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News Archive  March 2010

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07/04/2010

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31-03-10

BARC(NW) Sports and Saloons: It all started so well for defending champion Robert Spencer, with his Stuart Taylor Locosaki in the CNC Heads BARC(NW) Sportsd and Saloons Championship last weekend. On pole for both races and with a comfortable lead early on in each race as well it all went horribly wrong. A red flag intervention and a broken gearbox left him with fourth and a non finish as Peter Davies collected his maiden victory in the first race, and former champ Paul Dobson took the second.         read reports

Superleague Formula : Silverstone will host the opening round of the Superleague Formula by Sonagol this weekend and the series gets it’s 12 round Champioonship , complete with a five million euro prize fund, underway.  Seventeen cars are expected this weekend with the first of 3 races starting on Sunday morning…read more

Duncan Tappy will become the third Briton to race on home soil this weekend after signing a one-race deal with Brazilian club Flamengo. Australia’s John Martin will run in the colours of Atletico Madrid this weekend while a deal to secure his future club is concluded. Maria de Villota will be back at the wheel for Los Rojiblancos from the second round onwards at Assen, meaning that 17 cars will line up at Silverstone.

ETCC: Michaël Rossi had his first taste of the rough and tumble of the FIA European Touring Car Cup on the Braga circuit in Portugal. A bit of pushing and shoving at the start of the two races prevented him from making the most of his excellent fourth-fastest time in practice, the best of the three Seat drivers.  Read full report

Formula 3: Hobart driver Josh Burdon will get a chance to represent the state of Tasmania when the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship returns to Symmons Plains Raceway on April 9-11. 17-year-old Burdon will drive an R-Tek Motorsport prepared Dallara next weekend. The former Aussie Racing Car CAMS ‘Young Gun’ driver will become the first local driver to compete in the Tasmanian F3 SuperPrix race, following his introduction to the category at an open day held late last year. He will also follow in the footsteps of Tasmanian racing hero John Bowe, who won the Australian Drivers Championship and Gold Star in the 1980s. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to race in Australia’s premier class at age 17,” said Burdon, who left School last year to follow his dream of a professional racing career. To be able to do it at my local event makes it even more special! I’m pretty nervous as running at such a high level brings expectations with it but all I can do is go out there and give it my best shot.”  Burdon raced in the Aussie Racing Car series last year and said he felt ready to make the step up into ‘wings and slicks’ cars. He tested a similar car to the one he will race next weekend last October, completing 30 laps of Winton. “The drive day last year was a massive help,” the level-headed youngster said. “I feel like I understand the data and analysing that and making improvement from it is important. At least I have some experience in the cars and understand how they behave.“It’s all about making as much improvement as I can during the weekend and if I can do that it will have been successful.” Burdon will test the R-Tek Motorsport Dallara at Symmons Plains on Thursday, April 8th before embarking on round two of the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, with two practice sessions, one qualifying and three races to be held across the weekend. Pic Nathan Wong / F3 Media Image

30-3-10

V de V : The result of the opening weekend’s three V de V endurance races at Jarama  was in doubt right to the end of the V de V season  to be run under almost dry conditions. David Ferrer and Yvan Mahe took the win in the VHC Endurance race in their Lola T70 Spider. Simon Dolan and Sam Hancock won the Proto race in their Ligier JS49 Jota Sport while the GT/Touring race went to the Porsche 997 RSR IMSA Performance Matmut of Christophe Bourret and Pascal Gibon.  Read report

Formula Ford: Borland Racing Developments have confirmed that Caleb Rayner has walked away from a heavy collision in the second Formula Ford race at Albert Park on Sunday. Caleb was taken directly from the circuit to the Alfred Hospital where he underwent a thorough examination and scanning process. At approximately 8.00 pm, he was informed that the scans revealed a hairline fracture to the L1 vertebrae which did not warrant hospital admission or treatment and he was allowed to go home. The chassis, racing harness and HANS device worked to protect Caleb and dissipate the impact energy. Importantly, he has sustained no injury to his feet, legs or neck. It is expected that he will be stiff and sore over the next few weeks due to the heavy impact in the accident which occurred as a result of contact he received from a following competitor. Caleb and his family are looking forward to rebuilding their car for the next round at Queensland Raceway. “I would like to thank all of my friends and fellow competitors who have contacted us and Borland Racing to see how I am,” said Caleb. “I can tell you all that I am sore, but happy to be up and about after such a big hit. I’d also like to thank Mike (Borland) for the brilliant Spectrum chassis which performed so well in protecting me during the impact with the concrete wall,” he commented.

The F2000 Championship Series has released it’s provisional entry list for the 2010 season, which is due to get underway at Virginia International Raceway on 9 April. The entry is a mix of experience and youth with 33 cars entered to date, the majority hailing from the US. Read more

Club Racing: The new Mondello Park car race season gets under way this weekend with the debut of the Irish Touring Car Championship (ITCC). Sunday's nine race programme, organised by the Irish Motor Racing Club, will offer a mix of single seater, saloon and sportscar action, with the ITCC expected to be the big attraction. The new ITCC series will take over from the Mondello Park organised 'Saloon Libre' class and is open to any modified car as long as it is based on a four seater production vehicle. Despite only being announced earlier this year at least twenty cars are expected to make the grid for the championship's first race and all of the cars in the series will be familiar. Hatch backs like the Honda Civic, Honda Integra and Volkswagen Golf Gti will be joined by BMW, Mazda, Mini, Peugeot, Opel and Rover, with many other makes expected to join in as the season progresses. Also guaranteed to provide excitement will be Formula Vee, which lines-up for its usual qualifying race and final. More than thirty cars will battle it out through qualifying, and the 'B' race, to decide the grid for the 'A' race, which should be one of the highlights of the day. Just as entertaining will be the Formula Libre single seaters, which this season will move up a notch due to the arrival of some relatively modern Formula 3 machinery. There are also two classes opening their season with double headers, the Global Lights and the combination of Fiat Punto's and Uno's. The programme will be completed by historics. Adult admission is just €15.00 with under 16's admitted free

Formula Renault 3.5 pre-season testing came to an end at Motorland Aragon over the weekend where Nelson Panciatici and his Junior Lotus Racing squad were looking to fine tune their preparations for the season ahead. Whilst the previous two official tests had seen the team make early set-up breakthroughs, Aragon was to prove a far tougher nut to crack thanks to Saturday’s two sessions being given over to evaluation of the low-downforce aerodynamic configuration (LAC) that will be mandatory during this season’s sprint races. After the first day’s running in regular race trim, which included wholesale changes to the car’s set-up and balance, the team felt confident of trying out the LAC settings for the first time. These include fitting a new single plane rear-wing designed to reduce drag and the removal of the bodywork’s side-skirts.Having spent the morning getting to grips with his car’s unfamiliar handling, Panciatici improved by nearly a second to finish the day seventh fastest and only 0.2sec shy of second position. Nelson: "This two-day test has again proven very positive as myself and my engineer found good technical solutions to better exploit new tyres in qualifying conditions. In race trim, we can maintain good performance on worn tyres for a long time, while we also practiced pit stops, so I definitely feel ready for the first race. The championship will be very close and the smallest details will make the difference. You will have to be ready mentally to set a time in qualifying as the grid will be covered by only a few tenths. The management of the traffic will also be important as we will only have two, maybe three laps to use the potential of the tyres, and you must not miss that window.” Formula Renault 3.5 returns to Motorland Aragon as part of the World Series by Renault package on 17/18 April for the opening round of the season.

Formula Kart Stars enters its fifteenth year of competition this Easter at Rowrah circuit in Cumbria looking to build on the successes of the previous 14 seasons that have seen more than 100 FKS drivers graduate into car racing. Twelve rounds split over six weekends beginning in early April and ending in mid October will decide the 2010 champions with each of the 130 drivers contesting two ten minute qualifying sessions, four twelve minute (plus one lap) heats and two fifteen minute (plus one lap) finals per weekend. From Rowrah the series will head to Whilton Mill before taking June off so as not to interrupt those all important school exams. July sees the FKS travel to North Wales to the rolling Glan Y Gors circuit before the traditional summer break to Genk in Belgium. Three Sisters makes a return to the calendar in September while a brand new FKS venue, Ellough Park in Suffolk will close out the season in October.On the drivers front more than 70 drivers from 2009 have returned including MSA British Cadet Champion George Russell who has moved into Mini Max and Mini Max champ Jack Barlow who, in turn, has graduated to Junior Max. The MSA Cadet class boasts the biggest entry with no less than 52 drivers entered including eight seeded drivers while four 2009 seeded drivers return in both Mini Max and Junior Max. Three of last years top ten in KF3 are also back.  Off track the clerking team is headed by John Felix with Geoff Strong arriving in the new post of Judicial Clerk and Terry Bateman joins the as one of the deputy clerks. In scrutineering Ernie Salmon will act as chief scrutineer for the second season and will once again be assisted by Dan Carter, Mick Streek and Ben Moore but there are new faces in parc ferme with Roy Baker and Sue Bateman taking charge of the all important tyre bay and Jessica Kingham and Aden Baker also joining the team.

Karts : At the second meeting of the WSK Euro Series, the young Dutch karter Nyck De Vries claimed another pole position and several fastest laps. Sadly he missed the podium thanks to a  puncture!  Five weeks after the Winter Cup, De Vries was back at the Lonato circuit, where his race could have not started better. "During timed qualifying, the weather was very unsteady, but the track was dry. So it was important to rapidly find the right pace to set an excellent lap time. That's exactly what I did and it was really great to set some best times ahead of a bunch of drivers much more experienced than I am", Nyck commented.Third in his first qualifying heat, the Chiesa Corse driver was let down by his engine in the second, just after he had taken the lead!  In the third heat, he set the fastest lap but his race was compromised by a collision and he finished only 18th. In the Pre-final Nyck produced a series of passes, keeping braking to the minimum to get in touch with the leaders. At the flag he caught and passed double World Champion Marco Ardigo to snatch 6^th place, taking another fastest lap in the process. For the final he would start 9^th. "I made a good start. Then, when we reached the tortuous part of the circuit, there was a bit of a brawl and my engine stopped suddenly. Time to activate the starter, and I had already lost several places. I also felt that there was something wrong with the chassis. Later, we realized there was a small puncture: at the arrival one tyre was almost flat. But before the situation got really bad, I had the chance to post the best lap time with 42"607. Technically speaking, we always managed to keep the equipment at the top with the team and I think I really had a chance to conquer a podium, or even win. Now I want to focus on my next race, in Zuera, in Spain. I should have been at the European Super KF Championship on 11 April in Naples, but the International Federation was forced to cancel the event because many teams refused to participate. It is a very regrettable situation", he concluded.

The 2010 Formula Renault UK season begins this weekend, signalling the start of a very busy period for CRS Racing. After the Renaults race at Thruxton, the CRS GT team heads off to Paul Ricard for the first Le Mans Series race of the year, then moves on immediately to Valencia for round one of the International GT Open. There are actually six race weekends in a row for CRS, making this the busiest season start yet. The team is ready to hit the ground running though and is armed with a strong driver line-up for Formula Renault. After winning the 2009 Graduate Cup and the Winter Series, Harry Tincknell is on a title charge this year. Mick Lyons returns to continue the good progress he made last year. They are joined by two new faces to CRS: Robert Foster-Jones, the 2009 KF1 MSA Super 1 British Champion, and Brazilian Victor Correa who is hoping the experience he gained in the British F3 national class last year will stand him in good stead for 2010. Team Director, Andrew Kirkaldy: "We've completed a fairly extensive test programme over the winter with the new car. It was a bit late to arrive but we have put a lot of work in and made some good progress. It's great to have continuity in the team so we're pleased that Harry is back. He has performed well in pre-season testing and is committed to getting the top results this year. Michael has also made good progress since last year so it will be good to see how he gets on. We also have two new faces in Robert and Victor. Robert was impressive in our European test programme in the winter. He has a tough race to start with though as he has had limited running at Thruxton. Victor joined the team quite late on but he has been up at the front during the last couple of tests so we have high hopes for him this year."

Superleague Formula: A new chapter in James Walker's racing career begins this week with the opening round of the 2010 Superleague Formula by Sonangol at Silverstone. James will get his hands on the Liverpool FC-liveried 750bhp Superleague car this Thursday for a quick shakedown before the race weekend gets started with practice on Friday. James has raced the car before, in 2008 when he won for Borussia Dortmund in Jerez and put on a great show for Rangers at the Nurburgring. This time though James is a 'Red' through-and-through and has already been to Anfield to visit the Premier League club he is racing for. "It was fantastic to go up to Anfield and watch a game," said James. "The guys invited me onto the pitch at half-time to introduce me to the Liverpool fans which was an amazing moment. They made me feel very welcome and I hope I can do them proud on the race track."

After spending 2009 learning the ropes in Superleague Formula by Sonangol, Olympique Lyonnais returns for another crack this season with a new driver, Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais They also have a new team, Laurent Redon Motorsport, who although making their first foray in the series, can count on the experience of Bourdais who made an impressive series debut midway through 2009. The ex-Toro Rosso F1 driver and four-time Champ Car champion joined the grid with immediate success last year, winning the Super Final five lap shootout on his debut in Estoril for Sevilla. The Frenchman continued that winning streak at Monza, before bagging a pair of podiums at Jarama. Now with Laurent Redon Motorsport, Bourdais has his sights firmly set on continuing that string of results in the colours of Olympique Lyonnais. The French club, which holds the league record for winning seven consecutive domestic titles, will come up against fellow Ligue 1 rivals FC Girondins de Bordeaux, the reigning French champions and newcomers to Superleague Formula this season. The planned showdown at Magny-Cours between the two French sides on May 22/23 promises to be one of the highlights of the season with Bourdais and Lyon set to go up against Bordeaux and its ex-F1 driver Franck Montagny.

FBMW: Colombian Oscar Tunjo has signed to drive for MERITUS-GP in the 2010 Formula BMW Pacific which gets going this weekend. The son of a car salesman in Cali, Colombia, Tunjo has been racing competitively since he was just three-years-old and is the youngest driver to be recognised by a federation of global karting by passing the Mobil Karting School in Colombia. Tunjo makes his debut for MERITUS-GP at the Malaysian Grand Prix where he will be the youngest driver on the grid. "Getting my FIA license approved for this season's Formula BMW Pacific was the happiest day of my life," said Tunjo. "I'm looking forward to this year's championship as I believe we have a good car and should be challenging for the title once again. My dream is to make it to Formula 1 one day and I see Meritus as the perfect stepping stone for me.”

Indycar: Will Power held off Justin Wilson by .8244 of a second to win the rain-delayed Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 29 and remain perfect through the first two IZOD IndyCar Series races of 2010.Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves filled out the top four. Briscoe, last year's race winner, gained 16 positions to finish third, the longest climb to the podium in this event's history. The sixth Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was postponed 18 hours because of more than 4 inches of rain that overwhelmed the temporary street circuit March 28 and, in conjunction with lightning, created unsafe conditions for race participants and ticket holders. Power took the lead on Lap 73 of the 100-lap race when E.J. Viso slowed with a gearbox problem and then resisted Wilson's No. 22 Team Z-Line Designs/DRR car to the checkered flag. Power led 50 laps in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske entry to pick up the three bonus points (one for the pole, two for most laps led) and takes a 44-point advantage over Wilson, Ryan Hunter-Reay (finished 11th in the No. 37 IZOD car for Andretti Autosport) and Dario Franchitti heading to two more road/street course events before the first oval race. Franchitti, the reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion, jumped from 11th in the final 11 laps to finish fifth, while Alex Tagliani gave start-up team FAZZT Race team its best finish of sixth and his personal best in the series. Danica Patrick scored her best road/street course finish of seventh since Long Beach (fourth) in '09.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB extends partnership with Piper-Heidsieck. Winners in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB will again be celebrated in style this season following confirmation of the continuation of the partnership between the championship and Piper-Heidsieck Champagne. Race race winners will be presented with Piper-Heidsieck Champagne during the traditional end of race podium celebrations. Established in 1785, Piper-Heidsieck is one of the world's finest brands and is based in the Champagne region of France. Since 2009 Champagne Piper-Heidsieck has been distributed by First Drinks Brands. To mark the second year of an on-going partnership between two globally recognised brands, the end of season overall champion in the Carrera Cup GB will be presented with a jereboam of Champagne, which is equivalent to four standard bottles of Champagne.

BSB stars look forward to Brands Hatch Easter opener.  This Easter Bank Holiday weekend (2/3/4/5 April) tens of thousands of fans are set to flock to Brands Hatch for the opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship as the 2010 season kicks off at the Kent circuit. Returning champions Neil Hodgson and Ryuichi Kiyonari may have three British titles between them, but some of the main contenders from 2009 are back for more and determined to stamp their authority. Leading the charge is Swan Honda’s James Ellison who finished second in last year’s title fight, whilst Australian Josh Brookes is eager to secure a maiden race win for the HM Plant Honda team. However, Lingfield racer Tommy Hill is determined to take a double victory at his home round so expect to see the Worx Crescent Suzuki battling for honours on Easter Monday.  James Ellison said: “I am really looking forward to finally getting the season underway; It is definitely going to be closer this year and there are a lot of us who genuinely believe we have what it takes to win the title. The Brands Hatch Indy circuit laps are frantic because they are so short which means that nobody can really get an advantage. I guarantee there will be some fairing bashing on Easter Monday!”  Josh Brookes said: "The HM Plant Honda is already better than what we had last year and we can see from testing that we have potential. There is always a lot of emphasis on the opening round as you have lots of speculation on how everyone is going to perform after pre-season testing. The talking stops though at Brands Hatch and your performance on track will speak for itself. I certainly won't be happy unless I am at the front." Tommy Hill said: “I am feeling happy; our pre-season tests have gone well it is difficult to know what will happen when the lights go green. We have been up the front in testing and that has definitely given me a confidence boost so we head to Brands Hatch ready to win. It is my local track and I always get a lot of support there so I can’t wait to get going.”

29-03-10

Abarth 500 GB : Abarth franchise dealer Thames has confirmed 18-year-old Cassey Watson as the driver of it’s entry in this year’s Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB race series. Worcestershire-based Watson, www.casseywatson.co.uk, who has already recorded a string of podium finishes while competing at junior level, was officially unveiled as Thames’ drive-partner at the Abarth GB 500 media day held at Cadwell Park last Wednesday (24 March 2010). Cassey will be eager to break through the glass ceiling of what is still a very male dominated sport, when she takes to the wheel of 1.4-litre 197bhp Abarth Asetto Corse race car over the Easter weekend at Oulton Park. The bank holiday weekend  will heralf the opening round of the new  Abarth 500 GB series set to run alongside the British Formula 3 and the Avon Tyres British GT Championships. “It’s a great opportunity for me personally - as well as to be part of a Thames’ team who share my vision,” says Watson.  “What’s more, the Abarth 500 GB series provides the opportunity to complete in a high-profile race series, yet be on a level playing field - something that has eluded me until now.“Prior to the media day, I had only driven the Abarth Asetto race car once before, but although Wednesday [media day] wasn’t a dedicated testing day at Cadwell Park, I can see why the car is so popular among consumers.  It handles superbly. As a driver, it’s not often that you get the opportunity to drive a car that is essentially a road car, but has been modified for the race circuit; as well as this one. The Abarth Asetto Corse is a terrific car - certainly one of the best-converted road cars I’ve come across.  I’m looking forward to racing against the likes of Gareth Howell and Ben Winrow,” she added.

Ginetta Junior Championship team Hillspeed wll have Tom Ingram in their squad for the first two races of the 2010 season at Thruxton this weekend, 3rd/4th April. The 16-year-old, from High Wycombe, made his car racing debut in Ginetta Junior last year and in only his fourth outing secured a podium t the Hampshire track. Sadly, he was then forced to miss six of the last 10 rounds due to budget problems. Although the current deal is on a race-by-race basis dependant on Ingram securing the required funding, both driver and team hope a season-long agreement can be reached very soon. Team principal Richard Ollerenshaw said: “We’re delighted to welcome Tom to the team and we’re sure he’ll hit the ground running at Thruxton. Obviously we’d like this to become a season-long deal but that’s all dependant on Tom being able to achieve the required budget. He showed a lot of ability last year in his debut season, hopefully he can make a strong start to 2010 alongside Seb.”  Speaking on the deal Ingram said: “It’s great to be associated with such a good team as Hillspeed and I’m really excited and looking forward to it. It’s great to know we’ll be on the grid, over the winter we weren’t certain if we were going to be racing or not. We’ve only done very limited testing so far and haven’t been able to really compare ourselves against anyone else, but I enjoy Thruxton and did well there last year. I’ve got a year’s experience under my belt now and I’m a stronger driver for it.”  pic Jakob Ebrey Photography

Star Mazda:  Conor Daly has won the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear race the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida. Driving the #22 Juncos Racing / INDECK / College Network / Merchant Services Ltd. / Tom Lange Co. Mazda. Daly’s win added to his third place finish at Sebring takes him to the top of the Championship table with 82 points. "The two full-course yellows were a little bit of a worry, but they happened early in the race and I was able to pull out a bit of a gap in the later stages.  The Juncos Racing team gave me a perfect car and I was able to be very consistent and hit my marks on every lap.  The level of cameraderie and cooperation in the team is just fantastic and I'm looking forward to a very competitive season."  Second went to Brazilian Joao Victor Horto in the  #18 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda 0.422 secs behind with his fellow countryman Caio Lara in third.  Read report

Australian Formula 3 Championship leader Mitch Evans will be mentored by Australian Formula 1 star Mark Webber. Evans,15, who won all three races at Wakefield Park’s season opener in early March, was given the vote of confidence by the two-time Grand Prix winner in a special announcement in Melbourne at the weekend.  “I met Mitch for the first time at last year’s Australian Grand Prix  and was amazed at how switched on he was at the age of just fourteen,” Mark Webber said. “When I was at that age, I was only Karting and was barely thinking about Formula One - it shows how much things have changed over the years.At this very early stage he is displaying all the right ingredients and characteristics to be successful at the highest level and he has some great people behind him who I’m certain will do everything to ensure he fulfils his dream. It’s really important that he chooses his next steps carefully and I’m looking forward to playing my part by using my own personal experiences and contacts to make the move as seamless as possible, and helping his development on and off the track.” In the press conference held to announce his support of the talented young driver, Webber noted Evan’s current participation within the F3 Australian Drivers Championship. “Although Mitch will concentrate his efforts on Australia F3 this season, we will be taking him across to Europe during the year so he can begin to see the bigger picture stuff and weigh up his options for next year when he’ll be competing there,” he said.  We will choose whatever we believe is the best category for him.”  Evans came to prominence last season with a stunning performance in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, becoming the series’ youngest ever race winner (at 14) and finishing second in the championship. He then made his Formula 3 debut at the F3 SuperPrix, at Sandown, in November and won the race in challenging wet / dry conditions, becoming the youngest ever to win a Gold Star race in the series’ 55 year history.

F2000: Sage Karam made the perfect start in the USF2000 National Championship at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg over the weekend. On Sunday he led all 20 laps of Round 2 to add to his victory in Saturday's season opener, it was also the 50^th victory for the owner of Andretti Autosport Michael Andretti. Josh Fielding from the UKwas second on Sunday while Patrick McKenna of Dublin to the runner-up spot on Saturday. Read reports.

Indylights: J.K. Vernay won on his Firestone Indy Lights debut, dominating the rain-soaked Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Vernay, who started on the outside of the front row, held off fellow series rookie Jan Heylen on a lap 29 restart in the No. 7 Lucas Slick Mist/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car and went on to an 11.2338-second victory in the shortened (from 45 laps to 35) race on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit. Stefan Wilson drove from the 14th starting position to finish third in the No. 28 Bryan Herta Autosport car and Charlie Kimball tied his series-best finish of fourth in the No. 26 AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport car. The race started on slicks, with pole sitter James Hinchcliffe punted off in Turn 1 of the green flag lap by Philip Major.Sebastian Saavedra emerged as the leader until he spun on lap 5. Vernay then took the lead through a red flag at the end of lap 6 fwhile everyone changed to wets. A full-course caution on lap 26 to remove the Bryan Herta Autosport car of Saavedra after he  had hit the barrier was the only challenge for Vernay after that..

Heavy thunderstorms forced the postponement of the IZOD IndyCar Series Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, scheduled for Sunday, March 28, until Monday, March 29. Pole sitter Will Power leads the championship after winning the season-opening Sao Paulo Indy 300 on March 14 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

28-03-10

ETCC: Reigning FIA European Super 2000 Cup champion James Thompson emerged on top after 2010 opening event in Braga today. At the wheel of his Hartmann Racing Honda Accord, the Briton won the first race and grabbed a podium result in the second one to take a slim lead in the series.Thompson had to work hard to defend himself from BMW drivers César Campaniço - who scored a dominant victory in Race 2 - and Kristian Poulsen. Competition was close on the Portuguese racetrack, with all the drivers offering a number of exciting fights, even for the midfield positions.Jens Löhnig from Germany won both the Super 1600 races in his ATM Racing Ford Fiesta, beating the reigning champion Carsten Seifert twice.The Nations' Cup was presented to Great Britain thanks to Thompson's results.The European Touring Car Cup will resume on July 25th at the Austrian Salzburgring for rounds 3 and 4.  read report

ETCC: Reigning European Touring Car champion James Thompson claimed pole position for todays Race 1 at Braga. The Briton and his Hartmann Racing Honda Accord were forced to better the Super 2000 track record by 2.1 seconds in order to secure the top spot, beating stubborn opposition from the BMW cars of Kristian Poulsen and César Campaniço who were classified second and third with gaps of 0.07 and 0.15 seconds respectively. In the Super 1600 class Jens Löhnig too had to push to the limit, improving his own lap times by two seconds to beat his fellow countryman Carsten Seifert. Poulsen opened hostilities on his first lap out of the pits, clocking a provisional fastest lap of 1:23.791 that lasted only a few seconds before Thompson improved to 1:23.108. A few moments later Campaniço responded jumping on top with a lap of 1:23.064.The time to pit for new tyres and Poulsen struck back, provisionally re-claiming pole position at 1:23.041. And yet again he was soon demoted by Thompson's new effort of 1:22.740. Poulsen and Campaniço improved further in the late stages (to 1:22.811 and 1:22.894 respectively), cutting out the gap, but not enough to beat Thompson's time. Michaël Rossi clocked the fourth fastest lap at 1:23.401, emerging as the fastest of the SEAT drivers, while Marin Colak spoiled his last attempt crashing against a barrier at Turn 4.The fight between Löhnig and Seifert for the S1600 pole saw the former setting an impressive 1:29.638 that placed his Ford Fiesta on the 11th spot of the grid for Race 1. The third contender, Florian Heitmeier, went off the track on his second attempt and did not rejoin. As for Marcis Birkens, the only competitor in the Super Production class, he clocked only one valid time before his Honda Civic was forced back to the pits due to gearbox problems

Formula Ford: The second race of the weekend in the Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship at Albert Park was cancelled today when the race was red-flagged after Caleb Rayner had an accident on lap 2. Rayner was taken to hospital for observation following the accident, and the race was scrapped..read more

With less than a week to go before the opening rounds of the 2010 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain, the race-winning JTR team has confirmed its participation with cars for Grand Prix Shootout winners Tio Ellinas and Dani Domit. JTR driver Josef Newgarden was in contention for the 2009 Formula Ford crown right up to the final meeting of the season, and won nine races - two more than title winner James Cole - and JTR's Nick Tandy reckons his new chargers can take up where the young American left off. "These two guys have been selected by the Grand Prix Shootout people as the best young talent out there, and we are absolutely delighted they will be running with us," says Tandy. "It's going to be difficult for them to be fully up to speed at Oulton - we would have liked to have done 10 or 12 days testing with them by this stage - but if we can get some good top-six results there we will be delighted, because we are only going to get faster as we do more testing with them."  Eighteen-year-old Ellinas has a string of karting championship victories from his native Cyprus, and was the 2005 World ROK Cup champion. Domit, 21 from Mexico City, is a motorsport novice who, despite his lack of experience, impressed contest judge Rob Wilson sufficiently to earn his place alongside Ellinas. Both will drive JTR-prepared Mygales.Other additions to the entry list for the Oulton Park opening rounds of the Ford-backed series over the Easter weekend (3-5 Apr) include cars for 16-year-old karting stars Max McGuire (DW Racing Ray) and Adam Parsley (Harkesport Mygale), as well as a Mygale from GV Racing for 2009 Scholarship class race winner Josh Benson. A 27-car field is anticipated.

The all-new Spectrum 012 chassis - due to get its first UK outing at Oulton Park in Dan Cammish's hands - enjoyed an impressive world debut on Saturday in the opening round of the Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship, which supported the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne. Having topped the timesheets in both practise and qualifying, Chaz Mostert went on to secure a comfortable victory in the opening race of the season. Driving the Synergy Motorsport prepared Spectrum 012, Mostert cruised to the win, lowering the lap record by some seven tenths of a second in the process. By mid race distance, Chaz had built a seemingly unassailable lead and was able to ease off. A safety car period bunched the field, taking away the lead he had built up, but in only a couple of racing laps, Chaz lowered his own lap record from earlier in the race and still won by a comfortable margin.“What a great start to the season,” said an elated Mostert. “The new Spectrum was awesome out there today. It is so easy to get the speed from the car, it just doesn’t drop away. Even late in the race, I was able to simply push a little harder and break away on the restart,” he added

Karts: Nuneaton karting star Ash Hand, impressed hugely in his first-ever single-seater test outing at Bedford Autodrome, with the Formula Palmer Audi (FPA) championship co-ordinator revealing that the 15-year-old is 'exceptionally fast' and has 'great potential'.  Reads more

27-03-10

Reigning ELF Renault Clio Cup with Michelin Champion Phil Glew and runner-up Alex MacDowall have both graduated to the Dunlop MSA BTCC season continuing the series’ reputation as one of the most direct routes links for aspiring Touring Car drivers. Lincolnshire racer Glew, 26, who dominated the 2009 championship by winning 11 of the 20 rounds, will race for Triple Eight Race Engineering while MacDowall has signed for the factory-supported Silverline Chevrolet team.  The signings now mean that eight out of the 23 entries for this year’s BTCC are former Clio Cup competitors. Along with Glew and MacDowall, Mat Jackson, Tom Onslow-Cole, Martin Johnson, John George, Lea Wood and Andrew Jordon have all raced in the Clio Cup.Glew, who will race a Vuxhall Vectras in Ian Harrison’s squad, said: “It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here but I’m delighted to be making the step up into Touring Cars. I had a fantastic year in the Clios in 2009 which without doubt has been a major factor in helping me to secure this drive together with my sponsors WD-40, 3-IN-ONE and Glasurit. Having only driven the BTCC car once though this year is going to be a steep learning curve but I’m looking forward to racing alongside Alex once more.” Eighteen-year-old MacDowall from Carlisle added: “My plan was always to go into Touring Cars and my three years in the Clios has certainly put me in good stead for my debut season. Having someone as experienced as Jason Plato for a team-mate is also a bonus and I’m really looking forward to the start of the season, especially as the car has shown great pace in testing.”

Michelin Formula Renault UK : Manor Competition driver Thomas Hylkema is relishing the start of the 2010 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship, which gets underway on 3rd/4th April.  On Tuesday, 23rd March, the Delft-based Dutchman was 11th fastest overall at Snetterton across the two sessions with a best time of 1m04.912s (108.25mph). On Wednesday, 24th March, he was in and around the top 10, his best of 1m05.435s came during the first of the afternoon runs and placed him 11th quickest for the day, 0.9s shy of the outright pace.Thomas said: “It was a bit harder than the other tests, generally I expected a bit more from the two days but we improved throughout and did some good work with the set-up. We didn’t get a chance to use new tyres on the second day as it started to rain before our planned run but that at least gave us some good experience to learn about the rain tyre. Overall it was a productive two days.”Heading into his second season with reigning driver champions Manor, the Hylkema has high hopes of hitting the ground running at Thruxton next weekend. “Obviously I want to qualify in the top 10 for both races and be as near to the front of the grid as I possibly can, I think that’s a realistic goal”, commented Thomas, “Qualifying was where I struggled last season but if I can get that right, in the races we should be ok. Ideally, we need two finishes in the top six or top eight – that’ll be my aim and if we can achieve that I’ll be very happy.”   Pics: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Karts: Evolution Racing driver Harry Crawley, who on his British debut in the Junior Max class to which he has graduated this year, finished a brilliant fourth in the 2010 Super 1 Series opener at PF International.  Read report

Formula Ford: Chaz Mostert dominated the first race of the Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship at Albert Park today(Saturday). The Factory Enterprises Spectrum driver led from lights to flag, setting a new lap record in the process. Nick Foster had his best Championship finish in second, with his Sonic Motor Racing Services teammate Ryan Simpson third. The first race of the series included a mid-race safety car, caused by a clash between Greg Woodrow and Martin Short. “It’s a great way to start the season for us with a victory, so I couldn’t be happier,” Mostert said. “The car has been really quick all weekend and I think in today’s race we proved that we can be consistent as well. I was a little worried when the safety car came out, but fortunately I was able to build another gap and cruise to the flag.”   Race 2 of the Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship gets underway at Albert Park at 12:15 (AEDST) tomorrow.
  Read report

Karts: The 2010 Formula Kart Stars Championship will see those looking hot on the track also looking cool off the track as fashion label Joe Bloggs boosts the prize package in Junior Max.  As a sponsor of Formula 1 driver and FKS ambassador Lewis Hamilton back when he was starting his race career in karts,  joebloggsclothing.co.uk  is proud to once again be involved with karting. Each round winner in Junior Rotax will receive items of Joe Bloggs Clothing, a brand that is currently designing clothing exclusively for boys aged 7-16 with a cool, edgy look. Bushra Ahmed, Joe Bloggs Marketing Director commented, “We are very proud of our sponsorship of Lewis Hamilton because of what he has achieved and the fact that he has gone on to become world champion. We are always interested in getting involved with young hopefuls and champions of the future, and with the Formula Kart Stars Championship we’re likely to find future talent of British racing.” Last year Joe Bloggs sponsored FKS Mini Max driver Jay Goodwin, winner of the ‘Lewis Hamilton True Grit Award’, which goes to the driver who has displayed the greatest fighting spirit at a round during the season.

Star Mazda: Conor Daly took pole at St Petersburg in the Star Mazda Championship presented by oodyear on Friday with a best lap of 1:10.656 (91.712 mph) in his #22 Juncos Racing / INDECK / College Network / Merchant Services Ltd. / Tom Lange Co. Mazda. Frenchman Tristan Vautier, was second just 0.120-sec behind with a lap of 1:10.776 in the #38 Andersen Racing / Moulin TP / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda. Third in the 10-crowd was Quebec racer Mikael Grenier also driving for Andersen racing.  Read more

Superleague Formula:  Alvaro Parente will defend Futebol Clube do Porto colours in the 2010 Superleague Formula by Sonangol, a championship where he has already won.The driver from Oporto  gave his hometown’s Club a win in the second race at Estoril last year  during his only appearance in the series. Driving for Futebol Clube do Porto is something that makes him very proud. “As a fan, it’s a great honour for me to be able to defend my club colours in this championship. Last year I could understand at Estoril the competitiveness that these series already has and I could feel the support from the fans, which was great. The car is different from the GP2 car, but it’s very interesting to drive and it’s a singleseater, which is good to keep me sharp”, he said. The Portuguese driver’s car will be run by Reid Motorsport – an Atech Grand Prix arm. “

26-03-10

Star Mazda: Familiar names topped the time sheet when the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear took to the streets at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.  Leading was Anders Krohn, pole-sitter for the Sebring season-opener last weekend.  His lap of 1:11.798 (90.253 mph) in the #47 Andersen Racing / Norse Cutting & Abandonment / Trallfa / Colosseum Mazda set the pace.  Second, just .014-sec. behind, was Sebring race winner Tristan Vautier, who did a 1:11.812 in his #38 Andersen Racing / Moulin TP / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda.  Rounding out the top-3 was Venezuelan Jorge Goncalvez in the #9 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda.  With a 1:12.329. C|ompleting the top-5 were Brazilian Caio Lara with a 1:12.545 and Richard Kent, with a 1:12. MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder scholarship winner Connor De Phillippi was  forJDC Motorsports while quickest of the trio of local drivers was Nick Andries, who did a 1:13.574 for 11^th. With a 17th-fast lap of 1:14.596 was the quickest Expert Series (drivers 30-44 years old) fpr Patrick O'Neill, making his first start of the season in the #64 / JDC Motorsports / O'Neill Construction Mazda.  The fastest Master Series (drivers 45 and older) driver, with a 22nd-fast lap of 1:16.611 (84.583 mph) was Puerto Rico racer Carlos Conde in the #31 Team GDT / Pronto-GMT / Olympus Securities Mazda.  Full times

Porsche Club Championship: Marque specialist Mark Sumpter has entered the 2010 Porsche Club Championship racing the same 911 3.2 Carrera he campaigned 15-years ago. Having competed in endurance racing and Group C in recent seasons, the Paragon Motorsport team were due to be at the meetings running a 997 GT3 for Stephen Ritchie in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, which will now be joined in the transporter by Mark’s Class One 911. “I’ve bought back the first Porsche I ever raced,” says Mark. “I originally sold my VW Beetle to buy this car and raced it in 1994, it’s the 911 3.2 Carrera last used by Andy Purdie in the Porsche Club Championship in 2005. We are going to be at the meetings running a GT3 Cup Challenge car for Stephen Ritchie, and are looking to run a second car in that series, but want to take the chance to do as many of the rounds as we can with the Carrera. I think I am the only car out there without ABS, but I should be the lightest and we have always had a good relationship with the Porsche Club and Steve Kevlin, so I am really looking forward to Brands Hatch on the 10th. It’s a bit of a race against time to get the car ready, but it’s our local circuit and we are keen to get out there. The 2010 Porsche Club Championship will be contested over 15-rounds at the countries leading circuit, and includes a visit to the Zolder circuit in Belgium in May. Opening round is at Brands Hatch on April 10th. At most rounds the series is joined by the Porsche Club’s new series – the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge.

Formula Ford: A post qualifying penalty has handed Chaz Mostert pole position for Round 1 of the 2010 Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship at Albert Park. The Synergy Motorsport driver was consistently quick throughout the session in his Spectrum 012, which gave him second position. But a post-session penalty handed to Geoff Uhrhane elevated Mostert into first position. Adam Graham was second fastest in his Mygale, three tenths down on Mostert, while Ryan Simpson was third in his Mygale. “The car felt really good out there today and it’s pleasing to know that we have really good race pace,” Mostert said. “It’s a little frustrating to get so close to pole, but it just make us work harder and hopefully we can come away with victory in the race. It’s not how you want to get pole, but we’ll take it this time round. I’m just looking forward to getting into the race.” Geoff Uhrhane’s second best time was good enough for fourth, ahead of Nick Foster and Andre Borell. New Zealander Martin Short, Nicholas McBride, Nathan Morcom and Ash Walsh rounded out the top 10. Race 1 of the Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship gets underway at Albert Park at 12:10 (AEDST) on Saturday.
2010 FORMULA 1 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING
1. Chaz Mostert, Spectrum 012, 2:04.4693
2. Adam Graham, Mygale SJ10a, 2:04.8377
3. Ryan Simpson, Mygale SJ10a, 2:05.0022
4. Geoff Uhrhane, Mygale SJ10a, 2:04.4048
5. Nick Foster, Mygale SJ10a, 2:05.0820
6. Andre Borell, Mygale SJ10a, 2:05.5916
7. Martin Short, Mygale SJ09a, 2:05.6177
8. Nicholas McBride, Spectrum 011b, 2:05.6412
9. Nathan Morcom, Spectrum 012, 2:05.6990
10. Ashley Walsh, Spectrum 012, 2:05.7105

Synergy Motorsport’s Chaz Mostert took his Factory Enterprises/DIY Pool Fencing backed Spectrum 012 to pole position for the opening round of the Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship today(see above). All four 012 model Spectrums qualified in the top 10, with 16 year old rookie Ben Jurczak claiming 10th position in only his third CAMS racing event. The Formula Fords take to the Albert Park circuit for races on Saturday at 12.10 pm and Sunday at 12.15 pm, when the drivers will be looking to give the new Spectrum its first race wins.Mygale’s Betrand Decoster was so impressed with the new Spectrum that he was later seen indulging his penchant for photography, capturing some happy snaps of the Synergy Motorsport Spectrums for the family album.

Karts: TAG Heuer, the official timing partner of the Formula Kart Stars Championship and in order to pay tribute to the FKS Kart Championship drivers and to celebrate motorsports’ stars of tomorrow, TAG Heuer have announced the 2010 TAG Heuer Trophy. The Championship commences April 4th at Rowrah in Cumbria and the TAG Heuer Trophy will reward the best drivers of the 2010 FKS Championship season with iconic TAG Heuer Formula 1 timepieces. Our four Champions will be awarded their TAG Heuer timepiece at the Autosport Awards on December 5th at the Grosvenor Hotel, London. Our four Champions will be formally presented again with their TAG Heuer timepiece at the Formula Kart Stars Awards on January 15th at the Autosport Show at the NEC where 2nd and 3rd placed drivers in the Mini Max, Junior Max and KF3 classes will also receive theirs. A TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch will also be awarded to the winning driver's team in the Cadet championship.

Major national championships, like the French one, have the wind in their sails in the world of karting, this season. Thanks to FFSA's efforts to promote and organise the GPOs as closely as possible to drivers' expectations, the French Championship 2010 should  attract a high number of participants. All of the staff from FFSA's karting organization - and first of all its president - are working around the clock to promote all the strong points of the French Championship. Jean-Pierre Deschamps, president of CNK, personally meets the managers of official or private teams, from France or abroad, to discuss with them the merits of the GPOs. As soon as the new version of the Web site gpokarting was launched and registrations opened, TKC, the operator of the French Championship, was flooded with requests.To stay on the financial aspects of competition, registration to the whole championship allows to save almost 500 EUR for a season and the FFSA has decided to contribute to cost reduction efforts by offering a set of racing tyres for free to all participants, at each single meeting.Definitely, the Federation is sparing no effort to ensure the success of GPOs 2010. Register, check out the news and find all the useful information you may need on the Web site gpokarting.com.

V de V : On April 16-18th, the French organizer V de V Sports, will run two six-hour endurance races towards both it’s European Challenges at Mugello.  One race will be for 2 litres modern Sport Prototypes coming from all over Europe, and one other race for modern GT and Touring cars. The GT/Touring V de V Endurance Challenge will feature the finest current GT cars, Ferraris, Mosler MT900s, Lamborghini Gallardos, Viper, etc and of course various Porsches, notably 964, 996 and 997s. Alongside will be the Touring cars dominated by BMW M3 and Silhouettes with V6 engines such as Mercedes or Volkswagen Sirocco. The second race, the Proto V de V Endurance Challenge for 2 litres Sport Prototypes with the French Norma, Ligier, Merlin, Funyo or Sportdrive, facing the English Juno, Radical, Chevron or Lola, with the Austrian PRC and Italian Osella or Lucchini thrown in as well.   

