The Grid

Driving the #2 John Walko Racing Pro Formula Mazda, Mike Hill, swept the opening weekend doubleheader at Buttonwillow Raceway Park for the 2007-2008 Formula Mazda Challenge Winter Series presented by Standing Start on November 17 and 18

The Awards dinner was a fitting finale to a hugely successful 2007 season the Porsche Club Great Britain's two race series - the Apex Tubulars-sponsored Porsche Open and Porsche Club Championship…read more

Red Bull racer Jaime Alguersuari will join Carlin Motorsport for the 2008 British F3 International Series. The 17 year-old Spaniard, who competed in Formula Renault Eurocup this season, will join fellow Red Bull racer Brendon Hartley and Oliver Turvey at the championship winning British team. Alguersuari finished fifth in the Formula Renault Eurocup this year and he won 3 races in Formula Renault Italy where he finished runner-up in the championship. He won the Formula Renault Italy Winter Series in 2006 as well. Following two years in Formula Renault, Alguersuari will now take the step up to British F3. Speaking about his challenge, Alguersuari said, "I have chosen the British F3 Championship as a natural step in my professional career having succeeded in my two-year programme of Formula Renault 2.0. British F3 will allow me to grow-up as a racing driver and as a person, learn some new circuits and compete in some other top venues in a prestigious championship. I'm proud to be part of a top team like Carlin Motorsport and I know they will give me the best possible car. I would like to pay them back with some good results although I know I'm just a newcomer!" Team Principal Trevor Carlin commented, "Jaime is a very welcome addition to the team. Although still very young, Jaime has shown great potential and I'm confident that he will be an asset to Carlin in 2008. The F3 machine is quite a different beast to the Formula Renault car and we will be putting together a comprehensive test programme for Jaime over the winter to prepare him for the season ahead."

A host of new drivers joined familiar Formula Master faces for day one of an official two-day test in Valencia, Spain today with Luca Persiani driving for Scuderia Famà toping the timesheets….read more

Tom Onslow-Cole has been confirmed for the Johnny Herbert Karting Challenge which takes place at The Raceway, Kings Cross in Central London on Sunday (November 25th). The 2006 Elf Renault Clio Cup Champion and 2007 BTCC race winner will join a whole host of top names from motorsport in the fun charity event from which all proceeds will go to the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance. Other drivers joining in are of course Johnny Herbert, ITV’s F1 and BTCC reporter Ted Kravitz, 2006 Super 1 ICA British Kart Champion and FBMW Scholarship winner Ollie Millroy, Sportscar driver Johnny Mowlem, FRenault Champion and McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver finalist Duncan Tappy, Le Mans winner David Brabham, Chevrolet’s multiple WTCC race winner Rob Huff and 2007 Avon Tyres British GT Champion Bradley Ellis. Qualifying takes place at 11.15 with a celebrity shoot-out at 12.15 with the 3 hour endurance race starting at 1300

Australian Formula Ford driver Tobia Kipper took some vital points in the most recent races at Symonds Plains in round 7 of the championship. Kipper now lies ninth having closed the gap in the Championship to eighth placed Taz Douglas.

Jonathan Summerton will drive for A1 TEAM USA this weekend (Nov. 23-25) in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport event at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Summerton holds the distinction of being the youngest driver to stand on the podium in A1GP's two-plus seasons. Summerton was 18 when he finished second in the Feature race at Mexico City in 2007. After starting the 2006-07 season in the all-rookie practices, Summerton drove A1 TEAM USA's Lola-Zytek for the final four events and scored 18 points. He was sixth in the Feature at Brands Hatch, England, and fifth in the Sprints at Mexico City and Shanghai. ."I can't wait to get back in the 'We the People' car," Summerton said. "I have been training for the past month to be ready for my race seat. I know I will be a bit rusty in the first practice session but hopefully by qualifying I will be able to be in the top 10 and then for the races be in the top five. I am looking forward to racing on another F1 track." Sepang is the third event of the A1GP season. Buddy Rice, of Phoenix, Ariz., drove for A1 TEAM USA in the previous two.

Arturo Gonzales will drive for Aran Racing in the 2007/08 Asian F3 series which gets underway this weekend in Sepang as support to A1GP. The 19 year old Mexican will drive one of the teams Dallara F304 Toms Toyota cars. Gonzales, who this year finished third in Latin American Formula Renault, has already tested from the team in Zhuhai earlier this month. Aran Racing team principal, Noel Thompson said "We are delighted to have Arturo on board and we expect him to be challenging for wins when the season starts in Sepang".

Ash Walsh has declared that the Australian Formula Ford Championship is far from over after the penultimate round at Tasmania this weekend

Dunlop and the British Automobile Racing Club have announced the dates for the 2008 Great and British Motorsport meetings. Rockingham will host its first Festival, and Castle Combe returns to the calendar.

Brendon Hartley made a good impression in the Macau Grand Prix as the youngest-ever competitor in the 25-year-history of the race at just 18 years and 6 days old. Hartley showed pace and maturity at one of the toughest races of the F3 season…

A1 Team Great Britain’s Oliver Jarvis warmed up in style for this weekend’s A1GP Sepang, Malaysia, by dominating the Macau Formula Three Grand Prix. Jarvis, competing with his Japanese F3 team TOM’S, dominated the qualification race, and led every lap of the main race. The 23–year-old will now fly to Sepang, Malaysia in perfect form to race for Great Britain as it attempts to gain the championship lead from New Zealand. There were a number drivers with A1GP experience also in the rest, including Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi, who finished 11th, and Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, who finished a lap down in 23rd.

Andy Priaulx of BMW Team UK claimed his third consecutive drivers' title in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. At Macau's "Guia Circuit", he secured a perfect starting position by finishing eighth in the first race. In race two, he converted pole position into a dominant victory. Having 92 points under his belt, Priaulx relegated Yvan Muller (FRA/SEAT) to second place in the overall classification. In the Manufacturers' Championship, BMW also managed to score the "hat-trick" of world titles. Over the past 22 races, the brand accumulated a total of 255 points. Privateer Stefano d'Aste (ITA) of the Wiechers-Sport team won the Independents' Trophy, thus making it a "clean sweep" for BMW in the 2007 WTCC.

Sunoco Team Ultra 94's Vincec scores second podium. Mike Vincec and Gianmarco Raimondo have completed their first weekend of racing in the Skip Barber Southern Region Championship, which was held at Road Atlanta. On Sunday morning, both Vincec and Raimondo started the second race where they finished in the first race. Vincec would line up third, while Raimondo would start from the 15th spot. Vincec once again battled with second place for the entire distance. He scored his second podium of the weekend, finishing third. "The more time we get in race conditions, the better the feel for the car," Vincec said. "I am really looking forward to Sebring next month. I have done some testing there and know the track which can only help in trying to get to the top step of the podium." Raimondo had a difficult second race, having moved up on the first lap, but had contact with another driver that sent him to pit lane for a mandatory inspection. Raimondo rejoined and finished 14th in race two. Next up for the Sunoco Team Ultra 94 drivers will be rounds three and four at Sebring Florida on Dec 15-16

On Friday night in Homestead, Miami, Jacques Villeneuve showed that he will be a serious contender in NASCAR’s `Sprint Cup' series in 2008, leading the `Ford 200' Craftsman Truck race for 9 laps at half distance. It was his battle with front runner, Kyle Busch who came to Homestead having won the last three truck races that had NASCAR’s experts singing Villeneuve's praises though. Qualifing 3rd, Villeneuve made a small mistake at the start he slipped back to 15th place as he crossed the finish line at the end of the first lap. Struggling with a loose car, quick-thinking by his pit-crew saw the rookie Canadian pit for chassis changes, fuel and tyres as early as the 14 lap, rejoining in 28th. On lap 63, after the other trucks pitted, Villeneuve's blue UNICEF Tundra was leading, with Kyle Busch trying every way he could to force his way past. Villeneuve however remained composed, and stayed in front until the 72 lap when he pitted along with the rest of the field and rejoined the race in 5 place. On the lap 80, the race was back to full speed and running 5th Villeneuve got high on the banking, got into some disturbed air with the 21 truck of Jon Wood, and spun-out into the perimeter wall, suffering sufficient damage to bring his race to an abrupt end. Back in the garage area, a disappointed Villeneuve was glad to have had the opportunity to run up-front, saying, "A disappointing end to a great race. The truck started loose, but the guys did a great job at the first stop, and we were strong. Running at the front was good, and no more difficult than running in 20th, so I'm glad to have done that before moving on to next season. Busch gave me the chance to learn a bit more. We could have finished strongly, but it wasn't to be this week." Johnny Benson won the race while veteran Ron Hornaday won his third driver's championship.

Trackspeed Racing tied up the FIA GT3’s Porsche Manufacturer’s Cup at the final round in Dubai, where they rounded off the season in style with two Porsche class wins. ...read more

Angad Paul throws down the gauntlet as Caparo’s T1 smashes BBC Top Gear’s lap record...read more

Andy Priaulx clinched his third consecutive FIA World Touring Car Championship title in great style with victory in the second race at Macau on Sunday. Alain Menu on the opening race for Chevrolet.

