|
What's on?
3-4 February Bahrain - Super i1 Series
28-29 January Taupo Motorsport Park,NZ , Toyota Racing Series
4-5 February Hampton Downs, Auckland, Toyota Racing Series
10-11 February Losail - i1 Super Series
11-12 February
Manfeild, New Zealand GP –
Toyota Racing Series
25-26 February Buddh Int Circuit - i1 Super Series
9-10 March Yas Marina - i1 Super Series
15-17 March Sebring 12 Hours - FIA WEC,ALMS
15-18 March Melbourne, Aus GP – Formula Ford
17 March Oulton Park – Masters Historic Racing
24 March Oulton Park – BARC
24-25 March Brands Hatch Indy – MSVR
25 March Silverstone – BRSCC
30 Mar – 1 Apr
Symmons Plains, Aus - Formula Ford, V8 Supercars
31 March Oulton Park – BRSCC
Donington Park – BARC
31 Mar – 1 Apr Pembrey - BARC
Ultimate Christmas gifts - New for Christmas 2011: Supercar
Roulette - Experience the ‘Thrill’ of Silverstone from just £79
- What to get a teenager?
Silverstone has the ultimate gift for everyone this Christmas,
with a wide range of Driving Thrills and Experiences available
at discounted, festive season rates. New for 2011 is
Silverstone’s £79 Supercar Roulette Voucher*, providing friends
and family with the opportunity to drive one of three iconic
road cars – either a Ferrari, Nissan GT-R or Aston Martin – in
the tyre tracks of legends, at the home of the British Grand
Prix.
The Supercar Roulette Voucher is perfect for anyone wanting an
adrenaline fuelled taste of life in the fast lane. The choice of
supercars ticks all the boxes: for budding 007s, the Aston
Martin V8 Vantage is ready to be shaken not stirred, while for
those preferring a touch of Italian flair, Silverstone’s fleet
of Ferraris are waiting to be driven with style. Alternatively,
for a modern engineering marvel, the Nissan GT-R offers a
perfect amalgamation of luxury and speed.
The voucher also removes any uncertainty surrounding which
supercar to choose for friends and family, as Supercar Roulette
comes with a twist: recipients won’t know which of these three
sensational, high performance cars they will be driving until
they get to Silverstone on the day. An additional £70 will
secure the opportunity to drive two of these spectacular cars.
In addition to the Supercar Roulette, Silverstone offers an
impressive collection of first-class driving Thrills. From £85,
members of the public can take to sections of the world famous
Grand Prix Circuit in one of Silverstone’s supercars, including
a Lotus Exige, Audi R8 or Nissan 370Z.
Alternatively, for any aspiring Lewis Hamiltons or Jenson
Buttons, the Single Seater Thrill is the closest many will ever
get to driving a Formula One car at Silverstone, providing a
slick, super-quick taste of formula racing. Then again, others
may prefer to tackle the Rally Thrill, providing some off-road
fun on a purpose-built rally handling stage in a works-built
Ford Fiesta ST 150.
Silverstone Driving Experiences make perfect gifts for those
wanting a little more time behind the wheel and out on track. In
the run up to Christmas, Silverstone is offering ‘festive
special prices’ on two of its most popular Experiences: the
Single Seater Experience, reduced to £159 from £175; and the
Ferrari 360 Experience, now only £199 (reduced from £255*).
What to get for teenagers…Silverstone
also has younger members of the family covered off this
Christmas. The Northamptonshire circuit provides teenagers (aged
13 years and above) with a unique opportunity to learn the
basics of driving a car, or riding a motorcycle on its Rookie
Drive or Rookie Ride Experience (available from £50). Both
Experiences are designed to introduce teens to driving and
riding in a safe and controlled environment, with first class
tuition from fully qualified instructors (visit
www.silverstone.co.uk
for age restrictions).
For further information on the full range of Driving Thrills and
Experiences available at Silverstone this Christmas, visit
www.silverstone.co.uk
or call 0844 3728 270.
*Offer ends 31 December 2011. Product specific terms and
conditions apply. Vouchers cannot be redeemed until 04 January
2012 and are valid until 31 March 2012. Please note that height,
weight, age and driving licence restrictions can vary across the
range of Silverstone Driving Experiences available – visit
www.silverstone.co.uk
for full details.
Christmas Driving Gift Ideas from MotorSport Vision
MotorSport Vision, owners of five major UK circuits
including Brands Hatch and Oulton Park, has revealed its full
line up of Christmas driving gift ideas with a range of
experiences to thrill all petrolheads this winter. Activities
available on track include F1-style single seater driving with
RaceMaster, and powerful saloon car action in a BMW M3 with M3
Master. Off-road highlights includes sideways excitement in a
works prepared rally car and sheer drops and waist-high water
passes with MudMaster.Youngsters aged 11-17 can experience
motoring for the first time in a brand new MINI One with
YoungDrive! This is priced at just £79, with 12 month vouchers
available. Other experience gift vouchers start from
£99.Enthusiastic motorists can also take their own vehicle on
track with Club MSV trackdays from as little as £20.A full line
up of experiences available from MotorSport Vision and Club MSV
are attached with this email, and a selection of high resolution
images are also available by
clicking here. We’d
love you to feature our range in any Christmas gift guides you
plan to run, and will be happy to provide any additional
information or photography.For more information on MSV Driving
Gifts visit
www.msvdrivinggifts.com
or call 0843 453 1000.