Porsche Carrera Cup GB: A 27-car field with at least eight potential winners plus some excellent racing in the pro-am1 and pro-am2 all beckon with the start of the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Thruxton next weekend(3/4 April). Alongside the established ‘old guard’ of Tim Harvey and Michael Caine will be 8 Carrera Cup debutants.  In the pro category as well as the aformentioned Harvey and Caine at Red Line Racing and Motorbase Performance repectively there will be 2010 Carrera Cup GB Scholarship winners Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) and Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing) both with racing pedigrees albeit nit in Porsches. Stephen Jelley also at Team Parker Racing, has switched from the BTCC to the Carrera Cup and he has plenty of experience both in touring cars and F3, while young Tom Bradshaw (JHR) is back for a second season after winning his 2009 Carrera Cup Scholarship year. Lining up with Caine at Motorbase is Charles Bateman, but the biggest threat to Harvey and Caine could be Aberdeen teenager Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing), who won pro-am2 and pro-am1 titles over the last two seasons. The pro-am1 category has a great line-up and two drivers stood clear at the close of the Silverstone test day. Ollie Jackson (Motorbase Performance) put down his marker for the pro-am1 by setting fourth fastest time overall behind Caine, Harvey and Geddie. Meanwhile, Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) ran very strongly at Silverstone despite a lack of testing and could be the big rival to Jackson.  But there are plenty of other pro-am1 contenders, including single-seater converts Archie Hamilton and Oman-based Ahmad Al Harthy and racing returnee Andrew Shelley, all part of Red Line Racing. Also in pro-am1 are the two Lithuanian drivers Jonas Gelzinis and Tautvydas Barstys from Juta Racing. In pro-am2, defending champion Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) was top at Silverstone, but has never raced at Thruxton before. He has a gaggle of rivals including Mark Hazell (JHR), Paul Hogarth (IN2 Racing), George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) and George Brewster from Celtic Speed.

Formula Renault UK : Josh Mulholland served notice of his potential in the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship during the final official test at Snetterton this week, ending the two-days 10th overall on combined times while his  team-mate at  Manor Competition, Will Stevens set the fastest time of all. Over the two days his best lap was an impressive 1m04.860s(108.34mph), 0.7secs of his more experienced team-mate. On day one the Mulholland Scrap Metals-backed racer started well with 13th fastest time, a 1m05.883 in session one. He then improved by a second during the afternoon to move into the overall top 10. Wednesday' had 4 sessions with Josh’s best a 1m05.539 in the second period. Inside the top 10 during the opening run on a damp track, he then improved markedly during the dry second session to go an excellent fifth fastest. "It's been great to finally get a consistent couple of days under my belt, it's given me the chance to learn more about the car and to try and assert myself", he said, "I can't wait for the season to start now. We've had more than our share of problems during the pre-season but to end testing 10th fastest overall is a great way to finish up and it's an indication of what we're capable of. It's going to be an incredibly tough championship but I'm really looking forward to it."

F2000: The revitalized USF2000 National Championship opens its 2010 season at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg this weekend with qualifying set for 8 a.m. Saturday before the first two races will at 12:20 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday.  Although Formula 2000 cars raced in earlier editions of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, they haven't been there for years. The USF2000 National Championship is back this year with the blessings of the Indy Racing League (IRL), which has deemed the series the first step on its official "Road to Indy" program. (in between are Star Mazda and Indy Lights). JDC Motorsports, the reigning Star Mazda team champion, leads the way with three entries. One of its cars will be driven by Mikhail Goikhberg from St. Petersburg, the Ruyssion one! His teammates are Raphael Abbate of Sao Paulo and Martin Sala of Columbia.  Three other teams have two drivers each. Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing will field Patrick McKenna of Dublin and British karting champ Josh Fielding. Liberty Motorsports hasTerrick Mansur of Aruba and Matthew Powers from California. Pabst Racing Services drivers are Martin Scuncio of Concepcion, Chile and the only National class competitor in the race, J.R. Smart of Wisconsin. Rounding out the grid are single-car entries from AcceleRace Motorsports  with Ardie Greenamyer of Louisville, AIM Autosport’s Anthony Furfari of  Ontario,Andretti Autosport with top karter and Skip Barber National driver Sage Karam from the Andrettis' hometown of Nazareth and Z Sports Midwest which is banking on Alabam’s Benjamin Searcy who was the Rookie of the Year in the F2000 series in 2009.

Add another car and yet another team to the opening weekend at VIR for the F2000 Championship Series. 2007 Series champion Cole Morgan returns to the Series for the first time since winning the season finale at Lime Rock Park to take his championship almost two and a half years ago. He will drive the #1 RF06 Van Diemen for a joint venture between Greisiger Motorsports and K-Hill Motorsports. It will be Morgan’s inaugural race with the team, and team President Kurt Greisiger said that, “the program is focused on young drivers with potential.“We’re thrilled to have Cole (Morgan) drive for us in 2010,” Greisiger continued. “We are also pleased to return to the F2000 Series for the first time since 2008. The Series is a proven winner in developing competitors who aspire to go to the next level.” Morgan said  “My expectations are as high as you can possibly imagine,” commented the 2007 champion. “Last time I ran a race in F2000 I won and took the championship, so anything short of a win will be a disappointment. I’m not here to participate; I’m here to continue to make a name for myself as well as K-Hill and Greisiger. The cool thing about the series is you have such a mix of talent. Remy Audette is quick, and you can’t rule out Victor (Carbone) or Fabio (Orsolon) either, plus (Jonathan) Scarallo.”

Superleague Formula : Davide Rigon will return to Superleague Formula by Sonangol this season with Belgian side RSC Anderlecht in a bid to reclaim the crown he won two years ago. The Italian was the series’ very first champion back in 2008 with Chinese club Beijing Guoan, before moving to Olympiacos for the first three races of last season. Anderlecht meanwhile have proven one of the most consistent performers in Superleague Formula over the past two seasons after finishing sixth and fourth overall in the league standings, Yelmer Buurman claiming the club’s first victory at the final round in Jarama last year. Davide Rigon: “I’m very happy to be representing Anderlecht this year. Obviously I will have another go at winning the championship and although I realise I’m facing a difficult task, I have total confidence in the Azerti team. I’m already looking forward to battling for podiums and victories for Anderlecht and the team.” Anderlecht meanwhile are also happy about the appointment of Rigon and Azerti.Herman Van Holsbeeck, RSCA General Director: “With Davide Rigon, the RSCA team has brought in an established driver while Wim Coekelbergs is well known for his craftsmanship. Superleague Formula is an elite, high class sport and a creative way to highlight soccer and the big clubs”.

Craig Dolby will return to Tottenham Hotspur this season as he begins his bid for a first Superleague Formula by Sonangol crown. He finished second last season after taking the league title fight with Liverpool down to the wire at Jarama. Now in his third season of Superleague Formula, Dolby will continue with Alan Docking Racing as he attempts to build on the one victory and five podiums he achieved in 2009. Craig Dolby: “I can’t wait for the season to start. I said at the end of 2009 that if I got the chance to come back again, 2010 had the makings of a fantastic year for myself and Spurs. I am grateful that Alan Docking stuck by me over the winter and wanted to keep me in his team. The same goes for Tottenham actually, which is a great endorsement. There’s no question that I’m aiming to go one better and win the title this season. I’ve only got the top step in mind. It’s going to be tough as some great drivers have been signed which is fantastic not only for the championship but also myself, as it gives me the chance to go up against them and hopefully come out somewhere near the top”. A Club spokesperson said: “We are absolutely delighted to have retained Craig Dolby as our driver for the Tottenham Hotspur Superleague Formula car for the forthcoming season. He did fantastically well to secure the runner up place last year and showed himself to be one of the most exciting drivers in the series. Building on last year’s success we hope Craig, with the support of Alan Docking Racing, will have a real chance of winning the Championship this time round”.

25-03-10

Cadwell Park launches 2010 season.  Ahead of its busiest ever season in 2010, riders and drivers from all the major championships visiting Cadwell Park this year gathered at the circuit on Wednesday (24 March) for an official season launch event. Cadwell will host 36 meetings in 2010, and among the top talents marking the launch were six leading riders from the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship: Louth-based HM Plant Honda duo Ryuichi Kiyonari and Josh Brookes - the latter expressing his excitement at the prospect of getting airborne over the mountain on his first race outing at the circuit - Worx Crescent Suzuki's Tommy Hill and Swan Honda's James Ellison. BSB will visit Cadwell Park twice this season, and the quartet of riders performed some exclusive demonstration laps to whet the appetite of the season launch guests, as well as undertaking some private testing during the afternoon. Cadwell Park also welcomes the Modified Live performance car festival, and a selection of vehicles took to the track for some sensational displays of action in vehicles including European Drift Championship drift cars and performance modified cars from the Time Attack Series. calendar

Michelin Formula Renault UK : Will Stevens says he’s feeling confident ahead of the first rounds of the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship after topping the timesheets on the final official pre-season test at Snetterton circuit on 23rd/24th March  read more

Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship front-runner Will Stevens ended this week’s final test of the  pre-season quickest of all for Manor Competition, the 18-year-old heading the combined timesheets at Snetterton by just over 0.1secs. Little more than a week away from the opening rounds of the championship, the team’s Lewis Williamson(right) was third overall while Josh Mulholland was 10th and Thomas Hylkema 11th. Day one on Tuesday provided the quickest times. Stevens leading the way with a 1m04.150 (109.54mph), just 0.156 seconds ahead of Scottish 20-year-old Williamson in third. Northern Irishman Mulholland, set  10th best time of 1m04.860 while Hylkema was a whisker behind in 11th position with a time of 1m04.912. On Wednesday the Formula Renault UK competitors had four sessions with the first on a damp track headed by Williamson after he produced a time of 1m10.589. Stevens was third during the first session and continued his front-running into the next run with the third best lap. Williamson was also consistently strong and finished session two second fastest, 0.157 seconds ahead of his team-mate. Session two was the best of the day for Mulholland who was fifth fastest. Hylkema, meanwhile, produced his best effort of the final day during session three, closing to within 0.9s of the pace.pics from Snetterton Jakaob Ebrey photography

Clio Cup:  Team Pyro’s Dave Newsham set the fastest time during official pre-season testing for the ELF Renault Clio Cup with Michelin at Snetterton on Wednesday. Returning for his second season of the one-make series, the 42-year-old former Legends racer posted a best time of 1min 17.826s (90.29mph average) around the 1.952-mile Norfolk circuit.  His time was also inside both the current lap record (1min 17.975s, Matt Allison) and last year’s best testing time set by 2009 runner-up Alex MacDowall. Total Control Racing’s Sam Tordoff (see story below), was second best time with a 1min 17.966s. The first of four sessions saw Newsham quickly jump to the top of the timesheets closely followed by Tordoff and newcomer Jack Goff, 19, running with championship winning team Pyro.  Newsham repeated his performance in the second session before the lunch break, setting what would become the best time of the day, with Tordoff, Team Pyro racers David Dickenson and Goff along with Westbourne Motorsport’s James Colburn also running strongly. The Inverness racer continued to dominate in the third session with Goff once again impressing before Tordoff eventually put a stop to Newsham’s unbeaten run by going top in the final session of the day with the 20-year-old lapping in the high 1min 17s. The final session also saw improvements for Westbourne Motorsport’s Rob Gaffney and 20Ten Racing’s Darren Wilson with Clio Cup debutant Mathew Munson, racing with Stancombe Vehicle Engineering, also gaining some valuable track time.Commenting on his performance Newsham said: “Pyro have given me a great car which feels much sharper and I can’t wait to begin racing. I’ve tested well all season and I’m certainly feeling confident ahead of the first rounds at Thruxton.”

Sam Tordoff underlined his potential as a 2010 ELF Renault Clio Cup title contender during official testing at Snetterton yesterday, 24th March, with a strong performance for multiple championship winning team Total Control Racing. Tordoff, who returns with TCR for his second season of car racing this year, was second fastest overall with a 1m17.966 s (90.13mph) during the final session. Although running with very old tyres throughout the first two sessions, he was still second and third fastest respectively with times of 1m18.585 and 1m18.376. During the final run of the day, he shot to the top of the times and in doing so closed to within just a 10th of a second of veteran racer Dave Newsham’s morning best.TCR team principal Lee Brookes commented: “It was a good day in all honesty, we’re very pleased with Sam’s pace and we came away from Snetterton exactly where we thought we’d be. Had we used new tyres in the morning then I’ve no doubt we’d have been quickest overall. “We know we can go quicker. Sam wasn’t happy with his fastest time from the afternoon as he felt his lap wasn’t as tidy as it should have been so, considering he was still two 10ths of a second clear of anyone else at that point, that’s very encouraging.”

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB has teamed up with Sacred to provide teams, drivers and guests with gourmet coffee throughout the coming race season. Sacred will be the supplier of coffee in the Carrera Cup race centre, which is home to over 300 people on busy race weekends.
"I am delighted to be supporting the Porsche Carrera Cup GB with my gourmet coffee brand Sacred," said Wanigasekera. "Having been involved in the BTCC in the past as a team member and driver manager, its wonderful to return as a sponsor for 2010. It’s a great opportunity for our brand to be associated with Porsche, as we share similar values on excellence and quality."

Formula Ford: Geoff Uhrhane will start the first race of the 2010 Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship from pole after scraping into first position in qualifying at Albert Park. The Sonic Motor Racing driver did a quick lap early in the session in his Mygale SJ10a and remained unchallenged to take his first Australian Formula Ford Championship pole position.
Chaz Mostert was second fastest in his Spectrum, coming agonizingly close to Uhrhane’s time, while Adam Graham was third in his Mygale. “It was tough to find a clean lap out there, but we were luck to get some clean air and bag a good lap,” said Uhrhane. “The car is handling really well and I think we’re going to be really strong in the race, so I have to thank Sonic Motor Racing Services for that.” Second placed Mostert put together a string of quick laps, but fell just short of Urhane and will start the race from second,.“The car felt really good out there today and it’s pleasing to know that we have really good race pace,” Mostert said. “It’s a little frustrating to get so close to pole, but it just make us work harder and hopefully we can come away with victory in the race.” Ryan Simpson was fourth in the Paramatta Smash Repairs Mygale, ahead of Nick Foster and Andre Borell. New Zealander Martin Short, Nicholas McBride, Nathan Morcom and Ash Walsh rounded out the top 10. Race 1 gets underway at Albert Park at 12:10 (AEDST) on Saturday.
2010 FORMULA 1 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING
1. Geoff Uhrhane, Mygale SJ10a, 2:04.4048
2. Chaz Mostert, Spectrum 012, 2:04.4693
3. Adam Graham, Mygale SJ10a, 2:04.8377
4. Ryan Simpson, Mygale SJ10a, 2:05.0022
5. Nick Foster, Mygale SJ10a, 2:05.0820
6. Andre Borell, Mygale SJ10a, 2:05.5916
7. Martin Short, Mygale SJ09a, 2:05.6177
8. Nicholas McBride, Spectrum 011b, 2:05.6412
9. Nathan Morcom, Spectrum 012, 2:05.6990
10. Ashley Walsh, Spectrum 012, 2:05.7105

Synergy Motorsport driver Chaz Mostert has struck the first blow of the 2010 Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship by finishing the first practice session fastest. Mostert sent a clear message to his championship rivals Ashley Walsh and Ryan Simpson by finishing the session four tenths clear. Mostert’s time of 2m05.5682 was marginally faster than the fastest time set by Nick Percat in the same session last year. The trio lived up the pre-season hype by controlling practice from the get-go, and will no doubt be hard to beat this weekend. Mostert’s performance also gave the new Spectrum 012 a dream debut, with the Victorian-built chassis finish first and second in the session. The fastest Mygale was third in the hands of Simpson. Nicholas Foster, driving a Mygale, finished the one and only practice session for the weekend in fourth, followed by Nicholas McBride and Geoff Uhrhane. Adam Graham, Tom Williamson, Andrew Borell and Ben Jurczak rounded out the top 10.

2010 FORMULA 1 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX - PRACTICE

1. Chaz Mostert, Spectrum 012, 2:05.5682

2. Ashley Walsh, Spectrum 012, 2:06.0081

3. Ryan Simpson, Mygale SJ10a, 2:06.0398

4. Nicholas Foster, Mygale SJ10a, 2:06.2185

5. Nicholas McBride, Spectrum 011b, 2:06.4242

6. Geoff Uhrhane, Mygale SJ10a, 2:06.4397

7. Adam Graham, Mygale SJ10a, 2:06.7856

8. Tom Williamson, Mygale SJ09a, 2:07.2670

9. Andre Borell, Mygale SJ10a, 2:07.2837

10. Ben Jurczak, Spectrum 012, 2:07.4877

British GT: With over 20 provisional and cars from manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari, Porsche and Lotus the Avon Tyres British GT Championship is looking very good for 2010.  With the start of the season just over as week away at Oulton Park on Easter Monday (5 Apr) the series is looking very healthy indeed.  Read more      pic Jakaob Ebrey photography

Karts: This weekend (27-28 March) sees the opening round of the Easykart season kick off at Ellough Park Raceway, a little gem of a circuit that has been refreshed, rejuvenated and redeveloped by Richard Lock and his team, and hosts the first visit of a national championship of 2010. Reigning Light champion Terry Langley is taking a sabbatical from racing, but will be a regular presence in the paddock as he turns his attentions to driver coaching. The Heavy class’s number one hinted that he might abandon his crown when he finished third in last November’s E Plate meeting at Clay Pigeon, and indeed Kieran McCullough has confirmed his switch to the Light category. Similarly, Junior champion Patrick Lay will come of age in both senses of the word when he makes his Light debut on Sunday. After steamrollering the Cadet opposition, James DeHavillande will test himself against the Junior regulars and a welter of newcomers. The Cadet class is now an exciting alternative for 8 to 13-year olds and championship organisers Club100 have received double the number of entries for the corresponding first round fixture last year. As its Managing Director, John Vigor says: “It’s going to be great. Ellough is a superb place to go racing and I’m delighted that Easykart will be the first national series to christen the new track extension. With every one of our 2009 champions moving on, we’re guaranteed to see new race-winners and champions emerge and that can only be good.” In total over 120 drivers have entered and both senior classes will require B finals. The new schedule will now see one timed qualifying session, with a (ten minute-plus one lap) heat replacing the old second session. Following the European model, the event will then consist of a repecharge and two finals, pre and main.  The action starts from 10:00am on Sunday at Ellough Park Raceway, near Beccles.

GTs HEXIS AMR have named their third GT3 driver: Thomas Accary.twice runner-up and entering his third seaspon with the Aston Martin DBRS9 #2. Philippe Dumas, Team Manager, goes back over the signature: “Our goal is to do a programme in continuity with a genuine will to see Thomas run in one of our GT1s in the World Championship next year. I believe in him for this adventure as I did by trusting him in early 2008 for his first experience in GT while he was getting through a phase of doubts.”  Q & A

Can you go back over the 2009 season?

2009 proved to be a very constructive year, for me as well as for the team (HEXIS Racing AMR). It brought me a little more experience and I’m very satisfied with the results we got (in 2009, for the first time, HEXIS Racing AMR won the title of FIA GT3 European Team Champion). I’m glad I could realize the goals of 2008, by climbing up the final step of the podium, as we then were European Vice Champions.

What are your objectives for 2010?  Victory! And this time, a complete victory by winning both the Teams and Drivers titles with HEXIS AMR. I hope I will get even more experience and that I’ll learn new things thanks to HEXIS AMR’s involvement in the FIA GT1 World Championship, notably via their GT1 drivers (Jean-Denis Delétraz, Frédéric Makowiecki, Clivio Piccione and Jonathan Hirschi).

What qualities would you like your future team mate to have?

Above all constancy, team work and performance of course! His record doesn’t matter…

Any closing words?

I want to thank Euro-Négoce (retailer in electrical equipment) who has been following me for six years, and Peter Tanisman (Swiss watchmaker). At last, a big thank-you to my father, HEXIS AMR and the energy drink Kalaschnikow.

Formula 3: The 2010 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series will get it’s 2010 season underway next weekend at  Oulton Park over Easter (3-5 Apr) with drivers from as far away as Aisa and South America taking part, all looking to win the title that might, just might, lead to a F1 future.  The series has a new format in 2010 which will include 30 races over 10 events including visits to both Hockenheim and Spa.   Read more      pic Jakaob Ebrey photography

GP2: Pastor Maldonado was quickest for the second day of GP2 Series tests at le Castellet. On a 2A configuration track, the Venezuelan clocked in a best of 1:09.769, one tenth quicker than Dani Clos who led the field most of the day. The trouble-free morning session started under clear blue skies and saw rookie Dani Clos at Racing Engineering top the timesheets in a 1:10.288 ahead of Tuesday’s quickest driver Maldonado while rookies Jules Bianchi and Sam Bird confirmed ART's good form finishing respectively third and fourth. Christian Vietoris placed the second Racing Engineering car in the Top five, four hundredths faster than Arden's Charles Pic. In the cooler afternoon session with just 20 minutes left on the clock, Maldonado bettered Clos' morning time by half a second while the Spaniard also improved his personal best, but not enough to claim quickest of the day. They were the only two drivers able to lap the French track in less than 1m10s. Already in the Top ten this morning, Super Nova's rookie Josef Kral finished with the third best performance of the day ahead of iSport's Oliver Turvey and GP2 returnee Ho-Pin Tung at Dams. The French squad put both their cars in the top ten along with Rapax, iSport, and ART. Marcus Ericsson lost control of his Super Nova car at the pit exit at the beginning of the afternoon session and could not complete any lap.

F2000: Liberty Motorsports will move into pro racing this weekend (March 27-28) when it takes part in the season-opening rounds of the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. Terrick Mansur and American formula car rookie Matthew Powers will drive for the multiple race winning team. After several years of success in the amateur FF2000, Liberty Motorsports has elected to go pro-racing full-time in 2010 in both the USF2000 National Championship and F2000 Championship. First up is the season-opener doubleheader for the revitalized USF2000 series, racing in conjunction with the IndyCar Series on the streets of St. Petersburg.  Mansur is returning to racing after a two-year hiatus to pursue his education. Piloting the No. 14 Liberty Motorsports Van Diemen which is supported by Aruba.com.  Powers, from California,  impressed the team with his speed and feedback in private testing. Currently only scheduled to run six of the 12 series races, he will make his car racing debut in the USF2000 National. "We are looking forward to this weekend at St. Petersburg to see where we stand with our effort in the revitalized USF2000 series," said Team Manager and Lead Mechanic Chuck Lessick. "Terrick and Matt are capable drivers who work well with the team and give great feedback. We are well prepared, and have assembled a team that is deep with experience. I believe this experience will pay dividends in Liberty Motorsports' hunt for the championship."

Motors TV will re-affirm its commitment to top-class sportscar and GT racing this season by screening the FIA GT3 European Championship LIVE. The ‘High Speed Television’ channel will screen all 12 races from the high-profile six-round series LIVE or delayed-as-live.The FIA GT3 European Championship has attracted near-capacity grids for the past few seasons, with 12 different marques; Ford, Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW, Audi, Lamborghini, Dodge, Ascari and Morgan, represented in 2009. Fred Viger, Motors TV’s Head of Programming and Acquisitions: “2010 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for the channel and for motorsport in general. We are delighted to be able to add live coverage of the fantastic GT3 European Championship to our stable of live events. Motors TV has always supported GT racing at all levels, so to have such a high profile championship, live, is a huge fillip for our loyal viewers.” Stephane Ratel, founder and CEO or SRO Motorsports Group: “The FIA GT3 European Championship is Europe's premier GT Championship and the most exciting motorsport series on the continent, and we are delighted that Motors TV will broadcast the races live across Europe in 2010.  Last year’s championship saw 15 drivers and four marques coming into the final two-rounds at Zolder, still in with a chance of lifting the title. I'm sure that we will see another fantastic season and Motors TV’s viewers will get to watch some of the world’s most prestigious marques in close combat at a range of fantastic circuits.”
FIA GT3 European Championship – Round 1, Silverstone:
Race 1 – Saturday 1 May at 1.45pm.
Race 2 – Sunday 2 May at 12pm.

24-03-10

Formula Renault: James Theodore put Hillspeed on top of the Protyre Formula Renault BARC timesheets at Snetterton on Tuesday, during the latest official test session of the 2010 pre-season. With just over three weeks remaining until the start of the championship, Theodore produced another consistently strong performance at the 1.95-mile Norfolk track to end the outing with a best lap of 1m05.992 seconds (106.48mph). The Liberty Properties Plc-backed driver concluded this week’s test half a second clear of his nearest rival and as the only BARC competitor to dip below the 1m06 seconds mark. Posting a best time of 1m07.699during session one, he improved during the afternoon.“Once again James delivered with an excellent showing this week, his times were well clear of his nearest rival”, said Hillspeed team principal Richard Ollerenshaw, “It was certainly a challenging test for all of the drivers as it was very gusty, with constant wind direction changes. James coped very well though and was in terrific form, we’re delighted with his pace and overall performance.”

 The Porsche Carrera Cup GB will again have a superb television package in 2010, with extensive coverage in the 'Motorsport UK' series on both ITV1 and ITV4. In addition, a number of Carrera Cup GB races will feature during the live coverage of the BTCC race days on ITV4.
'Motorsport UK' will cover the BTCC support races  with two prime time slots on ITV4 and a late night screening on ITV1. In addition, Motorsport UK will also be screened on the Men and Motors channel. In total. The TV package for the Carrera Cup will feature coverage on ITV4 as part of the BTCC package during a live programme on the season's ten race days. Whilst this coverage focuses on the BTCC races, some of the support race action, including the Carrera Cup GB, will again feature within this major broadcast, which has been extended in 2010 to run for six and a half hours on each race day. Each programme will run from 11.30am until 6pm. "This is a superb TV package and gives our teams and drivers excellent exposure for their sponsors," said championship manager Marion Barnaby. "The Porsche Carrera Cup GB is a key support race to the BTCC and the live coverage of the BTCC race days ensures that this is an unbeatable package." Exact transmission dates and times, along with the schedule of which races will be covered in each programme, will be announced in due course.

F2000 Championship Series drivers and teams will see an enormous amount of track time at the opening rounds of the 2010 championship at VIR, April 9-11. Six hours and 30 minutes in fact.  The weekend unofficially starts on Thursday April 8, with a full test day. Three 45 minute sessions in the morning are followed by two more in the afternoon. Friday sees two afternoon practice sessions, 25 and 30 minutes each. Saturday and Sunday both feature a 25 minute morning qualifying session followed by an afternoon 14-lap or 30 minute race.  “For any young driver seat time is the most important factor in his or her driving development, we have always prided ourselves that we offer our competitors tons of track time in order to maximize their seat time and learning curve,” said Series Managing Director Michael Rand. “Similarly, our more experienced drivers can easily try a few tweaks and return to the track to see if it worked on an apple to apple comparison. More laps are always better than fewer.” Rookie Timothy Paul, who comes out of midget and sprint car racing along with his new-to-F2000 SMR two-car team commented: “As a rookie it's absolutely helpful. You have to remember I have no experience on these tracks. Every second of practice is helping my confidence and the team's ability to prepare and get acclimated. You can never be too well prepared. Six and a half hours of track time at VIR is about as close as you can come to a perfect opportunity, especially at the beginning of the season.” Jonathan Scarallo, who recently announced his sophomore F2000 campaign as an R-Sport driver said: “It is a terrific way to start the season especially for people on a small budget such as myself who did not get to do any winter testing. It also gives us an opportunity to try some new things on the cars, and just get the rust off a bit as well.”

Formula 3: Fortec driver Oli Webb gave his pre-season hopes for the forthcoming Cooper Tires British F3 season a major boost today(Wednesday) in the final day of testing ahead of the championship’s first race.  Knutsford-based Webb topped by the timesheets by a 0.02secs margin, and went 0.06secs better than yesterday’s best time, which was set by Carlin driver Jean-Eric Vergne. Vergne improved on his Tuesday best also to end the day second overall, just ahead of his team-mate Rupert Svendsen-Cook. T-Sport’s Menasheh Idafar was the quickest of the National class men.The championship’s opening round is a week on Saturday (3 Apr) at Oulton Park. 

Cooper Tires British F3 official testing

Silverstone 24 March

Leading International runners

1  Oli WEBB / GBR,  Fortec Dallara-Mercedes  1m 40.395s

2  Jean-Eric VERGNE / FRA,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 40.418s

3  Rupert SVENDSEN-COOK / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 40.439s

4  William BULLER / GBR,  Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 40.553s

5  James CALADO / GBR,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 41.121s

6  Gabriel DIAS / BRA,  Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 41.361s

7  Carlos HUERTAS / COL,  RR Dallara-Mercedes  1m 41.471s

8  Daniel McKENZIE / GBR,  Fortec Dallara-Mercedes  1m 41.627s

9  Adriano BUZAID / BRA,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 41.713s

10  Felipe NASR / BRA,  RR Dallara-Mercedes  1m 41.721s etc

Leading National Class runners

1  Menasheh IDAFAR / GBR,  T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 42.004s

2  James COLE / GBR,  T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 43.572s

3  Kelvin SNOEKS / NED,  West-Tec Dallara-Mugen Honda,  1m 44.876s

T-Sport’s Menasheh Idafar concluded the 2010 pre-season this morning, Wednesday, 24th March, precisely the way he started it a month ago – by comfortably emerging as the fastest of the National Class competitors. Marking the final track action for the British F3 runners ahead of Easter Weekend’s championship curtain-raiser at Oulton Park, today’s outing at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit took place in changeable conditions with the track drying progressively throughout the morning. Setting a best time of 1m42.004 seconds (112.74mph) with his final lap, he ended the session an excellent 12th quickest overall and 1.5 seconds ahead of nearest National Class runner, team-mate James Cole. During all seven officially timed test days held throughout the past four weeks, Menasheh has been the fastest National Class driver so heads into his maiden season of Formula 3 action hopeful he can continue that trend.“I’m really pleased with the outcome today, the track conditions were tricky early on but I was still able to be around the top 10 overall”, said the 18-year-old, “We’ve had a really good pre-season and everything has gone as well as I could have hoped. I can’t wait for the championship to start now! At Oulton Park we go straight in to qualifying, there’s no test day, so it’ll be very important to get up to speed quickly. If I can have a consistent weekend with three strong results I’ll be happy, that’s my aim. The main thing will be to score some good points and to learn as much as I can.”  He also went well yesterday ( 23rd March) leading the National Class times by some 1.8 seconds with a  1m42.117s during the second of the Tuesday’s four sessions. Placing him seventh fastest overall at that point and 11th overall on combined times.  Session one was run in the wet and so times were around 10 seconds outside the eventual pace of the day. During the opening run, Menasheh was seventh quickest with a time of 1m53.450. After setting his fastest time in session two, the British-born Bahraini was 13th quickest overall in the third period with a 1:42.823 in damp conditions In the fourth session, he didn’t get a chance on slicks towards the end as red flags intervened. Pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

Formula 3 Euroseries title contender Alexander Sims overcame illness and seriously limited seat-time during the final officially timed test of the pre-season at Valencia, Spain, this week to post an impressive fourth fastest time overall.Driving for ART Grand Prix, the second-year F3 racer did an outstanding job in difficult circumstances during the latest two-day outing to produce a 1m28.29 seconds, just 0.2s off the outright pace. Missing the entirety of the opening morning on Monday, 22nd March, due to stomach-related illness, he still managed to lap in 1m29.256 in the afternoon to finish the first day 0.3 seconds adrift. On Tuesday, 23rd March, Alexander improved his pace during the morning run to record his best effort but any hopes of trying to improve in the last session were dealt a major blow with a gearbox problem. “I had hoped to be quickest at Valencia but considering I only had half a day of running each day of the test, I think we did a good job”, commented the Cambridgeshire driver, “I’m working well with the team and understanding more and more how to get the most out of the ART car. To end this week’s test fourth overall is a pleasing result considering the problems we’ve faced. “On Monday morning I wasn’t able to test at all as I had a very bad stomach complaint but in the afternoon I was able to get out on track and post some reasonable times. The second morning was the fastest session and finishing fourth wasn’t too bad at all. Unfortunately we then had the gearbox problem which meant we had very limited time in the afternoon. All in all though, it’s been positive.”

Karts: Jack Hawksworth, the only British driver in the field produced a brilliant performance to finish a superb second in the prestigious annual Margutti Trophy in Italy - incredibly, only his second competitive outing since rejoining PDB Racing.   Read report             pics Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net

Superleague Formula : French drivers Tristan Gommendy and Julien Jousse will join countryman Franck Montagny on the Superleague Formula by Sonangol grid this season. Gommendy, (right)who has raced in the football-themed series since its first season in 2008, has transferred from FC Porto to Turkish giants Galatasaray. The 31-year-old, who has three Superleague Formula wins, extends the French influence at the 17-times Turkish Super League champions, whose car is run by the Roullion-based Barazi-Epsilon. Barazi-Epsilon will also run Montagny, who was announced at Superleague Formula newcomers Bordeaux last week.Tristan Gommendy: “I am extremely happy to be racing in Superleague Formula again this season and very pleased to be team mates with Franck Montagny at Barazi-Epsilon. To have two drivers of such a high level in the same team will help us to be competitive, as the standard is looking even harder than during the previous years. Without any doubt, Superleague Formula will be one of the most difficult championships in Europe to win this season.”    Jousse(below right), meanwhile, has been re-signed by Italian outfit AS Roma, whose car will be run by DeVillota Motorsport, after making an impressive debut for the Serie A club in Superleague Formula last season, finishing on the podium on his debt at Monza. Julien Jousse: “I had the opportunity to race twice in Superleague Formula at the end of last year and to discover the car as well as the friendly atmosphere during race meetings. It is very different to the junior formulae which are more orientated towards F1. The prize bonus when you finish strongly can also allow a driver to become professional. I am delighted to be able to race against ex-Formula 1 drivers, the more the better as far as I am concerned. The car is fantastic to drive, as it is very powerful and I hope to continue from where I left off last year.”

In other news, a number of changes have been made to this season’s calendar. As announced at the Assen media day on Monday, Oschersleben has been dropped from the schedule in favour of Los Arcos in Spain (Oct 23/24), Adria becomes Italy’s round in favour of Monza (Sept 4/5) while Portimao comes in for Estoril as Portugal’s destination (Sept 18/19).

GTs: Motors TV will screen four rounds of the International GT Open LIVE in 2010, including the season opener at Valencia and the crucial final two meetings of the season in Monza and Barcelona. The GT Open, which caters for GT2-spec machinery in its ‘Super GT’ class and GT3 cars in its ‘GTS’ category, has become one of Europe’s best GT-racing series over recent years and has attracted some of the continent’s top teams. Frederic Viger, Motors TV’s Head of Programming and Acquistions: “When you look at the quality and depth of the grid, it is no surprise that the International GT Open has gained such a strong following among Motors TV viewers. “We screened hour-long highlights of every round in 2009 and this year we’re adding four live rounds at Valencia, Magny-Cours, Monza and Barcelona as well as highlights from all the other races. GT Racing has never been as popular with motorsport fans and we’re recognising that fact with our increased coverage of the GT Open and our other featured series.”  International GT Open – Round 1, Valencia – Sunday 18 April from 12pm

BTCC: Alex MacDowall completed his first official test as a Dunlop MSA BTCC driver on Tuesday, 23rd March, at Brands Hatch with an impressive debut performance at the wheel of his manufacturer-entered Chevrolet Cruze. Confirmed on Monday as team-mate to Jason Plato for 2010 in the Ray Mallock Ltd run Silverline Chevrolet squad, the 19-year-old undertook his first mileage as a fully fledged BTCC driver yesterday morning at the Kent venue’s 1.2-mile Indy Circuit as part of the championship Media Day. Concluding the first of the day’s sessions with the fourth fastest time of 49.109 seconds (87.86mph), just 0.288 seconds shy of Steven Kane’s pace-setting best, Alex went on to almost match that effort during the rain-affected afternoon outing with a best lap of 49.171 seconds (87.75mph).On combined times for the two sessions he was seventh fastest, just 0.447 seconds off the top time set by his Silverline Chevrolet team-mate Plato. An elated Alex said: “I’ve wanted to be in the BTCC since I started my racing career five years ago, to now make my debut in the country’s biggest championship with a team the quality of RML is a dream come true. Obviously, touring cars are a big step-up from the Renault Clio I raced in last year but I’m going to approach this season the same as any other – I’ll try to qualify on the first two or three rows and then work as hard as possible to be a consistent front-runner. Having a team-mate as experienced and quick as Jason (Plato) will be very important for me and I hope to learn a lot from him.” The Cumbrian teenager added: “Testing has gone well so far, we haven’t had a huge amount of time in the car but the miles we have done have been very positive. We’re not reading into today’s times too much as it’s the first official test with all of the drivers and teams together and you never know exactly what everyone else is doing. We’ve made a good start though so I’m pleased.” Alex has enjoyed a great deal of success in his career so far, in 2009 he had his best season to date, taking four wins en-route to the runner-up spot in theELF Renault Clio Cup.

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship has confirmed a 23-car entry for 2010. Despite the current economic climate seven different manufacturers, with nine different models, are represented on the grid, namely: BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, SEAT, Vauxhall and VW Notably Honda and, for the first time, Chevrolet have entered as official manufacturer teams with former champions and fierce rivals Matt Neal and Jason Plato spearheading their campaigns, running under the Team Honda and Silverline Chevrolet banners respectively. Chevrolet's entry will debut it’s Cruze model. Joining Plato at Chevrolet for his debut season in the BTCC will be the youngest driver on the grid, Alex MacDowall who is just19. Gordon Shedden returns alongside Matt Neal at Honda. Uniquely, Team Aon's front-running Ford Focus will be powered by pioneering liquified petroleum gas (LPG) technology, while Triple Eight Race Engineering - which masterminded the factory Vauxhall team's six drivers' titles during the last decade - will continue with a pair of its Vectras for two as-yet unnamed drivers.Two teams, Pirtek Racing and Pinkney Motorsport, will use the BTCC's turbo-charged 'Next Generation Touring Car' engine, each in a Vauxhall Vectra, ahead of the arrival of full-blown NGTC regulations in 2011. WSR, 2009's title-winning team, and Airwaves BMW will both continue to run BMW320si model, but with new driver line-ups. Robert Collard, an Airwaves driver in 2009, and Andy Neate - back after a remarkable recovery from serious injury - are both in at WSR. Meanwhile, Mat Jackson and the returning Steven Kane form Airwaves' line-up. Newcomer Forster Motorsport makes it six BMWs on the grid. In addition, the VW Golf  will appear in the BTCC for the first time since 1989, run by new team AmD Milltek Racing.com. Also entering its first BTCC campaign, Special Tuning UK maintains SEAT's presence with the Spanish make's Leon. Meanwhile, Hondas and Vauxhalls are further represented thanks to four smaller teams entering older but nevertheless still-potent BTC-spec cars. Running Honda Integras - one for pop star Mel C's brother Paul O'Neill - are Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport and, making its debut, Central Group Racing. TH Motorsport is fielding a Honda Civic Type R and Boulevard Team Racing continues with its 2001 Vauxhall Astra Coupe that twice achieved top ten results in 2009.

ETCC: Michaël Rossi from the Rhône Alpes region will be out this year with SUNRED racing in the new French Seat Leon Super Copa and the Eurocup. On top of that this weekend, he will also be on the grid for the FIA European Touring Car Cup.  Rossi has blended in perfectly with the Seat Leon and the Spanish team, SUNRED, and this partnership will continue in Europe in three hotly-contested championships. France was one of the last countries not to have its own ‘Super Copa’ Championship which today of course is no longer the case! The 2-litre turbocharged 301 bhp Seat Leon racing in the Eurocup is the same as the one in the French series apart from the tyres, Where  Dunlops are replaced by Pirellis. SUNRED are also running him in the ETCC with the 2.0 Leon TFSI in its WTCC version. “I’m going to race in three championships with the same team and the same engineer and the same race number;” says Michaël, who will have his favourite number 12 throughout the season. “Only one weekend poses a problem, the one in October when the final round of the Seat Leon Supercopa France clashes with the ETCC final. Our decision will depend on my position in the two championships, and I hope it won’t be an easy one! The national championship won’t be a piece of cake, as I’ll be up against some good French drivers who are specialists of front-wheel drive cars; at tracks which I haven’t really visited since my 2006 season in Formula Renault. In the Eurocup, I’ll try to take advantage of my in-depth knowledge of the Pirelli tyres and the majority of circuits on the calendar. We’ll be curtain raisers to the WTCC, and my aim is to catch the deciders’ eye in the top category. In the ETCC, I’ll have to get to grips with a Leon that’s quicker with a more evolved chassis. I’ve already seen a few very tough rivals on the entry list, but I’m feeling pretty confident!”

LMS: Dutch racing driver Carlo van Dam will this season race in the Le Mans Series. The 24-year old has been signed by the Austrian Atlas FX-Team Full Speed that has entered its Saleen S7-R in the LM GT1-class of the championship which in 2010 comprises five races. "I am very happy to be doing the full Le Mans Series this year", Carlo says. "In the past two years I have already done some endurance races in Japan and Europe and that was an enjoyable experience. Also, to me endurance racing can offer good opportunities for the future. "In 2009 I did the Spa 24 Hours with the Full Speed-Saleen and I very much appreciate the fact that the team has now given me the chance to race for them all season this year. Next week we will be testing for the first time."

British GP: Silverstone Circuits Limited and Formula One Management (FOM) have announced details of an exceptional opportunity that will bring fans closer to the Formula 1™ action than ever before. The joint initiative will provide fans with unprecedented levels of access at this year’s Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix(9-11 July), including money-can’t-buy access to the Pit Wall during the F1™ race on Sunday 11 July. Anyone  who  has  purchased two or more tickets for the 2010 British GP prior to12:00hrs on 30 April 2010, will be automatically entered into a prize draw. In  addition to being in with a chance of winning ticket upgrades to the exclusive Formula One Paddock and Paddock Club Hospitality, two lucky individuals will join an  F1™  team on the  Silverstone Pit Wall to experience  first hand the electrifying race atmosphere. The format for the prize draw will be as follows: - 10 fans will have the chance to win a pair of passes to allow access to the Formula One Paddock on Saturday 10 July. - A further draw, among these 10, will allow five fans plus one guest each the chance to have their tickets upgraded to Paddock Club Hospitality on Sunday 11 July. - Of the five couples that would be entertained in Paddock Club Hospitality, two people will be balloted (these would not necessarily be from the same couple) to join an F1™ team on the Silverstone Pit Wall during the Formula 1™ race. The selection of the team will be done by ballot. Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, commented: “This is an unbelievable opportunity for two lucky fans to get closer than ever to the heart of Formula 1™. Very few people, even amongst the teams, gain access to the Pit Wall during a race. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. FOM have been extremely generous in making this opportunity available to fans purchasing tickets for the British Grand Prix.” Tickets for the 2010 Formula 1 Santander British Grand can be booked at www.silverstone.co.uk, or by calling 0844 3728 300*.   *  Prize draw open to anyone purchasing two or more race day or  three-day general admission or grandstand tickets Offer only applicable to tickets purchased via Silverstone Circuits Limited.