Will Bratt, third placed finisher in this year's Formula Renault UK Championship, joined the cream of national motor racing talent in London on Saturday evening, 17th November, as part of the British Touring Car Championship's 2007, ˜TOCA Night of Champions'. The 19-year-old BRDC Rising Star, who is set to graduate up the single-seater ladder in 2008, received his third-placed trophy from the Chief Executive of the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC), Dennis Carter(pictued right), at the star-studded ceremony, a suitably prestigious end to what has been an outstanding season for the Banbury racer. Formula Renault UK, of course, is a key support category on the BTCC package and this year Will performed brilliantly in the ultra-competitive series at the wheel of his Apotex Scorpio Motorsport-run car to secure four race victories, three other podiums and three pole positions on his way to third place in the championship. Joined at Park Lane's InterContinental Hotel on Saturday evening by his parents Rowland and Diane, team boss of the Apotex Scorpio Motorsport squad Jon Pettitt and Apotex UK's Colin Darroch, Will had a thoroughly enjoyable time.He commented: "It was a really good evening, everybody had a great time and we're delighted Jon and Colin were able to join us. We're all very proud of our achievements this year in Formula Renault UK but now we're looking ahead to 2008 as we start to make plans for our next step on the single-seater ladder. "

Sunoco's Team Ultra 94 have a good first day at Road Atlanta. Podium for Vincec in first Skip Barber race. Mike Vincec and Gianmarco Raimondo have completed their first day of racing in the Skip Barber Southern Region Championship. With nearly 60 drivers in total, the top 16 in qualifying made the 'Championship Group' both Vincec and Raimondo made the top 16. Vincec qualified a solid second, while Raimondo was ninth. Both drivers were happy with their performance, as was Ron Fellows, who is there supervising the team. "Both drivers did a fantastic job to make it to the fast group," Fellows said. In the first of two races, race two was run on Sunday, Vincec was in a race long battle for second and third. Vincec came home in third a podium in his first race. Raimondo, from ninth on the grid had a little more work to do. He moved up in the first half of the race before having a half spin in turn one that send him down the order. Raimondo rebounded to finish 15th. "This is a very competitive series, with very competitive racing," Fellows said. "Both drivers are making progress each time out, and Road Atlanta is a very demanding track. Mike and Gianmarco continue to improve, and at a track like Road Atlanta, just getting on the gas a split second sooner will really make the lap times drop. Overall, I am very happy with both their performances today and I am looking forward to race two tomorrow."

Callum Holland took the 1st step to evaluating his options at the Lausitz Eurospeedway in Germany earlier this month with a test in the Leipert Motorsport run Formula F3 car with a view to competing in the highly competative ATS Formula 3 series. "It was our 1st option and the 1st time in a car in Europe and it looks positive, the team was good, the car was even better, Compared to the Formula BMW it took me no time at all to set the top spot in the session times considering the cold tempratures, part worn tyres and my lack of seat time in single seaters, let alone my Zero knowledge of an F3 car and the Eurospeedway’ said Holland. ‘I love the car, the extra power, brakes and the aero made it so much more of a race car, it just suits me more, I just found it natrual to drive, I was expecting to take all day to get used to it but within 6 laps it was just another race car that I needed to dial my style into, and do my job for the team. I hope I have impressed them as much I was impressed with them and the car’ Even though Callum suffered a mild electrical problem in the morning costing him well over 25 laps on track experience compared to the the other 3 more experienced drivers, he ended up the day quickest overall. Again showing his Championship potential in the correct car and team.

Matt Kenseth won the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the final race in the NASCAR Nextel Cup. Driving a DeWalt sponsored Ford, Kenseth led 214 of the 267 lap race to take his second win of the year. However although Kenseth won this battle it was Jimmie Johnson who won the war with his second consecutive championship. Johnson only needed to finish 18th or better to win the title so his seventh-place was more than enough. Johnson finished 77 points ahead of his teammate Jeff Gordon, who was fourth. "It was really an amazing year for me," Gordon said afterward. "We put together one heckuva year. I really wanted it for our team, but I'm very happy for Jimmie and those guys. They worked very hard and they did a good job." Champion Johnson said "It is such an honour to drive this car, and it is a dream come true to win two championships," Johnson stated. "We've been fighting hard while we have been fun doing it. This is a special time for me and I have been so blessed with my career. This is an awesome occasion." Johnon and the Hendrick Motorsports team get a cheque for $6,740,800 from Nextel for winning the championship. Kurt Busch was second in his Miller Lite Dodge with Denny Hamlin third place in his FedEx Express Chevvy.

Oliver Jarvis dominated the Polytec Macau Formula Three Grand Prix today(Sunday) – leading every lap and keeping his cool during a safety car period to take victory in the Silver Jubilee Event. Afterwards, the Briton was in no doubt about how special the result was for him. “It is the biggest race win of my career,” he said. “I’ve won some big races and also the McLaren/Autosport Award, but this tops them all I think.” Jarvis made a perfect getaway from pole position to lead into Lisboa Bend and, despite nearly hitting the wall at the first corner, he instantly opened up an advantage to control things from the front. Fellow front row starter Marko Asmer had managed to draw alongside Jarvis’s TOM’S car away from the line, but he lost ground on the straight and dropped behind Kazuya Oshima and then also Sam Bird on the run down to the first turn. Asmer managed to recover third position at the start of lap two when he slipstreamed Sam Bird down the main straight and moved ahead under braking for Lisboa. He then started closing in on second placed Oshima, before a safety car was called out on lap seven when Frenchman Frank Mailleux crashed heavily at Moorish Hill. Jarvis timed the restart on lap 11 perfectly, opening up a one-second lead over Oshima, while behind him Asmer lost third place to Kodai Tsukakoshi on the run down to Mandarin Bend. Tsukakoshi got another position on the run to Lisboa on lap 13 when he went around the outside of Oshima – but he did not have enough speed to do anything about Jarvis. Oshima finished third, with Asmer taking fourth place. Brazilian Roberto Streit was fifth, with Sam Bird sixth, James Jakes seventh and Romain Grosjean recovering from his dramas in race one to claim eighth at the flag.

Hitech Racing came home as leading British F3 team with fourth place in today’s Polytec Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau. Estonian Marko Asmer had consistently been the quickest of the Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series runners over the course of the weekend, the 2007 champion just unable to add the coveted Macau crown to his already impressive record. .

Macau rookie Sam bird finished sixth for Carlin Motorsport today in a thrilling Macau Grand Prix. The 20 year-old British driver challenged the front runners at the start and finished the weekend top rookie. Team mate Brendon Hartley had a strong showing in only his second F3 event to finish 12th. Niall Breen failed to finish following a first lap incident while Carlin's Macau racer Lei Kit Meng came home 21st.

In the Macau Grand Prix, James Jakes of Manor Motorsport was the best-placed Formula 3 Euro Series driver. The Briton finished seventh one place ahead of Euro Sereis Champion Romain Grosjean.

CAMS Rising Star Kristian Lindbom secured a race victory in this morning's second race of round seven of the Australian Formula Ford Championship, and followed up with third place in race three to secure his first round win of the season and third spot on the Championship points table.

Japanese Formula 3 driver Kodai Tsukakoshi came within 1.7 seconds of victory for Manor Motorsport in the 54th staging of the annual Polytec Macau F3 Grand Prix race earlier today, Sunday, 18th November; a scintillating drive through the order from ninth on the grid securing the Honda-backed racer a richly deserved runner-up placing..

11 teams have already signalled their intent to compete in the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup just one week after the end of 2007…read more

The Volkswagen Racing Cup

is set to expand to 14 rounds next season for the first time in its history. The 2008 provisional calendar - announced today - features seven double-header meetings spanning the top circuits in England. ..Read more

Fastest qualifier for tomorrow’s 15 lap qualifying race for the 54th Polytec Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix was Briton’s Oliver Jarvis (Reckless TOM’s, 2.11.696 min.) with Estonian Marko Asmer (Hitech Racing, 2.11.888 min.) second and Japanese Kodai Tsukakoshi (Manor Motorsport, 2.11.912 min.) third

Hitech Racing started its bid for Macau Grand Prix victory in the best possible way today with Marko Asmer taking a front row spot ahead of this weekend’s event despite a brush with the wall in the crucial qualifying session

Pre-registration for the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship is now open with 10 teams taking the early opportunity to register their interest in the entry-level single-seater category…read more

Reigning champion Fortec Motorsport is set to defend its drivers and Entrants titles with a four-car line-up in the 2008 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship. The Daventry-based team, which has won both drivers and entrants titles in the last two seasons, has pre-registered four cars for next season….read more

CAMS Rising Star Kristian Lindbom set fastest times in each of today's(Friday) Formula Ford Championship practice sessions at a Symmons Plains circuit bathed in sunshine in Launceston.

Barwell Motorsport have announced that they plan to enter both the American Le Mans Series(ALMS) and the European-based Le Mans Series(LMS) in 2008. The British team is currently looking into it options where cars are concerned, but it is likely to run a Prodrive-developed Aston Martin V8 Vantage for the GT2 class. The team ran DBRS9s in the British GT Championship in 2007 winning the Team Championship with 5 wins in GT3.

Track action for the final event of the 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship in Macau has been postponed by one day due to logistical issues that resulted in a delayed delivery of spare parts to some of the teams. The FIA Stewards decided to move the event back by 24 hours to a new start time of 4.15 pm local time today(Friday) with a 30-minute. Action will continue on Saturday morning with two 30-minute free practice sessions at 7.00 am and noon. Qualifying (aired LIVE on Eurosport International) will last 45 mins instead of the usual 30. Sunday’s timetable remains unchanged, with the warm up at 8.00 am and the two races starting at noon and 1.20 pm.

A1 Team Canada is pleased to confirm that Robert Wickens will make his race debut in Round 3 of the 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, hosted at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit, Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th November. The 18-year-old rookie will become just the fourth driver in the history of A1GP to race for Canada, Wickens following in the footsteps of Quebec's Patrick Carpentier, British Columbia's Sean McIntosh - to-date the only Canadian to have graced the top-step of an A1GP podium, and current team-mate and fellow Toronto-native James Hinchcliffe.