Sat Nav Deals

Photographers
Power Images
Photography
www.power-images.co.uk
Dennis
Goodwin Photography
http://www.dennisg-photography.co.uk/
www.raceinstructors.com
UK based race driving instructors website
ARPRO® improves impact
resistance in motorsport
Classified

Souriau to launch “convenience” and “performance” motorsport
connectors at Autosport International
read more

Zircotec coating cools hot racing cars
Competitors offered
20 percent discount off Zircotec thermal barrier coatings in
support of National Motorsport Week
Race and rally licence holders ordering a ThermoHold® ceramic
thermal barrier coating
from Zircotec during National Motorsport Week will receive a
substantial 20 percent off of the retail price. The offer, in
support of National Motorsport Week, will enable motorsport
participants at all levels to enjoy the safety, performance and
reliability benefits of managing heat in a competition car at a
significantly lower price. “National Motorsport Week exists to
highlight the UK’s importance in all areas of international
motor sport,” says Zircotec sales director Peter Whyman. “We
wanted to make our own contribution by offering something to
those taking part in motorsport, at whatever discipline they
compete.” Research suggests that motorsport contributes
£6billion to the UK economy each year and employs over 40,000
skilled people. In the UK there are 32,000 competition licence
holders. Any motorsport competitor wishing to take up the offer
simply needs to quote their licence number when ordering a
coating for any component. “The coating can be used to manage
underbonnet heat and can be applied to turbos, exhausts, heat
shields, body panels to solve heat-related safety and
durability issues as well as enhancing car and driver
performance,” adds Whyman. “With our coatings used on everything
from National Hot Rods and Touring Cars through to Classic
Motorbikes and Formula One, many competitors can benefit from
the advantages it provides with the added bonus of a lower
price.
Zircotec
presents new range of colours and finishes for high-technology
ceramic coating A new range of colours and metallic
finishes is being developed by Zircotec for its successful
plasma-sprayed ceramic coating. …read
more

A cost-effective
tyre pressure monitoring system for touring cars has been
developed by industry leaders BERU f1systems.
Specifically for closed- wheel, road car-derived saloons and
sports cars, the system provides accurate tyre pressure and
temperature information for drivers and engineers to optimise
tyre pressures and wear, as well as offering puncture detection…more
|
Club Racers mail your news to
editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk
Check out our Letters page - Send your comments to 'the
Grid' click here
NEWS
03/02/2012
F1600:
Black Watch Racing Group will contest the 2012 F1600 Formula F
Championship Series
season with a two car team made up of Dan Murphy and F1600 race
winner Jim Goughary. The duo will race the team’s freshly
rebuilt Van Diemen/Hondas for the full six-event, 12-race 2012
schedule. The team recently completed a test in Florida and
plans to go back to a SCCA Regional at Sebring in February, in
addition to VIRginia International Raceway in March. “Our goal
for 2012 is to be the number one team in the F1600 Championship
Series,” said Dan Murphy, driver and also the team owner. “I'm
particularly looking forward to learning from Jim, and I’m
excited to be associated with a driver of his caliber. The cars
are in top condition and we are anxious to get started.”
Goughary, meanwhile, will be back to hunt for a Championship
after finishing third in the final standings in 2012, winning
the opening race in Series history by a few inches. “I do not
see any other professional racing in the country that offers
racing this close at this cost,” said Goughary said. “I felt
like we had a shot at winning the series last year, but did not
manage to get it done. Maybe this year we can pull that off.
And, from a driver’s standpoint these cars keep you very sharp,
and that level of driving transfers into all types of racing.The
future of Black Watch Racing starts right now and being there
from the beginning is something special,” he added. The 12-race,
six-weekend 2012 season starts at VIRginia International
Raceway, April 12-15.
Ginetta
Supercup:
Members of the original fan funded project
YourRacingCar.com,
which has been a steadfast feature of the British Touring Car
Championship paddock since 2009, have had to wait until now to
learn the car and driver that they will be supporting in the
2012 season. Max Coates has been recruited for a multi-year
project with the ambitious crew from Milton Keynes who, having
participated in the Ginetta G50 Cup, Renault Clio Cup and
British Touring Car Championship in recent years, have elected
to return to back Max in the Ginetta Supercup. Speaking about
the project, YRC founder Hannah James said “Going back Ginetta
was an easy decision to make. It’s far and away the best value
championship from a fans perspective and in reality that’s all
that matters to us. It’s exciting, the cars are fantastic and
basing ourselves at the heart of the BTCC support paddock means
we can offer more access to our members than ever before”.
Hannah admits that Max has been a target for YRC since mid-way
through the 2011 season when his dogged determination, despite
budgetary constraints, was obvious for all to see. “Our
activities have always been lead as far as possible by our fans
interests. Max is totally different from any driver I’ve met
before and having an opportunity to help support someone with
his spirit, not to mention talent, is something I know our
members will be thrilled about”. Max is equally enthusiastic
about his tie up with
YourRacingCar.com,
"Partnering with YRC this year is a great opportunity. Having
fans is an important part of being a racing driver and this
unique supporters club gives me the opportunity to do just that.