23-03-10

V de V : Drivers Club ‘pupil’ Simon Dolan and his coach and club founder, Sam Hancock, scored the team’s first VdeV series victory with a fine against-the-odds performance in a nail biting race in the opening round of the 2010 season, the 4 Hours of Jarama, at the weekend.   read report

Formula 3: Carlin twins Jean-Eric Vergne and Rupert Svendsen-Cook topped the timesheets in official testing for the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series at Silverstone today (Tuesday). On a damp and occasionally drizzly day, no-one was able to get close to Max Chilton's 2009 pole position time of 1m 39.781s. Indeed Vergne, Svendsen-Cook and Fortec driver Oli Webb were the only drivers to break the 1m 41s barrier, Webb setting his top mark with the best time in the fourth and final session of the day. Red Bull-backed French driver Vergne's best time was nearly half a second quicker than his British running mate could manage, with Webb two-tenths further behind. Menasheh Idafar was once again the quickest of the National Class runners in his T-Sport machine. Among those enjoying their first runs with new teams today were Fortec's recent signing, Russian racer Max Snegirev; Indonesia's Rio Haryanto, in a CF Racing/Manor Motorsport car; and Brazilian Lucas Foresti, who started the pre-season with Hitech Racing but who appeared at the wheel of a Carlin Dallara today; Foresti ended his day 16th of the 19 International class runners, some way off the pace of his erstwhile team-mates. There's further testing scheduled for Silverstone on Wednesday morning ahead of the championship media launch.

Cooper Tires British F3 official testing
Silverstone, Northants, 23 Mar 2010
Leading International runners am / pm
1  Jean-Eric VERGNE / FRA,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 40.903s / 1m 40.198s
2  Rupert SVENDSEN-COOK / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 41.410s / 1m 40.683s
3  Oli WEBB / GBR,  Fortec Dallara-Mercedes  1m 41.054s / 1m 40.858s
4  Adriano BUZAID / BRA,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 42.051s / 1m 41.473s
5  Hywel LLOYD / GBR,  CF/Manor Dallara-Mercedes  1m 42.322s / 1m 41.484s
6  Carlos HUERTAS / COL,  RR Dallara-Mercedes  1m 42.257s / 1m 41.522s
7  James CALADO / GBR,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 41.559s / 1m 41.728s
8  Felipe NASR / BRA,  RR Dallara-Mercedes  1m 41.964s / 1m 41.627s
9  Daisuke NAKAJIMA / JPN,  RR Dallara-Mercedes  1m 42.316s / 1m 41.840s
10  William BULLER / GBR,  Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 42.890s / 1m 41.970s etc
Leading National Class runners
1  Menasheh IDAFAR / GBR,  T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 42.117s / 1m 42.843s
2  James COLE / GBR,  T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 43.900s / 1m 45.108s
3  Kelvin SNOEKS / NED,  West-Tec Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 44.236s / 1m 45.675s

Full TSL timesheets: http://bit.ly/bGA0IF

FBMW: Asia Racing Team have signed Suriya Bala Kerisnan Thevar to drive for the team in the 2010 Formula BMW Pacific Series. After two seasons in Karting, Suriya moved up to single seaters last year and had his first taste of single seaters in Asia Racing Team’s Formula Renault at Shanghai. In 2009 he was the first Singaporean driver to race in single seaters at the Singapore Grand Prix, and achieved a “Top-10” in the Macau Grand Prix. Speaking about the season ahead, Suriya said, “I had limited days of testing due to budget constraints. I will just wait for the first race in Sepang to see where I'm going to stand among the other drivers. I'm really looking forward to the season and my home race in Singapore. Pre-season testing was great. I felt a lot of difference in my driving, from the first day till now. I'm half way there and I am going to work hard physically before the Introductory Test.”  Team Manager Philippe Descombes, added “We are very pleased to have Suriya back in the seat with Asia Racing Team. Suriya showed last season he can be very competitive and has grown and matured on and off the race track over the last year due in part to the support of his family and the many positive influences in his life. Our six days of testing went very well, and we had a lot of track time. I am quite happy with Suriya’s development.” Racing across Asia for the eighth year in 2010, FBMW Pacific will open at the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix in April. The series will also support the FIA Formula One World Championship in Singapore, with the potential for a third event at the inaugural Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix. There are two Asian Festival of Speed meetings, scheduled for Sepang and the new F1 circuit in Korea, while the series hopes to return to the Macau Grand Prix for a third successive year for a season-ending round in November.

Facu Regalia was the sixth fastest in the second day of the Formula BMW Europe test at Barcelona after recoveringfrom the gastroenteritis a day earlier. The Hispanic-Argentinean driver completed the second day of testing without any surprises, though he was still suffering some discomfort  from his illness on Sunday.  On Monday the track was dry in the morning and wet in the afternoon and wirth slicks on  Facu set a strong pace leaving him confident after the morning session. “I was the third fastest for a long time and, besides, when I was doing my best lap the team told me to get in the pits, so I couldn’t show my full potential. Later the track improved and some other drivers bettered their times and I fell to the sixth place.”  In the afternoon the heavens opened and soaked the circuit forcing the teams to change set-ups. In these conditions Regalia wasn’t as happy. “In the wet I wasn’t very comfortable. Probably, we didn’t find the right balance, but we start to work in the car in these conditions, which may be useful in the future”. After the Barcelona tests, Regalia’s next test is at Silverstone from April 6-7.

BTCC: RML have confirmed that 'Silverline Chevrolet' will take part in this year's Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with the Chevrolet Cruze, in partnership with Silverline Tools and Chevrolet UK.   Jason Plato will drive one of the cars as he goes for the championship title with the works Silverline Chevrolet team in the Cruze, a car that has already shown tremendous pace earlier this month in the  first FIA WTCC race of the season in Curitiba, Brazil.  Jason: "I always had confidence that teaming up with RML again last year would mean wins - the Chevrolet Lacetti of 2009 was a formidable piece of kit. Now in 2010 we have manufacturer support from Chevrolet, continued support from Silverline and a very exciting new car in the Cruze. We are very motivated to make this our year, the opposition better be ready! Roll on Thruxton." New to the team for 2010 is BRDC rising star, Alex MacDowall, who makes his debut in the BTCC following a great season last year in the Renault Clio Cup. A string of podium finishes in the series last year, followed by two strong tests in the Chevrolet Lacetti last December and most recently, at Oulton Park in the Cruze last week, meant Alex was an obvious candidate for the second seat in the sister car.

Karts: Jordan King produced an impressive and dogged performance in the hotly-fought Trofeo Andrea Margutti in Italy at the weekend. After getting caught other peoples accidents he was forced to start the grand Final well down the grid, However a good start and some good driving resulted in seventh at the flag, which considering the misfortunes he had endured earlier,  was a good result. … read report    pic:  Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net

Ed Brand made a dream start to his British Super 1 kart Championship campaign by winning the first race of the season - and then followed it up with a fine runner-up spot in the second.In tricky, wet conditions on Saturday (20 March), ACR Birel’s new signing was fourth-fastest in timed qualifying. From this promising start, the 15-year old comfortably won his first heat and took third in the return encounter to see him on pole for the first of Sunday’s two points-scoring finals. With twenty nine drivers swarming over the track, Ed was initially pushed wide and dropped to fourth place before fighting back. He soon found himself in second place and harrying the leader before getting by under braking for a tight hairpin and taking a commanding victory.With little time to celebrate, he was back on the grid for the second final and a good start saw him hold onto lead the field across the start/finish line and with drama and crashes behind him, he looked to be holding all the aces. That was until his Birel team-mate, Michael Simpson finally cleared the traffic and began hunting him down. Simpson caught Ed and passed him with an incisive manoeuvre. As the pair ran in line astern, Brand probed and pressed for a way past, but ultimately had to settle for second best rather than risk a collision. “World-class guys like Simmo rarely make mistakes,” he observed with a smile afterwards. “I tried everything I could to force one but Mike had everything covered, and I didn’t want to commit the cardinal sin of crashing into him and letting another driver win. It’s great that we’re both new leading the championship and with a long way to go (six further rounds) there’ll be plenty more chances for me to beat him!”

FPA: French driver Maxime Jousse - brother of F2 race winner Julien - is returning for a second season in the Formula Palmer Audi Championship in 2010. Jousse took his maiden FPA victory at Silverstone in 2009 and scored a total of four podiums during an impressive debut campaign. Despite an unfortunate mid-season run of non-finishes, the talented 18-year-old showed consistent front running pace towards the end of the year, and such strong form marks Maxime as one of the pre-season favourites going into the new season.

Lotus and Cosworth have announced a new strategic partnership to develop high-performance engines for Lotus road and race cars. Cosworth will supply high-performance version of the Toyota engines Lotus uses for its road and track cars, while Cosworth will assemble racing engines for all motorsport activities which are based on Toyota powertrains. The first application of these race engines will be for the V6 engine in the new Lotus Evora Cup racing car. “The ties between Lotus and Cosworth are, of course, already historical ones but our new strategic relationship is based purely on Cosworth’s competencies, brand and race engine development capabilities," said Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. "This new strategic partnership will align two of the most renowned names in the automotive world and will be of huge benefit for both organisations.” Tim Routsis, CEO & Managing Director of Cosworth Group, welcomed the news and looked back on previous successes enjoyed by the partnership. "Our mutual history over many decades resulted in a great number of racing successes and I expect to see further triumphs not only on the racetrack but also in the competitive high performance sportscar market, where Lotus is already acknowledged as a world leader.”

Ginettas: Tom Ingram has made a final plea to secure the sponsorship he needs to be able to compete in the 2010 Ginetta Junior Championship – after an impressive performance on his maiden try-out in the striking new Ginetta G40 at Silverstone. The 16-year-old was at Silverstone to try out the 1.8-litre, 140bhp G40 that he hopes to race this season. Tom explained. “We did over 100 laps in total, so it went well. It was the first time I’d had a mechanic fully dedicated just to me, and it was good to have someone who was able to give me a bit of guidance. The car felt really good – it was all very positive and I really enjoyed driving it. We didn’t get a chance to skim the tyres down to ‘race-spec’; we reckon that lost us about one to one-and-a-half seconds a lap, but we were still pretty close to the ultimate pace, which was good to see. It was all a learning experience really – we were just trying to get as much out of the day as we could.” Tom received praise from Nick Dudfield, the man who ran him at Silverstone and team principal of Porsche Carrera Cup GB squad In2Racing. “It was the first time I had really met Tom,” Dudfield remarked. “From somebody who has had the pleasure of working with some pretty good drivers, my first impression of Tom is that he has potential and a lovely family – and working with people you can relate to and get on with always helps! “It was a good day at Silverstone, and I sense that with the right guidance and a bit of nurturing, he has got a good chance of doing very well. From just the first instance of working with him, he clearly has a very natural speed. I’m full of enthusiasm to try to support him and help him along, and we would definitely like to help him move forward. We are looking to expand our footprint within the TOCA package with the right individual. We’re looking for opportunities to work with new people and generate some new blood – and working with Tom was refreshing. I would certainly give him a glowing report.” pic Jakob Ebrey Photography

Superleague Formula by Sonangol:  The Dutch presence in Superleague Formula will be significant in 2010 with Robert Doornbos signing up to represent Brazilian club Corinthians. Doornbos: “After weighing up all my options for 2010 I decided to go with the Azerti Racing team’s invitation to race for Corinthians in Superleague Formula. Azerti has a strong team and I am honoured to drive for one of the most famous clubs in the world. After spending a year in the US I want to get back to winning races, though I would like to emphasise that my American adventure is not over. Superleague Formula has a very competitive field in 2010, with many former F1 drivers in the line-up and in my opinion it is the most important series in Europe after Formula 1.”  Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven has signed Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan. In today’s press conference in Assen, Team Manager Jan Lammers explained the choice of Karthikeyan: “One of the main reasons for PSV joining Superleague Formula was to globalise their exposure. By contracting Narain and not specifically choosing a Dutch driver they are complying with this objective.” The 33-year old Karthikeyan was the first Indian driver to compete in Formula 1 where he raced with Jordan before moving to Williams as test driver in 2006.  Two other Dutch drivers will be taking part in Superleague Formula this season. Yelmer Buurman, who finished fourth in the last season’s overall standings, will race for AC Milan, while Chris van der Drift has been announced by Greek club Olympiacos.   Van der Drift, who raced with Epsilon Euskadi in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series last season, will be making his debut in Superleague Formula this season.. Van de Drift said: “It will be a new experience for me racing on behalf of a team like Olympiacos in a series that is different to what I have done before. But I am very excited and I can't wait for the first race. It will be different because I have never driven the car before but I am very proud to drive for Olympiacos. It´s a very successful football club with a long tradition and I will try my best to transfer that success into motorsport.”

22-03-10

Super GT 500: Benoît Tréluyer’s Japanese Super GT championship season got underway at Suzuka last weekend.  However low temperatures, rain, tyre problems and a defective windscreen wiper all served to make things difficult for the Frenchman and his co-driver Satoshi Motoyama. The pair did manage to bring their Motul-Autotech Nissan GT-R home in eighth and get some points on board.   Read report

Skip Barber: Daniel Lloyd’s second event in the Skip Barber National Championship had looked promising afgter he finished fifth last Thursday at Sebring. It looked even better on Friday when he stuck his car on pole for the second race of the ALMS support event. However it all went wrong in the race itself when a clogged radiator caused his engine to overheat dropping him from the lead to eleventh at the finish.  Pic: BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Championship presented by Mazda                 Read report

The 2010 FIA European Touring Car Cup starts this week in Braga for the first of its three events. After being held at a single event for the past five years, the ETCC  will visit Austria and Italy after Portugal for the 2010 season. Last year the ETCC visited Braga in October and in rainy race conditions where James Thompson (Honda Acccord) won the S2000 Cup, while Marcis Birkens (Honda Civic) and Carsten Seifert (Ford Fiesta) were crowned in the SP and S1600 classes respectively. Although the number of cars has shrunk compared to previous years, the Super 2000 12-car field promises close competition. In the major class, local drivers César Campaniço (BMW) and Francisco Caravalho (BMW) will face a strong international representation headed by the Honda cars of James Thompson and Tomas Engström that also includes a few FIA WTCC independents such as Kristian Poulsen (BMW) from Denmark, Marin Colak (SEAT) from Croatia and Ibrahim Okyay (BMW) from Turkey. The strong Spanish team SUNRED Engineering will run petrol-powered SEAT cars for 19-year old Russian Timur Sadredinov and the 21-year old Michaël Rossi from France. A whole family will make the long trip from the far Ukraine: Leonid Protasov leads a trio of BMW cars, alongside his son Yuriy and his daughter Irina.  Latvian Birkens will be challenged by the BMW 320i of the previous winner Fabio Fabiani, who won the class in 2008.In the Super 1600 class three Ford Fiesta cars will fight with reigning champion Seifert, they are Germans Jens Lhönig and Florian Heitmeier.  The best two cars entered by competitors belonging to the same ASN will be taken into consideration for the Nations Cup.  The format has three one-hour private test sessions on Friday with one 30-minute practice and one 30-minute qualifying session on Saturday. On Sunday two back-to-back 50-km races (17 laps) will take place, featuring a rolling start and a standing start respectively.The grid for the second race will be determined by the results of the first race, with the first eight drivers classified placed in reverse order.

GT4 Asia Cup:  Malaysian driver Adrian Henry D’Silva has confirmed he will race in the 2010 season of the GT4 Asia Cup. The Series is part of an agreement between the SRO Motorsports Group and Motorsport Asia that sees the extension of the rapidly expanding GT4 category to Asia , joining the GT4 European Cup and the Dutch GT4 Championship. The 44 year old Managing Director of a shipping company is in his fifth year of professional racing after he began with the local one make Series JPM Integra Cup where he competed for two years before signing on to do the Asian Touring Car Series in 2008-2009, finishing third in the Series last year. The move to the GT4 Asia Cup is a natural step up the racing ranks for D’Silva, “I have already completed 2 seasons with ATCS and thought I should experiment with other forms of races. GT4 is the next obvious progression from Touring Cars”. D’Silva will compete with Nexus Racing in an Aston Martin N24.  “This is the first season with new drivers, new cars and new circuits. Drivers, organisers, team members, supporters etc will have a lot of expectations. I hope at the end of the season everyone ' s expectations are met, which means the series has been successful. I would like to look back one day to know that I raced in the pioneer season of a successful racing series” he said.  The GT4 Asia Cup will be contested over 12 rounds of racing beginning with the Asian Festival Of Speed at Sepang International Circuit on 14-16 May 2010.

Formula Ford:  Borland Racing Developments is proud to release the first public photographs of its latest Formula Ford, the Spectrum 012. The 12th evolution of the marque represents a significant investment of resources by the Melbourne company. “This is without doubt the most development effort that has gone into a new model,” said the car’s designer, Michael Borland. “We have reviewed literally every aspect of the previous model in bringing the Spectrum 012 to market. Anything that could be done to reduce weight, lower the centre of gravity or minimise the polar moment has been explored. Even the new logo is lighter and printed on thinner vinyl!” he added. The 012 is the culmination of more than two years of research and development, which has included chassis rig testing and draws on the results of wind tunnel analysis carried out in the UK. All of the changes and modifications have been verified by rigorous real world trials before being incorporated into the final design. “From a sales perspective, it would have been nice to have the car out for the Christmas buying spree!” joked BRD’s sales and marketing consultant, Paul Zsidy. “But the plan with the 012 was to maximise the development phase, which meant that right up to Christmas we were conducting track testing. Since the completion of the 2009 season at Surfers’ in late October, we have logged a combined total of more than 30 test days across five cars and drivers and four circuits. That represents around 10,000 kms of running,” he explained.The enthusiasm within BRD for the 012 project spread to one of its long standing, key technical partners in Penske Racing Shocks. Latest developments from the USA have been sent to Australia for evaluation, with Penske staff attending test days to assist with tuning and developing the damper package. Whilst pre season testing has yielded very pleasing results, the factory team is well aware that the Australian Formula Ford Championship is one of the most competitive racing series anywhere in the World. They know they face quality opposition and hard work in the season ahead, but with the Spectrum 012 they are quietly confident of strong results.

Round 1 of the Genuine Ford Parts Formula Ford Championship kicks off this weekend wioth 2 races at the Formula1 Qantas Australian Grand Prix. The 2010 season is shaping up to be one to remember with a 26 car field confirmed for this weekend. A mix of experienced drivers and rookies are set to ensure not only an exciting first round at Albert Park, but a cracker of a season.The series already has some early favourites, with Ashley Walsh, Chaz Mostert and Ryan Simpson all keen to put their stamp on the championship. “The Grand Prix provides the perfect backdrop for the opening round of the championship and gives the drivers the opportunity to compete in front of the Formula 1 Paddock,” said Category Manager Margaret Hardy.Many of the drivers in this year’s field will take to the Albert Park circuit for the first time, which will only add to the experience, but I’m sure they will adapt quickly. There are plenty of quick drivers confirmed for the season opener, so I’m sure there will be some great racing.” The series will also see leading manufacturers Spectrum and Mygale competing with brand new cars. Both manufacturers have completely redesigned their challengers for 2010, which will no doubt add to the competitiveness of the category throughout the season.

Star Mazda: This weekend's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is ignificant in the world of open-wheel racing in North America as its the first time all of the series that comprise the Indy Racing League's newly-formed 'Road to Indy' will be sharing the same stage.  After a decade of confusion about how a driver makes his or her way from the entry level to the starting grid of the Indy 500, the way is now clear: the Cooper Tires Presents USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda; the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear; and the Firestone Indy Lights Championship.  And all, including the IZOD IndyCars, will be howling around the 1.8-mile, 14-turn course during the 3-day Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.  The Star Mazda Championship is the middle rung of this ladder and is now in its 20th year of training some of the top racers in the world, including such IndyCar stars as Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal and Raphael Matos.  This weekend will be Round 2 of the Star Mazda Championship, after  Round 1 last Friday at Sebring saw Andersen Racing’s Frenchman Tristan Vautier, after qualifying third, cross the finish line. Finishing an aggressive second was Venezuelan driver Jorge Goncalvez, a second-year Star Mazda racer with Team Apex. Third, after leading the first half of the race was American Conor Daly driving for Juncos Racing  while fourth went to Mikael Grenier in a secondAndersen Racing entry. Of local interest this weekend are two racers from the Tampa/St. Pete area and both sponsored by dental practices.  Hayden Duerson, who finished 2nd in the 2009 Skip Barber Pro Series will be behind the wheel of a third Juncos Racing  while Tarpon Springs dentist Walt Bowlin (presuming he recovers from his broken collarbone in time) races the #23 AIM Autosport  car in the Master Series category for driver 45 and older.  The Expert (drivers 30 to 44 years old) and Master Series classes provide the interesting spectacle of successful businessmen, company CEOs and entrepreneurs racing wheel-to-wheel at 160 mph with fearless teenagers.  Gerry Kraut won the Master Series class at Sebring driving the #55 JDC Motorsports / Dougherty & Co. / Dougherty Funding LLC Mazda.  Kraut, the CEO of Dougherty, is also co-owner of the championship-winning JDC Motorsports team.  The winner in the Expert Series (who suffered a mechanical failure on the last lap and had to coast across the finish line at Sebring) is Texan J W Roberts, head of General Data Transfer and owner of Team GDT. A field of 25 Star Mazda Championship cars is expected at St. Petersburg, and is certain to produce some of the most exciting racing of the weekend.

Mini Challenge: It's been an astounding start to 2010 for Chris Alajajian, with a dominating performance in the first round of the MINI Challenge for his Jack Hillermans racing team. Finishing a close second in 2009 behind Paul Stokell, Alajajian set a clear target for this year, to charge to first spot and take out the MINI Challenge championship. If the first round of the championship is anything to go by, fans and racers alike better fasten their seat belts and sit tight, because this looks like it could be the year of The Chris. Failing to run his first practice lap due to mechanical difficulty, Alajajian went into the qualifying race with vivid memories of last year's horrific accident on turn one at the Adelaide street circuit. But ever the professional, he was able to conquer the memories to qualify fastest, breaking a lap record at Adelaide, and with defending champion Paul Stokell a very close second.Alajajian took out the weekend honours finishing Race 1 in 1st place whilst carrying 50kg extra in his John Works MINI Cooper. The 50kg ballast is a part of the new rules in 2010 promoting competitive balance within the MINI Challenge series. Race 2 saw a reversed top 10 grid, where Chris started in 10th spot, and ended the race in 4th. Then concluding the weekend finishing 1st again in the third and final race of the weekend, and breaking the Adelaide lap record yet again, by a quarter of a second in Race 3.Extremely pleased with his performance, finishing 3 out of the 4 races in 1st place, Chris stated "it's good to be back on the circuit, and this is the best I've ever felt with my racing. I'm looking forward to a big year in 2010 and I’m excited to be a part of such a competitive category".

FBMW: Facu Regalia was the seventh fastest in the first day of the Barcelona Formula BMW Europe test despite a night suffering from gastroenteritis. Regalia ended up just 0.7 secs off the fastest time setting the quickest  time within Eifelland Racing having completed just twenty laps.By the afternoon he was feeling much better after his illness and decided to get in the car. “I would like to be in the track all day, so we could set up the car well for tomorrow. That’s why I decided to go to the circuit in the afternoon, though I had a hard headache and the team told me to stay in the hotel”, he said after the day’s session. The test proceeds today and Facu expects to be at his best to take advantage of the session especially the 2010 Formula BMW Europe Championship will start at the track on 7-9 May.

Karts: Will Bratt made a winning return to the realms of karting at Shenington over the weekend, 20th/21st March – and in doing so also scorched to a brand new circuit lap record for 250cc Gearbox karts. Taking time out to stay sharp ahead of his maiden FIA Formula 2 Championship test outing in early April, the 21-year-old decided to have a run in the 250cc National Gearbox Karting event at his local track and departed Shenington on Sunday afternoon with the series lead! Racing a Honda-engined Jade chassis, the reigning Party Poker Racing Euroseries 3000 Champion and GP2 Asia Series driver battled hard at the front with championship regulars Stephen Lane and Louis Wall and went on to win the encounter by around two seconds. “It’s always a good idea to stay sharp with a bit of karting and always nice to win, whatever race you’re taking part in”, said Will, “It was by no means easy this weekend, there was some genuine competition, but I really enjoyed myself and had a great time. In the wet on Saturday during practice we were very quick, to then go on and win and set a new lap record capped a really fun weekend.”Next on the motor-sporting agenda for Will is his maiden test outing at the wheel of the Formula 2 car he will race throughout 2010. This will take place at Snetterton in Norfolk on Tuesday, 6th April.

F2000: Jonathan Scarallo will become a F2000 Championship Series driver in 2010 with  R-Sport for the full 2010 season. Scarallo will pilot the #22 Van Diemen with backing from Vredestein Tires, GroupAWheels.com and Bertil Roos Racing School. He joins R-Sport teammate Keith McCrone for the full 14-race season.   read more

Other News: Dean Smith has started the new motorsport year on a high note by being named by the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) as one of its 2010 ‘Superstars’. Dean has been invited onto the BRDC Superstars programme following an outstanding year in 2009. Winning the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship for the Manor Competition team, his season was capped off by winning the biggest prize in British motorsport – the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. As a BRDC Superstar this year, Dean will receive key advice and assistance from the club with all aspects of professional motorsport – from physical and mental training to career guidance, sponsorship advice and media and marketing support. “It’s a fantastic honour to have been invited by the BRDC onto the Superstars scheme and I aim to repay the club’s faith in me with another successful season on-track this year”, said the Kiddisave backed racer, “Last year couldn’t have been any better for us, it really was an incredible season.” Although no official announcement has yet been made regarding Dean’s championship of choice for 2010, details on this are expected within the next week or so. One of his options appears to be the FIA Formula 2 Championship.

British Superbikes: Brands Hatch is gearing up for its first major event of the season this coming Easter weekend (2-4 April) when circuit hosts the first round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship. With18 races from nine championships, it will mark the much-anticipated return of former world champion Neil Hodgson and double BSB champion Ryuichi Kiyonari, as well as crowd favourite Yukio Kagayama.  Neil Hodgson said: “I am really excited about my BSB return as it has been a dream of mine to come back since I last won the title in 2000. I can't wait to compete again where you can feel the atmosphere and the build up to the race. We have had good pre-season tests in Spain and I am as motivated now as I was ten years ago when I won the title, if not more. We are really ready to get the job done at Brands Hatch."  The returning heroes will take on the established BSB big-hitters from 2009, including Josh Brookes. The Australian has re-signed for the HM Plant Honda team and will be looking to build on a series of consecutive podiums at the end of last season. Lingfield racer Tommy Hill has shown front-running pace in pre-season testing on his Worx Crescent Suzuki and the formidable Swan Hondas of James Ellison and Stuart Easton will undoubtedly be in contention. 30 riders  and eight different manufacturers will be fighting for wins – Ducati are back this season with Michael Rutter and Martin Jessopp on-board and KTM, Aprilia and BMW all making their debuts. The support includes races from the Bonhams British Historic GP Championship for 500cc and 350cc Grand Prix machines from the 50s and early 60s, and the Swan Combi Challenge F2 Sidecars. Advance adult tickets are available from £24 and free entry for children aged 12 and under. Advance weekend tickets, valid for all four days are £29.  For more information and to book visit www.brandshatch.co.uk or call 0870 950 9000.

21-03-10

FBMW: Facu Regalia will be at the Circuit de Catalunya with his new team, Eifelland Racing, for another Formula BMW Europe test session on March 21-22. BMW choose the Spanish circuit for their next test after Monza’s sessions were  plagued by poor weather. Facu Regalia is looking forward to be in the car again, as he is hoping that the small problems that he felt in his chassis in the first test may be solved. “I cannot wait to be in the car once more, because I hope we can work hard in the car, after the bad weather that prevented us to do what we wanted at Monza. Besides, I think that the team solved the problems that we felt in Italy and that gives me even more confidence”, he said. The Montmeló circuit will host the series on May 7-9 for first round of the 2010 Championship. It will therefore by doubly important to find a good set-up. “I want to show my strengths. I would like to be in the top positions in this test to give us a boost to start the season in good shape in this circuit”, Facu underlined.

ALMS: Robertson racing brought their Ford GT home in tenth place at the 58th annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. Drivers David and Andrea Robertson and David Murrycame picked up points in the GT class despite loosing time to replace a track rod end with a third of the race left to run.    Read report

Aston Martin Racing’s 007 car was the top  petrol engined machine over the line in the opening round of the American Le Mans Series: the 12 Hours of Sebring, coming in third overall. Driven Adrian Fernández (MX), Stefan Mücke (DE) and Harold Primat (CH) the team’s LMP 1 Aston Martin V12 was again reliable throughout the 12 hour race. The Peugeot 908 HDI of Marc Gene, Alex Wurz and Anthony Davidson won from their sister car driver by Marc Gene. Bourdais, Pedro Lamy and Nicolas Minassian.  Read report

Reigning American Le Mans Series champion David Brabham picked up some good points by coming in fifth  the  opening round of the ALMS season, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in Florida. The Patron Highcroft HPD ARX-01c driven by  Brabham,  Simon Pagenaud and Marino Franchitti finished the second in LMP2 class  read report

Formula 2: Formula Renault UK race winner Dean Stoneman has become the latest driver to have signed up for the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship. 19-year-old Stoneman took three wins, nine podiums and three pole positions in his first year in the series. He remained in Formula Renault for the 2009 season, finishing fourth overall with one victory, eight podiums and one pole to his credit despite some misfortune and reliability issues. Dean Stoneman said: "I showed what I am capable of in my first season in Formula Renault, and although I had some bad luck last year I still scored well. I think Andy Soucek showed that if you win F2 you get noticed by some key figures in the sport, and for me Formula Two is the best and quickest way to reach the highest tier of motorsport. The Formula One test drive and the award of an FIA Superlicence for the top three are also big attractions, so this year I will be going out all out to try and win the F2 title."

20-03-10

Star Mazda: Tristan Vautier of Grenoble, France, a rookie to U.S. racing but with some European single seater experience took victory in Round One of the 13-race 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Driving in the #38 Andersen Racing / Moulin TP / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda Vautier also became the first winner of the VISIT FLORIDA Trophy, the newly-announced championship-within-a-championship sponsored by the state's official tourism company.  Full report

ALMS: Aston Martin Racing will start the 12 Hours of Sebring from third on the grid on Saturday 20 March. Drivers Adrian Fernández (MX), Stefan Mücke (DE) and Harold Primat (CH) will form the driver line-up for the American endurance classic. The qualifying session saw Stefan Mücke post a time of 1m46.079s in the Aston Martin LMP1 car just 0.238s behind the second placed diesel-powered car. The 007 Aston Martin sponsored by Lowe’s performed well throughout the practice and qualifying session with only minor tweaks and modifications being made to create the ideal set-up ahead of the race. Mücke said: “I think we achieved the maximum we could today; we are not far behind the diesels which are very strong. It’s hot out there, and the track is very slippery but I am happy with the car with just a few minor modifications to make before the race. Now I am really looking forward to the battle against the diesels. Traffic will be a big challenge tomorrow, and we need to keep the car on this very bumpy track but I am hoping for a podium finish.” Team Principal, George-Howard Chappell who has been overseeing the team’s progress during practice and qualifying said: “Third position is exactly where we hoped and expected to be. We need a very clean run during the race, and I am confident of the reliability of our car. Much will depend on the reliability of the diesel cars if we are to improve on our qualifying position.”  In total, 34 cars will take the start of the 12 hour race at the legendary Sebring circuit, with temperatures expected to reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Live coverage will be on the SPEED channel with radio coverage found at: www.radiolemans.com

LMS: Pegasus Racing will enter a brand new Norma-Judd LMP2 in this season's Le Mans Series. The car will be driven by team-owner Julien Schell (F), Jean-Christophe Metz (F) and Frédéric Da Rocha (F/P). During the winter, the team invested all its efforts in it’s 2010 project: namely, to give the Norma M200, a new French LM P2 prototype, its debut in the major European endurance races. They will carry the colours of the “Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque” (Heart Surgery Foundation) on all the circuits hosting the rounds of the Le Mans Series. The new Norma M200 chassis anticipates the evolution of the lower-cost LM P2 category. For the engine, they chose English tuning wizard, John Judd, who supplied them with a 3.4-litre normally aspirated V8 power unit. After examining different possibilities, the team finally settled on the choice of an Xtrac gearbox. Tyrewise, they have opted for Dunlop. The new Norma should be finished for the first round of the 2010 Le Mans Series Championship, the Le Castellet 8 Hours on 11th April. Julien Schell, however, thinks it would be better to wait for the Spa-Francorchamps 1000kms before taking the plunge. “We want to do some private testing before we enter for a race. So at present, it looks like we’ll compete at Le Castellet with the Courage-AER we ran last year.”

Historics: Sportscar legend and former F1 racer, Jochen Mass, was on hand to drive a stunning, Fiskens-consigned, Porsche 910 at Goodwood during Thursday’s joint media day for the 2010 Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival. Mass, a veteran of 105 Grand Prix starts with the likes of Surtees, McLaren, ATS, Arrows and March and a winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Spa 24 Hours and 12 Hours of Sebring, performed a demonstration run in the awesome machine on Goodwood’s famous hillclimb course. The Porsche 910, chassis number 910 020, has been commissioned to Fiskens, London’s foremost historic automobile dealership, to find a suitable new owner. The car was originally raced by Porsche legend, Vic Elford, when driving for British squad Bill Bradley Racing in the Hockenheim and Monza 1000kms in 1968. It continued to compete in 1969 as Bradley himself shared driving duties with the likes of Tony Dean and Dieter Spoerry at Silverstone, Brands Hatch and the Österreichring.Fiskens’ Sales Manager, Will Stone, who accompanied Mass on his demonstration run up the famous Goodwood hill, explained that the German driver was very impressed with car.“Jochen had never driven a 910 before and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience,” he said. “He thought it was a wonderful car and commented on how light and nimble it was. For me personally, it was a huge honour to be sat alongside such a legend and see him at work in such a beautiful car.”Any potential new owner may wish to return to Goodwood to compete with the Porsche 910 in the hillclimb event at the Festival of Speed in July, while the car is also eligible to race in many of historic motorsport’s most prestigious events, including the Le Mans Classic, Tour Auto and Classic Endurance Racing (CER) series.

19-03-10

GP2 Asia: Carving the field once again, Alexander Rossi recovered nicely from a penalty in Bahrain to finish 5th in GP2 Asia finale driving for Malaysian based MalaysiaQi Meritus Mahara. Alexander will now focus on his role for ART Grand Prix in the  GP3 Championship and testing which resumes March 31 - April 1, 2010 at Paul Ricard    read report.

Renault 3.5: Nelson Panciatici will not race in Superleague Formula by Sonangol this year as he concentrates on his maiden season in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. The 21-year-old represented Olympique Lyonnais in Superleague Formula in 2009 but informed the French club in January that, having joined Junior Lotus Racing, he would be focussing on his FR3.5 campaign. While Panciatici revealed would have liked to have continued in the football-themed series, he admitted that its expansion to 12 rounds, several of which clash with the nine-round World Series by Renault calendar, meant it just wasn’t possible to dovetail his campaigns. “I loved racing in Superleague Formula last year and it was an honour for me to represent Olympique Lyonnais,” said Panciatici. “However there are four date clashes between the two series this year and I really want to concentrate on having a successful season in Formula Renault 3.5.“I’d like to thank Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas and everyone at the club for their trust, without forgetting the organisers of Superleague Formula and the Barazi-Epsilon team. I hope to have the opportunity to work with Olympique Lyonnais again in the future and I wish them the very best of luck both on track and on the pitch in 2010.”Panciatici has made a strong start to his Formula Renault 3.5 Series season during the first official test days in Barcelona and Jerez. His pace during each session has placed him towards the top of the timesheets while he also set the fastest time during the first day in Barcelona. The first round of the championship takes places at Motorland, Spain, on 18 April.

VW Cup: Over its 10 seasons the Volkswagen Racing Cup has seen a variety of ground-breaking track machinery - like the first-ever diesel-engined car to win a race in the UK and the crowd-pleasing Caddy van racer. The innovation is set to continue in 2010 with the arrival on the grid of a new saloon for championship stalwart Peter Wyhinny. For, while Peter's new mount shares many of the components of the Golf GTIs against which it will compete, it will have one important difference: a SEAT badge. Wyhinny went behind the wheel of the racing Caddy to raise awareness of the Brand and to drive home the message that vans can be quick and handle well also. Now Peter, as Director of SEAT UK, felt it was time to make a different statement. His 2-litre turbocharged SEAT Leon Cupra is being run as a promotional tool and won't be eligible to score in the championship. Peter believes it will be a competitive prospect: "The SEAT Leon Cupra is very similar to the Golf GTI in many important respects, not least that it essentially shares the same engine. I'm looking forward to going out there and flying the flag for an important member of the Volkswagen Group." Championship manager Melissa Wright added: "This is the latest in a long line of promotional vehicles which Volkswagen Racing UK has built and introduced to the championship. The first was the Golf TDI in 2002, which distinguished itself by becoming the first-ever diesel race winner in Britain, and it was followed by the four-wheel-drive Golf R32, the Caddy, the first of the Mk V Golf GTIs and most recently the Scirocco. We're sure that the SEAT Leon Cupra will prove a popular addition to the field." SEAT UK plans to use the Cupra as the centrepiece for promotional activities at the circuits.

Formula 3: Two teams with a rich history of success in Formula 3 - CF Racing and Manor Motorsport - are to join forces for the coming Cooper Tires British F3 season. The combined squad will field Mercedes-engined Dallaras for promising Welsh driver Hywel Lloyd and reigning Formula BMW Pacific Champion Rio Haryanto. Indonesian driver Haryanto will fit his British F3 outings around a full GP3 season with Manor. In a nod to Manor's new Formula 1 connections, the CF Racing with Manor Motorsport machines will carry a livery similar to that of the Virgin Racing Grand Prix cars. The squad will, says CF Racing team founder Harry Lloyd, be all the stronger thanks to the marriage. "CF Racing and Manor have had a good working relationship for a long time," he said, "so when Manor decided to end its involvement with the F3 Euroseries it made sense for us to amalgamate, pool our resources, personnel and know-how, because we both have much to gain from it." The fruits of the association are already becoming apparent: in final testing at Oulton Park last week, Hywel set an impressive eighth-best time overall. "He's well up for it this year," confirms Harry of his 25-year-old son. Lloyd Junior won BARC Formula Renault titles with the family team before moving up with the squad to British F3 in 2008; he won the National class in two outings that season and last year achieved a hat-trick of top-six overall finishes in his maiden season of International class competition.Manor Motorsport drivers claimed British F3 Championship titles in 1999 (Marc Hynes) and 2000 (Antonio Pizzonia).

WTCC: The FIA World Touring Car Championship has demonstrated its support for improving global road safety with the rebranding of its Safety Car, From the season opener in Curitiba it has run with liveries displaying the Make Roads Safe campaign logo and the web site address where more information on the UN backed road safety initiative can be found. Following the recent Decade of Action for Road Safety declaration by the UN General Assembly, the FIA is developing a ten-year international action plan to support the initiative. The FIA is encouraging its motorsport and mobility membership as well the competitors and key stakeholders in its Championships to participate in the Decade of Action.The Make Roads Safe campaign is an initiative of the Commission for Global Road Safety and has been spearheaded by the FIA Foundation.As a direct result of the Make Roads Safe Campaign and the work of the Commission for Global Road Safety, this March the United Nation proclaimed 2011-2020 a Decade of Action for Road Safety. With road deaths having been set to double in the next 10 years, this landmark resolution will pave the way to halve the deaths over the next decade saving five million lives.

Superleague Formula by Sonangol is delighted to announce that reigning French champions, FC Girondins de Bordeaux will join the grid for its third season in 2010. Alongside Olympique Lyonnais, Bordeaux will become the second French club to race in Superleague Formula, meaning the two Ligue 1 giants will extend their rivalry from the football pitch to the race circuit, ensuring huge interest this season, particularly during the club’s home race at Magny-Cours on 22-23 May. Bordeaux’s car will be operated by the Le Mans-based Barazi-Epsilon team. The six-time French Ligue 1 champions have ex-Formula One and current Peugeot Sport works driver, Franck Montagny as their driver. Franck Montagny: “I’m delighted and I can’t wait to participate in this championship, especially with its expanded calendar and continued growth. Superleague Formula will allow me to meet some old friends from F1 and other categories again. The involvement of Barazi-Epsilon, with whom I have already achieved great things in the past, as well as FC Girondins de Bordeaux, the current French champions, makes this challenge very motivating for me.”  Vincent Repoux, Deputy General Manager of Girondins de Bordeaux: “The club has followed the launch of the Superleague Formula project closely, but was not able to put everything in place to sign up immediately. Now, with a partnership which sees a driver such as Franck Montagny and a technical team led by Michel Lecomte, who has a proven record in single-seater championships over the last 20 years, the chances of the colours of Girondins de Bordeaux flying high against the group of other big international clubs represented in the series, are very good.”

British GT: The new Ferrari 430 Scuderia to be driven in this year’s Avon Tyres British GT Championship by Phil Burton and Adam Wilcox was among the challengers taking advantage on 17 March of a final opportunity to test at Oulton Park ahead of Easter Monday’s opening rounds of the championship.The Burton/Wilcox Scud will be fielded under the team name Predator CCTV Racing this season and is one of several of Ferrari’s finest lining up to contest the series. Rosso Verde duo Hector Lester and Allan Simonsen will race one, as will MTech’s Duncan Cameron/Matt Griffin and Chad Racing duo Dan Brown/Chris Hyman. A new rule for this season sees testing banned at British GT tracks for the two weeks leading up to a meeting.