Homestead-Miami Speedway--home to the final races of the 36-week NASCAR campaign--will construct a new state-of-the-art press facility in time for the November 2008 season-finale, Speedway President Curtis Gray announced today. "With the continued evolution of NASCAR’s Ford Championship Weekend into one of the highest-profile entertainment events anywhere in sports, we're eager to provide the press corps with these upscale amenities," said Gray. "As host to the championship finales, Homestead-Miami Speedway is thrilled to provide our NASCAR media partners with a facility that will be second-to-none on the circuit."

German Formula 3 runner-up 2007 Frédéric Vervisch will participate in the first round of the new Asian Formula 3 Championship on the Sepang International Circuit at the end of november. Vervisch reached an agreement with last seasons’ team champion Team Goddard. Frédéric Vervisch: “We want to be well-prepared at the start of the new season. That’s why we chose to go to Asia this winter, in order to compete in the Formula 3 Championship over there. That way, we can get a lot of valuable mileage at a cheap price. Of course, I’ve never been to Asia. So I don’t know the circuits. I will have to rely on the experience of the team. On the other hand, I’m convinced that I will be at the front of the field, considering the knowledge I gained in this years’ German Formula 3 Championship. The Sepang track is very beautiful and presents an interesting challenge for all drivers. We will already be testing this Sunday to get a feeling for the car and the track. In doing so, we know exactly where we are at the moment. “During my Asian adventure, I will be encouraged by the prize the champion receives at the end of the season; a test with the new Force India Formula 1 team.” The first race weekend of the Asian Formula Three 2007-08 takes place on November 24 and 25 in Sepang, in course of the A1 Grand Prix of Malaysia.

As one of Australia’s top racing drivers, F3 Star Leanne Tander spent last weekend using her driving talent for different reasons, donating her time to chauffeur two disadvantaged kids around Melbourne as part of the ‘Kidsflix’ charity initiative. Kidsflix is an initiative enabling all children with disabilities (including juvenile arthritis and children with incontinence issues) plus children and young people living in disadvantaged situations to have an ‘out of the ordinary day’ with their family. The kids get to experience a full movie experience; including popcorn, drinks and glitzy pre-movie entertainment with their sisters, brothers and parents / carers. Over 25,000 special-needs children and their families attend Kidsflix events Australia wide each year. Tander teamed up with McLeod’s Daughters TV Star Luke Jacobz to drive 9-year old Patrick and 12-year old Davey to the cinema in her Holden Special Vehicles GTS. After being driven about town by Tander and Jacobz, both kids had the opportunity to pour over the HSV and have autographs signed by the two celebrities.

Ultimate Motorsport's

new collaboration with the Signatuer Team for 2008 will see the British Team's Argentine driver Esteban Guerrieri race for the French outfit in the Macau Grand Prix this weekend…read more

Walker Racing is pleased to announce that it has completed its driver line up adding Leo and Greg Mansell to its line-up for 2008 Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda…more

Drivers from the Polytec Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix, the FIA World Touring Car Championship – Guia Race of Macau – Presented by Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A., and riders from the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 41st Edition, took part in the annual Macau Grand Prix photo opportunity event at the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf Boulevard this afternoon. Competing in what was initially an elimination competition soon became a time trial for the fastest team on a local Macanese pedicab. Taking part from the touring car camp was two-time Champion Andy Priaulx teamed up with Gabriele Tarquini and Alain Menu to relay with fellow drivers Augusto Farfus, Macau veteran Tom Coronel and Nicola Larini. From the Formula 3 camp was Bruno Senna, Marko Asmer and Kazuya Oshima on the first relay, team with Rodolfo Avila, Brendon Hartley and Nicolas Hulkenberg on the second relay. Rounding out the event entry was six-time Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix winner Michael Rutter, with fellow riders Les Shand and 2003 winner John McGuinness. The second team consisted of Conor Cummins, Joao Fernandes and Supersport class racer Cameron Donald. It was the touring car driver’s team of Yvan Muller, Gabriele Tarquini and Robert Huff who proved too strong for their competition as they won the time trial, completing the 200-meter course in 1 minute and 13 seconds. The Formula 3 team consisting of Romain Grosjean, Oliver Jarvis and Yelmer Buurman came in second with a time of 1 minute and 22 seconds, and the motorcycle team of John Haner, Jeremy Toye and Mark Miller finished third, clocking in 1 minute and 24 seconds.

A1 Team India driver Narain Karthikeyan is targeting a marked improvement in performance in his ‘home race’ in Malaysia – with qualifying being the main focus. Having topped the times in the final pre-season test at Silverstone in September, India has underperformed in the first two meetings of the season. It has taken just three points from the four races and currently lies 12th in the standings. However, the team is unconcerned about its pace on race day, having recorded the second fastest race laps in both the Sprint and Feature race in Brno. With Indian fans likely to turn out in force in Sepang next weekend, Karthikeyan believes that qualifying is where the team’s main effort has to be, in order to be in a better position to score a race victory come Sunday. ‘Our performance so far this season has not been as we expected, especially since we were very quick in the pre-season tests,’ Karthikeyan admitted. ‘Our biggest problem has been that we’ve struggled to find a really good qualifying setup. Our race pace has been very good. So, we really need to work hard on finding the sweet-spot in qualifying.’

For the 54th Macau Grand Prix, Prema Powerteam will go on track with Renger Van der Zande, the Dutch driver who took part with Prema in the Formula 3 Euro Series Championship, and Roberto Streit, who last year made his debut at Macau with Prema….read more

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca saw Star Mazda West Coast Series Champions crowned on back-to-back weekends with Vancouver, British Columbia resident Chris Cumming capturing the Pro Formula Mazda title during the American Le Mans Series race weekend, while Fresno, California native Bill Weaver locked up the Standard Formula Mazda crown at the San Francisco Region SCCA Double Points finale.

Following the tragic death of Colin McRae in September, The Race of Champions can today announce that his brother, Alister, will take his place in the December event to honour the 1995 World Rally Champion. Colin was one of the first to sign up for The Race of Champions 2007, which will see the world’s greatest drivers compete head-to-head in a “champion of champions” decider at London’s Wembley Stadium. One of the most regular ROC drivers, Colin was a firm favourite with the crowd thanks to his spectacular driving style, making him a very popular winner in 1998. Now Alister hopes to rekindle those memories when he gets behind the wheel in front of the expected 80,000 sell-out crowd.

McLaren Autosport BRDC Award Finalist and FFord Festival Winner Nick Tandy experienced the power and grip of F3 machinery last week at Pembrey thanks to former British F3 Champions ADR. The young set about learning his new environment in a cool and professional manner, setting competitive times straight out of the box. Having completed around a hundred laps Nick had continued to improve by lapping consistently in the 49s topping the end of the day off with a 49.5 second lap. This was no mean feat for a man lapping on used rubber as new tyres are worth around three quarters of a second.“We have been very impressed with how Nick has gone about his business today.” commented ADR’s Team Manager BA Mitchell. “To set those kinds of times without new rubber is impressive. What’s more is even at the end he was still getting quicker; with more running and new tyres I think 48s would’ve been on the cards, Nick is a very promising young talent.”

Sunoco Team Ultra 94’s driver, 16 year-old Mike Vincec, is set to compete in the Skip Barber Southern Region race series which starts this week at the Road Atlanta racing circuit. Vincec, a triple-champion in the 2007 Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship is looking forward to competing the full race series which visits some very famous tracks over the winter months."This is a great opportunity for us" said Mike. "The Skip Barber series puts us on track during what would normally be down time. As part of Sunoco Team Ultra 94 and with the support of Ron Fellows, Sunoco and Paul Cooke from ASN Canada, we can get a head start on our racing plans for the 2008 season." With two race weekends on tap before the end of the year, Mike will have plenty of opportunity to acquaint himself with the Formula Skip Barber 2000 race car before racing at some major events in the new year. "We have a few days in the car before the first race" commented Mike. "I have seat time in other formula race cars but each have their own performance and handling characteristics and we will need to adjust for that." Practice for the first round starts on Friday (16th) with qualifying and races on Saturday and Sunday. Updates will be provided o Mike's web site at www.mikevincec.com

Gianmarco Raimondo will debut with Sunoco Team Ultra 94 at the Skip Barber Southern Region series opene this weekend. Gianmarco , or “Gmo” as he is known on the racing circuit, has successfully raced karts for a number of years. Most recently he competed in the high-performance InterContinental C (ICC) shifter karts as a member of the Cameron Motorsports National Team. His performance was rewarded at the end of the 2007 season as a selection to the 2008 edition of Sunoco Team Ultra 94.”It is every racers goal to move up the racing ladder” noted Gianmarco. “To be able to go into a series with full support, and especially with the opportunity to run in what is essentially the off-season is very important when making that move. ”The Skip Barber Regional race series takes place over the winter months at a variety of race tracks giving drivers an extended season and plenty of opportunity to practice race craft on different tracks. “I am looking forward to getting into the Formula Skip Barber 2000 race car later this week” said Gianmarco. “It is a bit smaller than other formula cars I have driven so far this year but with a bit more power and different aerodynamics. It will be a bit of a learning curve on a new track, but that is what makes racing so much fun.”

Last Sunday, Nicolas Prost won the last race of the 2007 Spanish Formula 3 Championship on the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona. He started from pole position and finished more than 4 seconds ahead of his nearest challenger. This year, Nicolas came third in the championship and put in an-end-of-season charge, racking up 5 podium finishes in the last 7 races. In addition, he scored 62 points in the last 4 weekends compared to 33 for the champion…more

The first all LMA Euro’s Awards Evening was held last Saturday. 73 drivers and guests turned up and were treated to a most enjoyable evening…more

The Carlin F3 team are making last minute preparations ahead of the 54th Macau Grand Prix, which will kick off this Thursday. Having won the prestigious event in 2001 with Takuma Sato and finished second in 2005, the Carlin team are well aware of the glory on offer this weekend around the winding streets of Macau

Kimi Raikkonen's management team have signed Stephen Jelley.. Robertson Management are delighted to announce a formal association with promising young driver talent Stephen Jelley. Stephen raced for Raikkonen Robertson Racing this year in the Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series - ending up a promising third in the Championship, scoring two race wins to become the top British driver in the series.Robertson Management will takeover forthwith all commercial guidance relating to Stephen's career after studying his efforts close hand this year at Raikkonen Robertson Racing and believe Stephen has potential to progress further up within the sport.