The work that YRC has done over the past few years has been
incredible and the people behind it, the management within YRC
and the members themselves, are fully committed to the group.
For me it is a chance to increase my relationships with fans and
I can't wait to get going with it." With just seven weeks
before the start of the championship the YRC crew will be
introducing Max to their members and are hoping to recruit many
more before Max hits the track for the first time carrying the
pictures of every YRC member at Brands Hatch on March 31st. Fans
can join
YourRacingCar.com
online and benefits of club membership include free tea, coffee
and hot chocolate trackside at each of the BTCC events in 2012,
discounts of BTCC race day tickets and their choice of picture
to be displayed on the roof of the YRC race car throughout the
season.
Endurance
Racing:
British duo Allan McNish and Oliver Jarvis
will race in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June driving for the
“factory” Audi Sport team which plans to enter four cars – two
of which will be equipped with hybrid drive for the first time.
McNish (42), from Dumfries, and Cambridge’s Jarvis (28) were
announced at an Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) presentation in
Paris on Thursday evening along with André Lotterer (D) and Timo
Bernhard (D) as the nominated driver for each of the German
manufacturer’s four sportscars aiming to earn Audi an 11th Le
Mans win. McNish is a former two-time winner of the legendary
sportscar race (1998 & 2008) – having finished in the top-three
a further five times.This year’s event on 16-17 June marks the
Scotsman’s 13th Le Mans race – his 10th with Audi. Jarvis,
meanwhile, competes at Le Mans for only the second time and the
first time with the “factory” Audi team. Oliver, who has raced
in the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) with Audi since 2008,
drove a “customer” Audi R10 TDI in the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours. In
addition to the 56-cars invited to compete in the 2012 Le Mans
24 Hours, the ACO also announced the entrants for the re-born
FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Audi Sport Team Joest
has entered two cars with Audi planning to field additional cars
at selected races such as the 12-hour race at Sebring (USA) and
the 6-hours at Spa (Belgium).The new Audi sports-prototype with
hybrid drive will be presented at the end of February with its
first competitive outing at the Spa 6-hours on May 5. The WEC
season begins at Sebring on March 17 where Audi Sport Team Joest
will rely on the Audi R18 TDI.
OAK
Racing has secured three entries for this year’s Le Mans 24
Hours.
After first stepping up to the premier prototype class last
season, the French outfit – based at the Le Mans Technoparc –
will return with a single Judd-powered OAK-Pescarolo LMP1 with
the full intention of challenging for conventional
petrol-powered honours. A strong challenge will also be mounted
in the junior prototype category after a pair of Morgan LMP2s –
prepared by OAK Racing and designed by its constructor division
Onroak Automotive – also secured grid slots. This year marks the
50th anniversary of the famous British marque’s only class
victory at Le Mans to date, a record the team will hope to add
to in 2012 following three podium finishes in the past four
years. An extremely competitive 30-car entry list (18 of which
are prototypes) for the newly-created FIA World Endurance
Championship was also revealed in Paris at the headquarters of
TF1 whose Eurosport television channel will broadcast live WEC
and Le Mans 24 Hours coverage throughout 2012. As confirmed
yesterday, OAK Racing will field a single OAK-Pescarolo LMP1 in
the eight-round global sportscar championship alongside a Morgan
LMP2. OAK Racing’s full driver line-ups for this year’s Le Mans
24 Hours and WEC will be announced at a later date. Jacques
Nicolet, OAK Racing Team Owner: “The fact that as many private
teams have entered LMP1 as LMP2 is, for me, complete proof of
the FIA World Endurance Championship’s appeal, so understandably
I am extremely enthusiastic about the fact that OAK Racing has
secured two prototype slots. The entire team is also delighted
to be part of Morgan’s Le Mans 24 Hours return with a pair of
LMP2s. In putting together an exceptional entry list – perhaps
amongst the best in the race’s 80-year history – the ACO offers
us an opportunity to express ourselves in an ultra-competitive
environment. It’s an environment that will hopefully see OAK
Racing fully demonstrate its qualities as a team and its pair of
LMP2 Morgans. In addition, we have decided to enter just one
LMP1 in the WEC and at the Le Mans 24 Hours as we concentrate
our resources in finding improved performance. Nevertheless, a
second LMP1 and dedicated technical team will be devoted to a
development programme throughout the year that will not only
advance future evolutions but also build towards the new
technical regulations due in 2014.” Pic
DPPI/Le Meur
Toyota
Racing has expanded its plans for the 2012 season and entered
the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The team had originally planned only to take part in selected
races – fewer than required to be considered a full-time entrant
– but revised its programme after unexpected changes faced by
the championship. This means the Toyota TS030 Hybrid will make
its racing debut at the Six Hours of Spa Francorchamps on 5 May.
Toyota Racing has also confirmed it will enter two cars for the
Le Mans 24 Hours on 16/17 June. The regular driver line-up of
Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazui Nakajima are confirmed for
the race, with details of the line-up for the additional car to
be announced shortly.Yoshiaki Kinoshita, team president, said:
“The circumstances for the championship changed suddenly in
recent weeks and Toyota Racing considers it important to work
together with the FIA and ACO to establish a successful future
for endurance racing. We have done everything we can to show our
support and we look forward to an exciting season, including the
opportunity to race two cars at Le Mans.