Karts: Callum Bowyer, who despite having only taken part in three KF2 meetings before, put in a superb performance at Shenington last week to come away a double podium finish at the opening meeting of the 2010 Super 1 Series pics  Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net    read report

Strawberry Racing has been building a formidable new line-up since the Winter Cuip, one that blends race-winning experience with young chargers. Making his British debut at the opening round of this year’s Super 1 Rotax championship at PFi this weekend is new signing Ren Nagabuchi(pictured). Strawberry team manager, Warwick Ringham said: “Ren comes to us via Tony Kart Japan. He’d been in the country barely two days, but impressed us with his pace and enthusiasm in testing. He has much to learn about the British style of racing, but I’m confident he will adapt quickly and well.” Joining the young Japanese in the senior ranks are Tom Fawcett, Barrie Pullinger and Rotax Winter Cup winner, James Greenway. “Hopefully, James’ win at Campillos last month will be a monkey off his back. Now he’s got a big win under his belt, he should have the confidence to take many more. Tom will push him hard though. He’s a super driver and has proved that he’s fast. Barrie’s set his sights high this year and expects to be hot on the heels of the other two lads.” Possibly one of the strongest and most exciting pairings in the Junior Max category is that of Henry Hunter and Jack Marshall. “As part of our preparations for PFi, the boys did a club race there recently and Henry drove from last to fourth. Jack had qualified on pole but was unfortunate in the race. He’s another exciting prospect and won’t be over-awed by the big boys.”  In Mini Max, reigning FKS Cadet champion George Russell will spearhead the team’s assault on the Super 1 title. “George is very good,” Warwick says. “He’s only just turned twelve and is one of the youngest in the class. He won at PF in January and was pure class. I don’t see why he can’t be a championship contender this year.”

Jordan King overcame engine issues in the opening round of the 2010 national Super 1 Series at Shenington to secure a gritty top five finish on his British debut in the more powerful KF2 class to which the 16-year-old has graduated this year.  read report

ETCC: Denmark-based Hartmann Racing and Sweden's Engstrom Motorsport have uniteed to take on the 2010 European Touring Car Cup. "We know each other very well from the last three years, as both teams have taken part in the European Touring Car Cup, which we clinched last year, and based on this background we have been discussing ways of co-operating. Now it is a reality," team owner Hans Hartmann of Hartmann Racing says. "I am looking forward to working with Hans and the guys from his team, as they have given a good impression of themselves, when we have been fighting in the European finals over the last three seasons," Tomas Engstrom says. Engstrom's team-mate for the coming year will be James Thompson, who is the defending European Touring Car Cup winner. "We will be using the cars that Hartmann Racing entered last year in the DTC series and the European final”, Hartmann explains. “Over the winter the cars have been updated so that they are fully competitive, and they will be run from our workshop in Herning."

Star Mazda: Juncos Racing’s Conor Daly qualified fourth for the opening round of the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear on Thursday with a time 1:58.782 and start the race on the second row of the grid. “I had a lot of unfortunate luck today,” said Daly. “A couple of cars spun in front of me affecting my lap times, but overall I think we will still be okay for  tomorrow. The car is great, and we’ve been working hard all week to get it perfect for the race. I started this race in 16th position last year and finished third, so I’m confident with driving on this track and ready to get back out there tomorrow for the race.” His team-mate Tatiana Calderon continued to improve with each session but dad luck also struck the young Colombian driver on lap three of qualifying when she spun in turn one and was unable to finish the session. “I’m not sure what caused me to spin,” said Calderon. “As I was going into turn one, it just seemed to happen so suddenly, so I need to review my onboard video and see what mistakes I made before the race tomorrow. Once I had crashed, I couldn’t go back out, so I didn’t get to finish the session and qualify properly which means I will start at the back of the field. I hope tomorrow will be better, though, and we can get back up to where we’ve been all week.” The team’s third driver Hayden Duerson ran as high as 11th position during qualifying showing promising results for the race, but the Star Mazda rookie miscalculated his tyre strategy costing him time when the track was fastest at the end of the session. “I changed my tires too early in the session,” said Duerson. “The track was fastest at  he end, and by then I had already been driving on that set of tires for a while. I was really happy to run as high as 11th at one point during the session, though, so I’m looking forward to my first Star Mazda race tomorrow and ready to see what I can do.”

Sebring 12 Hours: The United States has played a fundamental role in Aston Martin’s motorsport history, with an American automotive legend forming part of the 1959 Le Mans-winning line-up: Carroll Shelby.  Read more

Patrón Highcroft Racing continued to set the pace in the LMP2 class in the opening day of official practice for Saturday's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring - the first round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. The car of David Brabham, Simon Pagenaud and Marino Franchitti has headed the timesheet in every test and practice session throughout the week except for one - which the team elected to sit out to make final preparations for Saturday's race. After recording the team's fastest time of the week, a 1:47.308s, the team spent the afternoon fitting race components including a new gearbox to the Honda Performance Development factory-backed ARX-01c chassis. The team returned to the track for last night’s evening practice session. After all three drivers completed their mandatory three laps of night practice, the team tended to a brake issue before Brabham returned to the track to again push the Highcroft machine to the top of the LMP2 class and fourth overall - stopping the clocks at 1:48.711.

Formula Ford: The grid for Easter's opening rounds of the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain is on target to be not only larger than last season's but also to boast an eclectic mix of nationalities and talented young drivers.  read more

18-03-10

ALMS: A heroic effort from the Robertson Racing crew ensured that the team’s Ford GT returned to the track this morning, ahead of this weekend’s 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, following the car’s near right-off on Monday.The Atlanta-based squad has spent the past two days rebuilding their GT2 challenger from the ground up with the chassis, engine and bodywork all requiring major attention after the car hit the Turn 11 wall hard. Having passed scrutineering earlier in the morning, David Murry gave the car its initial shakedown during the day’s opening hour-long free practice session, before David Robertson also put mileage on the #40 entry.Robertson Racing Team Manager Andrew “H” Smith said: “There was quite a lot of damage, even the engine separated from the chassis. It was quite a major job and probably the biggest recovery we’ve made whilst at the track. With that much damage you’d usually pack up and go home but as we’re here for the week we’ve assessed the damage, brought specialists in and welded the chassis back together. Thankfully we went out this morning and ran it round without any issues. I’m really proud of the guys for what they’ve done. It’s a great achievement. There was a lot of work but we’re back in the game, which is what it’s all about.”

Star Mazda: Anders 'The Viking' Krohn, the Norwegian racer who won on the Milwaukee Mile and finished 6th in the championship last year , racing with Andersen Racing, has taken pole for the first round of the Star Mazda CVhampionship at Sebring. Krohn did a 1:58.053 (112.831 mph) in his #47 Andersen Racing / Norse Cutting & Abandonment / Trallfa / Colosseum Mazda to ctake the position ahead of his team-mate Mikael Grenier.   read more

The Historic Sports Car Club will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch during the annual HSCC Historic Superprix over the weekend of 3/4 July.Widely regarded as one of the most challenging and spectacular sections of race track anywhere, the Grand Prix loop at the Kent track was completed in 1960 and was first used for car racing over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The feature event was the non-championship Formula 1 race for the Silver City Trophy, which was won by Jack Brabham (Cooper T53) from Graham Hill (BRM) and Bruce McLaren (Cooper T51). Now, in a fitting celebration of half a century of international racing on the Grand Prix circuit, the type of cars that contested the Silver City Trophy will be back in action as races for the Historic Grand Prix Car Association feature prominently. There is every probability that the grid will include a Cooper T53 alongside many other classic Grand Prix cars from the pre '66 era. For three decades, the British Grand Prix was held regularly at Brands Hatch and the Formula 1 cars that raced there in the 1970s and early 1980s will be back in July for a round of the sensational FIA Historic Formula One Championship. Other major races include rounds of the Historic Formula 2 Trophy, the FIA Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior and there is a full programme of HSCC categories spanning single-seaters, sports and GT cars and saloon cars. "The Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit has to be the finest drivers' track in Britain," said Grahame White, CEO of the HSCC. "We are very pleased to mark this important anniversary with our Historic Superprix. Not only do we have a great line-up of some of the most significant international historic racing categories, but we also have rounds of all of our own championships. The chance for our members to race on the Grand Prix circuit ensures that this is one of our biggest events of the season." For more details about the HSCC, please visit www.hscc.org.uk

Masters Historic Racing’s new Pre-1966 Mini series will gain additional entries for its maiden season with the introduction of a new class.The category will allow Hillman Imps and derivatives of up to 1000cc into the new championship running in the “Imp-vitation” class. The move is aimed at offering owners of the popular little cars a place to race without being outgunned by the more powerful 1300cc models. Top Hat Event Manager, Tim Beavis, welcomed the news: “Masters Historic Racing is as inclusive as possible and we welcome anyone to race with us. We react to competitor demand as best we can and are pleased to be able to respond to the wishes of owners of these great little cars by offering them a place to race in a competitive arena. Historic racing should never ignore the club racer on a limited budget. If that means he can only afford to race a one-litre Imp, he shouldn’t be ignored and we welcome him to Masters Historic Racing grids.” The new Pre-1966 Mini series kicks off at Snetterton on April 18th as part of the opening Top Hat event of the season. It has gained backing from Swiftune which has commissioned a spectacular trophy for the champion, a chrome cylinder head mounted on a wooden plinth and it is sure to be fiercely fought over.  More details are available from www.themastersseries.com

Formula Ford: The Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship has appointed Cameron McConville as Driver Standards Advisor for 2010. McConville, who has recently retired from full-time V8 Supercar Racing, will work with the championship at each of the eight rounds this season as part of the role. He will also work with drivers between races to guide and advise them. McConville is a former Formula Ford Champion, winning the Driver to Europe Series in 1992 and will bring a wealth of experience to the role.“There are a lot of young guys coming through the ranks who are trying to make it either here or overseas and I’m excited about the chance to pass on some of the experiences I’ve had to them,” McConville said.“My main role will be the driver standards side of things, but I would like to be able to take on a driver coaching role as well. I’m looking forward to learning something new in this position and working with the Australia’s future talent, so I can’t wait to get started.” McConville will begin his role at next weekend’s Formula 1 Qantas Australian Grand Prix.

Carrera Cup GB: The wraps came off the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Silverstone on Wednesday (17 March) when the capacity 28-car entry list was unveiled during the annual pre-season test and media day. Following unprecedented demand, the Carrera Cup GB was declared full several weeks ago, with a 28-car entry confirmed from a total of 10 teams. Among the field will be drivers from Oman (Ahmad Al Harthy) and Lithuania (Jonas Gelzinis and Tautvydas Barstys). Al Harthy has signed to race with Red Line Racing, bringing the Cleveland-based team up to a six-car squad, while Gelzinis and Barstys will race with Juta Racing. Having previously contested Carrera Cup Sweden, the Lithuanian team is now based in England in order to compete in a full season of Carrera Cup GB. Other new names include Richard Denny (Parr Motorsport) and Ray Dias. The latter will join Alex Martin in the two-car squad from GT Marques, with Martin looking to build on the experience he gained in selected Carrera Cup outings last year. Meanwhile, returning for a third season to contest the pro-am1 title is Tony Gilham. At the head of the action will be eight drivers in the pro category; Tim Harvey, Glynn Geddie, Michael Meadows, Euan Hankey, Tom Bradshaw, Michael Caine, Stephen Jelley and Charles Bateman.The contest for the pro-am1 and pro-am2 categories will be just as fierce, with 11 drivers in pro-am1 and nine in pro-am2.The Carrera Cup GB season starts at Thruxton (Hampshire) over the weekend of 3/4 April.  Full entry list

Michael Caine struck the first blow in the battle for the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB when he set the fastest time during the pre-season test and media day at Silverstone on Wednesday.  With 24 of the 28 registered contenders enjoying a day of testing on the National circuit, less than half a second covered the top 10 drivers by the end of the afternoon and it was Caine (Motorbase Performance) who set the ultimate pace by just nine-thousandths of a second from Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing).The two most experienced drivers in the field set the pace all day, with Harvey posting his best time in the morning running and Caine going fractionally faster in the afternoon. However, the young pretenders were firmly in contention with 19-year old Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) very close behind in third and pro-am1 leader Ollie Jackson (Motorbase Performance) in a fine fourth. Geddie, who is stepping up to the pro category this season, was third overall, only 33-hundredths of a second behind Caine. Jackson was an excellent fourth overall and topped the pro-am1 category. A tenth of a second behind Jackson to be second in pro-am1 was Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) after a good day's work, although three pro drivers split them in the overall times. Carrera Cup Scholar Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) took fifth from former touring car racer Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing) and 2009 Scholar Tom Bradshaw (JHR). Behind Gilham came Carrera Cup Scholar Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing) while Charles Bateman (Motorbase Performance) completed a very closely matched top 10. In pro-am2, reigning champion Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) set the pace. "This is the first day when you see where you are and that's a very positive start to the season," said McMenamin. Leading the chase in pro-am2 were George Brewster (Celtic Speed) and George Richardson (Motorbase Performance).

Ahmad Al Harthy is the latest single-seater driver to switch to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB after joining Red Line Racing for what is hoped will be a multi-year arrangement. The Oman-based racer becomes the first Arab driver to compete in the Carrera Cup GB and 28-year old Al Harthy, who is based in London during the racing season, says that he is proud to represent his country in British racing. "I come from a country that does not even have a race track," he said.  Al Harthy has spent three seasons racing in Formula Renault BARC, finishing runner-up in 2009, but says that the plan was always to move into sports and GT racing. "Porsche was always something we had our eyes on and this year is all about adapting to the championship. This is a long-term plan and I want to go to the Porsche Supercup eventually. "Now it is time for a bigger challenge and signing with Red Line was very important because of the experience they have," said Al Harthy, who started his motor sport in endurance karting events in Oman. "I came to the UK to learn about racing." Team boss Simon Leonard is delighted to have completed his six-car squad with a promising talent. "It's fantastic to have Ahmad on board," said Leonard. "We've got the infrastructure in place and we're geared up to run six cars." 

Formula Renault UK:  Dutch single-seater racer Thomas Hylkema produced another top 10 performance during official Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship testing at Rockingham on Tuesday, 16th March. The Manor Competition driver, who heads into his second season with the team this year, has been consistently strong throughout pre-season testing and this week’s two-day visit to the 1.94-mile Northamptonshire venue was no different. Producing a fastest lap of 1m15.342s(92.69mph) during the final afternoon on Tuesday, Thomas was an excellent seventh quickest in that particular session. The time was also good enough to place him inside the top 10 on combined times – just 0.715s shy of the outright pace. On Tuesday morning, the Aerospace Engineering student set the eighth-best time of 1m 15.519s, perfectly underlining his glowing potential for the coming season. The opening day of the test, Monday, wasn’t as fruitful for Thomas as he had a series of mechanical problems. Seriously limiting his track time, the TORO and Club Car-sponsored racer didn’t have the opportunity to run on new tyres. “We lost a lot of time on Monday due to some technical issues with the car so I wasn’t able to complete as many laps as we planned, plus we didn’t have the opportunity to run on newer tyres”, said Thomas, “On Tuesday though everything was much better for me and we managed to get a lot of work done, I learned a lot and it was a very positive way to end the test.I was very happy to be in the top eight on the second morning but I knew there was still time to be found so I worked really hard in the afternoon to try and find those extra 10ths of a second. I’m really pleased with the way things turned out in the end, being seventh in the final session when everyone ran on new tyres was good, but I also know it could have been better still.”  pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

Scotland’s Lewis Williamson maintained his excellent pre-season form during this week’s two-day Michelin Formula Renault UK outing at Rockingham, the Manor Competition driver ending the test second fastest overall. Posting the second quickest time at all three of the official tests held so far, the 20-year-old from Golspie was in consistently strong form at the 1.94-mile Northamptonshire venue over the two days, his best time of 1m14.837s (93.32mph) coming during the first afternoon on Monday, (15th March). Concluding day one second quickest on combined times, Williamson led the way during the opening session on Tuesday with a 1m15.072s which placed him third quickest overall for day two. Marginally slower on the final afternoon, the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Rising Star was still inside the top six to round off another highly competitive showing. Team-mate Will Stevens ended the test in with sixth fastest time overall, his best lap of 1m15.118s coming on Tuesday afternoon. Placing him fourth quickest in the session and fifth overall for the day. He was 10th overall on the opening day with a best lap of 1m15.493s but improved by almost 0.4s on Tuesday.  Thomas Hylkema made it three Manor Competition cars in the top 10 on combined times for the two days thanks to a best lap of 1m15.342s.  Josh Mulholland continued to acclimatise well to the brand new FR 2.0 car even though he had a very frustrating couple of days with a recurring gearbox problem. Producing his fastest lap of the two days, 1m15.587 on Monday afternoon, the Formula Renault BARC graduate finished the day a creditable 13th fastest overall.  pic Jakob Ebrey Photography 

Trans-Am: SCCA Pro Racing and Road Atlanta have announced that the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series run the season finale as part of the 13th Annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 weekend, Round Ten of the 2010 series calendar. The Trans-Am Series will race Friday, Oct. 1, one day before the annual 10-hour American Le Mans Series race. The series will also hold its annual awards ceremony in the Atlanta area. "Adding Road Atlanta to the Trans-Am Series schedule gives us 10 great events for the season," SCCA Pro Racing President and CEO Robert Wildberger said. "The combination of our events will allow the Trans-Am competitors to make a name for themselves, but also to showcase the series in front of fans and sponsors at great tracks across North America." The announcement completes the 10-race 2010 Trans-Am Series schedule, which includes events alongside NASCAR, IZOD IndyCar Series and the Petit Le Mans date with the American Le Mans Series. calendar

F2000 JDC MotorSports will enter the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda with a three-car line-up.Driving for the Minnesota-based reigning Star Mazda Championship and F2000 Championship Series champions will be Raphael Abbate, Mikhail Goikhberg and Martin Sala. Abbate will make his North American racing debut in following a multiple race-winning season last year in South America. The 18 year-old Brazilian was among the drivers to watch in the F3 SudAmericana series, finishing a close second in the Light class, with four wins. Russian Goikhberg spent the majority of last season in the Ontario FF1600 Championship, earning two podium finishes. He also raced in two F2000 Championship races, finishing sixth in his debut. Sala joins both JDC after taking part in the Formula BMW USA series, ending the season ninth in the championship via one top-five finish and 11 top-10s. The 19 year-old Sala raced karts in Europe prior to making the move to cars, focusing on the KF2 class.

Skip Barber National Preview - Sebring - After providing arguably the best racing of the weekend at the Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the drivers of the 2010 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National next tackle the 3.7 mile Sebring International Raceway for Rounds 3 and 4 of the season during the 58th Annual 12 Hours of Sebring. Point leader and Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development driver Spencer Pigot looks to carry his momentum north from Homestead, where he took a pole and a third before picking up his first career victory while several drivers look to make that final step onto the top of the podium this weekend. Homestead was the "weekend that could have been" for Mexican driver Luis Michael Dorrbecker and Felix Serralles. Dorrbecker led laps and challenged for the win in Race 1 while Serralles set fastest lap in both races. Their Race 1 results are tied together by contact in Turn three on the penultimate lap that left Dorrbecker on his lid and Serralles without a rear wing. Judged to be avoidable contact by series officials, both drivers were assessed 20-second penalties, which cost Dorrbecker his first National podium and cost both drivers valuable points. Danilo Estrela's weekend was a bit more surreal. The 16 year-old travels solo to the race weekends, relying on local taxi service to get to the track. This plan almost cost him a race as the Homestead taxis don't start running until 9am on Saturdays. Not only did Estrela miss the morning driver's meeting, he barely made the race, running into the paddock with his helmet in hand as the field was rolling out to the grid. Playing catch up, he finished Race 1 in 17th. Race 2 was a different story; as Estrela came from 14th at the start to lead late before out-braking himself on the last lap. He recovered to finish fourth. With a weekend (and some networking) under his belt, look for Estrela at the sharp end of the field at Sebring.

Star Mazda: Conor Daly took the luck of the Irish with him this St. Patrick’s Day to finish P1 in the final practice session of the day. After two official test days and one official practice yesterday morning, the young Irish-blooded driver found his stride in his #22 Juncos Racing car during the final session in the afternoon. With a time of 1:57.600, Daly also clocked in the only lap time under 1:58.000 in the official practice on Wednesday. “I’m very happy with the day,” said Daly. “We worked hard all day today and yesterday, changed lots of things, looked for more speed and it’s really paid off. I really want to thank the crew and everyone on the team because they worked really hard to get us to where we are now. Now, I’m looking forward to qualifying tomorrow.” Tatiana Calderon has continued to improve during her time with Juncos Racing, finding time during every on-track session. Early on in this afternoon’s session, Calderon spun in turn 10, landing her #25 car in the dirt and ending her session early. Before today’s incident, Calderon’s best finishing position of the week was 11th on Tuesday.  “I’m really happy with the team,” said Calderon. “I’m improving a lot. I already did a better time in my first session this week than I did back at the series test in January. After the test, our driver coach Peter Dempsey sent me a debrief sheet to review, and I had time in between then and this race to really think about everything. The team has also helped me become much more mentally strong since the test in January which is really helpful. I’m really looking forward to qualifying tomorrow and the race on Friday.” Hayden Duerson entered into his rookie season last week as a third driver for Juncos Racing. Duerson has used his limited amount of track time this week to get used to the car and prepare for qualifying today(Thursday) and the race on Friday. “I’m really happy with my progress,” said Duerson. “I am getting a lot of support from the crew, our driver coach and the entire Juncos Racing team which has been great. My goal this weekend is to keep improving my lap times in each session as I continue to adapt to the car, so I’m going to keep working towards that goal as we go into qualifying and the race.”

JDC MotorSports will commence its title defence of the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear this weekend at Sebring. The team enters the season with veterans Caio Lara and Gerry Kraut being joined by rookies Connor De Phillippi and Chris Miller. For Lara, 2010 marks his second year with the team. The Brazilian will again pilot the No. 19 MLD/ATW/Molecule/Red Line Oil entry. Kraut returns this season not only as a team co-owner, but as one of the favourites for the Masters Series (for drivers 45 or older). Kraut has won numerous Masters Series races over the past few years, finishing as the class runner-up last season.  Miller, who won the 2009 F2000 Championship. Piloting the No. 85 Miller Milling/Red Line Oil entry, Miller is expected to bne a serious contender this season. Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development driver De Phillippi is also expected to be a key component in JDC's pursuit of back-to-back Star Mazda titles. As the reigning Skip Barber National series champion following a record setting seven-win season and 2009 Walter Hayes Trophy Formula Ford trophy winner, many expect De Phillippi to challenge for both Rookie of the Year and the championship title this year…no pressure then! 

Karts: Dan Holland Racing is targeting success in the junior and senior categories of this year’s Super 1 Rotax championship, starting this weekend (20-21 March) at PFi in Lincolnshire.If it is to achieve this ambition, a key factor will surely be the team’s strength in depth. DHR boasts a large, talented squad consisting of young chargers and proven race-winners.Jack Barlow, George Williams and Sean Babington form the line-up in Junior Max and have all impressed their team boss in pre-season testing, as Dan Holland comments: “George has demonstrated some blistering pace recently, which is very encouraging. If he can turn that pace into results, he’ll be awesome. Jack is pure quality. He’s such an exciting driver and knows how to handle pressure, raise his game and win big races. This will be Sean’s second year in the class and like Jack, he knows how to win championships and has all the right credentials to win again.” Ryan Morgan is the team’s sole representative in the Mini Max division. “This is a learning year for Ryan. Super 1 and Mini Max are all new to him, but that’s not to say he won’t impress and he has been particularly strong in the wet - so if it rains at PFi you never know…” Turning his attentions to his senior drivers: “In Jack Dex, Alex Magee and Ross Wylie we have three really fantastic talents. Jack is consistently fast and has taken some fine club wins in recent months. If he can transfer those elements to his Super 1 campaign, I see no reason why he can’t be a major contender. Similarly, with Ross Wylie - who’s a very smooth, canny driver. This is probably his last year in karts before he goes to cars and he’s incredibly motivated to make sure he goes out on a high.” Like Dex, this is Alex Magee’s first full season in the senior top-flight, as Dan says: “Alex was something of a revelation when he stepped up from Junior to Senior Max. He took a string of excellent finishes and is another with great potential.” Tom Pyttlik returns for his second season with the team and is looking to be a consistent top ten finisher. “He’s another who is much improved but we still need to work on a few areas to make sure his undoubted pace becomes a constant, rather than a variable. Once we’ve done that, he’ll be mega.”   

ALMS: Aston Martin Racing driver Adrian Fernandez describes a lpa of the Historic Sebring Circuit...read more

17-03-10 

Masters Historic Racing has announced that it will run its Interserie Revival concept alongside Proto 70s grids in 2010. The move to recreate the popular sports car class of the 1960s and 70s was introduced at Donington Park last August when a superb race was won by Richard Piper’s McLaren M8F. The aim is to build on that pilot race and to tempt out the “big bangers” to take on the popular two and three-litre cars that are already successful within Proto70s. Masters Historic Racing Series Director Christopher Tate said: “We were delighted with the response to the Interserie Revival race last summer and are aiming to build upon that in 2010. We know of many eligible cars across Europe looking for a home and we will be happy to welcome them into our events where ample track time and a happy off-track atmosphere are integral to Masters Historic Racing.“The sight of Can-Am cars battling with the more nimble smaller-engined cars is a stirring one and we aim to repeat it across our Masters Historic Racing Festivals this year.” More details are available from www.themastersseries.com

The V de V FFSA Series  kicks off this weekend, March 19-21, at Jarama with the Historic French Endurance Championship,the Historic Endurance Challenge, GT/Touring Endurance Challenge and Proto Endurance Challenge events. Joining V de V for the Proto Endurance event will be ex F1 drivers Alex Caffi and Philippe Alliot ..read more

Superleague Formula:  Yelmer Buurman will become the latest in a long line of talented Dutchman to don the famous Rossoneri of AC Milan when he makes his Superleague Formula by Sonangol bow for the Italian giants during this season’s opening round at Silverstone on April 3/4.
His record so far in the football-themed championship suggests that he’s ready to join the list of  Dutch stars who have worn the club’s colours, having finished second and fourth overall while competing for PSV Eindhoven and RSC Anderlecht in 2008 and ’09. Milan meanwhile finished seventh in the final standings last season after a late slump in form saw them drop out of the top four. “I am happy to be back in Superleague Formula and I look forward to scoring for a top club,” said Buurman. “AC Milan is one of the best clubs in the world and I am proud to defend their honours. After being second and fourth in the championship over the last two years I will now go for the top. I only have one aim and that is winning the championship for and with AC Milan. I am ready for it and I’d like to thank everyone at Atech GP for their confidence in my capabilities.”

Karts: Tom Harvey got his challenge in the British Championship off to a brilliant start with a brace of second places in the curtain-raising 2010 Super 1 meeting at Shenington last weekend.  read report

Formula Renault UK: Reigning Graduate Cup and Winter Cup Champion Harry Tincknell showed why he is one of the favourites for the 2010 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship title after setting the fastest times on both days of official pre-season testing at Rockingham on 15-16 March. The CRS Racing driver headed the timesheets recording the quickest overall time on the final session of the second day with a 1min 14.627s (93.58mph average). This was preceded by a best time of 1min 14.705s on Monday around the 1.94-mile circuit. Manor Competition’s Lewis Williamson finished second overall driver with a 1min 14.837s while Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Fabio Gamberini (BRA) was the fastest Graduate Cup driver. Day one of the test saw the Championship’s youngest competitor Fortec Motorsport’s Tom Blomqvist (SWE) set the early pace lapping in the mid 1m 15s, closely followed by Atech GP’s Tama’s Pa’l Kiss (HUN) who went quickest at Silverstone last week. After lunch it was Tincknell who topped the timesheets, ending the day fastest with his time well inside the lap record (1min 15.935s, Dean Smith). Fortec Motorsport’s Ollie Millroy and Graduate Cup driver Alex Lynn also ran well on the first day as did Atech GP’s Nick Yelloly. The first day also saw cars from the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship join the test with SWB Motorsport’s Luke Wright the leading driver with a 1min 17.314s (90.33mph average). The second day, once again in dry, bright conditions, began with Williamson heading the timesheets with a 1m 15.072s. He continued to lead the way in the afternoon, his best time on his 22nd of 25 laps completed. Pa’l Kiss and Blomqvist were among the quicker drivers along with Manor Competition’s Will Stevens.

ITV Sport has announced its plans to provide the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship and ELF Renault Clio Cup with Michelin with extended, prime-time television coverage. In addition to the live broadcasts shown as part of ITV4’s British Touring Car Coverage and streamed live on itv.com, the two series  will return to the popular Motorsport UK series.A substantial 34-week schedule of coverage begins on April 27^th on ITV4 with two repeats each week on ITV4 and also the channel’s flagship ITV1. A further showing will also be available through the popular Men & Motors channel. Each episode will also be able to view through the ITV player on the ITV website (www.itv.com/catchup) for up to four weeks after the show has been aired.In addition to the regular highlights shows, both the Formula Renault UK Championship and ELF Renault Clio Cup are set to receive live coverage during the course of the season. As support races to the British Touring Car Championship, both one-make series will be shown live or same-day as-live during ITV4’s Sunday afternoon transmission – subject to TV scheduling and race meeting timetables. Championship Promoter Simon North said: “We’re delighted with ITV’s broadcast schedule for both the ELF Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK Championships, especially as it will allow even more fans to see great racing. Furthermore, the ELF Renault Clio Cup will continue to benefit from Renault Sport UK’s pioneering move to show complete footage of every race held on Sunday on its dedicated website www.renaultsport.co.uk. The full race videos will be available to view free of charge, 24 hours a day.”

ALMS: Mark Wilkins joins Bouchut and Tucker in the Level 5 Oreca FLM09 LMPC at Sebring. Mark Wilkins, 26,  of Toronto, will join Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker in the Level 5 Motorsports No. 55 FLM09 in the LMPC class for the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. This will be Wilkins’ first start in the ALMS Series and his first appearance in this famous event. Wilkins, who regularly drives the AIM Autosport No 61 Ford Riley in Grand-Am was excited at the opportunity to drive in the 12 Hours of Sebring. “Sebring is one of those tracks that is steeped in history and the 12-Hour is one of those races every racer would like to have on his resume and this is an opportunity not to be missed” commented Wilkins before heading south for testing.  "Level 5 runs a first-class operation and will put a good car on track for Christophe, Scott and myself. I have raced against both these drivers and there is an intensity that will work in our favor during the race. I am looking forward to getting into the Oreca FLM09 on Tuesday, working with the team and focusing on a good result next Saturday” Mark is on his way to Florida to meet with the crew on Monday (15th), get acquainted with the car and work on a seat fitting. Level 5 Motorsports goes into action on Tuesday (16th) with practice sessions that continue through Thursday. Qualifying for the LMPC class is on Friday afternoon. The 58th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida is scheduled to begin at 10:30 am ET on Saturday, March 20th. The race will be shown live on SPEED TV.

Le Mans: The Kolles team will have a driver line-up for its #15 Audi R10 TDI in the 78th Le Mans 24 Hours in June of Christophe Bouchut, a winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1993 on his debut, American Scott Tucker and French-Portuguese Manu Rodrigues. Bouchut has driven with Scott Tucker in Grand Am Series, a collaboration that will be extended to the American Le Mans Series at the end of this week, at the Sebring 12 Hours in a Formula Le Mans. When Manu Rodrigues made his Le Mans 24 hours debut in 2009, Bouchut was one of his team-mates, and their JMB-entered Ferrari F430 GT finished eighth in the LM GT2 category. Manu is also a regular in the FIA GT3 European Championship in which he came fourth last year. “On paper, the choice of an Audi seemed a little bit crazy given the limited experience of Scott and Manu in sports prototypes,” said Bouchut. “I’m not going to ask them for out-and-out performance. The most important thing is for them to get to grips with the car in a relaxed frame of mind. My advice to them will deal with overtaking and traffic management. They’ll have to be very careful in the braking zones as you catch the GTs very quickly. Our respective programmes won’t allow us to take part in a preparation race, but we’re going to organise some test sessions with the Kolles team to be ready for Le Mans.” Bouchut is confident that his team will be well placed at the end of the event: “A private LM P1 up against the works cars has no chance of winning, but it’s obvious that this Audi will help us achieve a better result in the overall classification than any GT or LM P2. It’s a superb car and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel. It’s technically a success and extremely reliable. I think that a top-ten finish is within our reach if we don’t make any mistakes on the track.”

Star Mazda: Juncos Racing will take on this week's season-opener at Sebring International Raceway with three talented drivers, Tatiana Calderon, 17, Conor Daly, 18, and Hayden Duerson, 18 added to its talented crew.  After winning four races and finishing second overall in the Championship in its first season last year with Peter Dempsey, Juncos Racing is determined to keep its winning momentum going in 2010. Tatiana Calderon of Colombia raced for Juncos Racing in go-karting in 2005-6.  Now, with several karting titles, including the first female driver in history to win the JICA Eastern Division title in the 2008 Snap-on Stars of Karting Divisional Championship, Calderon will is back with Juncos Racing as a rookie racing a Pro Formula Mazda. Conor Daly will return to Star Mazda this season as a MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver, winning the Skip Barber National Championship in 2008 and finishing third in his debut season in the Star Mazda Championship in 2009.  With that experience now under his belt, Daly is after the title this year. Hayden Duerson joined the Juncos Racing team just last week with plans to compete in the first two events of the 2010 Star Mazda Championship, Sebring and St Petersburg. Duerson finished second in his first Skip Barber National race at Sebring in 2008 and from 2005-2007 he raced for the Italian Motors Karting team under the direction of Michael Valiente.  For more information, please go to www.juncosracing.com.

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Formula 3: Russian racer Max Snegirev is to step up to the International class in the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 series in 2010. The 22-year-old London-based driver will appear at the wheel of a third Fortec Motorsport Dallara. Snegirev gained a season's experience of British F3 in 2009, claiming a number of podium finishes in the National class. Max will enjoy his first taste of a Mercedes-powered 2010-specification car at the Silverstone test sessions next week, the final practice ahead of the Easter weekend (3-5 Apr) opening rounds of the championship at Oulton Park. Snegirev is the third runner declared by Fortec; he joins talented and rapid young Brits Oli Webb and Daniel McKenzie on the driving strength. Fortec's senior race engineer Mick Kouros said: "We are looking forward to Max driving our car for the first time at Silverstone on 23 March. Max knows that he has missed several test days but is keen to start working with the team and his new team-mates. We will all be working hard to help bring Max up to speed with the International class car, and although he is starting behind all the rest we will be working on continually improving as the season develops."

Formula Renault 3.5 : Nelson Panciatici’s pre-season Formula Renault 3.5 preparations continued at Jerez, Spain last weekend where the Junior Lotus Racing squad’s emphasis was focused towards developing the car’s race pace. With the new season now just five weeks away, the Frenchman and his team were content to work through a number of race set-ups and aerodynamic configurations, while resisting the urge to set low fuel lap times. Despite this, Nelson still ended the opening day fifth fastest thanks to his 1m30.210s effort set late in the afternoon. By the end of day two, he was eighth overall, again having worked hard on finding solid race pace on worn tyres without exploring the limits of his car.Nelson: "As Jerez isn’t included on the WSR calendar, we were mainly looking at preparing for the season’s opening races whilst trying out several technical solutions. What is really positive is that we were always up there with the fastest cars, regardless of the track conditions, which is key if I want to fight for the championship this year. The Junior Lotus Racing guys have again done a great job, which I’m sure will continue at Magny-Cours next week." Junior Lotus Racing Technical Director Alex Somerset: “Nelson worked through a programme using low and high downforce settings and recorded very good lap times in both configurations whilst running on old and new tyres. As he felt there was more progress to be made by going out on new rubber while the circuit was clear, he didn’t save a new set for the glory runs later on when the track was at its quickest. We were again very pleased with his feedback and response, and we are looking forward to the Magny-Cours test where we will be able to continue our work.”  Junior Lotus Racing will continue their pre-season build-up at Magny-Cours next Monday, ahead of the final group test at Motorland Aragon, Spain on April 17/18.

Indy Lights: The 2010 season sees Jean-Karl Vernay’s career off to the other side of the Atlantic and the Indy Lights Championship, The youngster from Lyon who was second in the Macau F3 Grand Prix last November found himself faced with the choice of opportunities on three continents. He finally chose the American option with the CJ Motorsport management team. “First of all, we went to the Miami-Homestead oval to test with Sam Schmidt Motorsport. Then without really modifying my European habits and my driving style, I set the lap record for the category on the Palm Beach road circuit. A few days later, I signed with the team.”  Needless to say for Vernay it’s a  whole new world but a good driver can adapt. “The Indy Lights cars are twice as powerful as an F3. On the Speedways we lap at around 190 mph (over 300 km/h). You ask yourself a few questions in the first fifteen laps, and then you just go flat out. Finding the right speed is very tricky; you have to brush the walls, but I think the most difficult thing to get used to is racing when the cars are all bunched up.” The tests at the end of February in the Barber Motorsports Park (Alabama), confirmed he has what it takes, all the more so as his team, Sam Schmidt Motorsport, is one of the top teams with 30 victories and three driver’s titles in 2004, 06 and 07. The first race is in the streets of Saint Petersburg on 27th/28th March. “One of the difficulties will be to learn the track in just one hour’s free practice. The team’s very proactive so I’m feeling pretty confident,” smiles Jean-Karl!

Saloons: Saloon car driver Nick Jones collected his awards for winning Class B of the Welsh Sports and Saloon Car Championship and runner-up in the overall Championship, at the awards presentation at the Bear Hotel in Cowbridge last weekend. The 2010 Championship kicks off at Pembrey on 27th March and Nick will be trying to retain the Class B title and secure the overall Championship in his Renault Sport Clio Cup car. In addition, Nick will be competing in the Castle Combe GT Championship in 2010 so it’s going to be a busy year. ick is also very privileged to be involved in the First National Welsh Charitable Ball being held on 19th March 2010 at The Coal Exchange, Cardiff. Nick is supporting The Alzheimer’s Society and has offered four lucky people “hot laps” in his Renault Sport Clio Cup car and a Jaguar D-Type Le Mans race car at Llandow Race Circuit on Saturday 10th April as an auction prize. Contact The Alzheimer’s Society for details. Tickets for the ball are available at charitygroup@eversheds.com.  “Dementia is such a serious issue in later life and I am concerned at the apparent significant variation in the quality of care for people with dementia in hospitals”, said Nick. “I would not like to think that my parents, or any parent, may not get the very best care which is why I am so pleased to be able to help The Alzheimer’s Society in this small way”  www.nickjonesracing.net

ALMS: Aston Martin Racing drivers Adrian Fernández (MX), Stefan Mücke (DE) and Harold Primat (CH) will drive the 007 entry at the 12 Hours of Sebring on 20 March. Aston Martin Racing will enter one factory LMP1 car at the American race: the scene of the Aston Martin DBR9’s GT1 class victory on its competition debut in 2005. Fernández, who is new to the team, is the reigning LMP2 champion in the ALMS. “I’m delighted to be contesting Sebring with Aston Martin,” he said. “I have plenty of experience of LMP2 cars, but the LMP1 Aston is another step up entirely: it’s a real driver’s car.” Mücke helped Aston Martin to the 2009 Le Mans Series title and will be an invaluable asset to the Aston Martin Racing team as he contests the 12 Hours of Sebring for the first time. “I’m really looking forward to the experience,” he commented. “Sebring is a unique circuit; it’s a legendary name and a huge challenge.” Primat joined Aston Martin Racing last year, competing in the Le Mans Series and at Le Mans itself. He too is a fan of Sebring. “It’s one of the most demanding circuits that I have ever raced on,” he reported. “I am looking forward to racing there again, the welcome we have received so far has been tremendous.” The drivers have all been to Sebring to test the car, which has been modified from last year to comply with the latest 2010 Le Mans regulations. Unlike most other circuits, Sebring is extremely rough and bumpy, requiring a very specific set-up. As usual, the 007 car will run in its now-traditional blue and orange Gulf livery. Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell commented: “We’re fortunate to benefit from a talented pool of drivers this year, and for our first trip to Sebring with the LMP1 car the accent is firmly on experience. I’m convinced that Adrian, Stefan and Harold will all do a great job. Sebring is one of the toughest races that we will face all year, particularly as we are up against some extremely strong rivals.” Following the 12 Hours of Sebring, Aston Martin Racing will go on to contest the second round of the American Le Mans Series: the Long Beach Grand Prix on 17 April. In addition to the American races, Aston Martin Racing will also contest the first round of the European Le Mans Series at Paul Ricard on April 11, in preparation for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Karts: Jordon Lennox-Lamb turned his weekend around in the opening meeting of the 2010 WSK Euro Series at La Conca in southern Italy last week. After struggling early on he finally finished the grand final in an excellent sixth. pics Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net,   read report

Switching to an Alonso kart paid instant dividends for British Super KF driver Jonathan Walker, who enjoyed his best ever start to the British Super 1 championship at Shenington on Sunday (14 March).   read report

BTCC: The countdown has begun: 2009's dents have been knocked out and there are now just 2 weeks to go before the BTCC arrives at Thruxton on Easter weekend (Sat-Sun/3-4 April) for the opening round of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. Following Saturday's practice and qualifying sessions, crowds of thousands are expected to take up their places trackside on the Sunday to see the first three races of the new BTCC season. There should be plenty of support for Hampshire's  Robert Collard, who starts the season among the title favourites after joining BMW team WSR, last year’s title winning team. e 41-year-old from Hook, who has still to win a BTCC race at Thruxton, says: "This has all the makings of a phenomenal event, both for the drivers and the public. It's been six months since last year's final round so every driver will be fired up to get their season off to a good start. There could be some very hairy moments. Thruxton is also one of the BTCC's best circuits in terms of atmosphere and viewing. It always pulls a huge crowd. Hopefully there'll be lots of cheers for my BMW but there are lots of other very competitive cars out there, such as the Fords, Hondas, Vauxhalls, Chevrolets and SEATs. There's even a new VW Golf which could surprise a few people. The fact the cars we race in the BTCC are based on the cars that many of the public drive on the road is another of the BTCC's big draws. I had two race wins last season and was briefly looking at challenging for the title," continues Collard. "This year I've given myself the best chance possible by driving for WSR, the reigning champions. Bizarrely, Thruxton's not been too kind to me in the past but this year I'm aiming to put all that right." Tickets can be booked in advance via the www.barc.net website or by calling the hot line on 01264 882200. Adults £22, chi;dren FREE.

Star Mazda: Connor De Phillippi returns to cockpit this coming weekend (March 19) for the opening round of the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear, held at Sebring International Raceway in Florida as part of the 12 Hours of Sebring event. De Phillippi  will make his series debut with defending and two-time series champions JDC MotorSports. After a long off-season hiatus away from competition, De Phillippi is excited to get back behind the wheel and do what he does best, challenge for race wins and titles. Thanks in large part to a scholarship from MAZDASPEED Motorsports - the reward for winning the 2009 Skip Barber National title - the Californian enters his inaugural season of Star Mazda competition well positioned to achieve his goals. De Phillippi immediately showed what he is capable of during pre-season testing at Sebring , the former Team USA Scholarship racer and Walter Hayes Trophy winner finishing as the second fastest rookie.