As Miller Motorsports Park prepares to wave the flag on the 2007 season, preparations are already well underway for 2008. read more

The penultimate round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship will be contested at Tasmania's Symmons Plains this weekend, with the championship well and truly in the balance in a season that has produced some outstanding racing…

Carlin Motorsport will run a driver benefiting from a the new funding scheme ‘the Racing Steps Foundation’, in the British F3 Championship. Set up to help under-funded young British drivers progress, the Racing Steps Foundation (RSF) plans to assist British drivers get to the top level in motorsport..

John Walko Racing has added the 2007-2008 Star Mazda Winter Series presented by Standing Start to their busy calendar. The team will contest all six rounds of the series beginning with two races at Buttonwillow Raceway Park over a double-race weekend from November 16-18. Following Buttonwillow will be double race weekends at both Firebird and Phoenix International Raceway in December and January respectively…

Kieren Clark

had a challenging day at Croft at the weekend in the Formula Renault Winter Series

Reigning A1GP World Cup of Motorsport champion A1 Team Germany will have has Michael Ammermuller at the wheel of it’s car in Malaysia. The 21-year-old will finally get his chance to race for the team at A1GP Sepang, Malaysia on 25 November, having tested for it at Silverstone in the summer of 2006. After that test, Nico Hulkenberg was chosen as the team’s lead driver for 2006/07 and went on to set a record nine victories before helping the team secure the overall title. Ammermuller has never raced at Sepang, so will use Friday’s morning’s rookie sessions to become acquainted with the 3.44-mile circuit.

Kris Loane saw his attempt to win the 2007 Formula Renault UK Winter Championship slip from his grasp at Croft on Saturday(10th Nov), The 19-year-old Manor Competition driver crashed out in the final race after contact with Jon Lancaster as the latter rejoined the track after a spin. read more

Penske Racing has signed Ryan Briscoe for the IndyCar Series beginning in 2008. The 26 year-old will be piloting the #6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda sponsored by Philip Morris USA. Briscoe will replace three-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish Jr. who announced he will drive the Penske Racing Mobil 1 Dodge in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. "I am very excited to race for Team Penske, it's a dream come true," said Briscoe. "I really want to thank Roger and Tim for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. Racing for Penske's ALMS program in 2007 has been a highlight in my career, but open-wheel racing is where my heart lies, and I can't wait to race full time in the IndyCar Series for one of the best teams in open-wheel history."

Kart driver Tom Ingram had a golden opportunity recently when he got behind the wheel of a racing car for the first time. The High Wycombe driver, a regular in BRDC Stars of Tomorrow series, joined several of his fellow karting competitors in trying out a T-car at Rockingham. “It was absolutely excellent,” he enthused, “really good fun, though I was tired by the end of it! I was worried about scraping the wall, but luckily I managed to miss it every time. I think I did alright, but the instructor told me if I had right-foot braked rather than using my left foot – which is what I’m used to in karting – I would have been better still, because I kept having to switch feet. He said my lines and timing getting on the power and the brakes were all good. Most of us were on the brakes, getting the back end out and then pushing it in again. It was very different to what I had expected; I thought I would just stamp on the brakes and they would work immediately because it’s a racing car, but you had to keep braking, braking, braking and eventually you got to the corner. Where I felt like braking was about 100 yards later than where the instructor was telling me to brake, because that’s what I’m used to in a kart. “My dad had always told me cars were nothing like karts, and now I know what he means!”

Liam Kenney concluded his rookie season in the Formula TR Pro Series 2000 Championship with his 12th podium finish of the year claiming second place in Round 20 at California's Buttonwillow Raceway Park on Saturday, 10th November.

BMW has annouced that Andy Priaulx (GBR), Augusto Farfus (BRA), Jorg Muller (GER), Felix Porteiro (ESP) and Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) will all remain with the marque in the 2008 WTCC. "The previous 20 races in the World Touring Car Championship have shown that we are very well equipped with this set of drivers," says BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. "Therefore, we see no reason to change anything for 2008. Ultimately, continuity is an important factor in ensuring successful cooperation between a team and its drivers." The partnership between BMW and Priaulx, who will once again line up for BMW Team UK, will be in its sixth year. The link between BMW Team Germany and Muller is the evergreen relationship within the BMW national teams. Team Manager Charly Lamm (GER) has put his trust in the 38-year-old's abilities since 2002. His team-mate Farfus has won 3 times in his maiden season for Schnitzer Motorsport, and has integrated brilliantly into his new team. Porteiro has also taken to the BMW 320si WTCC very quickly, and secured BMW Team Italy-Spain's first victory this season in Brno (CZE). While 2008 will only be the 24-year-old's second season driving for BMW, his team-mate Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) has already established himself as one of the big names in the World Touring Car Championship.

Three days of testing at Le Castellet for Prema Powerteam‘s World Series Renault squad were held last week. The Vicenza based Team was present at the French track with six different drivers starting with Picho Tolenado who received the test as a prize from Renault for his results in the PanAm Championship. Next up Prema focused on Mario Romancini (Brazilian driver from the F3 SudAm Championship), Simeon Ivanov (Bulgarian driver coming from the F.Renault 2.0), Renger Van der Zande (Dutch driver from the F3 Euro Series). Finally Miguel Molina and Michael Herck, both having previous experience in World Series, the latter setting the best lap time of the three days of testing with 1'15"570 .

Niki Lanik defended his ELF Renault Clio Winter Cup title with a win and a second place at Croft Saturday,(10^th Nov) The Youth 4 Human Rights with Stancombe Vehicle Engineering racer repeated his 2006 Clio Winter Cup triumph by 12 points from Andrew Herron. Herron won the day’s first race but could only manage third in race two

Newly-crowned ELF Renault Clio Cup champion Martin Byford made a stunning impression on his debut in a Eurocup Mégane Trophy car, coming within a fraction of a second of drivers with more experience in the 330hp racer during testing.

Alexander Sims was able to raise a smile at Croft Circuit on Saturday, 10th November, after finishing sixth during the final round of the Formula Renault UK Winter Championship at the North Yorkshire venue, the Manor Competition driver undoubtedly ending the four race series as the most luckless driver of the campaign

Valtteri Bottas and Adrain Buzaid may have come away from Croft with a win each in the final rounds of the Formula Renault Winter Series but it was Richard Singleton who took the title.

Paul Sheard and Mark Wania shared the spoils in the Ginetta Snr races at Brands Hatch over the weekend. Sheard won the first race from Daniel Laddiman and Simon Moore while Wania beat Giles Dawson to the line by 3.9 secs in race 2 with Sheard coming third 6.2 secs off the leader. The Lotus Elise Class A races saw Michael Edwards and Gavin Kirby take a win a-piece. Edwards won race one from Paul Quinn by just 0.391 secs with Jamie Stanley a close third only 0.542 seconds behind the winner. In race 2 Kirby beat Tess Howell in another close race, the winner was only 0.111secs ahead at the flag. Tom Chatterway was third 2 secs behind. In the Victor Meldrew Trophy races John Willcocks took his BMW M3 to victory in the first race beating Ken Lark’s VW Corrado by 8 seconds with Andrew Busby third in a Victor Meldrew Special M3. Race two saw Andrew Harrison claim the honours in his Jag XJS with the BMW 320 of the Wilson’s second and Roger Tillotson third in another 320. Lea Wood won the first of two VSR races in a Vauxhall Tigra VXR from Ian Fewings with 3 seconds to spare. In race 2 Steve Hall, driving an Audi TT came out on top by 0.250secs from Wood with Fewings third.

The BARC Saloon races at Brands Hatch were both won by Rob Birley driving an Escort WRC. Second in race one, a long way behind, was Nick Starkey in a Caterham with Paul Dudley third in a Tiger R6.. In race 2 Paul Collins in a Honda Civic was second 8 seconds behind Birley with Starkey completing the podium in third. The Ginetta Jnrs saw Kieron Vernon take a two of wins from Nigel Moore with the latter winning the third race from Vernon. Joe Shaw, George Richardson and James Jefferson were third in each event respectively. The Lotus Elsie Class B and C races were won by Chris Randall. In race 1 he led Andrew Walsh over the line with over 27 seconds in hand while in race 2 Mark Gooday kept him relatively honest by coming home second just 8 seconds adrift. The Britcar race was won by the Aston Martin DBRS9 on Grayson and Crocker.

Jimmie Johnson to a step closer to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Championship on Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway when he won the Checker Auto Parts 500. Johnson passed Martin Truex Jr. for the lead on lap 289 of the 312-lap race to take , his fourth straight victory "I'm dumbfounded," Johnson said in victory "I'm just as shocked as everyone [else] and couldn't be more proud of this race team. I'm just excited to do this for Rick for Hendrick Motorsports and all the hard work that goes into it. We're giving everybody something to cheer about and we're having a damn good time doing this." The win puts Johnson 86 points ahead of Jeff Gordon in the chase, leaving him to go for a 19th or better finish to claim his second consecutive Nextel Cup title Greg Biffle was second after making a late race charge passing Matt Kenseth who finished third.

