Portugal: "I can't wait! This is one of the most interesting races of the whole year because the circuit is so unusual and no one knows it. In other hand I'm very happy to have the opportunity to race at Portugal. Macau is my home race but Porto will be my second home race. I don't feel any pressure as I know I'll have my family there to support me", held the driver sponsored by Macau Government, Macau-slot.com, BNU, CESLAsia, PAL AsiaConsult, TsingTao, Fat Siu Lau Restaurant, Sujika Crafts and PT Asia. IFM's third race weekend will take place in the second-largest city of Portugal on 6 and 7 July.

After staying on at Monza for a Pirelli tyre test, the Scuderia Ecosse team now heads north to Oschersleben, a few miles south-west of Magdeburg in Germany. Round five of the 2007 FIA GT Championship sees Jarek Janis rejoining the team to partner Tim Mullen in Ferrari no.62. Chris Niarchos, who made his FIA GT Qualifying debut at Monza, will again be racing Ferrari no.63 with Andrew Kirkaldy. Oschersleben was the scene of Scuderia Ecosse's first-ever FIA GT victory in 2006. Andrew Kirkaldy and Nathan Kinch put in a dominant performance, winning the race despite being saddled with a "10-places back on the grid" penalty from the previous race. Chris Niarchos and Tim Mullen joined them on the podium with a strong third-place finish

2005 Skip Barber Scholarship winner, Chris Wehrheim of Norcross, GA, made his return to the Skip Barber National Championship for rounds five and six on the calendar held at the Grand Prix of Cleveland. It has been over a year since being in a Skip Barber National car and six months in any racecar. The last time Chris raced was at the opening round of the Koni Challenge Series where he competed in a front wheel drive Chevy Cobalt. .

Round Six of the 2007 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, held on Sundayl 22 June at the Burke Lakefront Airport circuit in Cleveland, Ohio, was won by Jonathan Goring of the #14 Andersen Racing/Skip Barber Racing Mazda.

02-07-07

Spectacular saloon car racing will thrill the crowds at this year’s Silverstone Classic, in association with Bonhams, on July 27-29 - just as it did at the big meetings of the past.

Alexander Rossi announced today that he will join Team Apex Racing for the latter half of the 2007 Formula BMWUSA championship. Rossi had driven with the Hearn Motorsports outfit in the opening six rounds of the series, tasting success with a podium finish and setting a new track record at Miller Motorsports Park . He currently lays third in the championship points standings. “Basically a seat became available at Apex, and at the same time Richie [Hearn] was approached to run a new driver in the series.” Said Team Rossi Motorsports principle, Pieter Rossi. “Everything seemed to fall into place very neatly.” “Everything is amicable.” Explained Hearn Motorsports owner Richie Hearn. “We have to consider our interests further down the line, as does Alexander, and the way opportunities came up, it was best to move on earlier rather than later.”  “I want to thank Richie and everyone at Hearn Motorsports.” Said Alexander Rossi. “With their help I am currently third in the championship, and I now look forward to building on that with Team Apex Racing.” Rossi will begin driving for Team Apex Racing at Lime Rock this weekend. The team’s Managing Director David Hunt said of Rossi joining his squad; “Alexander has shown his ability to contend for wins since the first series test at Road Atlanta.  We have been impressed with Alexander’s performance to date, and feel privileged to play a part in the continued development of this promising young driver." Lime Rock marks rounds seven and eight of the FBMWUSA championship and will be run alongside the ALMS event at the Connecticut track.

There are just 4 days to go before British drivers Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson line up on the famous start grid at Silverstone, and by this time next week the nation will hopefully be celebrating a successful weekend for the British quartet at their home race.  There are still a handful of grandstand tickets available for this weekend’s British Grand Prix – one of the biggest and most eagerly anticipated British Grand Prix in recent years – and Silverstone is expecting  a  near  sell-out  crowd  by  the  weekend..

Yorkshire's James Jakes secured Manor Motorsport's first win of the Formula 3 Euroseries season at Magny-Cours in France today during the eighth round of the 2007 campaign, the victory also marking the 19-year-old's first ever win in single-seaters..