FF2000: Racing Communications will be the official provider of all radio and communications equipment for the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda series for the next three years. As a series partner, the Kennesaw, Ga.-based company will provide series officials with a full supply of Kenwood radios, along with headsets, chargers, etc. Racing Communications supplies off-the-shelf systems as well as custom systems. It can also handle service and repairs. In addition to radio systems, it offers headsets, intercom systems, scanners, racing helmets and in-car accessories.

LMS: Audi will fight for victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 12/13 with an evolution of the R15 TDI diesel car. An extensive testing program with the revised LMP1 vehicle has just begun in the United States. "From Audi's perspective, the LMP1 is the better alternative to Formula 1 because this motorsport category features technologies and developments which are relevant to production vehicles," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "At Le Mans, efficiency is of paramount importance - and today, more than ever before, it is a key deliverable of production vehicles as well and it is one of Audi's special strengths." Therefore, efficiency was a focal point during the R15 TDI evolution project - particularly in the complex area of aerodynamics. "This year, the Le Mans regulations prescribe air restrictors with a smaller diameter and reduced supercharging pressure for diesel-powered vehicles," says Dr. Martin Muhlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. "Due to the reduction of engine power as a result of the regulations we have tried to make the car's aerodynamics even more efficient than before and to improve the Cd value and downforce parameters." A late change in regulations that was announced only in November made the work of the engineers more difficult and forced Audi to completely modify the front section of the R15 TDI. Consequently, the car is internally designated as "R15 plus" now has a new, distinctive face featuring a split nose. The entire shape of the R15 TDI's body has been revised for maximum efficiency. The same is true for the modified cooling and fuel tank system. The V10 TDI engine has been optimized for the smaller air restrictors and reduced supercharging pressure. "Our objective was to keep power loss to a minimum despite the limitations imposed by the regulations," explains Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Technology at Audi Sport. "We managed to do that through a lot of detailed work." The 5.5-liter power plant continues to deliver more than 440 kW. "After Le Mans 2009, our specifications for the R15 plus listed about 20 key items," says Dr. Martin Muhlmeier. "Efficiency and reliability were at the top of the list but we also looked at details like improved nighttime lighting of the track. We were able to meet this wish of the drivers with a new headlight concept." The evolution version of the Audi R15 TDI completed its roll out on the Audi test track at Neustadt (Germany) on March 3. The vehicle was subsequently flown to the United States for two weeks of in-depth testing. Before the race at Le Mans in June, Audi Sport Team Joest will complete an extensive testing program on various European race tracks and test races at the 8 Hours of Le Castellet (France) on April 11 and at the 1000-kilometer race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) on May 9. A new partner has now joined the project: the logo of the renowned watchmaker TAG Heuer will be featured on the Audi R15 TDI. Some of the brand's fame stems from U.S. actor Steve McQueen wearing a TAG Heuer watch in the movie "Le Mans."  

15-03-10

Club Racing: The new on-line race entry service is now operational for BRSCC members who have submitted their 2010 championship registrations and whose Racing Membership is up to date. To access the service go to http://racing.brscc.co.uk/revuprm/ In addition to the on-line service, Race Entry forms for all BRSCC championships and series can be downloaded from the relevant championship pages on the BRSCC website. Just go to www.brscc.co.uk click the image of the car representing the championship you want to race in and then scroll down to the bottom of the text. The entry forms contain all the info rmation you need to enter a race and are available either as a Word document or as a PDF file. If you need to register for a championship please contact the series co-ordinator whose contact details can also be found on the relevant championship page. If you need to renew your Racing Membership please call the membership department on 01732 780100.  

The Discovery Media Group has announced the launch of a superb new publication for motorsport fans – Circuits: the illustrated guide to the world's greatest motor racing circuits. This 196-page publication explores in detail 50 of the world’s greatest motor racing circuits with beautiful hand drawn illustrations provided by Artist, Brian Casey. Each circuit is described in-depth, explaining the tracks rise to glory alongside detailed facts and figures about each venue. Additional comment is provided by the stars who have driven the circuits and the people who run the circuits. Joe Saward, motorsports writer, and John Hindhaugh, the voice of Radio Le Mans, have also contributed their thoughts on what makes a great circuit. With a foreword by WTCC champion Andy Priaulx, this is the ultimate collector’s guide to the best-loved tracks in the world. Priority offer for BRSCC members: pay just £8.99 + £1 P&P and the publishers will rush your copy out to you by first class post. Please send your cheque for £9.99 made out to Discovery Media Group Motorsport to: Discovery Media Group, Discovery House, 63 Dundale Road , Tring, Herts HP23 5BX. On the reverse of the cheque please use code BRSCC001. Please see www.motorsportcircuitguide.com for more information.

The BRSCC website www.brscc.co.uk features a latest news facility so you can keep right up to date with all the current stories emanating from the Club and their championships. The home page displays the five most recent stories with previous news items then being automatically archived but still accessible for future reference.

Silverstone has advised that testing is available on the National circuit on Friday 9th April, which of course is just before the BRSCC Midland Centre weekend meeting there on the 10/11th April. For more information please call Julie Hartfield at Silverstone Circuit on 01327 320298

Notice is hereby given that the BRSCC’s Annual General Meeting for end 2009 will be at 8.00pm on the 20th April 2010. The venue is the Holiday Inn- Rugby- Northampton, M1 Jct 18, Crick, Northants NN6 7XR. The purposes of the AGM are to receive and adopt the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2009, together with the reports of the Directors & Auditors. Additionally on the agenda is the election of Directors & Auditors.

V de V: On April 16-17-18th, rench V de V Sports will run two six-hour endurance races in it's European Challenges. One six-hour race for 2 litres modern Sport Prototypes and one for modern GT and Touring cars. The GT/Touring V de V Endurance Challenge, the 6 hours V de V of Mugello will include current GT cars, Ferrari F430, F360, Mosler MT900, Lamborghini Gallardo, Vipe, etc and various Porsches, including 964, 993, 996, etc. Racing alongside the Touring cars, a category dominated by BMW M3 or Z4 and Silhouettes with V6 engines, for instance, Mercedes or VW Siroccos.  TheProto V de V Endurance Challenge is for 2 litres Sport Prototypes including the French Norma, Ligier, Merlin, Funyo or Sportdrive, along with the British makes of Juno, Radical, Chevron and Lola. Added to this the Austrian PRC, and the Italian Osella and Lucchini and you have a great European mix

GP2 Asia Series competitor and reigning Party Poker Racing Euroseries 3000 Champion Will Bratt will race in the FIA Formula 2 Championship this year as he bids to continue his journey to Formula One. Just a day after concluding his maiden GP2 Asia Series campaign in Bahrain the 21-year-old has become the latest signing in F2 which starts on 17th/18th April at Silverstone.  For 2010, Formula 2 will feature a revised Williams designed and constructed JPH1B chassis which will be powered by a 425bhp turbo-charged engine. Including an ‘overboost’ system designed to promote opportunities for overtaking, making it capable of producing 480bhp.“I'm really excited about the prospect of driving a Formula 2 car", said Will, "It's one of the most high-profile and best-promoted championships on the international stage, plus it's designed to produce a truly level playing field so the onus is on driving talent. Obviously, my aim is to learn the car as quickly as possible and enjoy some good, close racing but that's not to underestimate the challenge by any means. My experience racing in Europe should certainly be beneficial but, having said that, we know it’ll be a very tough season.” Will’s maiden Formula 2 test will come with a two-day outing at Snetterton on 5-6 April.

Chevrolet Supercars:  Bahrain’s Ezra Idafar was a local herin his own country at the weekend during the penultimate event of the 2009/2010 Chevrolet Supercars ME Championship in Sakhir. Competing as part of the support package to the opening race of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, 17-year-old Ezra battled car problems throughout the weekend but still managed to secure a pair of good results – fifth position in the SC06 class during round 11 on Saturdayand second place on Sunday morning..Although there is one event remaining in the 2009/2010 Chevrolet Supercars ME Championship, this weekend’s action marked the last of the campaign for Ezra as he will not participate in the final two races in Saudi Arabia just over a fortnight from now. pics: Lex Akehurst/X-Sport Media    read report

Indycar: Will Power overtook Ryan Hunter-Reay on Lap 58 of 61 to win the rain-shortened IZOD IndyCar Series season opener, the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, won by 1.8581 seconds. Vitor Meira was third, followed by Raphael Matos, Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon. PEAK Pole Award winner Dario Franchitti, who claimed the pole earlier in the day, finished seventh. Power and Meira, who suffered season-ending injuries last year (Power in August, Meira in May), both ended up on the podium in this their first race back in the series. The race was red-flagged for 36 minutes after a thunderstorm swept over the Anhembi section of the city, and it became a timed race. It was also the first time that an IZOD IndyCar Series event held qualifying and race on the same day.

Formula 2: Paul Rees is the latest addition to the FIA Formula Two Championship line-up. Rees joins F2 after taking five podium positions in Formula Palmer Audi last season, before that he raced in both Formula BMW and Formula Renault 2.0 in the UK. Paul's father Alan finished third in the 1966 Formula 2 Trophees de France, beating Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill along the way. He then went on to finish fifth in the inaugural Formula 2 Europe championship in 1967, and he also competed in Formula One for Brabham. Paul Rees said: "I am thrilled to be racing in Formula Two - this feels like the natural step on the motorsport ladder for me and I am 100% ready for it. I was really impressed with the F2 car during testing - there is a lot of power, good balance and a great gearbox. My father Alan Rees was a very successful Formula Two driver and it's a good feeling to be the next generation racing under the same name. F2 is likely to be a two year programme for me - of course Formula One is my ultimate goal but I am fully focussed on succeeding in F2 first. I would like to thank my sponsors who have shown faith in me, Jonathan Palmer and my new management team at Darsena who have made this step possible."

Superleague Formula: James Walker will take on the challenge of retaining Liverpool Football Club’s Superleague Formula by Sonangol title having joined Atech Grand Prix for 2010.  Walker’s signing completes Atech Grand Prix’s entry into the series, joining the recent announcement of Yelmer Buurman (AC Milan) for the Silverstone-based outfit. The new partnership sees Walker reunited with Team Principal David Hayle, who raced together in British Formula 3 a few years ago. “On a personal level I’m very happy to be working with James again, as we enjoyed a close and successful relationship together in Formula 3,” said David. “And on the business side, I know he’s more than capable of taking race wins and challenging for the title. We won it last year with Liverpool FC and Adrian Valles and with the pairing of Yelmer and James now confirmed I’m certain we have a strong line-up with which to defend that title.”  The former World Series by Renault racer is no stranger to Superleague Formula, having won the final race of 2008 for Borussia Dortmund as well as subbing for Rangers FC at the Nürburgring earlier in the year. Walker too is relishing the prospect of working with the team with whom he enjoyed success in F3. “Knowing David well and now having spent a couple of days with the team this week I can see how committed they all are about making sure we have what we need to win and that is all we are interested in. After winning the title last season, Liverpool FC and the team will understandably have high expectations this year and I hope I can continue that winning performance in 2010.” The 2010 Superleague Formula by Sonangol kicks off at Silverstone on Easter weekend 3/4 April.

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Karts: A victory in KZ2 at the opening event of the WSK Euro Series for the Energy Corse team was a dream start in a difficult competition for Paolo De Conto. Although he doesn't have a lot of experience compared to his peers he kept with the pace of Lammers and Thonon (both racing in KZ1) throughout the final race.  read report

Ash Hand, who took his second successive victory at PF International last weekend, is  the 2010 Rotax Winter Series Champion. A great achievement and one that sets him up nicely for his challenge in the British Championship starting at the same circuit next weekend. pics: Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net     read report

Race Retro was on this weekend and not only were their some classic cars on display, some were in action with their drivers on the Rally Stage. Russell Brookes being one notable star re-united with his Andrews Heat for Hire cars – Pics Dennis Goodwin http://www.dennisg-photography.co.uk/

GP2 Asia: DPR driver Giacomo Ricci was all smiles and pumping the air with both fists on today's(Sunday) podium after he flew from fourth on the grid to lead the race by Turn 1 before pulling away from his rivals to win his first GP2 Asia race by 5.3s from ART's Sam Bird. The podium was decided in the first corner with Ricci taking the lead ahead of Bird and Coloni's Alvaro Parente. All three then held station for the duration of the 20 lap race. Davide Valsecchi emerged from seventh to fourth place ahead of Meritus' Alexander Rossi and Luca Filippi and Arden's Charles Pic and Javier Villa. Villa had a poor start and lost the advantage of starting from the front row with poleman Edoardo Piscopo failing to make it to the grid. While Rossi overtook his slower teammate Filippi, Villa busy with trying to surprise the Italian also had to try and fend off his teammate's attacks. Eventually, Pic passed both Villa and Filippi in a bold move into Turn 2, but he had to pit on Lap 9 following a tyre puncture and dropped out of the points. All race-long, Rossi was after Valsecchi and eventually got passed in Turn 1 only to run wide in Turn 2 and have the Series Champion claiming back his fourth position. Villa finished sixth and added another precious point to Arden's total to take second in the Series standings. As Ricci crossed the finish line Filippi who lost seventh place to Yelmer Buurman in the last corner could only think about one thing: both Italians on 29 points with Ricci's win, only the bonus point for fastest lap could see the Meritus man lose second place in the Series. But Bird for the first time on a GP2 podium grabbed bonus point and let Filippi enjoy his being runner –up in the  Championship.

Will Bratt’s first season in GP2 ended on a positive note in Bahrain this morning, Sunday 14 March, in the final race of the GP2 Asia season, a 20 lap Sprint prior to the Bahrain Grand Prix. Will started in 15^th place but despite climbing to 12^th early on he finally brought his Party Poker Racing.com Scuderia Coloni run car home in 16^th.  In Saturday’s feature race, run over 29 laps of the 4 mile circuit Will finish in fifteenth place. pic: GP2 Series Media Service  read report

Luca Filippi gave MalaysiaQi-Meritus.com their first GP2 Asia victory on Saturday following a strong performance during the feature race and resisting race-long pressure from Series Champion Davide Valsecchi. Starting from pole position, Filippi made a strong get-away and kept the lead while front-row sitter Charles Pic took off a bit too slowly, allowing Valsecchi to dive into Turn 1 and precede him. The race leader kept his countryman at bay, a couple of seconds between them. The two racers pitted on the same lap and Filippi got back on track ahead of Valsecchi who then failed to close the gap between them, leaving the Meritus driver to enjoy his first win of the season. Pic on the other hand tried to recover from his poor start with an earlier pitstop and passed the exit of the pitlane right after Valsecchi came back out from his tyre stop. The two men ran alongside in Turn 1, but the iSport man fended off Pic's attacks well and kept the advantage. Filippi comfortably leading Valsecchi and Pic, a late safety car caused by a collision between Christian Vietoris then running in eighth place and backmarker Plamen Kralev did not even disrupt the trio's order. Behind them, Alvaro Parente held his own in fourth while Javier Villa, Jules Bianchi and Giacomo Ricci fought for fifth place. The first two banged wheels at the restart and Ricci swooped passed them. While Bianchi dropped to tenth making further contact with Alexander Rossi, his teammate Sam Bird moved up to sixth, passing Villa in the process.

13-03-10

ALMS: The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, March 19-20, will see reigning LMP1 Champion David Brabham embark on his 12th ALMS season. Returning to the LMP2 category with Patrón Highcroft Racing and two new teammates the 44 year-old is more motivated than ever ahead of the opening race. “We head into 2010 racing an evolution of a 2008 car, which was a great car to drive, reliable and fast. We’ve also had some changes to the team in terms of drivers, engineering experts and a new partnership with GE, so I think we are stronger than ever,” said Brabham. “Certainly all of those factors motivate me even more. I’m really looking forward to Sebring, as I feel that we have a very strong package that we can carry through the race and the year ahead.” Simon Pagenaud and Marino Franchitti will join Brabham in Patrón Highcroft’s Honda Performance Development ARX-01c.“The ARX-01c isn’t massively different from the 2008 P2, but it will be different as the season progresses,” said Brabham. “Certainly the biggest update will be the aerodynamic kit planned for Le Mans, which we will probably continue to use for the rest of the ALMS season.There’s a lot of development, simulation and testing work to be done to ensure we understand the new aero package, keep moving forward and have another successful year. I’m really looking forward to that entire process and making sure we are in strong shape for Le Mans.” For now, though, Brabham’s attention is firmly focussed on the first round of the ALMS. “Sebring is one of the most important races we go to. It’s the first one of the season and it’s the hardest one, so we have to be extremely well prepared. The recent test was really positive and we will continue testing leading up to the race, but it will be interesting to see how the rules are in terms of making the LMP1 and P2 cars similar in speed, as I think there will be some tinkering to get that right.There are still things we need to focus on and practice to ensure we have a good, flowing, race and stay out of trouble. We’ll be aiming to keep consistent and finish with a huge amount of points on the board, which is important early in the season.” Full live race audio is available online at www.radiolemans.com while live timing, and the latest news, can be accessed via www.americanlemans.com.

The distinctive curves of a Ford GT will once again grace Sebring’s concrete-paved track next week when Robertson Racing contest the ALMS curtain raiser in Florida.  Although 41 years has passed since Ford’s supercar last claimed the 12 Hours laurels, the GT40 remains as synonymous with America’s most prestigious sportscar event today as it did in 1969 when Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver took the chequered flag at the wheel of their Gulf-liveried machine.For David Robertson, team owner and driver of the Doran-built, Roush V8-powered GT that will line-up alongside 35 other hopefuls, it’s a point in history that still resonates today.“I love Sebring and racing there, especially as it’s such an important part of motorsport history,” said David, who will partner wife Andrea and David Murry in the squad’s #40 Doran Ford GT. “I’m just thrilled to be a part of that place. I love everything about it. Your pulse quickens just pulling in knowing what’s gone on there for the past 58 years. It’s just an exciting place. It’s also neat to have the Ford connection, what with the GT40 winning there in the 1960s. You see it in the car. You look at it and can’t help but remember that great era of endurance racing.” While it’s unlikely that Robertson Racing’s GT2 contender will emulate that last outright victory, the team has still been hard at work over the winter to make the 21st century version as competitive as possible. “We’ve made a lot of progress on the aerodynamic side, especially with the rear wing and the bottom of the car at the back,” said David. “We’re still trying to optimize the wing profile, given the unusual shape of the high rear deck. We’ve tested two wings during the winter test last month. There’s also a new splitter as we look to optimize the car’s balance. Our next area of intense focus will be engine horsepower.”  Sebring itself meanwhile remains as credible a challenge as it did four decades ago.  “Some of the turns are very rough as they’re made up of the original concrete squares from the old runway, while others are smooth. I suppose there’s always going to be a compromise to be found between ride height and spring stiffness thanks to the long, smooth sweeping turns and the bumps. It poses an equal challenge to driver and engineer. Fortunately we’ve got a lot of smart people like Chief Engineer Lee Penn and our very experienced driver Dave Murry who are enormously knowledgeable when it comes to set-up work.”

British GT: Reigning champion team Preci-Spark will be among the squads taking part in a two-day 'Balance of Performance' test at Silverstone later this month, ahead of the opening rounds of the 2010 Avon Tyres British GT Championship. The Preci-Spark Ascari KZR1, which in the hands of brothers David and Godfrey Jones last year clinched the championship by a single point, will join Audi R8, Ferrari Scuderia and Mosler cars at Silverstone to be driven by the official FIA GT3 tester, Kurt Mollekens. Championship manager Benjamin Franassovici explains: "We have organised a national Balance of Performance test to ensure that we gather enough data from cars taking part this year and to evaluate the Mosler. It is important to have this test with Kurt at the start the season; GT3 is getting stronger again in Britain and a test is necessary to guarantee a healthy foundation."  British GT  is on target for a 20-car grid with a host of exciting GT3 machinery at the sharp end. Runners already declared include a triple-Ferrari squad from Chad Racing and two Audi R8s from the new United Autosports team.Porsche is to return for 2010, after a season's absence, in the shape of a Trackspeed-prepared 997 GT3 R model for team patron David Ashburn(pictured) and a yet-to-be-named co-driver. The Trackspeed machine is entered for the opening round at Oulton Park. Another top driver pairing to return is Phil Burton and Adam Wilcox, they will be running under a new team name, Predator CCTV Racing, and, says Wilcox, will be a force with which to be reckoned. The man beaten to the title last year, Hector Lester, is set to return alongside rapid Dane Allan Simonsen, who holds the British GT lap record at four of the eight tracks to be visited this season. They will again race the Rosso Verde Ferrari 430 with which their claimed the GT3 race honours on three occasions in 2009.One of Chad's three cars will be driven by 18-year-old British GT race-winner Daniel Brown and his experienced co-driver Chris Hyman, and another by Argentine duo José Manuel Balbiani and Juan Garriz. The identities of the drivers of Chad's third Ferrari are due to be revealed next week.Another winning car is the Viper of Craig Wilkins and Aaron Scott; the Midlands-based duo were title contenders down to the wire in 2009 and have championship success very much in their sights this season. The Kingsbury Jig and Tool-backed Viper has been rebuilt at the Sutton Coldfield base of GT3 Racing, a new team set up by Wilkins. Others expected at Oulton Park include the MTECH Ferrari 430 Scuderia of Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin, a Mosler from Rollcentre Racing and an Aston Martin DBRS9 run by Barwell Motorsport for Paul Whight and Michael Bentwood. Whight and Barwell both won titles in British GT in 2006 - Whight's Cadena Motorsport squad was GT3 champion team while Barwell man Leo Machitski was GT3 champion driver. Their joint-effort Aston will be entered under the banner Barwell-Cadena.  "With more marques set to join as the season progresses, it is shaping up to be a memorable year for British GT," adds Franassovici.

Ginetta G50 champion team Century Motorsport is the latest squad to commit to the G4 class of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, with team principal and reigning G50 Champion Nathan Freke pairing with Danish lady racer Vibe Smed to contest the series.Century will be fielding its Ginetta G50 in all of the rounds except Spa, which clashes with other team commitments. "We are very pleased to have signed Vibe to co-drive with me in the series," said Freke. "The combination will enable us to run at the front and while missing a round will make winning the series difficult it is not impossible." Piers Masarati, of Chad Racing, added: "Vibe is a Chad Racing junior driver and we are looking to develop a clear route for drivers into international sports cars via GT4. Chad is running a large British GT and European programme in GT3, so it made sense for us to form a relationship with Nathan and Century Motorsport. Nathan, as we know from last year, is an exceptional driver and Vibe will develop massively from driving with him this year. Century and Chad are both young teams with the same values and I'm sure this won't be the only collaboration."

Renault Sport: On Friday Renault Sport UK revealed its unique Driver Training Programme created by the Renault F1 Team Human Performance Centre exclusively for drivers of the three Renault Sport-promoted series.Held at the Renault F1 Team headquarters in Enstone, Oxfordshire, drivers from the Michelin Formula Renault UK, Protyre Formula Renault BARC and ELF Renault Clio Cup with Michelin Championships attended the launch of the pioneering new scheme which is the only one of its kind and offers Renault Sport drivers in the UK a direct link with the Renault F1 Team. The Driver Training Programme has been created to give young, aspiring drivers the chance to develop their physical and psychological conditioning on their way to becoming professional racing drivers. As well as regular fitness assessments throughout the season, drivers who sign-up to the scheme will be given a tailored exercise plan together with nutritional advice. They will also be able to use the cutting-edge facilities at the Renault F1 Team Human Performance Centre which includes the latest gym equipment such as neck strengthening apparatus and a Batak reaction tester.The event began with a presentation from Renault F1 Team Head Coach Daryl Coombes who currently helps train Renault F1 drivers Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov and will be co-ordinating the scheme. Attendees, who also included members of the motorsport press, were then treated to a tour of the Human Performance Centre’s state-of-the-art training facilities and equipment.Speaking about the new Driver Training Programme Head Coach Daryl Coombes said: “The challenge facing young drivers aiming to reach top-level motorsport is tougher than ever. We therefore feel it is our responsibility to support them as much as possible by developing their skills both on and off the race-track. It’s about helping them mature as individuals and racing drivers with the ultimate goal of getting them ready to make the step up to Formula One in the future.”

12-03-10

Superleague Formula : James Walker is the man charged with retaining Liverpool’s Superleague Formula by Sonangol crown in 2010 after being confirmed as the club’s new signing for the upcoming campaign. The 25-year-old has spent the last three seasons competing in Formula Renault 3.5, where he finished fifth last year. During that time, Walker also made selected Superleague Formula appearances, culminating in a victory for Borussia Dortmund at Jerez in 2008. Atech – the new name for Hitech Junior Team – will once again prepare and run Liverpool’s challenger having collected two victories and a further five podiums during the title-winning 2009 season.Walker confirmed that securing a second championship in as many seasons for the Reds was his primary goal: “It’s going to be great. Over the winter I’ve had a strange period of not knowing what I’m doing so to find out I’ll be racing for Liverpool in Superleague Formula is fantastic. Having done two races before I’ve already got a feel of what it’s all about and the thought of doing a whole season now – and aiming for the championship – is going to be an honour and really exciting.  With the prize fund that’s up for grabs this year, which has been a big attraction, I’m only interested in winning after challenging for the Formula Renault 3.5 crown last year. The only realistic aim is to try to win the title and I think we’ve got a very good chance of doing just that while hopefully winning a lot of races along the way”. Liverpool start their title-defence at home on April 3/4 when Superleague Formula by Sonangol travels to Silverstone for 2010’s opening fixture.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup is expected to boast a capacity grid at the opening rounds of the season. With four weeks to go before the Fuchs Lubricants-backed championship gets underway at Oulton Park, series promoter RacingLine has 31 firm registrations, several more in the pipeline, and looks likely to require a reserve list for the Easter Monday (5 Apr) openers."We can start a maximum of 34 cars at Oulton Park," says championship manager Melissa Wright, "and we have already reached the magic 30. We couldn't be more delighted by this affirmation of the strength and popularity of the Volkswagen Racing Cup at a time when other series are struggling to maintain numbers. "It's pleasing also that although many old friends are returning to the championship there are quite a number of newcomers also, some of them completely new to motorsport." Among the returnees are last year's championship runner-up, Beetle racer Steve Chaplin, and Golf-driving third-place finisher Aaron Mason. The 2006 Champion, Paul Taylor, is back with his Golf R32, as is the driver who won more races last year than any other: Didge Dziurzynski. He will race his Mk IV Golf GTI, with elder brother Alex returning to the championship with his Corrado.James Walker, Mike Kurton and Darren Blumson, race winners in 2008 and '09, are returning, as are Golf GTI-driving frontrunners Tim Snaylam, Anna Walewska and Peter Felix. The championship's diversity will be underlined once again by the crowd-pleasing Caddy TDI van, which will be handled in 2010 by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Director Simon Elliott.There will be two father-and-son squads, with Tony Taylor set to join son Paul on track from mid-season, and Vento driver Barrie Culley supporting son Martyn's efforts once again. There will be new mounts for Tony Harberman - a Beetle RSI - and for Kieran Griffin, who steps into the race-winning Scirocco vacated by his brother Liam.   entry list

Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship team Hillspeed has a new partnership to provide race simulator training for its 2010 drivers.Entering into an agreement with Bamboo Engineering’s Neil Riddiford (the 1989 Formula Renault UK Champion), Derbyshire-based Hillspeed now has the facility to give its competitors the opportunity to gain additional driver training with a state-of-the-art, full motion race simulator.Located at Bamboo’s Silverstone premises, the simulator offers a wealth of technology features including force feedback steering, hydraulic brakes, paddle shift sequential gears and a Motec data logging system. In addition, the simulator enables drivers to further understand how to interpret data and increases knowledge regarding set-up changes and how they affect a car’s handling.Hillspeed’s Formula Renault BARC front-runner James Theodore and team principal Richard Ollerenshaw have each experienced the simulator first-hand and have been seriously impressed with its benefits.“We’re delighted to be able to offer this facility to our drivers”, commented Ollerenshaw, “We’re very impressed with the simulator and when used in conjunction with on-track testing we believe significant benefits can be obtained.“There are also obvious benefits to our overseas drivers who have never experienced UK circuits before, they can use the simulator and then be as prepared as possible when making their actual on-track debut at any given venue. All of our drivers will use the simulator during the season as part of a structured programme to complement their track running.”

ALMS: After racking-up a numerous laps and kilometres in testing on both sides of the Atlantic, Aston Martin works driver Harold Primat is looking forward to switching back to ‘race mode’ for the opening round of the American Le Mans Series, the 12 Hours of Sebring, on 17-20 March. The Geneva racer has been behind the wheel of Aston Martin Racing’s LMP1 prototype at both the ALMS pre-season test at Sebring and the European-based Le Mans Series’ official test days at Paul Ricard, in recent weeks and feels that the team has made strong progress ahead of the 2010 season. “We haven’t focused on setting headline-grabbing lap times,” Primat explained, “but concentrated on getting through a heavy workload which we hope will give us a solid platform to build from, not just for Sebring but also for the Le Mans 24 Hours in June. That’s what I think these pre-season tests are all about.We made real progress with different set-ups that can be applied to the various races which we will contest this season.” The first of those events comes at the 12 Hours of Sebring where Harold and his new co-driver Adrian Fernandez willr ace together for the first time, with Primat looking forward to the experience.“Adrian is a true professional and a very quick driver and his experience will definitely help us as a team,” Harold said. “He has raced at Sebring many times before, and knows what it’s like to win his class and finish on the overall podium there, and that will be very useful as the race is so unique.” Primat’s only other appearance in the 12 Hours of Sebring came in the P2 class in 2005. “It will be good to get back into racing mode,” he said. “I have close personal ties with the US from my early career as a racing driver and I always enjoy going back there to compete. We have worked very hard this winter and now it is time to translate that work into performance in a competitive environment. We want a trouble-free race without any technical problems or on-track incidents so we can get some valuable running in the bag ahead of the new season. If we can get a podium as well, then that would be nice to start 2010.” 

GT1: HEXIS AMR have finally unveilled the identity of their fourth and last GT1 driver, Jonathan Hirschi.from Switzerland He will  team up with Clivio Piccione in Aston Martin DBR9 #10. Hirschi: “ I met Philippe Dumas (co-owner and team manager of HEXIS AMR) for the first time on the Paul Ricard circuit. It was last year, for the occasion of the FIA GT3 European Championship. We kind of met by chance. The signature just happened like that, naturally, although it took time! And I also know Jean- Denis Deletraz a bit (driver of HEXIS AMR's DBR9 #9).”  

Karts: CRG was very satisfied with the results achieved by its drivers on 7 March in Muro Leccese. With Max Verstappen's victory in KF3, Jonathan Thonon's second place in KZ1, Michelle Gatting's fourth place in KF2 and the level of performance shown by Arnaud Kozlinski in Super KF, CRG karts have proven their competitiveness in all categories. Once again, CRG and Maxter brands are ready to play a major role in the WSK. Read report

With the  F1 World Championship campaign now underway in Bahrain, Russ Danzey was chosen as the subject of a special CBBC Sportsround feature, for which Auntie’s filming crew travelled to PF International in Lincolnshire.For all that he is accustomed to pressure at races, Russ admitted that at first, he didn’t quite know what to expect.“Until I got there I was really excited about it,” he revealed, “but then just before I arrived I began to feel a few little nerves. The whole filming team were really helpful and made me feel comfortable straightaway, though, and just eased me into it all – by the time it came around to doing the first shoot I was completely relaxed and just back to feeling really excited again! They asked me how I got into karting, what it is all about and how I plan to progress from there up to F1 – as well as my views on who will win in F1 this year. They started filming at 11:30am and didn’t finish until 5pm, so it was a long day – but it went really well.”  Appearing on TV is something the 15-year-old will be doing a lot more of this season, as the  Super 1 Series in which he races will be televised, going out on Motors TV from 7pm-9pm. “I thoroughly enjoyed the day overall. It was a completely new experience for me, and really strange to be talking into a camera. I’m generally quite a shy person, but I think doing a few interviews on the radio and some presentations has helped to bring me out of my shell a bit in that respect. It’s almost becoming just another part of the job now...” It will be shown on Sportsround on either the CBBC channel on Sky at 6:30pm on Friday, March 12th, or on BBC2 at 7:25am on the morning of Saturday, March 13th.

GP3: Italian driver Mirko Bortolotti, recently incorporated in the "Ferrari Driver Academy", will drive for the Addax Team in the new GP3 Series. After both parties had reached a satisfactory agreement, the team is happy to make the news official. Bortolotti has already been involved with Addax Team, having taken part in the first official GP3 tests, which took place last week (4-5 March) at Paul Ricard. Mirko Bortolotti: "I'm really happy and very grateful for Ferrari's faith in including me in the "Ferrari Driver Academy". I'd also like to thank Addax Team for giving me the opportunity to compete for them in this new GP3 championship. We worked together at the Paul Ricard test and I experienced at first hand the technical, professional and human qualities of the whole team, so I'm convinced we are going to have a good season". Alejandro Agag (Team Principal Addax Team): "It gives us great satisfaction that "Ferrari Driver Academy" has given us the responsibility of guiding one of the drivers from their prestigious school, which demonstrates the confidence they have placed in us. We won't disappoint them and this agreement could be just the beginning of endless prospective joint ventures between both sides. We got to know Mirko at the recent tests in Paul Ricard and he showed that, despite his tender years, he has all the professional qualities necessary to take advantage of the opportunity he has been given".

FBMW: At Monza this week it was the Rookies who came out on top in the first Official FBMW test of the 2010 season. Russia's Daniil Kyvat was fastest with his Eurointernational team-mate, Carlos Sainz (ES), second. However, in the end it was the weather that beat them with day two of the test being cancelled due to snow. On Tuesday the weather at the Italian circuit was bitterly cold with the thermometer never getting above 3.0 celsius. While the morning had been dry, at the end of the afternoon session it started to snow. This did not put the youngsters off, as it was a very successful day of running with no incidents. The drivers all made the most of the track time with Kyvat putting in 47 laps in the morning and 34 in the afternoon. His quickest lap was on his 21st in the afternoon, and prior to that he had set two times that would also have kept him at the top of the time sheets. Sainz did 40 laps in the morning and 45 in the afternoon, and also did another lap that would have assured him of his position of second on the leader board. In the morning it was 2009 Rookie Cup winner, Robin Frijns (NL/Josef Kaufmann Racing) who put in the best lap time, with Kyvat the fastest Rookie in fourth. The next official test for the drivers is in Barcelona on 21/22 March

FPA: Ginetta driver Nigel Moore is set to make his single seater debut this season after his participation in the 2010 Formula Palmer Audi Championship was confirmed. 18-year-old Nigel won the Ginetta Junior Cup in 2007, the Ginetta G50 Championship in 2008 and became the youngest ever British driver to compete at Le Mans in 2009 when he raced the Ginetta-Zytek LMP1 car. Moore will enjoy his first full test in an FPA car over the coming weeks before the season gets underway at Brands Hatch on 8/9 May. Nigel's Formula Palmer Audi will be liveried in traditional Ginetta 'orange' as the Briton is being backed by the marque during his 2010 campaign. Nigel commented: "I'm just ecstatic to be given this chance by Lawrence and Jonathan. The driving talent to come up through FPA speaks for itself and there couldn't be any bigger incentive to go all out for the title, than the chance to win an F2 scholarship for 2011. I can't wait to test my new FPA car, the overboost feature is going to make for some very close racing and that's just the kind of on-track action that I am best at!"

Formula Vee: The second round, of the 2010 Execuline South African National Formula Vee Championship, saw Development Driver, Zaahir Essa, secure the first victory of his Formula Vee career, when he won both heats, at the Execuline Historic Tour Aucor Race Day, at Midvaal Raceway    read report

F2000: Liberty Motorsports have signed up Terrick Mansur for the 2010 Cooper Tires Presents The USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. Driving the No. 14 Liberty Motorsports Van Diemen supported by Aruba.com, Mansur will contest all 12 rounds of the USF2000 National Championship, partnering a yet-to-be-confirmed teammate. Reuniting with Liberty Motorsports Team Manager Chuck Lessick, who previously worked with him in the F2000 Championship Series, Mansur joins the squad following a successful test at Sebring. As part of the series test to evaluate the new spec Cooper Tires radial, Mansur quickly got up to speed, working well with the Liberty Motorsports crew, Cooper Tires engineers and series officials. "I'm really looking forward to the upcoming USF2000 National Championship season and working with Liberty Motorsports," stated Mansur. "While the team is making its pro debut this season, I believe we have all the ingredients to succeed."

WTCC: The FIA World Touring Car Championship has announced a deal with German commercial channel RTL, covering the broadcasting of the 2010 season.RTL will show a 10-minute highlights programme of WTCC races before the broadcast of F1 qualifying sessions. The first programme will be aired on March 13th alongside the F1 season opener in Barhain. In addition, WTCC will also receive coverage on RTL multimedia platform, including editorial features on the RTL website and in the news reports.Marcello Lotti, General Manager of KSO, the promoter of the WTCC, commented: "This deal with RTL marks an important strategic development for us. Getting our World Championship onto terrestrial TV in the leading automotive market in Europe is a massive boost for everyone involved and will bring the WTCC to a major new audience. For the championship, sponsors and teams, this is great news that will further grow the brand and increase interest levels in Germany". Over the past five years, the WTCC has enjoyed a steady audience growth, consolidating its FIA World Championship status as well as increasing its popularity worldwide.

11-03-10

Porsche Carrera Cup GB: Tom Bradshaw, one of last year’s Scholarship drivers, has signed to race with the JHR team in the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB. Bradshaw will lead the JHR squad and has race wins and a bid for the championship as his goals for the coming season. The Blackburn racer finished eighth in the overall standings last season and is delighted to get the chance to build on his first year of Carrera Cup experience. "I'm very fortunate that the team has helped me put this deal together," said Bradshaw. "It is absolutely brilliant news and I can't wait to get started with JHR. The aim is to win some races and be at the sharp end of the championship. I want to build on last year's experience and build my consistency." Team manager Paul Leach is delighted to have the young charger on his squad. "He's had his learning and was very quick towards the end of 2009. The aim is race wins and a challenge for the title," said Leach. "We're very excited to have Tom on board and we feel we have a potential tile contender in the team." The team is now into a pre-season testing programme and Mark Hazell, the JHR contender in pro-am2, had a strong day of running at Brands Hatch yesterday (Wednesday 10 March). "Mark had an excellent day and set some very encouraging times without running new tyres," said Leach. 

Porsche Club: Peter Morris and Richard Lambert, both former class champions and the 2004 title challengers, have signed to challenge for Class One and outright honours in the 2010 Porsche Club Championship. Morris was Class One champion in 2004, while Lambert won dominated Class Two and took the overall title at the end of the season. Morris has been a long term supporter of Porsche Club GB’s race activities, having made his race debut with the club, and now supports the series through his PMC Midlands Ltd building company – and puts up a trophy for the final round of each season. Having raced in national GTs, Towcester-based Morris returned to Porsche Club racing in the final two meetings of 2009, testing a newly built-up 968CS in preparation for his 2010 assault. “I’m really looking forward to the season,“ says 50-year-old Morris. “The Porsche Club is really competitive value for money racing where you can race hard in a friendly environment. We tested the car at Silverstone and were pleased with the times and it felt good, so I am looking forward to the first race.” Lambert returned to Porsche Club action in 2009 with a 964 C2 he imported from the US . Run by Jaz Motorsport, last season Lambert did selected races in his new mount, and now the St Albans racer is chasing his first ever outright victory, having come close to an overall win several times in his Class Two career. “We have a new baby so it will be a limited season for me,” says Lambert, “and our first race will be at Zolder. I’ve never been there before so that will be new for me, and we will try to do as many rounds as possible.” The 2010 Porsche Club Championship opening round is at Brands Hatch on April 10th.

Formula Ford: Australian Scott Pye led the way on Wednesday in the first major test of the forthcoming Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain season. The 20-year-old lapped Oulton Park in a time very nearly a second better than that the pole time from last year,  despite never having seen the track before! Pye was pleased with his performance in one of champion team Jamun Racing's Mygale chassis: "I'm very pleased. I had a test with Jamun a month or so ago in Spain, so I knew what to expect from the team and the car, but it's a tough job to come to a new circuit in a new country and be quickest." Scott, who took third in Australian Formula Ford in 2009, was fastest in two of the day's three sessions and was quickest overall by a 0.377s margin from Scott Malvern, who was in the Cliff Dempsey Racing-run Ray. Reigning Formula Ford Scholarship champion Daniel Cammish was third fastest in his Kevin Mills Racing Spectrum. Pye's Jamun team-mate Josh Hill (Damon’s son), might have ended the day higher up the order but, after setting third-best time behind Pye and Cammish in session two, he was involved in a collision which brought his outing to a premature end. Josh ended the day sixth overall. A total of 20 cars and 22 different drivers took to the track at Oulton. Jamun also ran cars for Dutch driver Jeroen Slaghekke and Portuguese Emil Bernstorff; Fluid were represented by Finland's Jesse Anttila and young Brit James Tucker, while JTR employed Cypriot Tio Elinas and old hand Chrissy Palmer as a test and development driver. Formula Ford, which this year runs on new radial tyres developed by title sponsor Dunlop, gets underway at Oulton Park at Easter

Oulton Park testing 10/3/2010 – top 10

1  Scott Pye  AUS / Jamun Mygale  1m 40.002s

2  Scott Malvern  GBR / Cliff Dempsey Ray  1m 40.379s

3  Daniel Cammish  GBR / Kevin Mills Spectrum  1m 40.627s

4  Jesse Anttila  FIN / Fluid Van Diemen  1m 41.015s

5  Jesper Egebart  DEN / Brits/Egebart Ray  1m 41.066s

6  Josh Hill  GBR / Jamun Mygale  1m 41.069s

7  Chrissy Palmer  GBR / JTR Mygale  1m 41.138s

8 Jeroen Slaghekke  NED / Jamun Mygale  1m 41.214s

9 Emil Bernstorff  POR / Jamun Mygale  1m 41.670s

10 James Tucker  GBR / Fluid Van Diemen  1m 42.151s etc

Full TSL timesheets: http://bit.ly/9qmTo6

Karts: A new chassis has moved young Welsh kart pilot Tom Harvey back into the action at the front of the grid in FKS with third place in the latest round at PF International last weekend. In fact he could just as easily have won if tyre problems hadn’t intervened.  Read report 

Jordan King learned some valuable lessons on a highly promising European KF2 class debut in the opening round of the 2010 WSK Euro Series at La Conca in Italy at the weekend. Now he needs to put the lessons and his previous experience into practice next time out when he can again go for on-track glory!  All pics Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net     read report

 

As Trent Valley Kart Club continues to prepare for the prestigious CIK-FIA European KF2 & KF3 Championships Western Region Qualifications, they have announced that they will be able to offer KF2 & KF3 drivers the opportunity to run to full CIK regulations at their April Club meeting. The process started a few months ago when the April race meeting was registered on the National Events with Authorised Foreign Particiaption (NEAFP) calendar, thus making it possible for foreign drivers to come over to race in the UK in the build-up to the Western Region Qualifications. 