Sebasien Bourdais wrapped up his Champ car career with his 31st win in Mexico City yesterday

Back in 1982 on November 11 one Ayrton Senna won the first F3 race he entered at Thruxton while on Nov 12th 1967 John Surtees took a Lola T70-Chevrolet to victory in the Can-Am race at Las Vegas, John's final Can-Am win. Bruce McLaren clinched the Championship. ON November 15th 1992 Richard Petty's has his last race as a driver in NASCAR while Jeff Gordon had his first

Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gene won the Le Man Series race at Interlagos while their team-mates Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy were rewarded with the drivers' title. Peugeot took the team title by just 3.5 points from Pescarolo Sport..read more

Will Power finished his season in Champ Cars with another podium place, his fifth of the year, when he came second in the Gran Premio Tecate in Mexico yesterday(Sunday)

Watch a century of classic motor racing films for free this Christmas at www.auto-history.tv From Stirling Moss to Juan Manual Fangio and Le Mans to Indianapolis, enjoy a festive feast of motor racing history with an excellent selection of racing films from Europe and the USA from the past 100+ years available to view for free at www.auto-history.tv until New Year's Eve. The films cover leading race events from many of the world’s most famous circuits, such as Le Mans, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Monte Carlo, Brands Hatch, Bonneville and many others. Many of the world’s greatest ever motor racing drivers are also featured, including Juan Manual Fangio, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Tazio Nuvolari, Jim Clark, John Surtees, AJ Foyt, Phil Hill, Malcolm and Donald Campbell as well as many other champion drivers from the golden age of motor racing. A different film will be shown on the web site everyday and they should all enthral, inform and entertain anyone interested in motoring history as some of the films have not been seen for more than 50 years.

Oliver Turvey has secured a fully-sponsored drive with Carlin Motorsport in British F3 next year.The 20 year old secured the drive due to a new initiative, "The Racing Steps Foundation", backed by businessman Graham Sharp, with former A1 Team GBR Team Principal John Surtess MBE acting as ambassador for the project. Turvey commented: "It's quite a shock to have a deal done this early. Usually we're still scrabbling around in February or March trying to raise a budget. This time I'll be able to do some winter testing, which I've never done before. I believe Carlin is the best team in F3."

Will Power has shown some Australian grit and determination to drive to second fastest in provisional qualifying for the final round of the Champ Car World Series in Mexico City, Mexico today.Power is driving with two hairline fractures in his left wrist after an accident in the last round of the series on the Gold Coast. But Power pushed on today to set the second fastest time in opening qualifying behind series champion Sebastien Bourdais.

Brazilian Rafael Suzuki, will race for Team Goddard at the Asia F3 season opener in Sepang on November 24-25th. Suzuki has already raced in the South American F3 Championship and he will be another extremely competitive driver hoping to win the Force India F1 prize test drive.Team Goddard are the current AF3 Pacific Series Team Champions and with Henri Karjalainen and Moreno Soeprapto won 7 of the 13 rounds. “We are confident with a driver of the caliber of Rafael that we can continue our winning ways” reported Mark Goddard.

Leanne Tander will cap off a remarkable season by testing a Formula V6 Asia car for champion team Meritus racing, in Malaysia next week. Tander was invited to test by Anthony Blumberg from Opes Prime and will complete two days in the car at Sepang on November 12 – 13. The opportunity to test an international-level Open Wheel car comes after a remarkable season where she won two races and finished a close second in the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship as well as contesting Formula Toyota in New Zealand and the Bathurst 12 hour production car race. ”This is a fantastic opportunity to drive a more powerful, quicker open wheel car,” said Tander. ”I jumped at the chance – it’s not everyday you get a call to drive a car overseas and test with the team that won that years championship. Formula V6 Asia is a growing category and it also has local relevance because the 2008 Australian F3 Champion will receive the opportunity to negotiate a drive in the category as part of their prize for winning the series. I didn’t quite win this year, and the prize isn’t going to be awarded until next years champion, so I think I’m pretty lucky to have been made this offer to test! I’m certainly under no illusions that this is anything more than just a test, but I’m going to go into it looking to get the most out of it that I possibly can. I’m very grateful to Anthony Blumberg and Opes Prime for the chance.”

Fortec Motorsport are pleased to announce that reigning Formula BMW UK champion Marcus Ericsson will step up to the British Formula Three championship with the team next year. Following his championship success, Ericsson has completed several test days as part of his winter programme in preparation for the 2008 championship season."I am really excited about next year. For me to be able to continue my close relationship and go into F3 with all the people at Fortec is just perfect. I know I have a lot to learn, but appreciate how lucky I am to be in such an excellent team where I can continue to grow as a driver and have the best possible chance to be competitive" commented Ericsson. Ericsson is backed by former Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Brack, who knows the Fortec team very well. "This is the right and next logical step for Marcus," said Brack. "Fortec provides a very good platform for a driver to develop his skills."

After making it to the podium at Donington and winning at Magny-Cours, Guillaume Moreau failed to score in the Iberic peninsula. In Race one at Estoril, a wheel nut put paid to his hopes of scoring points. On the Sunday, he was one of the fastest and most consistent driver at the wheel of his KTR car, and recovered from 23rd to 12th. On the following week at Barcelona, Guillaume set the fourth fastest time in the collective tests. He started race one from ninth, but was forced to an early retirement due to a clutch failure. His second race was ruined by a problem with the electronic management of the gearbox and he had to retire in lap seven. Looking back at 2007, Guillaume has been through highs and lows. The driver from Limoges is set to race in World Series again next year, with the aim to fight for the title. full story

Ollie Hancock will start his preparations for the 2008 season next week during a two-day test at Oulton Park with leading Formula Renault outfit Hillspeed Racing.Hancock finished third overall in his first season in the Formula Renault BARC championship this year, also claiming the top rookie prize, and will return next year for an assault on the title.Hillspeed boast an impressive track record in both the BARC and TOCA versions of the prestigious single seater-entry category and Ollie is looking forward to using the opportunity to assess his 2008 options.Hancock said: “Hillspeed are a very professional team with an excellent record in Formula Renault. I tested with them in 2006 at Albacete and things went very well. I know they’ve got a good set up for Oulton after the great results they achieved there in the TOCA championship last season. They’ve also acquired a brand new BARC-spec car and this represents an excellent opportunity for me to get some serious running in before I finalise my plans for next season.”

The LMA Euro Saloons double header from Oulton Park in August double is on Motors TV 9.00pm tonight.(in the UK)

Alex Waters is a promising young racing driver who was diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago. Alex, who is now in remission, and says: "I'm one of the lucky ones. It looks like I've beaten cancer. Now I hope to emulate Lewis Hamilton by getting to Formula 1. But, along the way, I want to help other cancer-affected youngsters. To that end, I'm giving 50 per cent of all my sponsorship money to CLIC Sargent this year, so that other children and young people can live their dreams as I'm living mine." In his quest to reach the top and continue to raise money for CLIC Sargent Alex is about to embark on his next challenge in the form of the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge. Mark Webber is recognized as one of the fittest drivers in Formula 1 today and like Alex combines his ambitions with raising the profile and funds of many worthwhile charities through the Mark Webber Challenge Foundation. Alex will be partnering with Justin Goulding in the 2theXtreme Cup. The pair are expected to do well and are the team representing the UK in this year's event http://www.markwebberchallenge.com

A new foundation to help ambitious young British racing drivers to realise their dreams, is announced today. Former Grand Prix World Champion John Surtees has agreed to act in an ambassadorial role for this exciting initiative that is specifically aimed at helping those young hopefuls who due to lack of funds, might not otherwise reach the sport's senior formulae….read more

Hamad Al Fardan, fresh from his British F3 National Class campaign, will race in the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series in a Team GFH Bahrain Dallara 304 TOM’S car. He will start as one of the favorites to win the series and the prize test in the Force India F1 car. Hamad is no stranger to the Asian circuits having successfully raced in the Formula BMW Asia Series. Team GFH Bahrain is new to the Series but they are confident they will be on the pace at the first event in Sepang on November 24-25th. The A1GP support race is eagerly awaited with a competitive season looking likely with several “name” drivers joining the field

Wings and slicks, open-wheel race cars will return to Adelaide when the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship returns to the Clipsal 500 Adelaide in 2008. The South Australian event, which last year attracted over 270,000 people over four days, will mark the second round of the 2008 Gold Star Championship. The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport event in Sydney, to be held in early February, will open the season, whilst the remainder of the schedule looks likely to be made up of events from the Shannons Nationals schedule. 2008 will make the first time in five years that wings and slicks cars have raced on Adelaide’s city streets. Now Australia’s quickest racing cars, the Formula 3 field will be expected to re-set the Adelaide lap record thanks to the 2008 introduction of new, latest-generation cars. The existing outright lap record - 1m19.4959 - was set by current A1GP driver Ian Dyk the last time the Australian Formula 3 championship raced on the Adelaide streets in 2004.

Sports Minister Gives Full Support to Silverstone Redevelopment Plans. During a visit to Silverstone today, the Minister of Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe MP, met the 1996 Formula 1™ World Champion and current President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), Damon Hill, who briefed him on plans to redevelop the circuit and ensure the long-term security of the British Grand Prix. …read more

New challengers came to the fore yesterday in the World Series by Reanult Test at Paul Ricard. Daniil Move of Tech 1 Racing took the fastest timein the morning session, while Michael Herck driving for Prema Powerteam was the quickest in the afternoon. This third day of testing saw further changes to the driver line-up. Miguel Molina turned out for Prema Powerteam, Marco Romancini and the aforementioned Daniil Move for Tech 1, Valtteri Bottas for Epsilon Euskadi, and Marco Bonanomi for Interwetten.com. There were emotional scenes for Draco Racing, as the Morinis entrusted one of their 3.5 cars to Fabrice Walfisch, who raced for the Italian team in F300 back in 1999 Michael Herck (Prema Powerteam): "I'm happy with the days I've had here with the Pons and Prema teams. Test sessions aren't races, but it's important to show what you're capable of. I feel like I've learnt more in three days of testing than in a whole season of racing. I'll be at Valencia for the next session!" Daniil Move (Tech 1 Racing): "The team has helped me to improve and I'm glad to know that I can perform well in this car. I made a mistake with my new tyres this afternoon, which was a pity because I could easily have got down to 1'15''4."