Richard Longdon won the HSCC's Formula Junior race at Brands Hatch in a Lola Mk5, Second was Michael Hibberd in a Lotus 27. Charles Barter won the 70s Roadsports race in his Datsun 240Z, Paul Anderson in a Porsche 928 was second and Adma Bagnall was third in an E-Type.   Nelson Rowe was the winner of the Grandstand Motorsports Historic Formula Ford race in his Crossle 20F. Second, 5 seconds behind was Neil Fowler in a Lola T200.Michael Lyons was a distant third in a Merlyn Mk11A .  Frazer Gibney took his Lotus Elan to victory in the Historic Roadsports just 0.611seconds ahed of the Lotus 7 S2 of Andy Shepherd. Martin Halliday was third in another Lotus 7, 6.7seconds off the winner's time. Richard Styles Ford Mustang was the winner in the ByBox Historic Saloon Car Championship race from Les Ely's BMW 2002. Pete Halford was third in another Mustang

Alastair Chambers and Ian Hall shared the honours at Anglesey in the Ace Vehicles Deliveries Sports Saloons races at the weekend. Chamber's Caterham R400 won on Saturday from Paul Dobson, driving a Mazda RX7, with Hall coming third in his DarrianT98. Chris Allanson was fourth(winner class C) in his Z cars Mini. In Sunday's event Hall came out ahead of Chambers with Dobson third. 

At Oulton park on Saturday(30 June) Daniel Rose beat Nick Sanderson by just 0.4secs in the Dees.co.uk. Ford Fiesta Championship event. Ben Rper was third 4.7 seconds behind the winner. In the Danddautos.co.uk Ford XR Challenge race Mark Robinson came out on top in his XR2 ahead of Chris Jones XR3i with 1.325 secs to spare. Chris Ball was in third in an other XR2.

Tim Lewis won the Alfashop Alfa Romeo race in a Alfasud at Oulton Park on Saturday with ease, crossing the line over 17 seconds ahead of second placed Neil Smith's 156. Third, a long way behind the leader(29 seconds) in a Alfa 33 was Chris Snowdon. In  the Carphone Warehouse Networks Club Formula Ford races Mark Chadwick won the Class A & B event in a Van Dieman RF04, 2.268 secs up on Gary Jones's Van Dieman RF91  in second. Third , a further 4 seconds back was Chris Chisnall in another Van Dieman. In the Class B to E race Andrew Xavier was the winner in his Van Dieman XRT87, 12 seconds ahead of second placed David Bailey's Reynard 89FF. John Loebell was third in a Van Dieman RF89. Scott Lowther won the Mill St Motors Ford Saloon race in an Escort Cosworth. Second was Craig Rainer in an Escort Mk2 and third Oliver Allen in a Fiesta..

Four rounds - four different winners: Chris Walne yesterday (Sunday) took top honours at Mallory Park in the Circuit Driver Caterham Academy to maintain the closely fought battle at the top of the Group 1 drivers championship. Meanwhile in Group 2, JJ O'Malley regained winning ways to take his third event victory of the season...r

The battle for the 51st Australian F3 Drivers Championship has reached new levels of intensity following this weekend’s fourth championship round, at Mallala raceway in South Australia..

LEWIS HAMILTON’s record breaking start to this year’s FORMULA 1™  World Championship  has  resulted  in  the  2007  British  Grand  Prix  (6  –  8  July) becoming one of the most eagerly anticipated sporting events of the year...

French rookie Franck Perera (#11 CJ Motorsport) kept his streak of top-five finishes in the Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda alive in a big way by taking his first career victory in the Champ Car Mont-Tremblant

Fleetcare TanderSport continues to climb closer to the front of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship standings after Leanne Tander raced to an aggressive race one podium finish in round four, yesterday.

01-07-07

ULTIMATE MOTORSPORT and Mygale had a stunning finish in the Euroseries F3 race at Magny Cours this weekend where they finished an excellent fifth

Freddy Nordstrom  continued to put in fine performances as he raced to two podium finishes in the latest rounds of the SEAT Cupra Championship held at Oulton Park, Cheshire

Croydon’s Bradley Ellis stunned the FIA GT3 European Championship grid by clinching second and even leading his first ever FIA GT3 race, in round five of the series at Monza, Italy, on Sunday 24 June. 

Bratt and Matcalfe took a win each in Formula Renault at Oulton Park..

Stefan Hodgetts  clinched his fourth successive ELF Renault Clio Cup victory with a lights-to-flag win in round five at Oulton Park Island circuit on Sunday, 24^th June. The Momo UK ace beat Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford  into second place with Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Ed Pead  in third. 