Karts:
Formula K Europe’s faith in the abilities of Super One
champion Ed Brand
was rewarded as he delivered a much-deserved 3rd place at
Whilton Mill. Defending Super One and Kartmasters champion Ed
Brand demonstrated the potential of the Formula K chassis with a
stirring drive from tenth on the grid to an eventual podium last
Sunday (29 January). It was Brand’s first competitive outing on
the Italian-made kart and since renewing his partnership with
engine tuners, HRS. Race day started brightly with an
encouraging 2nd place in the opening heat. Ed’s fortunes took a
temporary nosedive in the following race, but a superb drive in
the third heat saw him lift his team’s spirits as he carved his
way from 26th to 8th to take a fifth row start for the A final.
Passing four karts in the opening lap, Ed steadily edged his way
up the order and by mid-distance was 3rd. Despite the leading
pair being comfortably ahead, Brand remorselessly hunted them
down – setting the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate
tour. On this occasion, he had to settle for 3rd albeit that a
higher finish looked almost certain had there been more time.
“This is a great result for me, the team (Protrain), HRS and of
course, the Formula K chassis. Although I couldn’t take the win
on this occasion, I feel that we’ve done enough to prove that
it’s not a case of ‘if’ but ‘when’. The Formula K is a pleasure
to drive, is nicely balanced and allows the engine to deliver
its power smoothly.” He added, “We’ve had a positive start to
the year and I have great expectations for the forthcoming
season.”
WTCC:
Honda announced today, Friday, they will join the FIA World
Touring Car Championship.
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito explained: "We took the decision to enter
in the WTCC with the European Civic. We will develop a totally
new engine for this project and we are all excited about
starting this new challenge."For this project, Honda formed a
joint partnership with Mugen and J.A.S. Motorsport. Mugen will
manufacture a 1.6-litre turbo bespoke racing engine developed by
Honda R&D and will maintain it at the races along with the team.
J.A.S. Motorsport will develop the race car, using the new Honda
Civic 5-door produced in Honda's manufacturing plant located in
Swindon, UK. Honda's ambition is to join the WTCC as early as
this season, with a string of "inaugural rounds". Discussions
are currently being held with the FIA, but these rounds would
include Japan (on 21 October at Suzuka), China and Macau. Honda
will then enter a two-car team, managed by J.A.S. Motorsport, in
the full 2013 championship season. Honda press release reads:
"The FIA WTCC is the next chapter in Honda's on-going commitment
to world motor sport and provides a perfect platform to
demonstrate its racing spirit to Honda's numerous fans around
the world." Olivier Fisch, Managing Director of Eurosport Events
commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Honda in WTCC. Their
commitment is a great reward for the huge, joint effort the FIA
and Eurosport Events have done all these years to make the
championship growing and become popular worldwide. We wish Honda
to be successful in this new racing programme."
Auto
GP: Kumho has won the contract to be the sole
supplier of tyres to the international Auto GP series. The
appointment comes at an interesting time as, new for this
season, all Auto GP teams will be required to use two
specifications of tyre per weekend; as occurs in F1. Auto GP is
already one of the premier schooling grounds for Grand Prix
drivers, and giving this year’s competitors the opportunity to
learn the management of both ‘prime’ and ‘option’ tyre compounds
at each of the seven circuits visited will further strengthen
that role. So too will the introduction of a KERS-style
over-boost system (by which an extra 50bhp can be summoned 10
times per race) plus a mandatory pit stop for each race (pits
stops previously only applied to the first race of each
weekend). The second race has alkso been extended to match the
first. Steve Thompson, European Motorsport Manager for Kumho
Tyres: “The new tyres provided our designers with a number of
challenges. Firstly, they had to be able to deal with the
considerable power, speed and downforce created by these cars.
Secondly, we were required to produce one compound that gave
consistent performance throughout and one that initially
performed better but also degraded faster – thereby providing
the teams with a suitably demanding test of strategy and tyre
management. The first challenge was meat and drink to our
designers, owing to the inherent characteristics of our tyres.
The second request was a harder nut to crack!” Auto GP s roots
lie in the Italian Formula 3000 series of 1999, but was first
run in its current format and name in 2010, when it was won by
the Swiss driver Romain Grosjean. This launched his career and
he was last year crowned champion of both GP2 and GP2 Asia, and
will now partner Kimi Räikkönen in the 2012 Lotus F1 team. The
outright winner of Auto GP in 2011 was the precocious 18-year
old Italian Kevin Ceccon, who plans to graduate to GP2 this
year. The three-day Auto GP meetings comprise of practice on the
Friday, qualifying and Race One on Saturday and Race Two on
Sunday. In 2012 the series will visit Monza, Valencia,
Marrakech, Hungaroring,Estoril, Curitiba and Sonoma (USA). The
Auto GP season kicks off at Monza on March 9/10/11.