Stefan Wilson has been invited to join the ranks of the BRDC Rising Stars. The Rising Star scheme is for promising drivers and offers support and mentoring.. Membership is limited to 40 at any one time and is by invitation only, with potential candidates being chosen by a team of BRDC scouts and then interviewed by a special panel. "It's a real honour to be invited into the BRDC, one of the most prestigious motor-racing clubs in the world," said Stefan, "especially at only 18 years old and after my first year in single-seaters. This also gives me an extra boost of confidence for the evaluation for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award." This evaluation takes place later in November and will see Stefan driving three different cars, including a World Series by Renault single-seater.

At the BMW scholarship qualifying in Valencia, four junior drivers will get a sponsorship programme that is part of Formula BMW Europe. Michael Christensen (17) of Denmark, David Mengesdorf (17) from Germany, British driver Oliver Millroy (17) and Joël Volluz (16) from the Swiss canton of Valais were the foursome who came out on top amid a field of 20 participants from ten nations. It means they will enter the 2008 season as “Formula BMW Europe Juniors”. If Frenchman Adrien Tambay (16) signs up for Formula BMW Europe, he will also secure his place in the Junior support programme by virtue of winning this year’s Formula BMW Germany Rookie Cup. Marcus Ericsson (17), who claimed the rookie as well as the overall title in Britain, will not be competing in Formula BMW Europe: following his success in the junior series he has set his sights on a higher racing class.

When 35 drivers gather in Valencia for the Formula BMW World Final, hoping to be crowned champion and win a unique chance to take a Formula 1 test drive, it is not only the Spanish motorsport fans trackside who will be able to enjoy the show. Alongside BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, a multitude of stars from motorsport's elite class will also be present as the spectacular highlight of the Formula BMW season is staged for the third time. BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld (GER) will be in Valencia, together with GP2 champion Timo Glock (GER) and Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel (GER), both former Formula BMW champions themselves.

Yesterday at Interlagos, Brazil, the 2 Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs took the front row spots for the Le Mans Series (LMS) season finale. Stephane Sarrazin set a lap of 1:18.787 as the Frenchman and his team-mate Pedro Lamy prepared for Saturday's Mil Milhas race. "I am particularly pleased to be starting from pole position here at this circuit which I have always liked ever since my only F1 race with Minardi in 1999," stated Sarrazin. "My 908 was nicely balanced and I feel very confident after the positive work put in by everyone in the team during free practice. I didn't make any mistakes and I pushed hard." Weather could play a factor in Saturday's race, much like it already has since the opening practice yesterday. Noticing the rain clouds coming over the area, Sarrazin knew he had only minutes to knock teammate Marc Gene off the pole. He pushed his Peugeot and ended up besting Gene by 0.190 seconds.

First created in 1971, the French Formula Renault Championship will be undergoing a major overhaul in 2008. By taking the show beyond the borders of France, the Championship will be looking to meet the demand from young drivers to test their skills on the international stage at the earliest possible opportunity. With meetings to be held in France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium, the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup will offer new opportunities to up-and-coming talents in motorsport…...read more

British GT return to Scotland after three year gap

. The provisional 2008 calendar for the Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series and Avon Tyres British GT Championship has been announced by The Stephane Ratel Organisation (SRO). The season kicks-off with the traditional Easter weekend opener at Oulton Park in March and ends at Donington park in October. The circuits for British F3 remain unchanged from 2007 with visits to all the big UK names, along with the Grand Prix tracks of Monza, Spa and the street circuit in Romania's capital Bucharest, supporting the FIA GT Championship. The British GT calendar next season will see one change with a return to Scotland for the first time since May 2005. Thanks to Knockhill's enthusiastic promoter and the challenging and diverse nature of the circuit, the Scottish round of the championship will provide a valuable addition to the 2008 championship

Just over a week remains before the 54th running of the prestigious Macau Grand Prix, the jewel in the Formula 3 crown. Buckingham-based Hitech Racing aims to add victory at the far eastern venue to its well-deserved and convincingly-won Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series title

A record number of UK motorsport fans ensured September’s World Series by Renault spectacular at Donington Park was the world’s biggest Renault Sport event of 2007. A crowd of 135,000 smashed the previous best mark set in 2006 and was bigger than every other World Series by Renault meeting this season, also placing it behind only the British Grand Prix in terms of crowd size

Croft hosts the BARC Winter Series Race Meeting this Saturday, 10th Nov with a distinct Renault theme, the final two rounds of both the Renault Clio and the Formula Renault Winterseries. Ulsterman Kris Loane leads the Formula Renault UK Winter Cup ahead of Riki Christodoulou after a win and a podium finish in rounds one and two at Donington last weekend and the pair will be looking for more success at the North Yorkshire track. Richard Singleton also sampled victory at Donington and he'll be in the mix along with the likes of recently crowned Formula Renault BARC champion Hywel Lloyd while in the BARC Class, Jon Lancaster is expected to be to the fore. Defending ELF Renault Clio Winter Cup champion Niki Lanik made the perfect start to landing a second successive crown by taking a double at Donington Park last weekend but the Austrian will face some more tough competition in the final two rounds, including Harry Vaulkhard who will be looking to impress after claiming pole at Donington on debut.

California's Buttonwillow Raceway Park hosts the season finale of the 2007 Formula TR Pro Series 2000 Championship this weekend, Saturday 10th November, with Virginia's Liam Kenney looking to cap his rookie season in the class with a repeat of his Round 9 victory at the track in June. …more

James Winslow has won a second title success in as many seasons by winning the Formula V6 Asia crown with two podium finishes at Zhuhai in the final double-header of the year, opting for safety first in both races in order to ensure he took the crown…read more

Ollie Millroy has been offered a coveted BMW Scholarship, one of only four awarded this year, following a successful evaluation at the Formula BMW racing centre in Valencia two weeks ago. The 17 year-old 2006 British ICA Super One kart champion went head to head with 20 other young hopefuls hoping to impress the judges battling to receive one of four EUR 75,000 scholarships into the new Formula BMW European Championship. "It’s awesome, I’m absolutely over the moon," said Ollie. "This is what I’ve been working towards, all the testing, all the fitness training and it looks like all the effort has paid off. It shows that the more you put into it the more you get out." "The FBMW car is great to drive and I’m really enjoying it, now I can’t wait for the season to start."

Team Australia Champ Car drivers Will Power and Simon Pagenaud

have their sights set on the podium in the Gran Premio Tecate at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City this weekend…more

Performance Racing was announced as the first new team to join Formula Master for next season with the British outfit confirming two entries in 2008. Originally founded in Sweden during 1999, the team was purchased by current team manager Bobbi Issazadhe a year later. A former motorcycle road racer and single-seater driver, Issazadhe sees Formula Master as the perfect replacement to his British Formula 3 entries in addition to the team’s A1GP Team Pakistan commitments.

Sam Bird has conducted a series of aerodynamic tests on behalf of the AT&T Williams F1 team. The tests were carried over a two week period at Kemble airfield in Gloucestershire, where Sam drove this season's FW29 car. The AT&T Williams team was 4th in the 2007 F1 constructors’ championship. Sir Frank Williams commented: “Sam Bird has been very valuable during the course of our aerodynamic testing in the past two weeks. He has carried out his duties in the cockpit of the FW29 professionally and competently and I would like to thank him for his contribution to the development programme.” The 20 year old MSA Race Elite Driver and BRDC Rising Star was thrilled to drive an F1 car for the first time, and said afterwards “the experience was amazing and I would like to say a huge thank you to Sir Frank Williams and the whole team for giving me the opportunity. This has been a very valuable experience; I have learned a lot in the last two weeks which I am sure will stand me in good stead for my future”.

Team South Africa A1GP rookie driver Wesleigh Orr (Rhema 2), dominated Saturday's Pro Tour National Championship Formula Vee race, at Kyalami

Macanese racing driver Rodolfo Avila is ready to challenge his highlight of the season, the 54th Macau Grand Prix - FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup. “I am obviously very excited to be back in a car for my hometown race. Driving through the streets of my town supported by our Macanese motorsport fans is an extraordinary feeling. This year I hope to enjoy the Guia Circuit as much as I can, and improve my driving on every session leading up to the big race. In the race I want to give my best and will try to get a middle table or even better result as this one of the strongest editions of the race history”, says Avila. “I want to be the best of the local drivers and I am sure I can do it easily. But I wish to fight with some of the overseas drivers. My single advantage is to know the circuit quite well as I never completed a top-class F3 season in my life. I look forward to working together with some guys that I have in the past. Our motivation is high and we have nothing to loose”, explains the driver proudly supported by Macau Government.

Jimmie Johnson won the Dickies 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday after a battle with Matt Kenseth in the closing stages. It was his third win on-the-trot. The win took him into the lead in the NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup title.