Trent Valley Kart Club will be offering the KF2 & KF3 drivers a choice at the April race meeting:

*  To take the valuable opportunity to run to full CIK regulations before the Western Region Qualifications

*  To run to standard MSA regulations 

The Club are prepared to stage two separate grids of drivers to differentiate between the different regulations as long as the numbers make it viable.  

TVKC would kindly ask that your choice of regulation which you choose to adhere to, is clearly marked on your April race entry. 

For Example: 

To run to CIK Regs  -  mark the entry form KF3 (CIK Regs)

To run to MSA Regs - mark the entry form KF3 (Club)

 Pics: Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net 

The FFSA French Karting Championship 2010 (Grand Prix Open) is a series like no other, both national and international. It also promises to be a success with the direction followed by the Federation and the interest shown already by a number of drivers and professionals. Given the challenge of these difficult economic times, the FFSA have kept a lid on the costs with GPOs  less expensive this year and more open and more accessible at the different levels of competition. The FFSA Grand Prix Open Karting events offer an excellent opportunity to race in the international categories - KF2, KF3 and KZ2 either to race against top level competition or just to race at  a reasonable cost. Thanks to FFSA’s efforts, the budget for a GPO season remains affordable in the CIK categories. With the debut of the Mini/Cadet, Nationale, Rotax and X30 categories, each round will host different groups of participants, thereby providing an interesting show for the public and all the people accompanying drivers. The FFSA have also reduced the tyre bill for competitors by offering a full set of racing tyres per meeting, that is a 50% bonus on this item. According to the contract awarded to Bridgestone last year (for a three-year period), the Japanese manufacturer will provide tyres type YKC for KF3, YKB for KF2 and KZ2, and YKP for all drivers in wet conditions. The second important point is the Championships standings will take 8 out of 10 results into account, this allows  drivers and teams to miss one weekend without losing out in the title stakes. The FFSA has also shown its willingness to be more open by including important Cups in the calendar. The French Cups Rotax and Rotax Master, X30 and X30 Gentleman will be added to the GPO programme as well as the French Cups Mini and Cadet and the French Championship of the National category. The relevant registration procedures will be communicated by the FFSA soon.

LMS: Phil Quaife emerged from the Official Le Mans Series test at Paul Ricard HTTT full of confidence and looking forward to the opening round of the season at the French track next month. The two-day test session gave the Tonbridge-based racer the chance to re-acquaint himself with a GT2-spec CRS Racing Ferrari 430 test car, similar to the one he drove in last year’s Spa 24 Hours and an updated version of which he will race in the GT2 class of the LMS this season. It was also an opportunity to meet his 2010 co-drivers, Pierre Ehret and Pierre Kaffer, for the first time. The trio used the ample track time to undergo some crucial set-up work with CRS Racing’s new engineers and, despite the surprisingly low temperatures in the south of France, the team took a step forward in terms of performance during a useful couple of days.“Everything went very well and the car felt good right away,” said Quaife. “The car ran faultlessly for two days, which bodes well considering how much running we did, and we made progress throughout. Despite the low temperatures, the opening round is only a few weeks away, so we used the opportunity to find a set-up which we think will work well in the 8-hour race at Paul Ricard in April.” Crucially, Phil also found an immediate rapport with his new co-drivers, Ehret and Kaffer, with whom he’ll share the Ferrari 430 in the Paul Ricard 8 Hours and the 1000km races at Spa, the Hungaroring, the Algarve Circuit and Silverstone this year. “It was the first time I have had the chance to meet them both and we hit it off straight away,” he said. “They’re both really good guys and have a lot of experience in GT racing so I am looking forward to racing alongside them this year.” Quaife’s times were on the pace of the other leading GT2-class contenders, which this year include the likes of former F1 stars Jean Alesi and Giancarlo Fisichella. “After such a long winter break without driving it felt really good to be back in a car I love, in a championship I’ve always wanted to race in, against drivers of the calibre of Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi,” Quaife admitted.

Formula Renault UK: Atech GP’s Tama’s Pa’l Kiss headed the timesheets during the second official pre-season test for the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship at Silverstone National circuit on Tuesday, 9th March. The 18-year-old Hungarian racer, now in his second season after finishing as the third highest Graduate Cup driver last year, recorded a best time of 53.374s (110.54mph average) around the 1.64-mile circuit – a full second quicker than the current lap record (54.386s – James Calado).Meanwhile Scottish racer Lewis Williamson in the Manor Competition run car was again among the quickest drivers ending the day as the second fastest driver with a time of 53.401s.Brazilian Fabio Gamberini posted the fastest Graduate Cup time with a 53.978s in his Mark Burdett Motorsport run car.  The day’s first session saw CRS Racing’s Harry Tincknell set the early pace with a time of 53.627s closely followed by Pa’l Kiss, Williamson and Manor Competition’s Will Stevens who went quickest during the first official pre-season test at Brands Hatch Indy last week. There were also strong times set by Atech GP’s Nick Yelloly, Fortec Motorsport’s Ollie Millroy and team-mate Swede Tom Blomqvist.The afternoon session though belonged to Pa’l Kiss who used fresh rubber to set his best time on his 38th lap of 48 completed. Williamson and Stevens both ran well but were unable to match the Hungarian racer.  Along with Gamberini, karting star CRS Racing’s Robert Foster-Jones also finished inside the top 10 for the day as did Manor Competition’s Josh Mulholland.The day also provided the opportunity for the Championship’s latest registered drivers to get some valuable track time. Joe Crook joins Scorpio Motorsport after moving up from the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship in which he finished 10th. Meanwhile Fortec Motorsport have completed their four-car line-up with the signing of Chrissy Palmer.

Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0: Kalle Kulmanen has been confirmed as MP Motorsport’s third driver for the 2010 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Championship – the team’s potential four car line-up nearing completion with just over five weeks remaining until the start of the season. The 18-year-old, from Tampere in Finland, has chosen to make the step-up to Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 this year with the front-running Dutch squad having spent the past two years racing in the Finnish Formula Renault 2.0 Championship. Ending last year fourth overall in the standings, Kulmanen also made his competitive debut in Formula Renault 2.0 NEC and Formula Renault 2.0 Sweden. Prior to his car racing graduation, the teenager had a successful karting career. Commenting on Kulmanen’s signing, MP Motorsport’s Sander Dorsman said: “We’re delighted to have secured Kalle to be our third driver for the coming season. It’s great news for us to have filled three of our cars with more than a month to go until the beginning of the new championship. We do have the potential to run four cars though, so we’re still on the look-out for an additional driver.Kalle is obviously totally new to Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 so we’re not expecting too much initially. He needs to get used to the new car first and then make steady improvements during the next few weeks as we head towards the first race of the season.”

With the official Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 pre-season now in full swing, Netherlands-based MP Motorsport can happily reflect on two very positive test outings so far in Spain – one at Valencia in late February and the most recent at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona this week. On the first day of running in Barcelona on Tuesday, 9th March, Daniël de Jong was seventh fastest with a best time of 1m46.027 (158.1km/h) and team-mate Karl-Oscar Liiv was eighth thanks to a lap of 1m46.165, just 0.3secs shy of the outright pace. Dutchman De Jong got off to an impressive start on Wednesday with the third quickest time of 1m44.955 and went on to improve to a lap of 1m44.758 in the afternoon. For Liiv, after posting the 13th fastest time of 1m45.894 in session one, the Estonian went on to lap with a best of 1m44.518 in the second outing to finish sixth overall. Kulmanen, on his debut in the new FR 2.0, was a highly creditable 17th fastest on the opening day when running was severely restricted due to snowfall which prevented any track action until the afternoon. On Wednesday, the championship newcomer was 18th during the morning with a time of 1m47.294 and improved in the afternoon to 1m46.965. Colleague team manager Dick van der Wilt said: “It was quite bizarre to begin with, snow in Barcelona for the first time in 10 years! We couldn’t go on track until the afternoon on the first day but we were happy to be only three 10ths of a second off the pace on old tyres, we saved our new tyres for day two.The second day was good, Daniël was second or third for the entire morning and although his new tyre run wasn’t as we expected in the afternoon, eighth position was still good. Karl-Oscar was strong and although he slipped from third to sixth it was great for us to have two cars in such a competitive top 10. Kalle has a lot to learn of course but he’s made a good start, we’re happy.” Next on the 2010 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 testing schedule is a visit to Magny-Cours on 15-16 March. Drivers still considering racing in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 this year are invited to contact MP Motorsport regarding its potential fourth seat – call Sander Dorsman on 0031 (0) 6516 70158 or email him at sander@mpmotorsport.nl

Preparations for the Formula Renault 2.0 season continued this week with two days of testing at the Barcelona circuit. Like at Valencia, Daniel Mancinelli (One Racing) came away with the best time, beating the Formula Renault 2.0 lap record for the circuit. The Italian driver finished ahead of Luciano Bacheta (Interwetten) and Arthur Pic (SG Formula). On Tuesday morning, surprisingly, snow fell on the Catalunya circuit and the track was iced up in places meaning testing was not an option in the morning. By 2pm things warmed up allowing a green light at the pit exit. Once the cars emerged lap times came down regularly throughout the first hour, with Luciano Bacheta going to the top with 1'48''784. Miki Wekstrom (Koiranen Bros Motorsport) and Alex Riberas (Epsilon Euskadi) took turns to oust Bacheta from first place but the Italian came back stronger and did a 1'45''826. However in the last few minutes things changed with Aaro Vainio (SG Formula) posting a 1'45''811. The Finnish young gun finally surrendered the best time Adam Kout (Krenek Motorsport) who did a 1'45''801, the Czech driver finishing top the timesheets ahead of Aaro Vainio, Luciano Bacheta, Bart Hylkema (Koiranan Bros Motorsport) and Miki Weckstrom. Weather conditions were more settled on Wednesday, and performances inmproved over day 1. Vainio took the lead early on but it was Luchiano Bacheta who was first to get near then beat the previous day's times with a 1'44''849. Miguel Otegui (Epsilon Euskadi) then went above the Interwetten driver before Luciano Bacheta took the quickest lap of the morning in 1'44''566, ahead of Miguel Otegui and Daniel de Jong (MP Motorsport). In the final session teams devoted the start of the afternoon to setups before fitting  fresh tires  allowing Bacheta to beat the F Renault 2.0 lap record with a 1'44''086. At the end of the session, Daniel Mancinelli went even faster, lapping in 1'43''691, the only driver to dip below the 1'44 mark and was able to walk away from Barcelona with the best time overall, just as in Valencia.

Formula 2: Jolyon Palmer has confirmed that he will return to the Formula Two line-up in 2010 for his second year in the F1 feeder series. Jolyon graduated to Formula 2 last season after finishing third in the 2008 Formula Palmer Audi Championship. One of the youngest competitors in the 2009 F2 field, he made a promising start to the season when he recorded his first top ten finish in the second round at Brno in the Czech Republic. The Comma-backed Briton also joined F2 for all four days of winter testing, setting the fastest time of day two at Portimao, Portugal. Palmer admits he will be looking to launch himself towards the front of the field this year. Jolyon Palmer said: "Last season was a little disappointing for me until towards the end of the year when I scored my first points. I was also quick during winter testing and hopefully I can carry this momentum into my second F2 campaign. The testing in Portimao in December was particularly competitive and I went really well there, so this is hopefully a good sign that I can run at the front and get my first win in F2 this season. I am used to the one team environment having been in FPA previously and then in F2, and I really feel I can get the best out of it. I will start the season on a race by race basis to see where I stand compared to the other drivers, but I really feel that I have the potential to be a contender and if things go my way, maybe even win the title."

Historic Sportscar Racing's (HSR) season-opener at Sebring International Raceway (SIR) got off to a great start with nearly 200 vintage and classic cars featured in nine classes, competing over three days.   Read report

10-03-10

Formula3: Oulton Park hosted the latest test of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series today, Wednesday, 10th March, with National Class pace-setter Menasheh Idafar once again delivering a top rate performance. Marking his first experience at the venue at the wheel of an F3 car, the 18-year-old headed the National Class in all three of the day’s sessions and ended the test a very competitive 10th overall on combined times. With a best lap of 1m28.776 secs (109.16mph), Menasheh concluded this week’s outing just 1.3 seconds shy of the outright pace and, more importantly, some 1.5 seconds clear of chief class rival, and T-Sport team-mate, James Cole at the track which will host the first three races of the season over Easter Weekend, 3rd/4th/5th April. “I’m really pleased to have been in the top 10 overall today, our pace was good throughout the test which is obviously really good preparation for the first round of the season at Oulton”, commented Menasheh, “The cornering here is so much faster in an F3 car than in the Formula Renault I raced last year but I adapted to that without any problems. All in all it’s been another great day.” During the two-hour morning session, Menasheh steered his Gulf Computer Services W.L.L liveried car to a time of 1m29.923 seconds (107.77mph) on his final lap of the run to secure 13th position overall on the timesheets and the top National Class placing by some 1.1 seconds. The first session of the afternoon was by far the most impressive as he set his fastest time(1m28.776). In the third and final session, Menasheh lapped in 1m30.064 seconds (107.60mph). Pic: Jakob Ebrey Photography

F2000: Jesse Yorio will be back in 2010 in a brand new Piper DF5C chassis. Joining a 30-car F2000 Championship Series field dominated by Van Diemens, with expected new cars from Radon and Ralph Firman Racing, in addition to standing entries from Citation and Mygale, the new Piper will make it a season of chassis wars in the F2000 world. Yorio, out of New York, will be back for his fourth straight season, driving under the Company Motorsports banner alongside teammate Jeff McCusker. “Doug Learned at Fast Forward Components and I wanted very much to put one of his show pieces on the grid this year, and with my new sponsor, NewSeed Advisors, we were able to make it happen,” commented Yorio. “The goal for 2010 is to win races and with some luck, be in the hunt for the championship,” Yorio said. “2009 was a disappointing year, I had a strong start at VIR and we proved that the improvements made to the bell housing and cooling system on the Piper DF-5 had achieved what was necessary to get the car back up front.” While the delivery of any new race car can be surrounded by delays and the paddock grapevine, Yorio insists the car is ready to go. “The new car is arriving from Doug next week and will be track ready straight from the factory. How many of the silly British cars can that be said about?” (We'll see what the 'silly' British cars can do when the season gets under way won't we! - Ed) The American recently returned from a seat fitting at Fast Forward Components in California and was left very impressed by Learned’s operation. “I was out in California last weekend for the seat fitting and watched the Learneds piece the car together with tremendous attention to detail. Doug started with Don Sievenpiper's excellent design and made improvements to many areas. I have to keep the details of the new whizzy bits under wraps, but can tell you about the non-secret ones. The car has a slightly larger fuel cell of aircraft grade and is rated for alcohol based fuels. The pedal assembly is a work of art, as are the bell housing and shift linkage. To give you insight into the attention to detail, the oil tank and firewall have vibration isolating 3M tape on their mating surfaces.” The Company Motorsports crew is compromised of Kenneth Company, who Yorio said, “will continue to maintain the car in his typical meticulous fashion.” And trackside, Yorio will “be in the good hands of Daryl Mayhew, David Schuler and Ove Falc.” Like most of the F2000 community, Yorio will miss Joe Stimola in the VIR paddock: “Jeff (McCusker) and I both greatly miss Joe Stimola as he was a mentor to us both. I was fortunate to know Joe for 10 years and he epitomized the term 'class act. Joe always led me in the right direction and never failed to deliver on a promise. The paddock won't be quite the same without Joe, but fortunately he insisted we take one of his setup guides every time we visited his trailer, so we still have a piece of his knowledge with us.” 

FBMW: Facu Regalia ended the first Formula BMW Europe test at Monza in good shape. The weather wasn’t great and it even snowed in the afternoon! The Hispanic-Argentinean driver had his first official test of the season at Monza this week before the debut race of the season in May at Circuit de Catalunya alongside the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix. Regalia was out in one of Eifelland Racing’s cars and in the morning zsession, when conditions were at their best, he was the fifth fastest. “It was difficult. I was the fifth fastest and fastest among my team’s drivers, with an eight tenths advantage, even though I used worn tires”, he said. In the afternoon, the drivers had three hours on track,even if the weather didn’t give them a break. Some chose to put new tyres in their cars but Regalia and his team preferred to save their fresh rubber for the today’s(Wed) session. “I lost a bit more than a second to the fastest driver, something that isn’t that bad because he used new tires and I didn’t. However, we have to improve the set-up a bit. I think we are in the right path and I’m enjoying to work with the team”, concluded Facu. A snow storm cancelled the test today

Michelin Formula Renault UK rookie Josh Mulholland produced a breakthrough performance during official pre-season testing at Silverstone on Tuesday, ending the day ninth fastest on overall times. The 20-year-old Manor Competition driver, from Northern Ireland, bounced back from a problematic two-day outing at Brands Hatch last week where a string of teething troubles with his brand new Barazi-Epsilon FR 2.0 car limited running and compromised his pace. At Josh again had difficulties with gearing in the morning session but came back well in the afternoon to set a best time of 54.027 seconds (109.21mph), ninth quickest on combined times.Ending the test only 0.6secs shy of the outright pace, the Mulholland Scrap Metals supported racer also beat his experienced team-mate Thomas Hylkema who was  10th. “This has been a real boost for me, especially with all of the problems we’ve had with the car since testing began”, said the championship newcomer, “Brands Hatch last week was very tough but during the second session today we were finally able to get a run of consistent laps. The end result shows we weren’t all that far away from the top guys.Considering the lack of running I’ve had compared to most of the others, I’m very pleased with the outcome. To be just ahead of Thomas (Hylkema) was great and to be within a 10th of a second of the top four shows we did a good job and have made progress. The team has been working hard to get the issues with the car resolved so hopefully the Rockingham test next week will go smoothly.” Next is a visit to Rockingham on 15-16 March with further testing a week later at Snetterton before the season gets underway on 3-4 April at Thruxton. Renault Pics: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Atech Grand Prix topped the times at its home track of Silverstone on Tuesday with Hungarian Tamás Pál Kiss fastest at the second official test ahead of the 2010 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship.  The 18 year-old, who’s backed by energy drink Hell, was second quickest in the morning session but jumped to the top of the time sheets in the afternoon, to end the day quickest overall. His team-mate Briton Nick Yelloly, runner up in the end-of-season Winter Cup, was fifth in both sessions, however was relegated to sixth overall at the end of the day. Team Principal David Hayle was delighted with the performance of both drivers as they now look to continue the programme at Rockingham Motor Speedway next week. “Tamás continued his good form today and completed a significant number of quick laps which sets him up well for the season.  Nick too was fifth in both the morning and afternoon sessions, and I’m confident that when the season kicks off at Thruxton next month, both drivers will be right on the pace.” For Pál Kiss, the results marked his first time at the top of the leader board. “It was a good test today and I was really happy with the team, the whole thing worked really well, I really enjoy every minute being with them,” said Tamás. “They take the whole thing very seriously and are very professional and I think that shows in our performance today.We head to Rockingham next week where I don’t have that much experience. However I now feel very confident with the car and team and so I will do my best and hope that it’s enough.”

Manor Competition continued its strong start to the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship pre-season at Silverstone on Tuesday. After heading last week’s two-day outing at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, the team produced a similarly impressive showing at Silverstone with Lewis Williamson(pictured) ending the test second fastest – just 0.027 seconds shy of the top of the times – and team-mate Will Stevens a mere 0.031 seconds further adrift in third position. Formula Renault UK rookie Josh Mulholland produced an excellent showing(see separate story)  while Thomas Hylkema, meanwhile, ensured all four of Manor’s drivers ended the test in the coveted top 10 with a best time just six 10ths of a second outside the outright fastest lap. During the day’s opening four hour session, Scottish 20-year-old Williamson set a time of 53.751 seconds (109.77mph) to go third fastest a shade ahead of Surrey racer Stevens in fourth place – the 18-year-old posting a best of 53.950 seconds.The afternoon session brought marked improvements from the Manor quartet, Williamson again the quickest of the four with a lap of 53.401 seconds but with Stevens almost matching him in a time of 53.432 seconds. “We’re very pleased to have pretty much continued where we left off at Brands Hatch last week”, said Manor Competition co-owner Sarah Shaw, “We’re all still learning more and more about the new car with every lap but to have ended the Silverstone test with all four drivers in the top 10 – and two of them in the top three – is a great team result and just reward for everyone’s hard work.”

Thomas Hylkema continued his pre-season preparations with a solid, workmanlike performance at the Silverstone test ending this week’s run inside the top 10 with a best lap of 54.039 seconds (109.18mph), just 0.6 seconds shy of the outright pace. Choosing to focus most of his efforts on set-up work and learning how to get the most from his tyres, Thomas still managed to lap consistently quickly and at one stage during the three hour afternoon session was as high as third fastest on the timesheets.As other drivers elected to run fresher rubber, the Club Car and TORO-backed racer remained on tyres from last week’s test at Brands Hatch to continue his learning process – something which will certainly pay dividends when the season gets underway at the beginning of April.  “All in all this week’s test was good, I learned more about the car and although we ran on old tyres for most of the day we were still pretty close to the guys on fresher rubber”, said Thomas, “The morning session was a bit more difficult in terms of lap times as I ran on some very old tyres from last week’s test at Brands Hatch, but I wanted to work on my set-up and learn more about the car. After lunch we did have a small clutch problem but after that we went faster even though we were still on old tyres. On a newer set of the Brands Hatch tyres we went third fastest and then did some more set-up work so others were able to go quicker. We had problems with traffic during my new tyre run at the end, which was unfortunate, but it was still a strong day for us so I’m very pleased.”

WTCC: The FIA, in agreement with promoter KSO, has decided to cancel the second event in the 2010 FIA World Touring Car Championship scheduled to take place in Puebla, Mexico, on April 11th. The FIA’s decision is based on security reports from the region and follows close consultation and guidance from OMDAI, the Mexican National Sporting Authority.

Grand-Am: The #77 McDonald's/Doran Daytona Prototype driven by Memo Gidley and Dion VonMoltke had a good nionth place finish in round two of the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 at the Grand Prix of Miami last weekend.  “It was a bit frustrating because the car felt like a 5th or 6th place car and we just needed a yellow to get us back up to the lead group and go racing,” said Gidley. “But, all in all, it was a good weekend for the #77 McDonald's car and to have two strong run early in the season is a positive thing for us.”    ..read report

Superleague Formula: Atech Grand Prix has confirmed that Dutchman Yelmer Buurman will contest the 2010 Superleague Formula by Sonangol series under the AC Milan banner. The Silverstone-based team won the title last year with Liverpool FC and Adrian Vallés, and is the first team to confirm a driver in the series. Team Principal David Hayle is excited about the prospect of working with 23 year-old Buurman who finished second in the inaugural season of Superleague Formula and took fourth place last year. “I’m very pleased to have finally penned a deal with Yelmer who I’ve known from his Formula Renault days,” said Hayle. “Over the years I’ve watched him grow up and over the last two seasons he has proven to be a particularly strong contender in Superleague Formula, finishing second and fourth. This season we’ll be looking to go one stage further with him and I expect him to be in the fight for the championship.” In 2009, Buurman drove in the GP2 Asia series as well as in Superleague Formula, where he finished fourth in the final standings driving for RSC Anderlecht.  He won two races in the final round of the series at Jarama. Buurman is relishing the prospect when the series kicks off next month. “I am happy to be back in Superleague Formula with last year’s championship-winning team and I look forward to scoring for a top club,” said Buurman. “After being second and fourth in the championship over the last two years I will now go for the top. I only have one aim and that is winning the championship for and with AC Milan. I am ready for it and I’d like to thank everyone at Atech GP for their confidence in my capabilities.” The 2010 Superleague Formula by Sonangol gets underway with the opening round at Silverstone over Easter weekend 3/4 April.

LMS: Strakka Racing emerged as front-runners in LMP2 after a very successful Le Mans Series test at the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet in southern France. With a brisk Alpine wind cutting across the track, conditions were hardly ideal, but the team’s new HPD ARX-01c in the hands of Danny Watts, Nick Leventis and Jonny Kane set fastest time in three out of the five sessions, including Sunday evening’s run through to midnight. The official ACO two-day test at Paul Ricard on Sunday and Monday this week was the team’s first opportunity to gauge how the car’s performance measured up against the opposition. “The test has gone perfectly for us,” said a very satisfied Piers Phillips, team manager at Strakka. “We’ve been largely ignoring what others have been doing, and just getting on with the schedule of work we’d set ourselves, but even so, it has been gratifying to set some of the quickest times, especially as we’re comparing our performance with some teams who’ve been developing their cars for a year or more. We’re still learning so much every time the car goes out, and it’s reassuring to know that there’s even more still to come. It’s a good position to be in.” The team took delivery of a new low-downforce aero-package in the days just before the test, which accounted for the plain black scheme of some body panels. “Most of our testing before today has been in the wet, and it’s been our first run with the new package, but we’ve worked through the test without a hitch,” said Nick Leventis. “Speed and stability is excellent, straight out of the box, and I’m delighted that we’ve emerged around the top of the P2 class at the end of it. We’ve established a fairly good idea of the likely pace, but it’s important not to read too much into times set during testing,” he said, before adding; “Everyone else will have more to give too, so we have to be realistic, but it’s been a very positive two days.” Most of the set-up work was completed by Danny Watts. “We’re very pleased with where we are, especially as we’re still in the early stages of learning how to work with the car. It has been totally reliable and we’ve had no issues at all. The HPD engine and chassis combination is excellent, the tyres have been awesome, and the whole package is gelling together very nicely. What we need now is to return next month and make a good, solid start to the season, and get points on the board,” he said. The 8 Hours of Le Castellet takes place on Sunday April 11th, starting at 11:00am.

The RML AD Group Lola B08/80 HPD lived up to expectations at the recent two-day official Le Mans Series test at the Paul Ricard HTTT on Sunday and Monday(7-8 March). Consistently in the top three of the LMP2 class, the car was also the fastest of it’s category on the Mistral Straight (0.75 miles) in an impressive 181 mph (291 kph). Driver Thomas Erdos, whoi dod nmost of the setup. "Almost without exception, our competitors have been testing for weeks, or months, and their preparation for the new season is way ahead of ours," observed the Brazilian. "With that in mind, I'm delighted with the progress we've made, and to be within a few tenths of quickest in our class suggests we have a very competitive package, and that's enormously uplifting." Read more    pic: David Lord / Dailysportscar

Karts: Nyck De Vries, the European Champion and winner of WSK in KF3 in 2009, had an impressive debut in Super KF in Italy last weekend  where the young Dutch driver fought with some of the best kart drivers to take second place in the WSK Euro Series.  Read report

Star Mazda: AIM Autsoport ihas announced that Ontario native David Ostella is returning for a second season in 2010 to contest the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Ostella,18, will be driving the AIM Autosport / Global Precast No 16 Formula Mazda and he is looking forward to the season’s first race at Sebring International Raceway on March 19. Ostella teamed with AIM in 2009 to run in Star Mazda and take advantage of their successful open-wheel racing programs. AIM won the 2008 Star Mazda Championship and had a solid reputation for developing young drivers. “It was a very steep learning curve coming into the series last year”, said David. “AIM and Star Mazda team manager Keith Willis have an excellent reputation and they had just come off a championship season so the decision to team with them was easy.” He continued, ”We learned a lot in ’09 and we knew that sticking with AIM and building on last season’s work, could lead to success in 2010. Our goal is to be up front and fight for the championship.” AIM and Ostella have been testing over the winter and are now at Sebring for official series testing ahead of the first race later this month. The first race in the Star Mazda Championship takes place March 19th at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida.  David continues his racing efforts with generous support from Global Precast Intercontinental. He also has renewed support from both Alpinestars and RAW Integrated Ltd. 

Hayden Duerson, 18, has signed with Juncos Racing for the first two races of the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. "I am very excited to be competing in the Star Mazda Championship with Juncos Racing," said Duerson. "I am looking forward to working with my teammates, Conor Daly and Tatiana Calderon, and I believe with the help of Ricardo and the great team of people he has put together, we will be very competitive this year." From 2005-2007, Duerson was a member of the Italian Motors karting team. In 2008, Duerson entered in the Skip Barber National Series alongside Conor Daly. Duerson will make his debut in Star Mazda at Sebring on March 19.

09-03-10

Sir Stirling Moss is recovering in Hospital after he fell 3 floors down the lift shaft at his London home. Sir Stirling, 80, has broken ankles, damaged feet and chipped vertebrae but it is not considered a life-threatening. The lift in his house malfunctioned and got stuck on the fourth floor as Moss stepped into the shaft on the third floor when the door opened in error and he fell all the way to the concrete base. “Amazingly he did not suffer any internal injuries," confirmed BRDC secretary Stuart Pringle. "Lady (Susan) Moss has just telephoned me and although Sir Stirling is not in good shape, he is no longer in danger," he added.

Silverstone: Work on the new Grand Prix Circuit at Silverstone is nearing completion, as the venue’s multi-million pound investment in a new track layout and improved spectator facilities remains on schedule to be finished by the end of March. The new circuit will host a number of world class events in 2010, including the Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix on  09-11  July, and MotoGP and World  Superbike motorcycle racing on 18-20 June and 31 July -  01 August respectively. However, the first major international event to test out the new circuit will be the Silverstone Supercar featuring the FIA GT1 World Championship, on 01-02 May. Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, said, “Work on the circuit and venue is on schedule. The team has been working around the clock, through some pretty terrible weather conditions, to make sure the circuit is ready on time. The track works at Brooklands and Woodcote are now complete, including the new run-off area for the fast entry into Pits Straight, while the major new development – the new section of circuit from Abbey, up to the Arena Complex and round to the National Straight – is also coming along nicely. “There  is  still  a  considerable  amount  of  work  going  on  at  Silverstone,  including  the  new elevated banks and spectator viewing areas, which will continue beyond March. Conference and hospitality buildings are also being built on the new Stowe Complex.”  

GP3: Californian Alexander Rossi, joined 33 drivers over two days at Paul Ricard for the inaugural test of the GP3 Championship Series. Running in both wet and dry conditions, Rossi led the way giving notice of his intent for the 2010 season, having signed for GP3 Championship with ART Grand Prix this past January. The 18 year old set the fastest overall time at 1:20.013 to lead the timesheets in three of the four sessions. "The test went very well, not only for me and the team, but for the series as well collecting a lot of data", Rossi commented. "For a new car and changing track conditions I'm really impressed with the amount of reliability and technical support over the two days. The whole ART team was flawless, I' m very thankful for the confidence both Frederic and Nicolas have in my abilities, and quite confident I'll deliver for them. The expectations are high and should be, as I have a job to do." GP3 drivers were able to test their adaptation to both a new car and changing circuit conditions. The first of four sessions was in the wet, then turning to dry as the day progressed. Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal ART: "This has been a really positive first test session for us, but also for GP3 in general. Our cars have been consistently reliable throughout the two days, and we have covered a significant amount of kilometres, gathering invaluable data to move forward. After watching the cars on track these past two days I think it's safe to say that we have a great season of racing ahead of us." The GP3 car is a Dallara chassis with a non assisted rack and pinion steering system and Brembo brakes. The Renault 4 cylinder, 2 litre, turbo-charged engine has a 6 speed sequential Hewland gearbox. Pirelli will be the official tyre supplier.  

Formula 3: Motul Oil UK have announced expansion of their sponsorship with Team West-Tec. The team will take to the grid in the National Class of the 2010 British International Formula 3 Championship, the cars carrying the French oil companie’s striking Motul livery and their famous red and white colours into the series this year. Renowned for their expertise with synthetic lubricants and the design and manufacture of high performance lubricants for motorsport, Motul's partnership will further enhance their brand and technical credentials in this highly competitive and prestigious championship. Gareth Burnett Managing Director of Pace Products, Motul's UK distributor said "We are delighted to have extended our partnership to become Motul Team West-Tec and add this to Motul's worldwide partnerships in motorsport which are the proving ground for our products. The pedigree of British Formula 3 speaks for itself and we look forward to seeing Motul Team West-Tec challenging for the National Class championship this year." Motul Team West-Tec's John Miller added "We are extremely pleased to have developed our sponsorship with Motul this year and represent this world famous and iconic motorsport brand. Our partnership with Motul also provides us with their superb range of products and access to their expert analysis and laboratory facilities which allows us to maximise our cars performance on the race track."

Volkswagen Racing Cup contender Anna Walewska was at the forefront of a gathering of women in motorsport this week at Silverstone. The event was organised by motorsport's UK governing body, the MSA, as part of International Women's Day. Despite being one of the few sports in which men and women can compete on an equal footing, women make up only eight per cent of registered racing licence holders. It's a problem which frustrates 23-year-old Anna: "There are not nearly as many women involved as there should be. I think that's just down to poor promotion. There's a need to make access to motorsport a lot easier than it is."A lot of women come to me at race circuits and ask 'How do I get into it? How do I start? Can I race against the guys?' It's a shame they even have to ask those questions; the answers should be easy to find. "The Silverstone event was a good get-together, a chance for women in motorsport to meet and discuss what we are doing and the hurdles that we face; it was very enjoyable and I was glad to attend." Anna's views are echoed by Melissa Wright, Director of championship promoter RacingLine, championship manager of the very successful Volkswagen Racing Cup with Fuchs Lubricants, and one of the very few women involved with motorsport at a senior level. "Motorsport is the perfect environment for women to compete alongside men," says Melissa. "The Volkswagen Racing Cup welcomes female competitors and we are delighted that it attracts drivers of Anna's calibre. The championship has no need of a 'ladies cup', because the women are in any case up there and doing well against the men." Anna's plans to take on the men and beat them will see the Surrey driver at the wheel of an Alan Blencowe Racing-prepared Golf GTI in the Volkswagen Racing Cup this season. She enjoyed a successful learning year in the series in 2009 and hopes to use it as a springboard into the BTCC by 2012.

LMS: The Official Test has been the final rehearsal before the season kicks off at Paul Ricard later this month. Testing went well for Team ORECA Matmut with Soheil Ayari fastest overall in the ORECA 01-AIM followed by Olivier Panis, second in the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. Danny Watts set the best time in LMP2, while Stefan Mucke ruled the GT1 class and Richard Westbrook did the same in the GT2 class. The weather conditions were difficult on both days, withj high winds and very low temperatures affecting the driving. Nevertheless the track remained dry.

Oreca Matmut and Strakka Shine - Testing form is notoriously difficult to read - you never know for certain what fuel load or set-up a team is running at any one particular time. Despite an engine problem, Soheil Ayari, Didier Andre and Andy Meyrick drove well allowing the ORECA 01 - AIM to set the best time, but the signs are that they will have fearsome opposition. Soheil Ayari declared: "We did a good job. We tested many different kinds of tires and we found interesting things. The car is faster than last year and it is always a pleasure to top the time-sheets!"  Team ORECA Matmut has very high hopes for their new Peugeot 908 HDi FAP that was unveiled two days ago in its brand-new livery. Olivier Panis, Nicolas Lapierre and Loic Duval had a productive first day with the most laps of the circuit under their wheels and the second fastest time in the two-day session. Meanwhile, Rebellion Racing is now focusing only on the LMP1 class with two Lolas-Rebellion and a very impressive drivers' line-up.(see separate story below) The prototypes set the third and fourth time while Marco Andretti was busy learning the track. We are used to Strakka Racing topping the time-sheets after the pole last year in Barcelona at the start of the season, but this time they are in LMP2 with the  Honda Performance Development prototype. This car already has an impressive record of victories, but this is the very first time that it has run in an official event in Europe. During this two-day session, Danny Watts chalked up the best time in the class, but above all, the car has been very reliable, which is promising for the competition in the class, especially with the defending champion Quifel-ASM Team. Though the mood remained optimistic in the Portuguese camp, the season should be tougher than last year for Miguel Amaral and Olivier Pla, who couldn't do better than second, all the more so as Team RML is not too far behind with their Lola now running Dunlop tyres.

In the Formula Le Mans class, the test days at Le Castellet saw Team Boutsen Energy Racing and Team DAMS almost evenly matched before Hope Pole Vision Racing set the best time. On the International Women's Day, the young French driver Corentine Quiniou made her debut on a Formula Le Mans, but could not make the most of the car because of a lack of grip.

The GT1 class was well represented thanks to the three Fords. One of them (the Matech Competition's one) will participate to the 1000 Km of Spa-Francorchamps. The drivers line up will be 100% made of ladies! The Larbre Competition Saleen stayed only one day, but has been able to keep up with the pace. The dual between Porsche and Ferrari has been exciting for two days, and the German car-maker was fastest thanks to Prospeed Competition and Richard Westbrook. CRS Racing is very close and Pierre Kaffer and his Ferrari did their best time in the last lap. Knowing the circuit might have definitely helped Jaime Melo and Gianmaria Bruni and their AF Corse Ferrari F430: they completed their planned program with no problems and chalked up the third time. The fight between the GT2s is always fierce with many cars able to bring the trophy home. This season should meet the race-fans' expectations with several cars within one second. Jean Alesi and Giancarlo Fisichella had a good start. The Italian driver said at the Press Conference: "I know that I have a lot to learn because the GT car is fully different from a Formula One car, but I am very happy to be here for a new challenge."

Greg and Leo Mansell join a growing group of second generation racers keen to emulate the successes of their fathers. The Mansell family didn't miss it’s entrance with the fifth time, and the father and sons could achieve their work program and should stay in ambush for the whole season.

On the 7-8 March, REBELLION Racing attended the 2010 Le Mans Series official test at Paul Ricard. For the first time this season all of the Swiss team's drivers were together: Lola-Rebellion # 12 : Marco Andretti - Neel Jani - Nicolas Prost Lola-Rebellion # 13 : Andrea Belicchi - Jean-Christophe Boullion - Guy Smith. The performance shown by both cars met the team's expectations, despite the wintry weather. A cold track meant that it wasn't possible to keep the tyre temperatures at optimum levels so the tyre testing program was limited.  This first day allowed each driver to accumulate miles and familiarise themselves with the Lola B10/60 - Rebellion. Marco Andretti and Guy Smith coming directly from the US for their first laps. Marco Andretti was quickly at ease, "The feeling of the Lola-Rebellion is very close to the Acura LMP2 that I drove in 2008. I am impressed by the level of the team and the quality of my teammates. I am delighted to share the driving of the No.12 with Nicolas and Neel. I think we can aim for a good result at the 24 Hours of Le Mans." As for Guy Smith, he was also very quickly comfortable:  "The car is bigger and heavier than the Lola I drive in the ALMS. It is well balanced and easy to control. I was favourably impressed with the Rebellion engine. The REBELLION Racing team is very good and they make you feel at home quickly, it is important for my integration into the team for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 8 Hours of Paul Ricard. " In the evening, the team took part in the night test session to check lighting solutions for Le Mans. On the second day the weather was again cold with both Lola-Rebellions turning numerous laps. Nicolas Prost: "We are pleased with the work done at Le Castellet. We are still far from exploiting the full potential of our two Lola Rebellions. Our driver trio is very homogeneous, both in terms of feedback and size. And most importantly, we understand each other very well, which bodes well for races like Le Mans 24 Hours. We still have to work before realising all the performance of our cars. But we will start the season with a team ready for the challenge. "  Neel Jani: "Despite the cold conditions this weekend, we managed to find our tyre choice. I am pleased to have Marco in our team. I knew he was a good driver. We now have confirmation that we can aim at the highest level with the Lola-Rebellion. " Andrea Belicchi: "I'm happy with what we achieved here at Paul Ricard. We had no technical problems during these tests. The engine seems reliable. We are moving in the right direction. We were able to test and validate the tyre choice that we will use for the first races of the season. " Jean-Christophe Boullion: "We made good progress on the car technically both on the set-up and on the comfort of driving. As always, we would have liked to continue to work one or two more days on the development of the car. Communication between drivers is excellent. The two cars experienced the same progression bringing us to solutions that are very close to each other. " The team feels ready to face their rivals in the opening round of the Le Mans Series (10 and 11 April) at the 8 Hours of Paul Ricard.

The CRS Racing LMS squad has been out for two days at Paul Ricard, taking part in the official Le Mans Series pre-season test. Andrew Kirkaldy, Tim Mullen and Nicola Larini drove the 2010-spec No.91 CRS Ferrari 430. Pierre Ehret, Phil Quaife and Pierre Kaffer drove the Michelotto test car and will soon get their hands on the No.90 CRS Ferrari, which is being prepared for the new season. Despite the bitterly cold weather, the team managed to complete its test programme and is now looking forward to what promises to be a competitive first season in the Le Mans Series. This test was the first opportunity for CRS to run the Ferrari 430s in the new 2010 specification. Andrew Kirkaldy, who ran in second place for most of the first session on Sunday, explains the changes. "The 2010 car has bigger tyres, an engine upgrade and a higher weight limit," he said. "It definitely feels good and now we just need to do some more work on the set-up. Overall this has been a useful test for us. We have quite a few new team members and it has been good to see them all working together well from day one."

Darren Turner is all set for a busy year after it was announced that he has joined JMW Motorsport for a full-season assault on the LMS. The British driver teams up with Rob Bell to race the No.92 Aston Martin Vantage for Jim McWhirter's championship-winning team. The Le Mans Series season fits in neatly around Darren's drive in the FIA GT1 World Championship for the Young Driver AMR Team and, of course, the Le Mans 24 Hours, which will see him back behind the wheel of the Aston Martin LMP1 car. "We are delighted to announce that, with the support of Aston Martin Racing, we have secured the services of Darren Turner for the full five-race LMS championship," said McWhirter. "This underlines our commitment to this championship and adds yet another strength to our very motivated team ethos. Darren brings a wealth of experience to the team as well as a working knowledge of the Vantage V8 GT2." Turner said, "I'm very happy to be joining JMW Motorsport for 2010,the team has already won the LMS GT2 title twice, outlining their winning capabilities. It's good to be teaming up with Rob again as we have won together before. I'm also looking forward to working with Dunlop who have a very competitive tyre in GT2 and have already achieved great success with JMW."