The returning Tom Boardman (Triple R/Special Tuning) in the New Leon Cupra class and Andy Neate (CMS Motorsport) in a Leon Cupra R looked to set the cat amongst the pigeons after qualifying in pole position in their respective classes for Round 9. But their perfect return to the 2007 Blaupunkt SEAT Cupra Championship wasn’t to be as fellow veterans Alan Blencowe (Triple R), Jonathan Adam (Total Control Racing), Ian Churchill (Churchill Motorsport) and Adrian Churchill (Churchill Motorsport) overcame the weather difficulties to all score race wins at Oulton Park.

Juno Racing put on a winning display for the first VdeV-UK race at Brands Hatch..

As the Formula One World Championship returns to Europe for the French Grand Prix this coming weekend (29 June – 1 July), Bridgestone’s e-reporter initiative for talented, young, pan-European journalists will be making a come back following a five week break in the GP2 Series calendar.

Experienced single-seater racer David Epton  today entered into a deal with reigning Porsche Carrera Cup GB champions Team Parker Racing for the remainder of the 2007 season, the agreement marking a full-time switch for the 26-year-old into saloon and sportscar racing..

Jonathan Goring, the 2006 Skip Barber National Champion, secured his first race win in Star Mazda. Goring won the 2006 National Championship and the $100,000 prize fund, which allowed him to step up to Star Mazda this year, after graduating into single-seaters on the back of prize money won in the 2006 Skip Barber Scholarship Shoot-out. Goring now lies 2nd in the Star Mazda Championship and has his sights set firmly on the title and the coveted 2008 Champ Car Atlantic drive.

Rounds five and six of the Formula 3 Euroseries at the Norisring over the weekend, 23rd/24th June, proved to be less than straight-forward for Manor Motorsport but the British team has taken many positives from the third event of the season after some sparkling performances from the squad's four drivers..

Rounds 5 and 6 of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda was in  Cleveland last weekend..

Britain's hottest new female karting prospect Jessica Hawkins enjoyed her best national level results to date in the latest round of the 2007 Dunlop Honda Cadet British Championship at Rowrah in Cumbria on 19th/20th May, the youngster capping an excellent outing by claiming her first race win of the campaign at the mid-season point..

In Round 5 of the Champ Car World Series, Paul Tracy  took a thrilling win and some much needed points to climb into the top 10 in the championship standings.

The buzz of the formula one paddock at Silverstone will be experienced by five F1 fans, all of whom are living with serious illness, at the British Grand Prix on Saturday July 7.

Halfway through the 30 race Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi are tied for the lead in the Drivers’ standings.

Promising ELF Renault Clio Cup rookie Andrew Herron concluded the fifth round of the season at Oulton Park Island Circuit today, Sunday, 24th June, feeling short-changed after seeing his weekend's action reduced to a total of just eight racing laps due to the intervention of the Safety Car in both of his outings.

The 2007 Motorsport News Caterham Roadsport Challenge welcomed three new race winners at Castle Combe last weekend, with Dave Pearce and 18-year-old James Davis claiming the honours in the Roadsport class and Simon Turner breaking his duck in the Roadsport B division. Early points leader Andrew Thomas took the other Roadsport B race win to renew his title challenge

3 times World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart teamed up with US legend Al Unser Snr, as part of the star studded Lola line-up at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

ULTIMATE MOTORSPORT achieved another milestone in their short history when they took their first ever double points finish in a British F3 race last weekend at Monza.

Erkut Kizilirmak equalled his best ever Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race result at Oulton Park Island Circuit today, Sunday, 24th June, during his maiden appearance at the challenging 2.2-mile Cheshire venue

Now that’s entertainment! Few sporting occasions match the intensity, glamour and drama of the FORMULA 1™ Santander British Grand Prix,  on  6-8  July,  and  whether  a  wide  eyed  first  timer  or  seasoned  veteran,  the  ‘live’  on-event experience  is breathtaking.

Jeremy Metcalfe re-ignited his Formula Renault UK season at Oulton Park Island Circuit this afternoon with a superbly judged victory during the 10th round of the championship, an excellent drive from second on the grid netting the 19-year-old his second win and third podium finish of 2007...

Apotex Scorpio Motorsport sensation Will Bratt continued his seemingly relentless march towards the Formula Renault UK Championship top three at Oulton Park today, Sunday, 24th June, with a hard-fought sixth place finish during the 10th round of the season..