Danny Watts, winner of the 2006 Macau Carrera Cup Asia race, is set to return to the Guia Circuit next month. Racing for GR Asia, the Briton joins the strong field of regulars for the final round of the Porsche Carrera Cup 2007 season. Watts, who has been is earning a growing reputation in sportscar racing this year, is determined to end the year on a high: “I have looked forward to Macau all year and I desperately want to repeat the success from last year. It’s my favourite circuit and a great event.” Watts acknowledges that the opposition this year is going to be even more intense: “Keita Sawa (Cref Motorsports) and Darryl O’Young (Team Jebsen) were tough rivals last year, and Darryl will certainly also want to end the year on a high. Christian Jones (SCC Racing China) has really come on strong and of course never, ever discount Tim Sugden when he is behind the wheel of a Porsche.” But Watts acknowledges the biggest challenge is the circuit itself: “I’ve been driving it in my head ever since last year. It’s just such a challenge and you just cannot relax. I love it!” GR Asia team principal Tim Huxley is delighted to have his man back in the East: “This is the sixth time we have had Danny out to race with us in Macau and he’s part of the event. He will be great value on and off the track and I just know he will put in a great performance.”

This week Edoardo Piscopo will be behind the wheel of a powerful World Series Renault Dallara in the first pre-2008 collective test. The driver from Rome will be joining Fortec Motorsport for 2 days at Le Castellet: the team won one race in the 2007 Championship with James Walker. Piscopo already tested a World Series Dallara last winter at Vallelunga, at the end of his experience in the F.Renault 2.0 Eurocup. A second test followed this summer for Eurointernational

Oliver Jarvis has been selected by A1 Team Great Britain to race for the squad at the next round at Sepang, Malaysia on 25 November. Jarvis beat the more experienced Robbie Kerr to the drive for the Malaysian event, even though Kerr has scored some good results at the circuit in A1GP’s previous two visits. Kerr qualified fourth for the venue’s two Sprint races, and secured two podium finishes from four races.

2007Australian Formula 3 Champion Tim Macrow will test a Champ Car Atlantic car for leading team Jensen MotorSport in the US later this month. 23 year-old Macrow will test the Mazda powered Atlantic chassis – the series a major feeder category to the Champ Car World Series - at Roebling Road Raceway, in Georgia, on November 19th following an invitation from experienced team owner and former driver Eric Jensen. Jensen MotorSport fielded a two-car Atlantics team this season for first year Atlantic drivers Tom Sutherland and Hollywood actor Frankie Muniz. The team is in its 11th season of Atlantics competition with the series now regularly featuring 30 car grids.

Tim Macrow has come from third position in the standings and fourth on the grid for race two to win the 2007 Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship …more

Mark Charteris, driving a Mallock Mk20B, won the Clubmans Haggis Trophy at SIlverstone on Sunday. Second was Steve Chaplin ina Phantom with PeterHarper third in a Connaught U2

Indonesian Zahir Ali (20/Team TARADTM) clinched the FBMW Asia Titlein the final round of the 2007 Formula BMW Asia series at the weekend, while South African Formula BMW Junior Kyle Mitchell (16/Eurasia Motorsport) won the Rookie Cup title after a superb final showdown with fellow Junior Hong Kong's Ross Jamison (17/CIMB Team Qi-Meritus). After Round 22, and following a post-race scrutineering report, Race Stewards decided to exclude the cars of Jazeman Jaafar (MAS/CIMB Team Qi-Meritus) and Jack Lemvard (THA/CIMB Team Qi-Meritus) for a technical infringement of the regulations.Â In view of the severity of the offence and the fact that the same team had contravened the Technical Regulations on an earlier occasion during the season, the Decision also included the exclusion of CIMB Team Qi-Meritus from the Formula BMW Asia Series 2007. This put Malaysian teenager Jazeman 2nd in the points, just one behind Ali. James Grunwell (18/THA/CIMB Team Qi-Meritus), like Ali completing his second Formula BMW Asia season, finished 3rd with Rookie Cup winner Mitchell 4th.

Richard Keen was the winner of the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy at Snetterton on Sunday and although he didn’t win the FPA Shootout he says that he was not the most disappointed driver on track. Keen, who edged out Will Bratt to take the Trophy, said: "I am pleased with the win in such a competitive field and I am not overly disappointed with the result. There are other drivers walking away from Snetterton worse off than me." He added: "I have no concrete plans for next year but after the last two weekends, FPA is a real option. Hopefully winning the Autumn Trophy will give me a bit of exposure and help with sponsorship. It's given me the encouragement to carry on my motor racing career as I know that I can run at the front

With four and a half months to go before the start of the 2008 season the Circuit Driver Caterham Academy can already boast two full grids, with 56 drivers new to motorsport signed up and ready for the off...more

Kieren Clark,made a solid start in the first round of this years Formula Renault UK Winter Series.

Will Bratt produced three exceptional race performances at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk today to clinch the Vice-Champion's position in the 2007 Visma Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy.

ELF Renault Clio Cup driver Andrew Herron got his Winter Championship campaign off to an excellent start at Donington Park over the weekend(3-4 Nov), a double podium finish placing him second in the title race ahead of the decisive series finale at Croft in North Yorkshire next Saturday....more

Peter Dempsey won the Walter Hayes Trophy at a sunny Silverstone yesterday after early leader Gavin Wills crashed out leaving the Irishman with a fairly comfortable victory. It wasn't all plain sailing however, a red flag after just 2 laps, after Louis Di Resta crashed between the two road bridges, saw Dempsey drop to fourth place at the restart. Within a lap however he had snatched the lead back passing Wills,James Nash and Neville Smyth in one lap. Wills tailed him briefly but slipped off the lap charts on lap 7 leaving Dempsey with a comfortable lead which he held to the flag. James Nash came second 16 year old Wayne Boyd third after a fierce fight with Peter Barrrable.

Manor Competition’s Kris Loane leads the leads the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Winter Cup on countback with Fortec Motorsport’s Riki Christodoulou..

2006 ELF Renault Clio Winter Cup champion Niki Lanik had a superb start to his title defence with two wins from two at Donington Park on Saturday,

Sandy Watson (pictured left below -)

won the HSCC Open Wheel race at Silverstone driving a Chevron B38. It was a close run thing though as Paul Bason had grabbed an early lead with is March 712. Watson stayed on the March's gearbox however and slipped by at Brooklands late in the race to take the win. Benn Simms came third in a March 803 . Watson then took is seat in a Chevron B8 for the HSCC Closed wheel race and looked like taking a second win until Stuart Tizzard, (below pic R Pascal) driving his Lena

Spider, got by at the same corner,Brooklands on lap 11 to claim the laurels by 0,4 secs. Sean McClurg was third in a Chevron B6

Kris Loane truly came of age at Donington Park National Circuit yesterday, Saturday, 3rd November, during the opening two rounds of the 2007 Formula Renault UK Winter Championship, a stunning maiden podium result and first ever pole position start helping the Manor Competition ace assume the joint-lead in the driver standings...more

In the BRDC Secretary's Chjallenge race at the Walter Hayes Trophy meeting Oliver Bryant won in a Jade from the Stuart Hall/Martin Short driven Pescarolo LMP1 as the latter was handicpaped by a driver change in mid-race as the car was deemed too fast. Considering the Jade was 26 seconds ahead at the flag, the handicap may have been a tad too heavy. Ross Hyett was third in March 717 CANAM car which of course made a glorious noise! The Formula Ford 2000 race saw Clive Wood in a Van Dieman RF82 beat Andy Huxtable's RF83 by 2 seconds after the early leaders Mike Gardiner and Erik Pagano had a coming together at Copse on lap forcing both cars out. Lawrence Denne then held the lead for a lap before he to retired handing the win to Wood. David Flory came third just 3 tenths behind second placed Huxtable. Daniel Laddiman and Michael Broadhurst shared then spoils in the Ginetta races The forner winning in the morning from Richard Sykes and Broadhurst. In the afternoon Broadhurst came out on top with Sykes the runner-up once again and Laddiman third. Pictured - AutoSport's Ed Straw splashes into the gravel in his Ginetta Pic R Pascal 11/56 Motorsport

Formula Ford Festival victor Nick Tandy is to join 2007 British Formula Ford Champion Callum MacLeod in the finals of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. Tandy bagged his place in the finals of the UK's most prestigious young driver competition thanks to a resounding birthday victory yesterday (Sunday) in the Formula Palmer Audi 'Shootout' race at Snetterton, in which he beat ex-F3 racer Ryan Lewis and a host of FPA regulars."When I saw the chequered flag I couldn't comprehend it," said Tandy. "It's great to win in such a competitive field." It was Nick's first experience at the wheel of a car with aerodynamic wings, and his victory came on the day before his 23rd birthday. Tandy will now join MacLeod, Duncan Tappy - who was the 2005 Formula Ford Championship runner-up - plus Dean Smith, Henry Arundel and Stefan Wilson in a two-day McLaren Autosport BRDC evaluation later this month at Snetterton, where each will be observed driving single-seaters, saloons and sports cars. The ultimate prize is £50,000 and a McLaren Formula 1 test.Tandy, who cut his racing teeth in stock cars and Minis, hopes his versatility will pay off: "I've demonstrated what I can do in an unfamiliar car this weekend, so I'm looking forward to the test." The McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner will be announced in London on 2 December. Previous winners include David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti and ex-Formula Ford men Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson

New Ollerton based Formula Renault UK team Manor Competition made an excellent start to its 2007 Winter Championship campaign during official testing at Donington Park National Circuit this morning, a great boost ahead of Saturday's opening two rounds...read more

Unpredictable weather conditions have marred practice for the final round of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship at Oran Park in Sydney. In a vast contrast, the second practice session today was held in dry, humid conditions ensuring a trying day at the office for the field this weekend. Championship contender Charlie Hollings topped first practice convincingly in his Astuti Motorsport Dallara F304 Renault Sodemo, 1.2 seconds quicker than rival Tim Macrow. Macrow, however, was one of many victims of the wet conditions when he hit a puddle at speed and heavily crunched his Cooltemp / Scud Racing Dallara backwards into the Oran Park Pit wall. The hit caused significant damage to the rear wing and gearbox housing, forcing the 23-year-old Victorians team to hurriedly repair the car to get it out in time for the second session. Mat Sofi was third in the session, Leanne Tander fourth and Barton Mawer fifth. In the dry second practice Tander leaped to the top of the timesheets, her 1m04.22s lap time just a few tenths from the pole time recorded at Oran Park earlier this year. On new Kumho rubber, Leanne led Barton Mawer (#3 Opes Prime Team BRM Dallara) and Hollings. Queenslander Chris Gilmour was a pleased fifth, ahead of Mat Sofi, Walter Grubmuller and Tim Macrow. A competitive battle is also evolving in the Kumho Tyres National and Trophy Classes, Already-crowned 2007 champ Chris Barry leading the charge of the National cars today ahead of Lauren Gray and John Boothman. In the Trophy Class Rod Anderson was quickest ahead of Samantha Reid, who was enduring a misfire in her Dallara. The Grand Finale’ continues tomorrow with two, 20-minute qualifying sessions, the first setting the grid for Sundays first race and the afternoon session setting it for race two.