Indy Lights: Andersen Racing will field a car for 21-year-old Carmen Jorda of Alcoy, Spain in Firestone Indy Lights this year. Jorda competed in the European Formula 3 Open Series and the Formula 3 Open Copa de España last year with two podiums in the latter series. She also made three starts in the LMP2 class of the Le Mans Series in 2009. Jorda tested with Andersen Racing at both Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama and Sebring International Raceway. Her first race as a member of the Palmetto based team will be March 28 on the street course at St. Petersburg, Florida.  "I'm really excited to be racing in America this year!" Jorda said. "Firestone Indy Lights provides a different challenge to what I am used to in Europe, but I am very much looking forward to the journey. Andersen Racing is fantastic!" she added. "I have really enjoyed working with my engineer, Walter Preston, and all of the team members. We still have some important tests coming up before the season gets underway in St. Petersburg, but I am confident we will be ready. All of the tracks will be new for me, but this is something which I have to deal with," she continued. "I am sure the experience of the team will help me on this front." Jorda's goal is to reach the IZOD IndyCar Series and compete in the Indianapolis 500. "Racing at Indianapolis will be a highlight for me this year," she said, referring to the Firestone Freedom 100, a Firestone Indy Lights race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28 prior to the Indy 500. Jorda will celebrate her 22nd birthday that day.

FRMC: New Tyres can really help and Jason von Kluge used the new-specification BFGoodrich g-Force R1 tyre to excellent effect as he scored two convincing Ford Racing Mustang Challenge race victories at Homestead Miami Speedway to open the 2010 championship in strong style. In the opening race he had to battle hard in the end to earn his first race win over a hard charging Tony Buffomante. Dan Aweida finished in third. In race 2 he was joined on the podium in  by pole-sitter Pratt Cole, with George Winkler emerging from a thrilling race with Dan Aweida to take third  Read report

08-03-10

Historics: British racing driver Nick Padmore was on coaching duties in the picturesque city of Guadix, Granada in Southern Spain last week. The French V de V regular was on hand for the newly-founded Accurate Racing outfit as they prepare for the season ahead. The Kimbolton-based Accurate Racing squad, established by Phill Hall and Ian Simmonds, took with them a cargo containing a pair of Ligier JS49's which they will run in the UK Speed Series, along with two historic Formula 1 cars in the shape of a 1980 ex-Riccardo Patrese Warsteiner Arrows A3-Cosworth and that of the late Michele Alboreto's 1983 Benetton Tyrrell-Cosworth - these will be run in the Grand Prix Masters Series and the Historic F1 Championship. After coaching Hall and Simmonds, who are set to compete with one of the Ligiers this season, Padmore was handed the Tyrrell to shakedown. Due to the altitude of the circuit and the thin air, initially the engine could not be run at full power until later on in the three-day test. However the team was eventually able to successfully complete their full programme with the engine turned up, and Padmore was delighted with how the whole operation went. "It's great to be involved with Accurate Racing right from the start as it allows us all to more clearly understand the direction that the team is headed", says Padmore. "They have some very interesting plans and I'm really looking forward to working with them to develop the team and drivers as a unit. The Tyrrell was fantastic to drive, and the sound it makes is just amazing! Now we aim to get the Arrows out and running alongside the Tyrrell to do further set-up work and continue with the coaching side within the team - we have all the ingredients in place to move Accurate Racing's projects forward, and I can see good things on the horizon for them."

Skip Barber: Daniel Lloyd made a great start to his single-seater career at Homestead Miami over the weekend with two top 10 finishes at the opening event of the 2010 BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Championship presented by Mazda. read report

WTCC: History repeated in Brazil with Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini taking a victory apiece for the second year in succession in Curitiba and leaving Brazil as joint leaders of the Drivers Championship, the only difference being the teams they are competing for. The Chevrolet team commanded Race 1 with all three of their drivers filling the podium. The good points haul means the USA brand comes away from Curitiba leading the Manufacturers' Championship with 70 points. All eyes were on the newly formed SEAT customer team, SR-Sport, to see what they had to offer. Race 1 provided a best result of fourth with Tarquini, but the defending champion came fighting back in Race 2 to take victory ahead of team mate Jordi Gene and making it a satisfactory end to the weekend for the team. BMW Team RBM struggled on race day after the weather went against them despite being the pace setters for most of the weekend. Local boy Augusto Farfus had to settle for two sixth places, while Andy Priaulx was forced out of the second race after a clash with his team-mate. The newcomers were impressive. Norbert Michelisz and Michel Nykjær showed they can chase the most experienced drivers, Fredy Barth opened the roll of honour of the new Rookie Challenge, while Darryl O'Young fought for the Independents' victory in Race 1 with Stefano D'Aste and Sergio Hernandez.

Grand-Am: Scott Pruett held off a late charge by David Donohue to win Saturday's Grand Prix of Miami, Round 2 of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. Pruett and Memo Rojas scored their second victory in three years at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley, holding off the No. 59 Brumos Porsche Riley of Donohue and pole winner Darren Law by .255 seconds. In GT, Jeff Segal passed SpeedSource teammate Sylvain Tremblay on the race's lone restart with 13 minutes remaining and went on to win in the No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8. It was the third triumph in the last six races for Segal and Emil Assentato. Read report

ELMS: You can now keep up with all the news from the European Late Model Series. Motors TV.com covers motorsport from all over the world and now you can keep up with the latest in the European Late Model Series on their own page at Motors TV.com. The European Late Model Series 2010 gets under way at Warneton, Belgium this Easter.

FMBW: Facu Regalia will be driving one of the Eifelland Racing’s cars at the Autodromo Nazionale de Monza, the circuit chosen by BMW for the first official test of the 2010 Formula BMW Europe Championship between March 9-10. Regalia, 18, will be hoping for a repeat of his earlier private test with Eifelland held at January in Braga in Portugal where he a new lap record for FBMW. Already at Italy, Regalia said: “I’m looking forward to drive the car again. I worked very hard physically in the last few weeks so I could arrive here in good shape. I want to keep the good sensations that I had with Eifelland Racing in Braga and I hope I can be among the frontrunners”.This season, Regalia is looking for wins but he knows that he has strong opposition and that he will need all the support he can get. “I want to thank to my parents all the effort that they are putting in my project, as to all the persons that support me”, concluded the Eifelland Racing driver.

LMS: JMW Motorsport: Le Mans Series Official Test, Day One. Turning a wheel for the first time on track, the brand new JMW Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT2 debuted on Sunday 7 March at the Le Mans Series official test, held at Paul Ricard HTTT, France. Driven by Rob Bell and Tim Sugden, the team are using these two test days as a continuation of the Dunlop tyre testing they began in Portugal last month which was heavily disrupted by rain. Though there were intermittent rain showers at Paul Ricard HTTT, and it was bitterly cold, the team made great progress with the added bonus of being the quickest GT2 car in the morning session. This promising pace continued into the afternoon session, with the team posting the second fastest GT2 time. Tim Sugden echoed the feelings of the team after the day’s sessions: “We are all very pleased. This is the first time we have run the car and there have been no issues, it has run beautifully. We are using this test to continue our work with Dunlop. The different compounds and constructions are proving very promising and we’ve certainly identified a number of solutions and areas to work on. We have the second half of tyres to try out tomorrow. “There’s lots to do, and whilst at a test such as this you can’t draw direct comparisons with yourcompetitors, I think it’s fair to say our pace today is encouraging and stands us in good stead as we approach the season’s opener”. The first Le Mans Series race takes place on 11 April 2010 at Paul Ricard. JMW Motorsport’s progress can be followed on their website at www.jmwmotorsport.com

Sportscar driver Karim Ajlani will continue his prototype programme in 2010, beginning with the blue riband Le Mans 24 Hours this June. Ajlani, who became the first Syrian to compete at the famous endurance event last season driving an OAK Racing Pescarolo in LMP2, also plans to contest a number of European, American and Asian Le Mans Series rounds during the upcoming campaign. However, he is unlikely to contest the opening Le Mans Series race at Paul Ricard, instead preferring the Le Mans 24 Hours for his seasonal debut. Commenting on his plans, Karim said: “I’m really keen to broaden my horizons this season which is why I’m looking towards the US and Asia during the second part of the year. I’d like to stay in LMP2 as I feel the lessons learned there in 2009 will stand me in good stead for the year ahead.” Further announcements regarding Karim Ajlani’s 2010 schedule will be made in the coming weeks

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia : Two-time Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champions Team Jebsen have signed Macau’s Rodolfo Avila to it’s line-up for its 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia campaign. For Team Jebsen, this will be their sixth full season in the series having won the championship twice, in 2006 and 2008. Avila takes over the steering wheel from the team's former driver, Darryl O'Young, 29, who is this year contesting a full season of the FIA WTCC. Jebsen and Co Ltd Group Director, Mark Bishop said: "We are very pleased to welcome Rodolfo to Team Jebsen and to have the opportunity to nurture another exciting young talent, having seen Darryl develop together with the team to become a double PCCA champion. We have no doubt Rodolfo has the skill, commitment and potential to achieve similar success. At the same time, we are delighted that Darryl's success has given him the opportunity to contest a full season of the prestigious FIA WTCC, as we know that that has always been an ambition for him." For Avila, the chance to join the winning Team Jebsen represents another major step forward in his career: "I'm really looking forward to racing with Team Jebsen, and extremely excited to have this fantastic opportunity to work one of the best sportscar racing teams in Asia. We will be up against some strong competition, but I have every confidence that together we can achieve outstanding results."

07-03-10

Formula 3: Kiwi Mitch Evans dominated the opening round of the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers’ Championship with three wins from three starts. However he was kept honest in all of them by his compatriot Ben Crighton who followed him home on each occasion in second place, just second behind. Tom Tweedie completed the podium in every race after 3 closely fought races with Ben Barker who claimed 3 fourth place finishes.      read report         .

06-03-10 

WTCC: champion Yvan Muller will be on pole for Race 1 in Curitiba on Sunday, for the second year in succession. In a closely fought session the top seven cars were within 0.2 seconds of each other. Chevrolet dominated the session with Alain Menu (1:23.829) and Rob Huff (1:23.833) third and fourth. Only Jordi Gené in his SEAT León TDI managed to split them in second with a lap of 1:23.757 in the dying seconds. Q1- Rob Huff dominated Q1 smashing the circuit qualifying record of 1:24.196 with his early lap of 1:23.831. Despite being the first driver of the weekend to lap in under 1:24 he continued to push, beating his own time in the final minutes to sail through to Q2 with a time of 1:23.630. His Chevrolet team mates Alain Menu (1:23.730) and Yvan Muller (1:23.923) also jumped up the order in the final minutes to make it a Chevrolet top three. Augusto Farfus (1:24.006) was the top BMW racer with Norbert Michelisz putting in a great lap in his SEAT León TDI, while in danger of dropping out the top ten, to post the fifth quickest time of 1:24.019. Tiago Monteiro and Tom Coronel were left to fight for the final spot in Q2 and eventually, with a lap of 1:24.558, the Dutchman kicked his team-mate off by only 0.004secs.  Stefano D'Aste's time of 1:25.153 jumped him ahead of Darryl O'Young to lead the  Independents', in 13th position overall.  Q2- As the top ten drivers headed into the final 10-minute shoot out, Chevrolet was quick to assert their dominance with Muller, Menu and Huff topping the timesheet. As the chequered flag approached a nine-car slipstream of cars headed out on track with only Farfus remaining in the pits. Muller improved to secure his pole position while Gené's final lap of 1:23.757 claimed a front row start for SR-Sport. A mistake from the consistently quick newcomer Michelisz meant he ran wide through the Curva da Vitoria hindering his own, Menu's and Priaulx's final run, although the Swiss managed to salvage third ahead of team mate Huff. Reigning champion Tarquini claimed fifth ahead of Priaulx and Farfus, a disappointing result after the BMW 320si's had been setting the pace for most of the weekend. anish racer Michel Nykjær posted the eighth quickest time and will start Race 1 tomorrow as the best of the rookies, while Coronel and Michelisz rounded out the top ten.

Grand-Am: The three most recent winners of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear are all behind the wheel of competitive cars for Saturday’s  hour Grand Prix of Miami, Round 2 of the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.  Adam Christodoulou (2009 champion) and American John Edwards (2008) will start third on the GT grid co-driving the #68 SpeedSource/Newman Wachs Racing/ Nuclear Clean Air Energy / Entergy Mazda RX-8.  And 2007 champion, American Dane Cameron, co-driving with his uncle, Steve Cameron and Grand-Am veteran Rob Finlay, will start 5th on the Continental Tire GS-class grid in the #57 Rehagen Racing / Uncle Joe's entry. "I drove the car in qualifying, but Adam and I have a similar pace and driving styles so it's easy to mix and match and we'll alternate who qualifies during the season," says Edwards who won the Star Mazda Championship with AIM Autosport and moved up to win the 2009 Atlantic Championship.  "We're very happy with our pace in qualifying, and on old tires, and Adam and the team and I are all working well together, so we're optimistic of a good finish.  The challenge for us will be to drive endurance-style rather than the flat-out open-wheel sprint races we're used to, but I was pleasantly surprised how well-balanced and quick this Mazda RX-8 is.  The racing is different from what I'm used to, but it's very competitive we I'm earning my living driving a factory-sponsored race car that's capable of winning."

British GT: Cheshire-based teams Speedworks Motorsport and ABG Motorsport are the latest squads to confirm plans for the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. Speedworks is to field a Ginetta and ABG a KTM X-Bow in the new-for-2010 'G4' category, which brings together homologated GT4 cars and Supersports machinery.  The G4 class is growing apace, with at least seven cars expected on the Oulton Park grid on 5 April for the championship's opening rounds and further competitors joining the party later in the season. In addition to the G4 machines at least a dozen GT3 cars will be in action at Oulton, with new competitors in the GT Cup class, drawn from the Porsche Cup and Ferrari Challenge, helping to expand the field to more than 20 cars in total for Oulton Park and the rest of the season. Speedworks' Ginetta G50 will be driven by team principal and co-founder Christian Dick and Jamie Stanley, who won 11 times in the Lotus Elise Trophy in 2009. Chester-based Stanley said: "It's a natural step up for me after my success in the Lotus. The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is an international-level series with a good reputation; I'm confident that it is the best place for me to take the next step in my career." Stanley, Dick and the Sandbach-based Speedworks team are sponsored by fishing equipment manufacturer FOX International.  

ABG Motorsport's KTM entry will be driven by reigning Scottish Formula Ford Champion Rory Butcher and Benjamin Harvey. Said team boss Peter Hignett: "ABG Motorsport has made a commitment to British GT to enter an X-Bow for the full championship. We have a strong driver pairing which gives us confidence for the season."  It will be 22-year-old Butcher's first full sports car racing campaign; his team-mate Harvey began his track career last season at the wheel of a Porsche 996. Said Rory: "I am glad to have it all sorted because it is still only March. We have testing sorted - we'll be going to Spa, Oulton Park and Rockingham. It is a great feeling to be so organised. It is a massive opportunity for me and a step up. This is going to be a tough year but I am really looking forward to the challenge."

There will be at least four Ginettas in action at Oulton Park. Another of them is to be fielded by Team Osborne Racing for 2009 GT4 European Cup title winner Joe Osborne and Osman Yusuf. Joe, 21, is no stranger to British GT success: he was a double outright race winner at Rockingham last season at the wheel of the Barwell Motorsport-prepared Invitation class Ginetta G50Z. "I'm really looking forward to British GT again," said Osborne. "Running a team will certainly be a steep learning curve. I hope to do this and FIA GT3. Osman is coming on very well; he will be close to pace at all the tracks. The Ginetta we are using is the same car I won European GT4 with last year, so we know it's a quick car." Added Osman: "I know it's going to be a hard year for me as I have very little experience. So far testing has gone very well and Joe is pushing me harder to get me quicker. I'm really looking forward to it."

A third Ginetta will be run by Team GCR for former Formula 3 and Le Mans Endurance Series racer John Ingram and Tom Dunstan, whose career began in single-seaters and which progressed via the Ginetta G50 Cup to the Euro GT4 series. Team principal Robin Sherwood said: "We had always aspired to join the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, but timing always remained a crucial factor. With the changes that have been made to the championship format for 2010, the time is now ripe for us to launch our assault. Knowing that HayFisher Productions will continue to provide their excellent television coverage for the series was also a compelling reason in our decision making. "Strong competition across all categories is key for us, as the excitement of the championship as a whole will be infectious for our partners and the public in general. We will not be there to make up the numbers, and we expect to be a strong contender. All members of our team are relishing the challenge and we look forward to the season ahead."

The Ginetta brigade will be facing fierce opposition this season from several directions, not least from the Piranha Motorsport Lotus 2-Eleven of Chris Bialan and Simon Mason and a Nissan 350Z from ProMotorsport. Bialan and Mason will be paired at all rounds of the championship except Spa, which Simon will be forced to miss due to track commitments elsewhere. Piranha is taking delivery of an upgrade kit next week and plans to test imminently. ProMotorsport's Nissan will be handled at Oulton by Derek Palmer and Rick Pearson, both of whom tackled the GT4 European Cup with success in 2009. Faithless front man Maxi Jazz will race in later rounds.

Later in the season the Euro GT4 championship-winning team RJN Motorsport will join British GT with one of its Nissan 350Zs, and British GT manager Benjamin Franassovici hopes to see further marques represented in G4: "It is certain that G4 is going to be a competitive class this season, with at least seven cars and four marques represented at the opening rounds. There is strong interest also from further teams running Aston Martins and Lotus cars, including the new Evora, so I believe G4 will grow further still."  Franassovici says plans are well advanced for a 'Balance of Performance' test at Silverstone to ensure the equivalence with other GT3 cars of the nationally homologated Mosler which Rollcentre Racing plans to enter in British GT: "It is essential to ensure a level playing field and organizing a national BoP test, in addition to the FIA official test, is the right way to evaluate and guarantee that we have this level playing field; it is in the interest of teams, drivers and stakeholder in the series."

Star Mazda: Conor Daly will race with Juncos Racing in the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.  After topping the time sheets at the first official series test in Sebring at the end of January with the fastest overall time of 2:00.588, the 18-year-old is more than ready to return to the Championship this season where he will race his lucky #22 car in Juncos Racing colours.  "I am just thrilled to finally get our 2010 season plans confirmed," said Daly.  "This has been a difficult winter trying to piece everything together.  I had a great three-day test with Juncos Racing in January, and I want to thank them for being so patient while we worked with sponsors and investors.  This will be the first time that I have returned to a series, and I personally feel better prepared for this racing season than any time in the past.  I have never seen a team so dedicated to success, and I very much look forward to the first race in Sebring." With what seems to be the right mix of knowledge, dedication and passion, Daly and Juncos Racing are ready to pursue the 2010 Championship title they are both craving.  Daly, along with new teammate Tatiana Calderon, will represent Juncos Racing in the 2010 Star Mazda Championship beginning with the season-opener at the Sebring International Raceway on March 19.  For more information, go to www.juncosracing.com or www.starmazda.com.

Formula 3: Team BRM’s Mitch Evans and TanderSport’s Ben Crighton had a closely fought battle at the first race of the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship at Wakefield Park today(Saturday). After 16 laps Evans won by just one seond from his fellow Kiwi Crighton who broke the lap record in the processs. Tom Tweedie finished third with Ben Barker scored fourth.   read report

WTCC: Local man Augusto Farfus posted the fastest lap during Friday's test as the 2010 WTCC season officially got underway at the Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba. The Brazilian topped the timesheets in his BMW 320si at the halfway point, before the session was briefly halted when Stefano D'Aste lost the back end of his BMW 320si and ended beached in the gravel at turn four. In the dying moments of the session, Farfus bettered his earlier time clocking a 1:24.243 to remain on top. His BMW Team RBM team mate Andy Priaulx (1:24.732), who had led the session at the start, ended in third. Alain Menu was the fastest of the Chevrolet men, driving his Cruze to the second quickest time with a lap of 1:24.732. Team mates, Yvan Muller (1:24.805) and Rob Huff (1:24.960) finished fourth and fifth respectively. Reigning champion Gabriele Tarquini was quickest of the SEAT cars, posting a lap time of 1:25.308 to end the day sixth. His SR-Sport team mate Jordi Gené's session ended early as he suffered problems with the steering box on his SEAT León TDI. Hungarian youngster Norbert Michelisz was the best of the newcomers, posting an impressive seventh fastest time (1:25.625) and placing ahead of experienced drivers like Tom Coronel and Tiago Monteiro.  Augusto FARFUS: "I am happy. We took advantage of the red flag and pitted to make some changes to the car, which were very effective. It was a good feeling to drive around so quickly. Now I have set the pace. I'm sure that from tomorrow the others will be closer but I wish to stay ahead if I can."  Alain MENU: "It was a session to get used to the track again. For the time being we are competitive as I am four tenths slower than Farfus, who was very quick. The car has too much understeer in the tight corners, so we have something to work on. If we manage to solve this I think we will be looking good."
Gabriele TARQUINI: "I am quite satisfied. We benefitted from our past experience and went out straightaway with the best set up for this track. The car was good from the very beginning so I am optimistic. I was really surprised by how much grip there was on the track. Last year we were struggling to find grip but now it's totally different."

The FIA World Touring Car Championship launched its new application for iPhone. This official WTCC application is free to download and is a must-have for fans who want to catch up with all the latest news from the WTCC.
Divided into three main sections - News, Race and Season - the service provides exclusive data and features, including:
   - Up-to-the minute information about the World Championship, the teams and the drivers
   - Live timings for all sessions: Qualifying  sessions 1 & 2, Warm Up, Race 1 and Race 2
   - Official Standings for Drivers and Manufacturers
   - 2010 detailed Calendar and information on all race tracks
In addition to the live content, the WTCC application also features the latest pictures and  provides iPhone users with practical information about the location of each circuit, ticket booking and access to the events', manufacturers', drivers' and partners' websites.
Available NOW free of charge on iTunes and at the App Store:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/wtcc/id358795125?mt=8

FIA WTCC promoter KSO has launched the new WTCC Rookie Challenge.All the drivers who entered in the championship's full season for the first time are eligible for the Challenge: Norbert Michelisz, Michel Nykjær, Fredy Barth, Harry Vaulkhard, Darryl O'Young and Mehdi Bennani. Points will be awarded according to the following scale: 1st: 10 points; 2nd: 8 pts; 3rd: 6 pts; 4th: 5 pts; 5th: 4 pts; 6th: 3 pts; 7th: 2  pts; 8th: 1 points.The winner of the Rookie Challenge will be awarded with a trophy during the traditional end of season party at Macau."We have a number of young drivers who joined the championship this year for the whole season and this gave us the idea to establish this Rookie Challenge to encourage and reward the new competitors," KSO General Manager Marcello Lotti explained.

F Renault 3.5: Nelson Panciatici enjoyed a productive maiden Formula Renault 3.5 test for his new Junior Lotus Racing squad at Barcelona this week. The Frenchman was particularly impressive during his first day’s running, spending Thursday morning re-familiarising himself with the car on his way to fifth-fastest time. By the end of the afternoon’s running however, he had improved by nearly a second, recording a best time of 1m33.975s to top the timesheets by a quarter of a second. Friday’s morning session meanwhile was a complete washout, with both Junior Lotus drivers staying in the garage while all around there were accidents in the treacherous conditions. By the afternoon though, the sun had returned, and Panciatici set ,8th fastest time of the session. Nelson: “I am delighted with my first test with the team. The two days went really well and we proved we could run at the front. Out of the three sessions I drove, I ended up first, fifth and eighth which is good. I’m looking forward to the Jerez test where we will work more on the set-up of the car. I would like to thank the team for their work and I look forward to the next test.” Technical Director Alex Somerset was impressed with the 21-year-old’s debut for the team.  “He adapted to the car really well and didn’t demand anything. He changed his style to suit the car and just worked through a structured programme in a very disciplined manner, producing the sort of performance we thought he would, given his earlier testing pace with other teams. He was quicker on old tyres than a lot of drivers on new rubber, while his position in today’s order is purely down to the fact that he wasn’t out on the track at the best time. It all points towards further proving my theory that he can be champion this year. He could, potentially, be the first rookie to win it. He’s got the right head and the right temperament, works well with his engineer and has really become an established part of the team.” Formula Renault 3.5 testing continues at Jerez next Saturday and Sunday (March 13/14).

Porsche Supercup: Tim Bridgman, the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup GB champion, will step up to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup this season after concluding a deal with Team Parker Racing, the team that took him to the Carrera Cup GB title. After a long winter of working on budgets, Bridgman and team boss Stuart Parker finalised the deal just in time to get the new 911GT3 Cup car shaken down and shipped to Bahrain for the opening races in Bahrain on 14 March.  "I'm over the moon to be going out to Bahrain," said Bridgman. "It was very important for me to secure a Supercup deal this season; it's where I needed to be after winning the Carrera Cup GB. I feel it's where I deserve to be, but we only gave it the green light last week so it’s been a hectic time. But if it had run on another 24-hours, it would not have happened." Parker explained how the deal came about. "I always promised Tim that if I could ever help him with anything in Supercup, then I would," said Parker. "We talked about trying to do it together, but with Supercup you need a two-car entry and that makes it very difficult. About a week ago, we thought that all hope was gone. But then, by chance, I had an approach from Sven Schnabl of Schnabl Engineering. He said: 'Stuart, I believe you have one car. I have one car. Let's do it together.' I've known Sven since we did Supercup in 2007 and I've been out working in Carrera Cup Asia with him for the last two years. It will be a Schnabl Engineering/Team Parker Racing entry."  Once the deal was done, Bridgman shook the brand new car down at Hockenheim yesterday (Thursday) and it was shipped to Bahrain on Friday. 

05-03-10

LMS: Aston Martin Racing’s Harold Primat returns to testing duties this weekend at Paul Ricard as preparations for the upcoming season continue to gather pace. The Swiss will be back at the wheel of his 009 Aston Martin LMP1 prototype for the two-day test this Sunday and Monday at the Le Castellet venue ahead of the upcoming Le Mans Series opener at the same circuit in just over a month’s time. Joining Harold will be regular team mates from last season Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Chris Buncombe, as well as the squad’s winter recruit, reigning American Le Mans Series LMP2 champion Adrian Fernandez. The pair tested together at Sebring last week with the Mexican impressing in and out of the cockpit, Aston Martin ending both days on top of the timesheets. Primat: “We worked really well together at Sebring. That certainly bodes well for the year ahead as harmony in the team definitely helps bring speed to the overall package. Not only has he integrated himself very quickly into the team but he’s also got a lot of pace, experience and is a nice guy. He’s also a team player so I’m feeling very positive about co-driving with him for at least three races and maybe at Le Mans as well.”  Moving back to Europe, Harold and Aston Martin Racing will form part of the 40-strong field of prototypes and GTs at Paul Ricard this weekend. “We made a lot of progress in America with the team improving the car considerably over the two days. We ran very reliably there too, completing around 900 kilometres on the first day alone. In France, the objectives are slightly different. Sure, we’ll prepare for the eight hour race there in April, but it’s also important to conduct some specific Le Mans set-up work which we couldn’t at Sebring. The track is certainly more suitable than in Florida which is very bumpy and not particularly quick.” Next up for Harold and Aston Martin Racing is the American Le Mans Series opener, the Sebring 12 Hours, on March 20.

GT: Hexis AMR have signed Monegasque Clivio Piccione to drive their DBR9 #10. Piccione will join Aston Martin DBR9 #9 drivers Jean-Denis Delétraz and Frédéric Makowiecki in the team. Piccione said, “I met Philippe Dumas (co-owner and team manager of HEXIS AMR) when we heard about the FIA GT1 World Championship a few months ago. We then had in mind to create a common structure to HEXIS AMR and Team Monaco (Clivio Piccione’s team). Unfortunately, Team Monaco couldn’t gather enough financial means to take part in this new championship, and our project fell through. Despite everything, I kept good relations with Philippe, and I showed my interest in joining HEXIS AMR’s structure. We kept in touch over the weeks” when asked about moving from sinle-seaters to GTs Piccione said,“Diving a GT is a first for me! This signature is a big shift and symbolizes a challenge to take up. But I’m serene and in good terms with HEXIS AMR: I trust them and they trust me. I had the chance to meet the whole team during a test day in Lédenon (circuit where HEXIS AMR are based), and I visited their structure. I also attended the Paul Ricard test days, where I could see HEXIS AMR’s GT1 run. Today, I’m really proud to be part of the team!”

Formula Ford: Ford Performance Racing V8 Supercar driver Steven Richards has joined the Board of Australian Formula Ford Management that manages Formula Ford and the Australian Championship. Richards, who is a former Australian Formula Ford Champion, winning the title in 1994, will now take a more active role in the category. “Formula Ford is Australia’s premier junior development category and a something that I have followed very closely for many years,” Richards said. “The championship provides young drivers with the necessary skills to succeed in motorsport and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to that. I hope that with my appointment to the board I can offer ideas and experience that will ensure Formula Ford has a place in Australia’s motorsport future.”  Chairman of the Board Rod Barrett is pleased to welcome someone of Richards experience to the Board. “I’m really looking forward to working with Steven again. We worked together at FPR and I think he has a lot to offer the category,” Barrett said. “Steven is a true professional and a good friend and I believe his appointment is a positive step towards ensuring the future of Formula Ford in Australia.” The 2010 Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship will commence at the Qantas Australian Grand Prix on March 25-28 and will visit eight race tracks around Australia

FF2000: Andretti Autosport have signed 15-year-old Sage Karam to drive for the team in the 2010 USF2000 National Championship. The entry marks Andretti Autosport's debut in the Indy Racing League's new 'Road to Indy' driver development program. Comfort Revolution, a developer and distributor of specialty bedding mattresses and accessories, and The Michael Fux Foundation will sponsor the effort. Karam, a native of Nazareth, has spent the last few years competing in the Skip Barber National championship, a part of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder program, as well as the World Karting Association (WKA). Karam began competing in karts at the age of five. He has since established himself as a 35-time WKA and Indy Racing League (IRL) Stars of Karting national champion. Karam also stands as the only driver ever to win a WKA Triple Crown Championship and titles in the IRL Stars of Karting (East, West and National) all in the same year (2007). In 2008, Karam - then 13 – was the youngest winner in the history of the Skip Barber Shootout.

GP2: Will Bratt is eagerly anticipating the finale of the GP2 Asia Series at Bahrain International Circuit next weekend, 13th/14th March – the support event to the first Grand Prix of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship season. Marking a quick return to the Sakhir track, which hosted the previous GP2 Asia rounds just a week ago, the 21-year-old aims to conclude the championship with a breakthrough performance in-front of the F1 team bosses. Although next weekend’s action will take place on a slightly different track configuration to that experienced by the GP2 Asia runners previously, Will is aiming to hit the ground running and hopes to push for a career-best result at the wheel of his Party Poker Racing.com Scuderia Coloni car. “Next weekend is going to be a real highlight event for me and I’m very hopeful we’ll be able to finish the GP2 Asia Series on a high”, said Will, “It’ll be fantastic to race in front of the F1 teams again and I think we showed during the previous two rounds we’ve been getting progressively more competitive with each event. We were very unfortunate to be taken out of the second race in Bahrain last weekend, I’d been able to look after my tyres well and we were in a strong position to push for a top 10 finish at the very least. That’s my target for next weekend’s season finale, we’ll certainly be trying hard.”   pic: GP2 Series Media Service

Alvaro Parente will take part in the last GP2 Asia event next weekend in Bahrain where he will once again drive for the Coloni alongside Will Bratt. In the third round of the Asian championship last weekend, the young Portuguese showed he had the pace so the Italian outfit have invited him back to Sakhir. “We confirmed Alvaro for the last GP2 Asia Series race because of the great potential he showed one week ago in Bahrain. Our aim is to confirm that competitive level also in the last race of the championship, and to face at our best the new track conditions. Racing in the same weekend with Formula 1 will mean a completely different kind and amount of rubber on the track, so from a technical point of view this will be a challenge. I'm sure that Alvaro's experience and enthusiasm will help the team in doing the best possible job”, said Paolo Coloni, the Scuderia Coloni team boss. Parente is delighted to be goinmg back to Coloni. “In my first race with Scuderia Coloni we showed, since the beginning, that we had the pace to fight for the top positions. Unfortunately we didn’t had the best luck during the weekend and we only got the 6th place. It was very easy to work with all the team and, for this race, I think that we will be even more competitive. Should be great to go for the win when the F1 championship starts. “

Rounds seven and eight of the 2009/2010 GP2 Asia Series will take place next weekend, 13th/14th March, at Bahrain International Circuit in support of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. Live television coverage of both GP2 encounters will be screened in the UK on digital satellite and cable channel British Eurosport 2

Formula Renault: Thomas Hylkema made a strong start to the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship pre-season at Brands Hatch this week, the 21-year-old Dutchman ending the test eighth fastest overall. dapting well to the demands of the brand new 2010 FR 2.0 car, which features more power, increased aerodynamic grip and sequential, steering-wheel mounted paddle-shift gear change, the Manor Competition driver set a quickest lap of 43.439 seconds on Wednesday. Thomas was justly happy with his performance. “Wednesday was a really good day for me, I’ve worked very hard during this test to keep improving and to try and get the most from the car”, said the TORO and Club Car backed racer, “It’s taking time to adapt to the new car and you need a totally different approach compared to last year’s Renault. This car has lots of aero so it grips-up a lot more through fast corners and carries more speed. On old tyres we were pretty competitive and when we ran new boots for the last five minutes of the final session I was able to produce a good time with the pressure on. We could have been quicker but, in the end, I’m happy with the overall result. As usual, the guys at Manor are doing a fantastic job and we’re all looking forward to getting back on track next week.”  pic: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Formula 3: Qualifying will take another step up in competition during this year’s Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship following the announcement of an expanded relationship between the series and Meguiar’s Australia. After supporting the Formula 3 best presented award in 2009, Meguiar’s will expand their involvement in 2010 by sponsoring the Meguiar’s Pole Position award at each round. The pole position winner at each round will receive Meguiar’s pole award jacket and a selection of qualify Meguiar’s car care products to keep their cars looking smart before the first race. A handy $150 cash bonus will also be on offer for each pole winner. Meguiar’s qualifying will take a new look this year with the existing two, 20-minute sessions replaced by one 15-minute time attack followed by a 10-minute single car shootout to be known as the Meguiar’s Quick Six - a format that will come into place from round two (at Symmons Plains) in April. Meguiar’s will once again also sponsor an end-of-year best presented award to the team judged the best representative of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers’ Championship throughout the 2010 season. “We are very pleased to welcome Meguiar’s back to the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship in 2010,” Formula 3 Australia Chairman Ian Richards said. “If you walk up and down pit lane and ask the teams, qualifying is often seen as the most exciting part of the weekend and we believe the changes introduced this year will make it even better. To be able to reward the fastest driver on Saturday with the great support on offer from Meguiar’s is sensational. On behalf of the entire series we thank the staff at Meguiar’s for their support.”
The first round of the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Driver’s Championship for the CAMS Gold Star award will kick off this weekend at Wakefield Park in New South Wales.

Silverstone has announced that ‘General Admission’ race day tickets have sold out. However, three-day Grandstand (The location of several grandstand  will  have changed for 2010 . Customers are advised to clarify grandstand positions, prior to purchasing their tickets)  and individual day tickets for Practice on the Friday and Qualifying on the  Saturday are still available. Silverstone has added new section of track to the Grand Prix circuit in 2010, which has provided two new grandstands in the new ‘Arena Complex’. A third will be added at ‘Chapel’. Fans are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment, as the Abbey, Copse C and Copse D grandstands have all reached sell-out point. For the 2010, fans also have the added benefits of new elevated spectator banking at Abbey and Becketts, a higher grandstand along Pits Straight overlooking the pits, and a re-positioned grandstand at Becketts. Meanwhile, a new spectator area at Vale - in front of the raised Vale grandstand - is being opened up to allow fans to get closer to the on-track action. Richard  Phillips,  Managing  Director  of  Silverstone  Circuits  Limited,  commented,  “British Grand Prix tickets have been selling well over the last few months, but we still have a long way to go to sell-out in all areas. Fans have made the most of our early booking offers and the ‘General Admission’ tickets are always among the first to sell-out. Whilst they don’t offer access to grandstands, fans enjoy being able to watch the action from different locations, on raised banks around the circuit. These tickets are extremely popular, and have sold out even faster than in previous years.” Tickets for the 2010 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX can be booked 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.silverstone.co.uk, or by calling 0844 3728 300. 

Nissan GT Academy: Gamers Luca Lorenzini and Jordan Tresson move one step closer to a real European GT4 Cup drive Silverstone, After five days of on and off track action, Luca Lorenzini from near Mantova in Italy  and Jordan Tresson from Villers La Montagne in northern France have been announced as the two winners of the GT Academy 2010. More hard work awaits the victorious pair who will be back at Silverstone next  Monday to commence an intensive driver training  programme to qualify them for an international C race licence. Only one of the pair will then be given the opportunity to race a full season in the European GT4 Cup in a Nissan 370Z GT car. It was not an easy decision for the GT Academy judging panel that consisted of Eddie Jordan, Johnny Herbert, Sabine Schmitz and sportscar driver Rob Barff. The final day started with a triathlon, comprising a muddy sprint from Whittlebury Hall to the Silverstone off-road area for bike changeover and a cycle to Stowe circuit, followed by laps in the 370Z. The event produced high drama when Jordan Tresson, who was the clear leader, put his chances of winning at risk when he misjudged the first corner of the new Stowe Circuit on cold tyres and crashed into a tyre barrier. “It was a serious incident and he really let himself down at that point,” explained Barff. “However, overall Jordan has been extremely good and fast and he is supremely fit. Crashing on cold tyres is a mistake that many drivers have made, and I suspect he will not do it again!”  A final challenge for the four finalists was a 10 minute practice and a 10 minute qualifying session in identical race-prepared Nissan 370Zs before a 20 minute race, punctuated by a simulated driver change in the pits. This proved to be a decisive element to the race.  Jordan Tresson entered the pits in the lead, but it  was third-placed Marco Calvo who re-entered the circuit first after a lightening pit stop. Marco held on for the win and hoped that he had done enough to progress to the fourth stage of GT Academy. “This has been an incredible journey for all of us, but particularly for our two winners,” said three-time F1 winner, Johnny Herbert. “They have really stood out over the course of the week and today showed that they are ready to compete in a GT4 car at international level. Sabine Schmitz, was also impressed with GT Academy: “I have enjoyed this so much. Working with two F1 legends was one thing, but to work with all these great young guys who are  so  talented  has  been  unbelievable.  I  have  worked  with  many  people  on  track  days  with  more  experience. These gamers came here with virtually no track time and they knew where to brake, when to turn in. They struggled at first with the G-force, but I think it really shows how good the Gran Turismo game is.”

04-03-10

Porsche Carrera Cup GB: Stephen Jelley will contest the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB with Team Parker Racing after confirming a deal with the team on Tuesday. Jelley has spent two seasons racing in the BTCC, but is now switching to the Carrera Cup GB and had his first test session at Oulton Park on Wednesday. "I ended the BTCC last year on a good note," said Jelley. "But the winter has been really, really difficult and you can only stay where you can afford to be. The Carrera Cup GB is a very good championship and the car is the thing that makes it. It's a great race car and very user friendly. I came from F3 and went into BTCC, so I'm not afraid of different cars." Jelley says that a season in the Carrera Cup could widen his opportunities for 2011 and beyond. "At the end of the year there will be a whole new world of championships available to me. It gives me another string to my bow in a great championship. I've managed to get some good sponsors together in a tough time and the association with Porsche and the hospitality I can offer my guests at race weekends is paramount."  Team boss Stuart Parker is delighted with the latest signing for his team, where Jelley will race alongside Euan Hankey and Glynn Geddie. "I think it's fantastic that a guy with two years' touring car experience chooses the Carrera Cup and is happy to come to us as a team," said Parker. "It says a lot for the strength of the championship this year and 2010 really is going to be the year to win it. Stephen comes with all the right ingredients, including the single-seater background." Jelley enjoyed his first testing laps at Oulton Park. "I didn’t know what to expect on the first test, but I was impressed. The power was very good and the car has good low-speed grip. It's going to take a little time to get used to the car. I'm going to have to work with the team and make sure I'm comfortable in the car and doing everything I need to be competitive."  Parker says that the coming season could be the best yet for the Carrera Cup GB. " I think there are nine drivers who could go and win the first race," he said. "By no means is this going to be an easy championship. It's going to be a fantastic season. We're going into the year with probably the strongest squad we've ever fielded. We've got three drivers who will all be in contention and they will push themselves on."

Following unprecedented demand, the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB is now full, with a 28 entries confirmed five weeks ahead of the opening races of the season. Interest in Britain's fastest one-make racing category has run at record levels since the close of the 2009 season and the list of registered contenders has now hit the 28-car limit for the first time in the eight-year history of the championship.To ensure that all registered contenders can start all the races, the field has been capped at 28 cars. However, the championship organisers have now opened a reserve list in case any slots become available. It is also possible that spaces at specific race meetings may become open and these will be offered to any teams or drivers on the waiting list.
"This is an incredible situation for the Carrera Cup GB," said championship manager Marion Barnaby. "We have capped the entry at 28 for logistical reasons and the response has been amazing. The drivers and teams have worked very hard to get to this stage and now we are set for the best season ever for the Carrera Cup GB. I'm particularly pleased that the field is a great mix of established competitors and an influx of newcomers." The biggest squad on the grid will be the six-car team from Motorbase Performance and team boss David Bartrum says that the capacity grid is testimony to the commitment of Porsche Cars GB. "I said a year ago that the Carrera Cup was buzzing and it's now off the scale," said Bartrum. "It proves that the work of Marion Barnaby and the Carrera Cup team has really paid dividends. It's really good to see a sell-out grid in the current climate." The full Carrera Cup GB entry list will be unveiled at the championship's pre-season test and media day at Silverstone on Wednesday 17 March. 

Formula Renault: Manor Competition’s Will Stevens got his Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship campaign off to a strong start by setting the fastest time during the first official pre-season test at Brands Hatch Indy circuit on 2nd/3rd March. Stevens,18, who was 9^th last season, set a best time of 42.968s (100.42mph) around the Kent circuit on the final session of the second day.  The time, set on new tyres, was more than a second faster than the current lap record (44.218s held by Oli Webb) demonstrating the performance of the New Formula Renault 2.0 race car.  Team-mate Lewis Williamson was second quickest driver with a 43.091s in the afternoon session on day one with Atech GP’s Tama’s Pa’l Kiss (HUN) third fastest.  Dry, sunny conditions greeted the drivers for the first day on Tuesday. Fortec Motorsport’s Tom Blomqvist (SWE), son of rally legend Stig, set the early pace in the first session lapping in the mid 43s. The 16-year-old could only manage third quickest in the afternoon session though as Williamson and CRS Racing’s Harry Tincknell both went quicker. The first day also saw cars from the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship join the Formula Renault UK competitors with Hillspeed’s James Theodore (Telford) the leading driver of the day with a time of 44.267s (97.47mph) – 0.6secs faster than his nearest rival. On the second day, exclusively for the Formula Renault UK Championship, it was Stevens who set the early pace in the morning session with Pa’l Kiss, Graduate Cup Champion Tincknell and Fortec Motorsport’s Ollie Millroy all posting strong times. On fresh rubber, Stevens then went even quicker in the afternoon on his 32nd out of 33 laps completed.  Fortec Motorsport’s Alex Lynn meanwhile was the quickest Graduate Cup driver of the test with a 43.453s. Commenting after the second day of testing Stevens said: “Coming into the test I was feeling confident after a good run in Valencia so I’m really pleased to continue this at Brands Hatch. The new car is certainly quicker and a lot more stable than the old one which suits my style of driving more. To go more than a second quicker than the lap record is also very encouraging and a real confidence boost ahead of the season.”  The next official test takes place on Tuesday, 9th March at Silverstone. All Renault pics Jakob Ebrey Photography

Will Stevens and Lewis Williamson (pictured right) kicked-off the official Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship pre-season in perfect style for Manor Competition at Brands Hatch this week – the New Ollerton team heading both days of testing with a terrific display. Stevens underlined his position as a genuine title challenger during the second day of running(see story above) his team-mate Williamson was just 0.123 seconds behind. “It’s been a great start for us, it was fantastic to have Lewis on top of the times on Tuesday and then Will on top yesterday”, said Manor Competition’s Tony Shaw, “There’s a lot to learn with the new car but the team is working so hard and doing an unbelievable job. We’ve got a first class team of people at Manor but we’re not getting carried away, there’s a huge amount of hard work ahead.”