02-02-12
Clio
Cup:
Fast-growing motorsport team Scuderia Vittoria has
snapped up three Scottish racers
for an assault on the Renault Clio UK Cup – with backing from
One Call Insurance. Vic Covey Jr(pictured at Knockhill)
Finlay Crocker and Ronnie Klos are all delighted as the support
from One Call enables them to contest the series which is
support to the British Touring Car Championship. All three
drivers have emerged from the Knockhill-based Scottish Mini
Challenge, a series that 27-year-old Covey won in 2008. “This
will be the first time I’ve raced in a non-Scottish series,” he
said. “It’s very exciting and it’s going to be a baptism of
fire. I go motor racing to enjoy it and I am very fortunate to
raise the budget for Clios, thanks to One Call. The team around
me in the form of Scuderia Vittoria are great.” Crocker, a
three-time runner-up in the Scottish Mini Challenge, added: “I
did a part-season in Clios in 2007 but never had the budget to
do it properly until now. This is a great opportunity for me
with a good bunch of guys.” Klos has spent a few seasons out of
the driving seat but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been an
integral part of the motorsport scene – he is a supporter of the
career of BTCC superstar Gordon Shedden, who was runner-up in
2011. All three drivers will make the long trip to Brands Hatch
for their first test next Monday February 6 – which will be the
first taste of the Clio for Covey and Klos. Danny Buxton, the
co-team principal of Scuderia Vittoria, said: “We’ve just taken
delivery of three new cars. They’re being prepared at the moment
at our workshop, in the premises of top BTCC team WSR, and we
can’t wait to get started. “Coming from Minis, the guys need to
get used to slick tyres but even so I think we’re going to
surprise a few people. We’ve got a good testing programme lined
up and combined with Scuderia Vittoria’s coaching we can
hopefully help all three drivers compete at a strong level.
That’s definitely been helped by linking up with One Call – it’s
fantastic to get backing from a nationwide company.” One Call
Insurance is one of the UK’s fastest-growing insurance brokers,
and searches the market to find the best insurance quote for car
and home from a panel of leading UK providers. pic
Richard Pascal 11/565 Motorsport
The Masters Historic Racing Series
will be ‘back on track’ in just six weeks time
when their 2012 race season roars into life at Oulton Park.
Saturday 17th March is the date for first meeting of the new
season which will use the International Circuit layout.
Headlining the day’s action will be races for: World Sportscar
Masters, Gentlemen Drivers, Masters Pre-66 Touring Cars,
Masters 70s Celebration (with revamped regulations for 2012 and
new class structure, see Masters Website for details below) and
a special Single-Seater Allcomers race to add to the excitement.
The Entry Form and Provisional Timetable are now available to
download from the Event Information section of the website (www.themastersseries.com).
Oulton Park is one of UK’s favourite tracks for competitors and
spectators, and it is hoped that this event will grow into a
‘must do’ event for historic racers over the coming seasons. It
might not be the warmest event on the calendar, but the Masters
Café will be on hand with hot drinks and snacks throughout the
day!
Historics:
Fiskens, London's foremost historic automobile
specialists,
unveiled a stunning selection from their current inventory on
the opening day (February 1) of this year's Retromobile Show in
Paris.A total of 11 cars made the trip from the London-based
company's Kensington Mews to the French capital, where the
character and variety of the vehicles on show instantly captured
the imagination of the gathered crowds. Perhaps most eye
catching was the 1925 Bentley 3-Litre Team Car(pictured),
the iconic marque’s first factory Le Mans entry and as such a
piece of British motoring history. It was joined by two more
Bentleys, one of them a remarkably original Speed Six Grafton
coupe, with a superbly race pedigreed Lister Jaguar completing
the British contingent.
Fine Italian engineering was also well represented on Fiskens’
stand, with a pair of Ferraris accompanying an extensively raced
Maserati and a wonderfully maintained Siata. The line-up was
completed by three historic French racing cars that span the
automobile industry's meteoric technological development during
the 20th Century, including a 1908 French Grand Prix
Panhard-Levassor that was unveiled by Olivier Panis.
Pic: Tim Scott / Fluid Images
Endurance
Racing:
Greaves Motorsport has added Lucas Ordonez
as the final element in the team’s driver line up for 2012.
Driving one of the team’s pair of Nissan powered Zytek LM P2
prototypes, Lucas will take part in the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours,
partnering Alex and Martin Brundle. He will also compete in the
2012 European Le Mans Series with Alex Brundle and reigning LMS
LM P2 Champion, Tom Kimber-Smith. Lucas, a 26 year old from
Madrid, is the first graduate of the Nissan/PlayStation Academy
and has gone from ‘Lounge to Le Mans’ in just three years. Since
leaving the virtual world of motorsport gaming in 2008 he has
established himself as a rising star in real world of endurance
racing, driving Nissan GT and prototype cars. Lucas is joining
Greaves Motorsport, who are the 2011 Champions in the LM P2
class at both Le Mans and in the Le Mans Series. Lucas commented
on the news, “2011 was an incredible year for me, I learned a
lot with Signatech Nissan. They believed in me and trusted me to
get the job done. Nissan has set me my next challenge: an
overall championship victory. With two top team-mates and a
championship-winning team I am aiming to win the European Le
Mans Series outright. The Le Mans 24 Hours will again be a big
challenge for me and I’m very much looking forward to racing
with Martin (Brundle) as I will learn a lot from him. With
Martin, Alex and myself I think we will have one of the
strongest line-ups in LM P2. It feels great to be able to say
that!” Greaves Motorsport Team Manager, Jacob Greaves,
commented. “Greaves Motorsport is very pleased to have Lucas
join us. We saw first hand last year how he was developing as a
driver and it is great to have him in the car. We feel that our
team and driver line up, combined with Nissan, Zytek and Dunlop,
will give us a very competitive package for 2012 and we aim to
repeat our success of 2011.”