Volkswagen and its works driver Carlos Sainz have won the 2007 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup. The Spaniard and his French co-driver Michel Périn secured the championship title in Dubai today (Friday) thanks to a second-place finish in their TDI-powered Race Touareg in the final round of the series, the UAE Desert Challenge. Sainz is the second Volkswagen driver in three years to win the title; the accolade is a unique addition to the two World Rally Championship crowns he already holds. It is also the sixth FIA co-driver title for Périn. The Sainz/Périn Race Touareg crossed the Dubai finish line of the UAE Desert Challenge 12 minutes behind the winning Mitsubishi of Stephane Peterhansel. The Volkswagen of Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz placed third overall after claiming fastest time on one of today's closing stages. 'I'm happy and delighted for the team,' said Sainz. 'This is another valuable success for Volkswagen and a well deserved reward for the entire squad. Personally this title is very special: twice I have been World Rally Champion, but this is my first title win in cross-country rally sport.' Sainz won May's Rally Transibérico and placed second in Morocco in September (behind de Villiers) on his way to championship victory.The UAE Desert Challenge was the final dress rehearsal before January's Dakar Rally, on which five Race Touaregs will compete. There will be works cars for Sainz, de Villiers, American Mark Miller and Germany's Dieter Depping, plus a customer team-run machine for Portugal's Carlos Sousa.'This is a fantastic conclusion to a long season,' said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. 'That we were so successful in the end is particularly rewarding to us as a team. Now we are going to prepare intensively for the Dakar Rally.'

Will Bratt enjoyed a solid test outing at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk earlier today, the 19-year-old preparing well for this weekend’s all-important Formula Palmer Audi ˜shoot-out’ which will determine the sixth finalist for the highly prestigious 2007 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. Topping the times during the second of today’s four 30-minute sessions with a best lap of 1m 05.33 seconds, he was also second fastest in the opening session with a best run of 1m 05.27 seconds. Overall he concluded the pre-event practice fourth on combined timings, just two 10ths of a second shy of the outright pace. During sessions three and four, Will wasn’t quite as quick as he had been in the morning with the fifth and eighth fastest times respectively but this was simply due to some aerodynamic variations which he wanted to try out on his Apotex UK-backed car. This weekend’s event at Snetterton is, of course, the finale of the 2007 Visma Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy but, more importantly, Sunday’s three races will also double-up as the coveted ‘shoot-out’ to determine which of the 22 registered drivers go forward to earn the last finalists place in this year’s McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. Currently sixth overall in the Autumn Trophy standings following his FPA debut at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent last weekend, where he claimed a double pole position and maiden category podium, Will hopes for more on Saturday and Sunday as he bids to win the all-important ‘shoot-out’. While it would be a great addition to Will’s CV to become the 2007 FPA Autumn Trophy Champion, his chief aim is to emerge from the weekend as the highest scoring driver over the course of the three races in order to take his place in the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award finals

Clio racer Andrew Herron

remains confident of challenging at the front of the field during Saturday’s opening two rounds of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup Winter Championship after topping the times during the first of today’s two official test sessions at Donington Park National Circuit.

Juno Racing Increase Their Lead In The VdeV Championship After Victory in the 12Hours of Magny Cours

Newly crowned Formula Renault Eurocup champion Brendon Hartley has signed with Carlin Motorsport for the 2008 British F3 championship. The 17 year-old Red Bull driver will also race for the team at the Macau Grand Prix later this month.

With less than a month to go before the Formula BMW World Final in Valencia on 24th and 25th November 2007, and the list of competitors is complete. 35 drivers from 19 nations will battle it out at the "Circuit de la Comunitat Ricardo Tormo" for a chance to take a test drive with the BMW Sauber F1 Team. All four international Formula BMW series are sending their best drivers to Spain. Jens Klingmann, the overall winner of FBMW Germany, will be present, as will the FBMW USA champion, Daniel Morad. The British series is sending two strong candidates in Josef Král, who finished second and Henry Arundel. It is likely that the new F BMW Asia champion will also take part, current leader, Jazeman Jafaar and his closest rival Zahir Ali have both registered for the event. The Asian series will not finish until this weekend…entry list

With just tomorrow's (Friday) stages remaining, the Volkswagen Race Touaregs of Carlos Sainz and Giniel de Villiers are holding second and fourth places overall in the UAE Desert Challenge following another mechanical problem-free day in the dunes. If Sainz can maintain second to the Dubai finishing line tomorrow the Volkswagen driver will secure the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup title, a unique addition to the two World Rally Championship crowns he holds already. Sainz's day was not trouble-free - he again lost time stuck in the sand - but he ended the day second, assisted by the demise of yesterday's leader, Luc Alphand, whose Mitsubishi was forced out with suspension damage. 'Everything was going really well,' said Carlos. 'We knew that we were faster than Mitsubishi so we decided to drive a little slower. I followed the motorcycle tracks and got stuck in a hole.' Sainz's team-mate de Villiers stopped to help dig the Spaniard's Race Touareg out of trouble, but 19 minutes was lost. 'We are expecting a difficult last leg,' added Sainz. 'Our chances for overall victory are slim but in the World Cup things are looking good for us.'Said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen: 'We are hoping for a good Friday and the chance to celebrate our second World Cup title in three years.'There are two special stages tomorrow, totalling 288 km, followed by a 45 km road section to the ceremonial finish.

UAE Desert Challenge provisional standings after leg 4
1, Stephane Peterhansel / Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA), Mitsubishi, 14h 45m 14s
2, Carlos Sainz (ESP) / Michel Périn (FRA), Volkswagen, +9m 45s
3, Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Tina Thorner (SWE), BMW, +12m 59s
4, Giniel de Villiers (RSA) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (GER), Volkswagen, +31m 11s
5, Yeha Alheli / Khalid Alkhendi (UAE), Chevrolet, +2h 55m 23s

In Formula Renault 2.0 at Barcelona Jon Lancaster

won 2 more races for French team SG Formula, his teammate Charles Pic grabbed apair of third places and in the French Championship the team took an impressive 1-2-3 on Saturday, going one better on Sunday with a fantastic 1-2-3-4

Andretti Green has signed Hideki Mutoh to Drive the #27 Car in next year’s IRL. Mutoh said , "I am very excited to be joining Andretti Green Racing. The team's record is very impressive and I am hopeful that I can contribute to its future success. I am very eager for the 2008 season to begin and am looking forward to working with all of my new teammates. I wish to thank Andretti Green and Honda for giving me this great opportunity."

Marcus Ericsson of Fortec Motorsport lifted the last ever Formula BMW UK Championship trophy back in September, who at 17 became the youngest and last ever UK Champion and first Rookie to win the overall title….read more

Aussie F3 driver Matt Sofi will be sporting the beginnings of a beard in support of charity when he races in the final round of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship at Oran Park this weekend. Sofi will support ‘Movember’, a charitable event held over the month of November designed to raise awareness and funds in the fight to raise awareness about male health issues.Funds raised by participants go towards the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia as well as Beyondblue, the national depression initiative. Funds will be used to create awareness, fund research and increase support networks for men who suffer from Prostate Cancer and depression. Sofi will start the month – at this weekend’s F3 finale’ at Oran Park – clean shaven however by the end of the month his ‘Mo’ will be judged against other participants with the winner taking home the ‘Man of Movember’ title at a gala function to be held at the end of the month.Sofi, who drives the #2 Total Developments Dallara F304 Mugen Honda, currently sits seventh in the championship however can finish as high as sixth with a strong performance this weekend.

TeamVodafone's Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup will both be aiming to better their 2006 results at the Bahrain International Circuit which plays host to Round 12 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series this weekend. At last years' event Lowndes finished inside the top ten but an engine failure in the final race put Whincup out of contention. After a disappointing round at Indy both drivers will be looking to make amends and return to the podium. Acknowledging his Indy result as the one that got away, Championship leader Jamie Whincup said, "Both myself and the team are very confident heading into this weekend," said Whincup. "We were quite good here last year until my engine gave way in the final race." "The Bahrain circuit is one of the best in the world, it is fast, free flowing and is made up of a very durable and coarse surface to cope with the extreme heat in Summer. This actually makes the surface quite slippery." After finishing fourth last year Craig Lowndes admitted he would like to take home some silverware this year. "This is the second year of going to Bahrain so the teams are much more organised and we have the added benefit of data from last year," said Lowndes. "It took us a while to get our head around the race track last year but by the third race we had finally found a setup that we were happy with which puts us at a really good starting point when we hit the track on Thursday."

The 2007 Star Mazda Series ended at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with John Walko Racing taking a top five finish for John Zartarian and the highly coveted Star Mazda Crew Member of the Year award for Kate Gundlach. Read more

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