Hylkema and Mulholland make sound start to 2010. Thomas Hylkema improved by half a second between the two days to finish the test as the eighth quickest driver on overall times. Marking a great effort by the Dutchman, he concluded the outing with a best lap of 43.439 seconds which was posted on Wednesday afternoon – the best session of the four for Manor as a whole with three cars in the top eight. The 21-year-old ended the opening day 12th fastest with a time of 43.906 seconds, just 0.136 seconds outside the top 10, but improved to 43.884 seconds (98.32mph) on Wednesday morning. He then made even bigger gains during the fourth and final session, finding an extra four 10ths of a second to end the test just 0.471 seconds shy of Stevens’ timesheet topping best. Championship rookie Josh Mulholland made good progress on his first officially timed UK outing in the brand new FR 2.0 car, ending the test with a quickest lap of 44.233 seconds. Placing him 17th fastest on combined times, the 20-year-old’s best came during the final session.Improving his lap times by half a second on Tuesday, the Northern Irishman produced consistent pace on day two and finished up just over a second shy of the outright pace, even though he missed almost the entire morning with car troubles. Making a pleasing start to his Formula Renault UK career, there is undoubtedly much more to come from Mulholland. Prior to this week’s first officially timed test of 2010 on British soil, the Manor Competition quartet joined teams from Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 at Valencia in Spain for the opening collective test outing on the continent.Stevens emerged as the fastest Manor driver over the course of the two officially-timed days with a best lap of 1m32.598 seconds, just three 100ths of a second shy of the top of the timesheets in second position. Williamson was fifth overall with a time of 1m32.888 seconds while Hylkema posted a best of 1m33.686 seconds and Mulholland lapped with a time of 1m34.541 seconds.

Hillspeed’s James Theodore made the perfect start to his 2010 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship preparations at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on Tuesday, 2nd March, lapping some 0.6secs faster than his nearest rival during officially timed testing. Theodore, who is backed by Liberty Properties Plc, heads into the new season as an undoubted category front-runner. Producing a lap of 44.988 seconds during the morning in bright and dry conditions to emerge as the lead BARC runner, Theodore improved by more than seven 10ths of a second during session two to end the day with a best time of 44.267 seconds (97.47mph) – six 10ths of a second to the good over his nearest rival, Fortec Motorsport’s Mitchell Hale. Joining Theodore in the Hillspeed camp was former Formula Renault BARC racer Ash Davies, who has most recently been competing in Formula Palmer Audi. Reflecting on the test, team principal Richard Ollerenshaw said: “We’ve enjoyed a good, solid day completing plenty of work with both James and Ash. Our pace was good from the start and James put in considerable mileage on a circuit he has only visited twice before.James was actually on used tyres when he set his best time, which was significantly quicker than our closest rival. He’s certainly showing he has what it takes to be a real contender in BARC this year. The main plan for Ash was for him to have some seat time in the car and get as many laps under his belt as possible. We’ve worked with him a couple of times now and it’s always a pleasure.” 

Ginetta: Hillspeed have had a positive maiden test for the first customer Ginetta G40 race car, after taking delivery of the brand new vehicle last week. With just a month now remaining until the start of the 2010 Ginetta G40 Championship at Thruxton on 3rd/4th April, Hillspeed plans to put the car through its paces at several different venues over the coming weeks to prepare as well as possible for its debut campaign in Ginetta G40. The team visited Silverstone’s Stowe Circuit recently for an initial shake-down of its new car – which will be piloted in this year’s championship by talented young karter Seb Morris – and the first reports from team principal Richard Ollerenshaw are certainly positive. “Our shake-down at the Stowe Circuit last week went well so now we’re aiming to give Seb as much mileage in the new car as possible ahead of our championship debut next month”, said Ollerenshaw, “It’s an exciting time for the team as we expand our operations into Ginetta G40. We’re still on the look-out for another driver to partner Seb in the team this year so we’re welcoming all enquiries. Ginetta has done an incredible job with the G40, to design and build a car of this quality in eight months is testament to the professionalism of the marque and its commitment to national motor racing in the UK.” To discuss testing and race opportunities in Ginetta G40 with Hillspeed  or a race seat in its Formula Renault BARC squad for the 2010 season, contact Richard Ollerenshaw on 01433 650400 or via email to richard@hillspeed.co.uk

Atlantic:  Due to the downturn in the global economy and the subsequent shortage of funded drivers the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda will take a year out until global conditions improve. The Atlantic Championship has and always will be committed to providing the best driver development series available to the world's next generation of top-tier driving talent. Unfortunately this cannot happen in 2010. Series officials will continue working throughout the year to develop new ideas for the future that will add value to drivers and also lower the costs of competing in the Atlantic Championship. "It is with a heavy heart and only after deep consideration that I have accepted the recommendations from the stakeholders in the Series to pause efforts related to the continuation of the 2010 Atlantic Championship season," said Ben Johnston, Owner, Atlantic Championship. "As a former Atlantic racer myself, the Atlantic Championship means a great deal to me personally. I know what this series means to the drivers of the world as well as the heritage that Atlantics carries with it and I will not devalue the world-class experience that each one of our drivers is entitled to just to save face during these tough economic times. I am committed to this series now as much as ever and will assure Atlantic fans that the Atlantic Championship office will be working during the down time in order to deliver an unparalleled racing offering when economic conditions allow. All of us at Mazda are disappointed that the Atlantic Championship will be on hiatus this year," said Robert Davis, Senior Vice President, Mazda North American Operations. "It was no doubt a very difficult decision made by the Atlantic management in conjunction with the teams. Mazda has greatly enjoyed the past four years of working with outstanding drivers, teams, and partners and we remain committed to our ongoing support of up-and-coming drivers in both open-wheel and sports car racing."

Auto GP has added a new venue to it’s 2010 calendar. The new Navarra-Los Arcos track circuit, located in the , of Spain, about 50 kms from Pamplona. With a T1 Homologation, which allows the circuit to host F.1 testing, the Los Arcos track is a modern complex with a 4 kms layout and 15 corners. The circuit has also targeted the higher possible safety standards, with huge runoff areas. It’s first major event will be Auto GP which is expected to be held alongside Spanish GT promoted by GT Sport, on either September 11-12 or September 25-26. This means that the Navarra-Los Arcos event will replace Brands Hatch, initially planned for September 18. calendar

GP2: A tough day on Saturday for Meritus Alexander Rossi who retired from the GP2 Asia sprint race to make it no points from 2 races over the weekend. To add to his problems Rossi was handed a ten grid position penalty by the Marshalls after he was found guilty of forcing Ocean's Fabio Leimer off the track during the early stages of the race. This penalty will be effective next feature race in Bahrain where the last round of the third GP2 Asia Series will take place in two weeks, alongside Formula One's season opener. Read report

GP3: It is a new season and a brand new series for Renger van der Zande. The Dutch driver will compete in the GP3 Series for German outfit RSC Mucke Motorsport. Renger, who won races in both British and F3 Euroseries last season can't wait to get started in the new championship. Renger will also benefit from the knowledge and experience of Ralf Schumacher, who takes up the role of Team Principal in RSC Mucke. "I am very happy with the choice which I have made for the season. I had several options in different categories but this Series and package really stood out for me. The experience of both Ralf Schumacher and Peter Mucke will be invaluable to my career and success in the championship. Also all three of us have a connection through Mercedes so it seemed to all fit really well together," said Renger. The first test takes place this week at Paul Ricard in the south of France

F3 South American champion, Leonardo Cordeiro will race with MW Arden in the GP3 2010 Season. Last year, he was crowned champion with two races of the season remaining. In 18 races, he achieved 14 podiums including 10 victories. Leonardo Cordeiro: "GP3 offers me the direct contact with the F1 extravaganza and teams, which brings me closer to my main professional objective. I thank Mark Webber and Christian Horner for the opportunity to join the team. The team is not only me and both of them, but for all the union of our knowledge and the efforts of each team member that I am confident will give their best to achieve with me the best results in this first GP3 season"

Karts: Up against the likes of BTCC drivers, F3 front-runners and McLaren/Autosport BRDC Award nominees, Tom Ingram might not have been considered one of the highest-profile entrants in the Race for Heroes charity karting outing, but he still saw off every one of his adversaries to take pole in qualifying. Ingram, a former British Karting Champion, has a good record around the Daytona Raceway in Milton Keynes, the location of the race in aid of the British Armed Forces. This time around, Tom put the kart he was sharing with four of his Ginetta Junior Championship rivals at the top of the timesheets allowing him the elad the way at the start of the six-hour marathon.“I was really pleased to get pole! ” he enthused. “Every single driver had to go out during qualifying, so they were all going for pole and I was the fastest outright! We knew we had the pace after that, because I had been catching them up, overtaking them straightaway and then just leaving them, and that left us with high hopes for the race. I bunched the others up on the rolling-up lap so we were going really slowly, and then just gunned it at the start when they weren’t expecting it. That gave me a six or seven kart-length lead by the end of the first lap, and then I just tried to get my head down and get away as much as I could.”  In wet, treacherous conditions, Ingram coped well, and following an entertaining scrap with former Renault UK Champion Duncan Tappy and Superleague Formula runner-up Craig Dolby, Tom pitted from second place at the end of his opening stint still in the hunt – but immediately, a problem was becoming apparent. “We realised we were doing shorter stints than the others, which meant we were having to make more stops,” he explained. “We were stopping every three-quarters of an hour, whilst some of the others were going as long as an hour-and-a-quarter. That was a major mistake on our part, without a doubt – it was endurance karting, and in endurance karting you don’t do just 45-minute stints. I could quite easily have done an hour-and-a-half in one go; that wouldn’t have bothered me at all. That was a lesson that we learned.” further time was lost when the exhaust on the #15 kart fell off and the engine decided to repeatedly cut out, whilst an oil change and failing brakes similarly delayed them. By the time Tom took over for his second stint the team was down in 12th. “I was driving around in the pouring rain on slick tyres with no brakes!” he recalled. “I had to slow the kart down by just throwing it into the corners, but I was the quickest driver on the track in the wet and got us back up to sixth.” Unfortunately, a series of spins for his team-mates and a black flag subsequently sent the Ginetta Junior entry plummeting down the order again to 12th, where it would remain to the chequered flag .  “At the end of the day, we raised a lot of money for Help the Heroes, which is a very good cause. Me and my family raised £300, and overall the team managed to collect just over £1,000. That was the highest total of any of the teams, so we were really pleased with that.”

LMS: Following last year's fifth place in the Le Mans-GT2 category, Spyker Squadron, the factory race team of Spyker Cars, has received an invitation from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 12-13 June 2010. The Dutch team, with Moscow based Convers Group as its principal sponsor, will also campaign in the 2010 Le Mans Series (LMS). The team will look to build on its most successful campaign in 2009, where it achieved second places at the Nurburgring and Silverstone rounds and finished third in the overall constructor standings. Scotsman Peter Dumbreck will drive the Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R in all rounds of the Le Mans Series. At Spa, the Hungaroring and Silverstone he will be partnered by Dutchman Tom Coronel. Another Dutchman, Jeroen Bleekemolen will accompany Peter in the LMS opening round at Paul Ricard and in Portugal as Tom Coronel is racing in the WTCC on the same dates. The trio will share the car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Peter van Erp, Managing Director of Spyker Squadron explains: "We have decided to race with a familiar driver line-up for both the Le Mans Series races and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After an impressive 2009 season, we anticipate extreme competition this year and inviting Tom, Jeroen and Peter to drive the Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R brings a huge advantage as they are very familiar with the Series, team and the car. At the same time we know exactly what our drivers are capable of as a trio of top-flight, racers. Peter Dumbreck is competing in the FIA GT1 world-championship schedule, Jeroen Bleekemolen in both the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and the Porsche Super Cup, and Tom Coronel in the WTCC. We will undoubtedly benefit from them competing in other world class series."

Other News: Narain Karthikeyan is on Twitter! Follow him to check out his daily tweets on http://www.twitter.com/narainracing He’s got a busy summer of racing ahead & will be tweeting from wherever in the world he is. A genuine close-up look at the day to day life of 'The Fastest Indian in The World'

02-03-10

Formula 3: Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne was the only driver in the Cooper Tires British F3 field to break the 71-second mark for a lap of the 1.94-mile Rockingham circuit during the official two-day test, which ended today(Tuesday).  The Red Bull racer posted a1m 10.970s lap time towards the end of this morning's session; shortly afterwards he spun his Volkswagen-powered Carlin machine into a gravel trap and had to sit out the closing minutes. Jean-Eric was quickest again this afternoon but was 0.08sec off his morning pace. "We had a good test," said Vergne. "I think we learned a lot about the car and the circuit and I was very happy to finish quickest overall. I think we are really making some good steps forward now. With every session I feel I know more about the car and feel more comfortable." Fortec's rookie Oli Webb was the quickest runner on Monday and his time from yesterday, though 0.2s shy of Vergne's best, was good enough for second best over the two days as a whole. Vergne's Carlin team-mates James Calado and Adriano Buzaid were third and fourth fastest, with Snetterton pacesetter Daisuke Nakajima (Raikkonen Robertson) fifth, just ahead of his team-mate Carlos Huertas. Remarkably, the top 13 drivers over the two days all set times quicker than last summer's pole position markIn the National Class, T-Sport's Menasheh Idafar was again the class of the field. He was run close on Monday by visiting Indonesian driver Rio Haryanto, the reigning Formula BMW Pacific Champion. Haryanto, who tested with Team West-Tec, plans to dovetail some British F3 races later in the season with a GP3 campaign. Oulton Park, the Eastertime venue for the championship's opening rounds, is the next circuit on the pre-season F3 tour, with a day's testing scheduled for next Wednesday (10 Mar).

Cooper Tires British F3 official testing
Rockingham, Northants, 1/2 Mar 2010

Leading International runners Monday / Tuesday

1  Jean-Eric VERGNE / FRA,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 11.437s / 1m 10.970s
2  Oli WEBB / GBR,  Fortec Dallara-Mercedes  1m 11.211s / 1m 11.292s
3  James CALADO / GBR,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 11.860s / 1m 11.288s
4  Adriano BUZAID / BRA,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 11.918s / 1m 11.290s
5  Daisuke NAKAJIMA / JPN,  RR Dallara-Mercedes  1m 11.446s / 1m 11.410s
6  Carlos HUERTAS / COL,  RR Dallara-Mercedes  1m 11.755s / 1m 11.439s
7  William BULLER / GBR,  Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 11.469s / 1m 11.817s
8  Daniel McKENZIE / GBR,  Fortec Dallara-Mercedes  1m 11.623s / 1m 11.491s
9  Hywel LLOYD / GBR,  CF Racing Dallara-Mercedes  1m 12.195s / 1m 11.666s
10  Felipe NASR / BRA,  RR Dallara-Mercedes  1m 11.706s / 1m 11.689s
11  Rupert SVENDSEN-COOK / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 11.855s / 1m 11.888s
12  Jazeman JAAFAR / MAS,  Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 12.192s / 1m 11.947s
13  Gabriel DIAS / BRA,  Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 12.048s / 1m 12.017s
14  Lucas FORESTI / BRA,  Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 13.020s / 1m 12.416s
15  Alex BRUNDLE / GBR,  T-Sport Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 13.047s / 1m 12.706s
16  Jay BRIDGER / GBR,  Litespeed Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 13.143s / 1m 12.959s
17  Adderly FONG / CHN,  Sino Vision Dallara-Mercedes  1m 14.368s / 1m 13.992s

Leading National Class runners
1  Menasheh IDAFAR / GBR,  T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 12.560s / 1m 11.844s
2  James COLE / GBR,  T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 13.097s / 1m 12.422s
3  Rio HARYANTO / INA,  West-Tec Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 12.792s / 1m 13.392s
4  Alex JONES / GBR,  West-Tec Dallara-Mugen Honda  1m 14.162s / 1m 13.199s

Invitation Class
Pietro FANTIN / BRA,  Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen  1m 12.807s / 1m 12.935s

Full TSL timesheets: http://bit.ly/cJ2BO3  F3 pics Jakob Ebrey Photography

Menasheh Idafar rounded out this week’s official Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series test at Rockingham with yet another National Class-leading performance today, Tuesday, and also concluded the outing just 0.027 seconds shy of the overall top 10.Today, he improved by 0.7secs over Monday’s time and produced a quickest lap of 1m11.844 seconds (97.20mph) in the morning. This placed him 11th overall on combined times for the day, the 18-year-old was just 0.874 seconds outside Jean-Eric Vergne’s outright International Class best and he was 0.6 secs faster than his closest National Class rival. Looking to focus on some longer distance runs this afternoon, Menasheh’s plans were hindered due red flags. Even so, he was still able to steer his Gulf Computer Services W.L.L liveried Dallara F307 to another strong time of 1m12.150 seconds (96.79mph). Placing him eighth fastest overall for the session and  quickest National Class driver. “Today has been really good, we’ve done plenty of work and were quick again in both sessions so I’m very happy”, said Menasheh, “Rockingham is probably the toughest track on the British F3 calendar in terms of fitness so I’m pleased with how things have gone. I’m enjoying working with all of the guys at T-Sport, it’s a fantastic team. Things are going better than I could have hoped so far.”

Grand-Am: This weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, AIM Autosport will launch its 2010 racing season in the No. 61 Ford Riley at the Grand Prix of Miami with drivers Burt Frisselle and Mark Wilkins.  This will also be the first of a two race primary sponsorship by Pacific Mobile™, a division of Canadian based company Pacific Group™ Inc. Pacific Mobile™ specializes in Bluetooth accessories for mobile devices. The No 61 Ford Riley will roll off the trailer at Homestead sporting a brand new livery designed by Pacific Group’s brand strategy and industrial design division, Pacific Creative Group. The intricate design is quite unique and unlike anything you would expect on a racecar. AIM and Pacific Mobile™ enlisted the assistance of Beyond Digital Imaging, experts in vinyl wrap systems, to take the new livery from concept to completion. Shawn Thompson, CE0 of Pacific Group™ Companies, parent to Pacific Mobile™ recently stated "Pacific Mobile™ is pleased and excited to have partnered with AIM Autosport on their Daytona Prototype program; AIM is a respected top contender renowned for their attention to detail in preparing these sleek, prototype race cars. These are values and business practices that align nicely with the Pacific Mobile™ brand".  AIM Team principal Willis said, “We are happy to have Pacific Mobile™ as part of our Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series program to start the season. We are working closely with them on a B2B program that adds value to both our companies and we hope this will translate into more opportunities to carry the Pacific Mobile™ logo and livery through the rest of the season.”  AIM took the car to Carolina Motorsport Park (CMP) last week for some shakedown testing. The Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 6th. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED TV starting 5:00 p.m. ET.  The race will also be aired live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and streamed live online. For more info visit www.motorracingnetwork.com 

It’s been just over a month since the season opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, and Memo Gidley along with the Doran Racing Team have been preparing for this weekend’s Grand Prix of Miami in Homestead, Florida.  The #77 McDonalds car had a stellar start to the Daytona 24 as Gidley, stole the show for the first 1.5 hours.  Starting 11^th, he sliced through the field in the difficult and wet conditions to get the McDonalds #77 out front and pulling away.  “It was awesome for me that it rained and I was able to drive the McDonalds car past everybody and lead the Rolex 24…such a famous race,” said Gidley.  “The feeling of being in first and having that clear track ahead is something that I live for, and it felt awesome!”  Since that time, the Doran Team have completely disassembled the car for a month long rebuild to make sure everything was perfect  in preparation for this weekend’s event.   “I am a very detailed oriented person and I will say that even then, Kevin and his team always impress me with how nicely the #77 car is prepared each and every weekend,” said Gidley. “The Doran team has more pride in what they do than just about any team that I have worked with.”  Gidley will be teamed up this weekend with up and coming driver Dion VonMoltke.  Dion has raced twice in Grand Am Prototypes with a couple of teams, including the Homestead race in 2009 and this past Rolex 24 in January.    “I have gotten to know Dion over the last year from the racetrack and from the test we did together at Daytona over the winter,” said Gidley. “Not only has he been quick, he has a good attitude, takes his racing very seriously and he and his family have been really nice to be around.  I think we will be very good teammates and I’m excited to see what we can do together.”

FBMW: Facu Regalia will take part in the Formula BMW Europe this season. The young Argentinean driver drove for Eurointernational in 2008 where he finished as third best rookie. He won the Okayama races at 2009 for Jose Kaufmann Racing. This year he has signed with Eifelland Racing and is confident that he has the conditions to tackle championship organized by BMW in good shape.   Q & A

GTs: Mike Guasch, winner of the 2009 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear 'Master Series' title will switch to sports cars in 2010 as co-driver of the #22 United Autosports / MOLECULE Labs / MG4 Manufacturing Audi R8 LMS car competing in the FIA GT3 European Championship.  His co-driver on the two-car United Autosport team will be Mark Patterson, another past Star Mazda Master Series competitor who has been running for the last 5 years in the Grand Am Rolex series driving a Daytona Prototype.  The duo will share the car in 12 1-hour events held in six countries, including Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Portugal and Italy during a season that stretches from May 2 to October 31. “To race in the FIA GT-3 series will be a great adventure and I frankly can’t wait,” said Guasch. “The caliber of teams and drivers is absolutely top-shelf, and there is a lot of interest from the media because Henri and I make up an all-American team.  I've lived in Europe in the past, so I know the culture and the food and I expect to spend a lot of time there testing and working to be competitive in the series.The Star Mazda Championship is a tremendous training ground for drivers of any age, and I feel well-prepared to take on this new challenge," he added.  "I'll get to drive my new GT car for the first time later this week, but I recently did a three-hour endurance race in a Porsche to get a feel for racing a sports car.  It’s a somewhat claustrophobic experience at first, with all that metal around you, and while the car is more powerful and faster in a straight line than my Star Mazda, it reacts much more slowly in the corners.  But I got the hang of it pretty quickly and turned some respectable laps, so with even more time testing and racing my new R8 LMS, I expect to be very competitive; it's just a matter of dedication, that's what makes anyone good at what they do."  Guasch's first experience behind the wheel of the R8 LMS comes next week in Algarve, Portugal.  From there, the United Autosports team heads for a test at Silverstone and then for a 'balance of power' test at Dijon, France during which the GT3 series officials will work to make sure the various cars competing are as equal as possible in performance.  The team will 'warm up' with a race in the British GT championship and begin the GT3 series races at Silverstone on May 2. For more info on Mike’s racing, go to www.mikeguasch.com

Formula Renault: CRS Racing have signed Victor Correa for it’s Formula Renault Team. The 19 year-old Brazilian raced in the National Class of British F3 last year but is now looking to Formula Renault to continue his single-seater career. "Formula Renault will be a good challenge for me," said Correa. "The new car looks very interesting and it will be a good opportunity for me to show what I can do in an equal car. I chose CRS because I think it is the best team with a vey good structure and I think that, as a team, we can fight for the championship. I think we will have a good year together and hope that we can go out there and compete for victories." CRS Team Director Andrew Kirkaldy said "We are very happy to have signed Victor, He is an experienced driver and with a new car it is good for the team to have that experience to help us move forward. We've been going well in pre-season testing so we are all feeling optimistic about the season ahead of us." Victor will join his new CRS team-mates: Harry Tincknell, Robert Foster-Jones and Michael Lyons for the official test at Brands Hatch today and Wednesday

Karts: Colchester Kart driver James Walkington completed a meteoric first year in owner/driver racing when he was crowned the Bayford Meadows Winter Champion in the MiniMax class at the Kent circuit last weekend.  read report.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB: In recognition of his title-winning 2009 season in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Aberdeen's Glynn Geddie has been selected to become a BRDC Rising Star. The award scheme sees carefully selected talent, aged 24 and under, scouted by a panel from the trackside, being invited to become, effectively, junior members of the Silverstone-based BRDC . Reigning Pro-Am 1 Champion Geddie will sport the Rising Stars logo throughout the 2010 season and beyond, and it gives the 19 year-old a solid platform to graduate to full BRDC membership as his career progresses. "I would like to thank the BRDC for giving me this fantastic opportunity and I can't wait to race with the Rising Stars logo", said Geddie. "To have my achievements recognised by the BRDC with Rising Stars membership is an achievement in itself as I am one of only fifteen to be invited this year." Apex Tubulars-backed Geddie dominated the Pro-Am 1 category last year and accumulated an impressive 50% win record on his way to the title, in what was only his first full season of racing.

NASCAR: Former V8 Ute driver, George Miedecke has been announced as one of two development drivers in the NASCAR sprint cup Series in the same team that fields dual V8 Supercar Champion Marcos Ambrose. George will join Coleman Pressley in the two-car Late Model outfit, which will be run from JTG Daugherty's Charlotte, North Carolina base. "It's a huge opportunity," George said. "I got together with Marcos (Ambrose) and his manager Trip Wheeler at the last V8 Ute race at Homebush, and we really got along. We talked about my ambition to come over to the states and since then we have been talking more and more. For it to end up with an opportunity like this is just fantastic and I want to thank him for his efforts – it's very rare to be presented with a break like this and I'm excited to have a chance to reward his, Jodi and Tad's (JTG team owners) faith in me this year." In between his busy NASCAR schedule Miedecke has found time to come back to his roots and join in the celebration of his beloved V8 Utes 10th year as a legend in the "Ten Years of Legends Race", which will coincide with Round 1 of the 2010 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series – protected by Armor All. Miedecke will drive with new-comer Jeremy Gray in his former Ford BF V8 Ute, which he drove to victory at the Sydney Telstra 500 last December.

Formula 2 : Jack Clarke is the latest addition to the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship grid, after signing up to contest his second season in the series. Clarke's return to Formula Two follows a promising maiden campaign in 2009, where the Briton scored points finishes at Spa-Francorchamps and Oschersleben. Jack Clarke said: "I am delighted to be returning to Formula Two and I'm looking forward to taking advantage of the experience I gained in the first season. I have a lot of mileage and knowledge of the car and operation, and I feel this will certainly help. I am aiming for podiums and wins -- last season I had less experience than the majority of drivers but now I expect to hit the ground running as I look to carry good momentum into my second campaign. It is a big boost to see Andy Soucek get a Formula One deal and I wouldn't mind being where he is this time next year. It is a credit to him and the championship, and hopefully I will be that person to take the title and the F1 test in 2010." 

Sergey Afanasiev has become the second Russian driver to join the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship. Afanasiev, part of the Lukoil Driver Support Programme, joins the series after an impressive 2009 campaign which saw him finish as runner-up in the International Formula Master series. He scored one race victory and nine podiums, including top three finishes at Brno, Brands Hatch and Oschersleben. Afanasiev follows Ivan Samarin as the second Russian to join F2 for 2010, and Sergey will be hoping to repeat the 2009 success of fellow countryman Mikhail Aleshin, who finished third in last year's FIA Formula Two Championship.

Bikes: Brands Hatch is revving up for the start of the 2010 motorsport season with the arrival of the British Motorcycle Racing Club this weekend (6/7 March). The BMCRC is the UK 's oldest motorcycling club, and the organisation will kick off its 101st year of racing at Brands Hatch with more than 35 races from nine different categories.Among the highlights will be the MRO Superteen series for up and coming young riders, which will include the inaugural outing of a special 80cc championship for 12 year old rookies in 2010, as well as the Supersport and Stocksport 600 competitions.There will also be three wheel action from the daredevil F1 and F2 sidecars, plus the MRO Powerbikes, 250MZs, Minitwins and a specific rookie contest for racing newcomers.Tickets for the BMCRC club bike championships at Brands Hatch cost from £10 for adults with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information call 0870 950 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk.

The GT Academy 2010 has moved a step closer to finding this years winner. The 18 Gran Turismo® racers who set out on their quest to win a season long Nissan 370Z drive in the European GT4 Cup have been reduced to only four after three days of intensive driving challenges. GT Academy made a great start on Friday (26 February), despite a last-minute driver change. Belgium’s national champion, Stijn Wackenier, was forced to withdraw from the competition due to illness allowing second placed Benjamin Peron to take his place. He arrived  at Silverstone late on Thursday night and joined his PlayStation colleagues for  an 0830 briefing  on Friday morning.  An  eight-lap assessment on the Stowe circuit was followed by a “superpole” competition. Next up was a transfer to a kart track for a two-hour endurance race in 25cc karts. The competitors were split into pairs and briefed on endurance racing strategy by Academy  judges, including Rob  Barff, Johnny Herbert and Sabine Schmitz. Each pairing was responsible  for their own strategy. The Franco- Portuguese duo of Jordan Tresson and Felipe Barreto  won beating Spaniards Roberto Ortero and Marco Calvo into second. Difficult conditions on Saturday with some heavy rain didn’t stop the activities. A sprint competition in the 370Zs was followed by 3 activities in the afternoon – a head-to-head, parallel course time-trial in the Nissan GT-R, drifting and car control in the 370Z, and lapping Stowe circuit in the 370Zs with an instructor assessing their progress. At the end of the day, the competitors undertook a teamwork challenge. Split into two teams, they were timed to undertake a full ‘pit-stop’ on a new 370Z GT4. Later at  the GT Academy’s hotel the judges deliberated on the fate of the 18 hopeful gamers. After less than an hour, the decision was taken and the two Brits were among the 10 competitors eliminated.  Jordan Tresson from France, Marco Calvo from Spain, Luca Lorenzini from Italy and Daniel Collins from Ireland will all progress to the final two days. Day three began at 6.00am with  Silverstone’s off-road experience for an extreme fitness test. Three ex-marines guided them through an assault course that would be tough at any time. In temperatures of less than two degrees, with driving rain, wind, mud and lots of water it became almost unbearable for some of the competitors. Mental and physical strength were pushed to the limits but all eight hopefuls made it through. Jordan Tresson took first place. Back on  track they continued to hone their car control with a drifting test in the Nissan 370Z, followed by the pleasure of lapping in the GT-R set-up in race mode. The final, and perhaps most challenging, on-track session of the day took place in Silverstone’s single-seaters on the new Stowe Circuit. The GT Academy instructors assessed all activities to feed back to the judges. A final decision on the two winners will be on Tuesday night.

01/03/10

National Class Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series rookie Menasheh Idafar continued his strong start to the pre-season at Rockingham on Monday, 1st March, by again heading the times during the first of two days’ testing at the track. Following on from a terrific debut at Snetterton last week, the 18-year-old did another great job at Rockingham’s 1.94-mile Circuit to set the National Class pace with a best time of 1m12.560 seconds (96.25mph). Placing him 14th overall on combined timings, Menasheh’s quickest lap was 0.232 seconds faster than the nearest National Class competitor Ryo Haryanto – the 2009 Formula BMW Pacific Champion – and just 1.3 seconds shy of the outright International Class pace. Lapping with a time of 1m12.810 seconds in dry conditions this morning, his first ever experience of Rockingham at the wheel of an F3 car, Menasheh improved by 0.3secs in session two at the wheel of his T-Sport run Dallara F307 Mugen-Honda. “I’m happy with the start we made today, it’s been another positive test and I’m obviously really pleased to be the fastest National Class driver again”, he commented, “We need to keep working hard, and I need to find more time during tomorrow’s test, but we didn’t use brand new tyres today so I’m happy with my times. It’s been a good start for my first time at Rockingham in an F3 car.” Tuesday will see second day of testing at Rockingham.  Live timing can be followed at www.tsl-timing.com    pic: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Superstars International Series: he Autodromo Internacional do Algrave will host the official start of N.Technology's Superstars International Series challenge with the Porsche Panamera S racecar on the 22-23 May. Portuguese driver Joao Barbosa will take the wheel, fresh from his Daytona 24 Hours win with a Porsche-powered car. The 34-year-old racer from Porto will also drive the Panamera S racecar throughout its development tests. "The program with N.Technology and Porsche Panamera S is a great opportunity," said Barbosa. "It allows me to continue my involvement with Porsche whilst developing a strong working relationship with N.Technology. As a professional driver, I know how important it is to be involved in major projects with a long-term future and I believe that the combination of Porsche and N.Technology is one of them. It will be a great pleasure to contribute to the development of the Porsche Panamera S, working closely with N.Technology staff. We will do everything to be competitive from Portimao, my home race, onwards."

F2000: Remy Audette and Audette Racing have announced their 2010 F2000 Championship Series program for the #21 Dimension Doors Van Diemen/Zetec. The Canadian will be contesting his third season in the series, after taking a sole victory at Lime Rock Park, multiple poles, and setting numerous lap records en route to a third place finish in the standings last year. Right now the plan is to improve upon last year, explained Audette. “We want to lower our track records, and as of today were not planning on running the full schedule, so we may try to win the championship on a partial season. As far as building upon a great 2009”, Audette continued, “one of the big things we need to improve upon is our performance at Mosport. Its my home track, and this year we’ll be working with engineer David Clubine for all the events, and he knows Mosport very well.”. Audette has unfinished business in Montreal for the Formula Ford 1600 race this coming summer. Last year, he was leading by four seconds with six laps to go when a problem with the float in the carburetor ended his race. Perhaps one of the best untold tales of the 2009 season was the wigs that were stolen from Audette Racing at Mosport. After sporting what can only be described as very stylish hair pieces in the pits during the Mosport race weekend, an assortment of wigs disappeared from the Audette Racing transporter. Ransom notes were delivered to the team at Watkins Glen, and two weeks later at Summit Point, the official scale pads for the F2000 Series tech area mysteriously vanished. Series officials had to act fast to remedy the situation, and a few weeks later at Mid-Ohio, the dispute was calmly settled with multiple witnesses in view, with F2000 Series officials receiving their scale pads back, and Audette Racing joyously taking possession of their wig assortment. Sources familiar with the situation said Audette Racing will bring back the wigs in 2010. The 14-race, seven-weekend 2010 F2000 Championship Series gets going on April 9 at VIR.

Formula Ford: The Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship has announced a new incentive to encourage competitors to attend both the Darwin and Townsville events this season. The incentive package will be supported by Instrumental Music Australia (IMA), Australia’s largest independent music store, and will provide additional funding to Formula Ford competitors who do both events. Formula Ford competitors will receive $1000 assistance over the two races as part of the scheme, which will be known as ‘IMA’s Top End Top Up’. The ‘Top End Top Up’ increases IMA’s involvement within the series after supporting the Pole Position Award in 2009, something which it will continue in 2010.“Formula Ford racing in Australia is something that is close to my heart, so for me to have to opportunity to support the series gives me great pleasure,” said IMA CEO Jon Mills “The 2010 championship is heading to some fantastic locations, some of which are a long way away. Any amount of support these young drivers can get will help in getting them to all the rounds, which is what we want to see.” The 2010 Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship will commence at the Qantas Australian Grand Prix on March 25-28 and will visit eight race tracks around Australia.

Formula 3: After dabbling in the Mini Challenge last year, John Magro will return to his open-wheel roots when he grids up for the first round of the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship at Wakefield Park, March 5 - 7. Magro will drive an R-Tek Motorsport Dallara F304 entry in what will be his fourth championship round. The 24-year-old North Queensland-based Mango farmer contested three rounds of the 2008 championship with Team BRM, and scored a career best fourth-place finish at the high-speed Phillip Island circuit. Magro last raced at last year’s Gold Coast’s SuperGP, in a Formula Ford, and before that contested a round of the MINI Challenge on home turf at the Townsville 400. “I’m really excited, it’s going to be great to get back in an F3 car and have a run,” Magro said. “The cars are awesome to drive; there really isn’t anything else quite like them. I haven’t been in one for a little while but I’m certain that I will get up to speed quickly. Racing the Mini in Townsville and especially the Formula Ford on the Gold Coast ensured I needed to be precise and smooth, and that will serve me well at Wakefield. “The last time I raced in Formula 3 I was close to the podium,” Magro added. “I know the field will be very competitive and I’ll be in a different car but I’d like to think that I can mix it up with the leaders again.”  R-Tek Team Owner Ian Richards was pleased to have another young charger in one of his F304’s. “John is a good young driver and showed us all that he can race one of these cars as well as anyone when he last competed in the series,” Richards said. “We will be making sure we do everything we can to make sure John can have a strong weekend at Wakefield. The car is certainly capable of racing with the likes of Tom Tweedie (also in an F304) so we are looking forward to a great weekend.” The first round of the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers’ Championship will be the first to feature a brand-new three-race format, including two sprint races and a longer feature on Sunday afternoon. The series will unveil a new website today (Monday, March 1st) and new sponsorship details for the forthcoming season. The Wakefield Park event is the first of the 2010 Shannons Nationals, and includes a massive field of Sports Sedans, Commodore Cup and the MX-5 Challenge

The BRSCC Euro Saloon and Sports Car Championship have announced that Arrowpak International will be the lead sponsor for the 2010 season. Continuing on from the successful 2009 season, registrations for 2010 are already suggesting packed grids for 2010. There is a new website at www.eurosaloons.co.uk where the regulations and registration form can be downloaded, and race results and reports will appear once the season has started on April 10/11 at Silverstone. Arrowpak has been in the moving, storage and distribution service for more than 33 years specialising in all forms of the industry and being a leader in the movement of United States Air Force Europe personnel. Arrowpak carries out over 10,000 moves every year from it's bespoke facilities in both England and Spain. Arrowpak also import anexport cars, transporting over 3500 cars a year to and from abroad. Arrowpak will have signage on the Nissan Primera  driven by Pete Challis.

GP2: Charles Pic bagged his first GP2 Asia win in Bahrain sprint race on Saturday after overtaking initial race leader Adrian Zaugg on Lap 4 and then pulling away from his closest rivals Giacomo Ricci and Javier Villa. Saturday’s polesitter on the reversed grid Zaugg took off perfectly and kept the lead coming out of the first corner. Behind him, chaos ensued when Alvaro Parente and Sergio Perez came together while fighting for second place at Turn 4, with Perez earning a broken wing and Parente spinning into the barriers a few meters farther. More contacts in the field led to newly crowned Davide Valsecchi and countryman Luca Filippi having to go back to the pits to fix their damaged cars. Once the dust settled a little, leader Zaugg found it impossible to pull away from a hard-pushing Pic quickly followed by Ricci, Jules Bianchi and Villa. On Lap 4, Pic overtook Zaugg at the end of the backstraight, with Ricci following him in the next corner. But while Zaugg tried to retaliate, Bianchi got alongside him with all three cars side-by-side through the last corner, down the long straight and into Turn 1 where Bianchi and Zaugg eventually came together, leaving Ricci free to chase after Pic, Villa in tow. However, by then, Pic had already managed a gap of over two seconds. This left Ricci and Villa fighting for second place, with the Spaniard all over the Italian for many laps until Ricci picked up the pace, closing in the gap on Pic, but he was never close enough to pretend for the win. The Top three then settled, there was still a lot of action behind to secure the remaining points, starting with Sam Bird charging from tenth to fourth and closely followed by Edoardo Piscopo emerging from fifteenth on the starting grid. Both men overtook Daniele Zampieri in the very last stages of the race. The Italian also handed the last point to Oliver Turvey two laps from the end. This single point scored by iSport International today offered the British squad the Series crown. With one round left in the season, and both titles now decided, second and third places are still up for grabs. Giacomo Ricci moves up to second place two points ahead of Turvey, while following a strong weekend Arden now stands second in the team championship two points clear from DPR.

Other News: Ryan Lindsay put in an excellent performance to defeat both BTCC and an ex-British F3 Champion to make the final of the Nissan FreeRace Initiative in Paris next month and with ait a chance at the £10,000 prize that would go some way towards kick-starting his financially-stalled racing career. The Nissan FreeRace initiative was designed to promote the Japanese manufacturer’s 370Z sportscar, and of the 700 hopeful applicants, the most promising 200 were selected for an assessment day at Silverstone. Following a series of timed runs and drifting challenges around a coned-out circuit in a range of different cars, the nine best participants – including Ryan – progressed to day two, accompanied by professional racers Robbie Kerr (2002 British F3 Champion), Tom Onslow-Cole and Paul O’Neill (BTCC race-winners both). “Every driver had three four-lap heats around a made-up circuit that nobody had seen before, which was nothing like a normal race track,” the 21-year-old revealed. “Some corners had several different lines you could use to facilitate overtaking. Even more unusually, when the lights changed to green at the start you had to do two full donuts around a barrel before heading down to the first corner. After that there were no real rules, as long as we didn’t wipe anybody else out completely. It was certainly pretty interesting...” As the 12 remaining contenders got down to business in a fleet of stripped-out 370Zs, Ryan successfully saw off single-seater and tin-top exponent Sam Edwards and Formula Palmer Audi graduate Nik Falkner. After finishing inside the top four, he, Kerr, Nick Tandy and James Littlejohn will now take on the French and German participants in Paris for the £10,000 European Final grand prize later this month.

Indycar: Will Power led a Team Penske sweep of the top three places in the timesheets as IZOD IndyCar Series teams concluded a two-day Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park. The Australian had a lap of 1min 9.8724 seconds on the 2.38-mile circuit. Helio Castroneves (1:10.0084) was second and Ryan Briscoe (1:10.0459), who topped first day was third.  Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon (1:10.0594) was fourth and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Justin Wilson (1:10.0869) was in the top five for the second consecutive day. Former F1 driver Takuma Sato, participating in his first IZOD IndyCar Series test with KV Racing Technology, had another impressive outing with the sixth-best time of 1:10.2070. Mike Conway of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing was to seventh (1:10.2497) and Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport was eighth (1:10.3956).  The session was delayed just after its start by an accident involving reigning IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti, whose car slid off the track in Turn 12 and made hard contact with the barrier, ending his test after two laps. The session resumed nearly an hour later after repairs to the guardrail and grass were made. Franchitti was uninjured in the incident. 2009 Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos also saw his test end early following an incident later in the afternoon.

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