01-02-02
The
2012 AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK
is bursting at the blocks
as the series looks forward to yet another exciting season. With
many new teams and drivers confirmed already, the current crop
of Renault Clio racers are lining up in the wings. Last year’s
Teams Champion, Team Pyro, are set to run a full six car team,
whilst 2011 newcomers in Scuderia Vittoria also return with an
expanded operation of up to six cars after filling four seats
already. Team head Danny Buxton announced that Luke Wright will
return to the series and will be accompanied by Mini Challenge
convert Finlay Crocker, Scottish Mini Cooper Cup champion Vic
Covey Junior and former Scottish Legends racer Ronnie Clos.
Westbourne Motorsport, headed by paddock favourite James Colburn
adds a full season teammate in Ant Whorton-Eales. Ant is no
stranger to the grid, having competed in the final few races of
last years’ season and the taste of Clio has brought him back
hungry for more. Another returnee from 2011 is Simon Belcher,
who’s new fabulously liveried Karcher car, running under the
name of Handy Motorsport, was unveiled during the Autosport
International Show in Birmingham. Lithuanian powerhouse Juta
Racing brings in a European flavoured assault to the Clio
paddock. Expanding their Porsche operation to include three
brand new Clios, two seats are already filled by Tautvydas
Barstys Junior and Ignis Gelzinis. As a prominent support race
on the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) platform and
benefiting from live TV coverage, it remains the most direct
link to the nation’s saloon car top step, the BTCC. Almost one
third of the current BTCC grid graduated from the ranks of
Renault Clio Cup UK.For 2012, the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup will
be continuing with one 30-minute qualifying session and two
30-minute races at each round. There is only one key technical
change in 2012. After feedback was collated from teams, the
minimum weight of the car and driver increases by 15kg to
1,165kg (up from 1,150kg), allowing for slightly more balance of
performance for drivers in the field.The 2012 AirAsia Renault
Clio Cup kicks off on the 31st of March at Brands Hatch.
calendar
Star
Mazda:
Team GDT have announced that they have signed rising Colombian
open-wheel star Andrés Méndez
to compete in the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by
Goodyear. Méndez, 19 from Colombian,has been competing in both
karts and open-wheel cars for the past four years in his home
country, Europe and the United States. "The main thing that
attracted me to come and race in the United States and the Star
Mazda Championship was the Mazda Road to Indy and how it makes
getting from where I am now to the top levels of racing very
clear," says Méndez. "I've raced a lot over the last four years,
in many countries and many different series, and it's all very
confusing. Now I'm with a really good team, GDT, racing in a
very professional series and in a driver development program
where the goal, racing in IndyCar and at the Indy500, is right
there in front of me. I'm very excited for the start of the
season and to finally get my career going in the right
direction." In 2011, Team GDT won its second Expert Series
championship in a row with driver/team owner J.W. Roberts. The
Expert Series is a race-within-a-race and a
championship-within-a-championship for drivers 30 and older.
Read more
Ginetta
Jnrs:
Teenager Charlie Robertson has been identified by Motorsport
News
as one of the top three British drivers to watch in 2012 – on
the day he is able to officially confirm a renewed Ginetta
Junior Championship deal with top team HHC Motorsport. In
today’s edition (1st February) of the weekly newspaper,
15-year-old Charlie is placed third in the annual ‘Fast 50 –
Drivers to Watch 2012’ which features young competitors from all
forms of motorsport, from saloon cars to rallying, karting to
single-seaters. “It was a fantastic feeling opening Motorsport
News today and seeing my name in the top three of this year’s
Fast 50”, said Charlie, “It’s great to come out so high up the
list compared to so many top young drivers. This year I’m aiming
for nothing less than the championship title in Ginetta Junior,
I’ve got a great relationship with the guys at HHC and we know
we’ve got what it takes to win.” Finishing as Championship
runner-up in his maiden season of car racing in Ginetta Junior
last year, Charlie proved to be one of the fastest and most
competitive drivers in the championship. Taking three victories,
the youngest winner of an MSA regulated car race with his debut
success at Croft, Charlie also set lap records at four circuits
visited in 2011. In the end-of-year Winter Series he won two of
the four races, but championship glory went begging due to
clutch failure in round two.“I’m really looking forward to
testing getting underway and being back in the car, it feels
like ages since the winter championship last November”, added
the Surrey racer, “We know Ginetta Junior will be as tough as
ever this year but, with a year’s experience under my belt, I’m
well prepared and I’m confident we can fight for the title.”
Porsche
Carrera Cup GB:
Sam Tordoff has confirmed plans to return for a second season in
the Porsche Carrera Cup GB
with Team Parker Racing. The Leeds-based driver had a very
successful debut season in the Carrera Cup in 2011 with Team
Parker Racing and was one of the leading rookies as he finished
seventh in the overall championship standings. Now, the 22-year
old racer is planning to use the experience gained last season
to become a strong contender this year and is determined to
challenge for the title. Tordoff, previously a successful kart
racer, is also a BRDC Rising Star in recognition of his standing
as one of Britain’s leading young sports car racers. “It was my
dream to return to the Carrera Cup GB for 2012 and I strongly
feel that I can do so as a title contender,” said Tordoff. “To
return with Team Parker Racing, which showed in 2011 that its
professionalism and ability is second to none, is a great
pleasure and privilege. I’m really looking forward to working
with Stuart and all the Parker team once again.”
F1600:
Bryan Herta Autosport team owners Bryan Herta and Steve Newey
have partnered with Indianapolis-based businessman and Jeffrey
Mark Motorsport team owner Jeff Mark to form Mygale North
America. Mygale North America will import the French
manufacturer’s race cars to the United States and Canada and
provide customer support for new and existing Mygale car owners.
Bryan Herta Autosport will campaign at least two cars in the
12-race 2012 F1600 Formula F Championship Series, competing in
the Mygale SJ11 chassis with Honda power. The Formula Ford was
introduced to the U.S. in 1969, and has been a training ground
ever since for future professional drivers. "F1600 and F2000 are
time tested and proven steppingstones to the highest level of
motorsports," commented Herta. "Mygale has become the worldwide
leader for these chassis, as well as multiple other
championships, so the opportunity for Steve Newey and myself,
along with Jeff Mark, to create a company that can distribute
these winning cars to the North American market, while also
creating a factory team to campaign works Mygale SJ11-Honda cars
was extremely attractive." Mygale was originally established in
1989 by Bertrand DeCoster and designs and manufactures a variety
of cars. "We realized immediately it was a huge opportunity to
work with one of the most professional teams in the USA," said
DeCoster. "We understood that we needed to come on board with
the best organization and staff for our customers. Naturally, we
started to discuss with Bryan and Steve the idea to distribute
Mygale cars and offer quality spare parts service in North
America. I personally believe that the Formula F1600 series will
grow, as the USA needs a strong regional and national junior
category. We are already in contact with some other clients to
join the Mygale family in the USA and Canada, and have just
launched a production batch of five new cars. Both companies
realize that there are many projects in the USA where we could
come with a fresh and powerful package for the future." The
12-race, six-weekend 2012 season starts at VIRginia
International Raceway, April 12-15. Pic Valet
Karts:
The burgeoning Historic Karting scene will witness perhaps the
most significant event of its kind
anywhere in the world next May when kart racers from across the
globe meet at Donington Park to compete for the inaugural Martin
Hines Trophy at the Donington Historic Festival. The event, open
to Class I Direct Drive and Class IV Gearbox karts built between
1959 and 1982 that are powered by air-cooled engines, will see
drivers from all over the world descend upon the famous
Melbourne Loop section of the former Grand Prix venue. Already
being seen by many as the closest thing to a world title in
Historic Karting circles, Hines’ family have supported the
decision to name the event after the man known worldwide as ‘Mr
Karting,’ who passed away in 2011. Hines won three FIA World
Karting titles, five European titles and six British titles in a
top flight career that lasted more than 30 years. In addition to
the naming rights, many of Hines’ old karts will be in action,
some of them competitively and others solely for demonstration
purposes alongside some of the earliest surviving examples of
modern day karts deemed too irreplaceable to race. More than 200
karts are expected to race competitively with entries already
confirmed from Italy, Germany, The Netherlands and the United
States and interested parties from as far afield as Australia.
After confirming the title of the event at the Autosport
International Show the British Historic Kart Club also confirmed
that British Touring Car star Matt Jackson will be putting
several historic karts through their paces at the official
Donington Historic Festival media day on March 8th. Among the
list of drivers requesting entry forms are 1978 World Karting
Champion Lake Speed, 1967 World Champion Edgardo Rossi,
motor-racing celebrity and British Historic Kart Club patron
Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams, Dodo Regazzoni (the late Clay
Regazzoni’s brother), Lake Speed Jr, former European champion
Reg Gange Jr and Hines’ former Zip Kart teammate Carolynn Hoy
(nee Grant-Sale) who will drive one of Hines’ Zip/Yamahas in the
250cc Gearbox class. Leading proceedings away from the circuit,
former world champion Terry Fullerton will be in attendance as
will the kart that Fullerton’s old teammate Ayrton Senna used to
finish second in the 1979 world championship. Track
demonstrations, trade stalls, static displays, on-stage
interviews and much of Hines’ memorabilia will further enhance
an event designed to capture the atmosphere and nostalgia of a
bygone era. The 2012 Martin Hines Trophy will take place on
May 5th/6th and all interested parties are advised to visit
www.britishhistorickartclub.co.uk for entry details
and advertising opportunities. Pic:
Nick Purdie
16
year-old Macaulay Austin from Brynmawr in Wales
has finally been rewarded with the biggest break of his career.
With two Welsh titles, ten Club Championships, a pair of
National Kart Racing Association titles Macaulay’s achievements
remarkable as he has done it all whilst running as an
independent driver with only his dad Neil for support. But just
as he feared his top line Karting career was coming to an end he
has been signed as a works supported driver by PKP Motorsport,
the British importers of the Italian Dino brand of kart for a
shot at this year’s British Junior Karting Championship.
Read more
RL
Racing Department
sent a resounding message to its SuperOne and FKS rivals with
trophies in Mini, Junior and Senior Max at PFi in the Trent
Valley Kart Club’s well-supported second round of its Winter
Series (29 January). Highlights of the day was undoubtedly Josh
White and Lando Norris’ fine wins in Mini and Junior Max. Pic: Chris Walker /
www.kartpix.net
Read report
Endurance Racing:
Rebellion Racing have announced that Nick Heidfeld
will drive one of the team’s Lola-Toyota LMP1 coupés during the
FIA World Endurance Championship opening rounds and the Le Mans
24 Hours. The German will race for the Swiss team at Sebring 12
Hours, Spa 6 Hours and the Le Mans 24 Hours. Nick will share the
seat of the #12 Lola-Toyota with Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost.
Heidfeld, 34, started 183 Formula 1 Grand Prix reaching the
podium on 13 occasions. He began at Prost GP in 2000 before
moving to Sauber (2001-2003), Jordan, (2004) Williams (2005),
then BMW Sauber (2006-2009). In 2010 Nick was Mercedes GP third
driver and Pirelli test driver and had a part season (five
races) with Sauber. Last year Nick was at Lotus-Renault.
Heidfeld has made one Le Mans 24 Hours start back in 1999 with
AMG-Mercedes factory squad with the #5 Mercedes CLR. Nick
Heidfeld : “I am really looking forward to this new challenge
and I am especially excited that the first race in Sebring,
being a new circuit for me, is only a few weeks away. Since I
did Le Mans in 1999 I always knew that I wanted to come back to
endurance racing. I am very happy to join Rebellion Racing and
hope I can help building up on their already impressive
achievements which include winning the Team and Manufacturer
championship in the Le Mans Series and finishing just behind the
Peugeot and Audi works teams in the Intercontinental Le Mans
cup.” Bart Hayden, Rebellion Racing Team Manager : "We had a
number of options for high profile drivers joining our Team for
the longer distance race events such as Sebring and Le Mans.
Nick Heidfeld was available and was looking for a new challenge.
Nick will be a valuable addition to the team, he is quick,
highly-experienced, enthusiastic and very happy to be part of
Rebellion Racing. We are pleased to welcome Nick to the team
and are looking forward to the start of the season next month at
the Sebring 12 Hours, opening round of the new FIA World
Endurance Championship.”
At
the end of November 2011, after winning the FIA GT1 World
Championship title, Hexis
was the first team to announce its entry for the 2012 contest
with two of the new McLaren MP4-12C GT3s. Today, it stays a few
steps ahead of its rivals by unveiling its two driver line-ups.
Frédéric Makowiecki, Stef Dusseldorp, Alvaro Parente and
Grégoire Demoustier represent a balanced team with two members
of the Hexis family and two newcomers. There is an identical
50/50 share-out between drivers with well-established
international reputations and very promising young chargers. In
the same spirit half the drivers in the team are of French
nationality. The cars’ livery has been signed off and tests will
begin next week on the Lédenon circuit. The story of the Hexis
team began in Formula Renault some ten years ago. The second
decisive step was the purchase of a Porsche Cup, with which the
team managed by Philippe Dumas learned the ropes of grand
touring racing. Hexis then acquired a reputation on the
international scene by giving Aston Martin Racing numerous
victories in the French, German and European GT3 Championships
before winning the FIA GT1 world title. The arrival of the two
McLarens in the team’s workshops is the start of a new era at
the same time as the championship is at a key turning point. The
adoption of the GT3 regulations means a complete shakeup of the
field. Hexis already knows that three of its rivals will be
teams representing Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz AMG. Philippe
Dumas: “We’re doing our first test session on Monday 6th and
Tuesday 7th February at Lédenon with Fred and Stef. We’re
tackling the new season with three objectives: show McLaren that
we’re the best team to build a long-term relationship, enjoy
ourselves as much as ever as it’s one of the keys to our
success, and last but not least – win!” The FIA GT1 World
Championship will kick off on 8th April on the Nogaro circuit in
the Gers on which cars bearing the Hexis colours made their
debut start back in 2002 during the same Easter weekend!
Historics:
Fiskens, London's foremost historic automobile specialists,
opened the Retromobile Show in fine fashion today (February 1)
when they unveiled a stunning assembly of cars at the Parisian
event. The company were joined on their stand by Monaco Grand
Prix winner Olivier Panis to present a raft of exciting new
additions to their varied inventory, including an unmissable
trio of superbly pedigreed French racing cars. First to be
revealed was the 1908 Panhard-Levassor, a remarkable example of
early 20th Century performance engineering. This pioneering
goliath of a car contested the grueling French Grand Prix of
1908, an event that stretched over seven exhausting hours
through the dust-covered streets of Dieppe and out on to the
surrounding public roads. Following its competitive exploits the
car was sold to a collector in Argentina where it continued to
be campaigned for several years. It would then lie dormant until
1972, remaining in remarkably good condition and subsequently
undergoing superb restoration work by renowned Bentley
specialist Dick Moss. It was joined on the stand by a 1965 Ford
GT40 once raced by Guy Ligier and double Monaco Grand Prix
winner Maurice Trintignant. The car took to some of the world's
greatest circuits under the Ecurie France banner, triumphing at
the Nurburgring 1000kms, Trophee du Cognac and on home ground at
Magny-Cours. The trio was completed by another fine example of
French engineering, the grand prix-winning Ligier JS11/15 of
Didier Pironi which won the 1980 Belgian Grand Prix, helping the
team to end the year as runner-up in the World Championship. "It
has been a pleasure to unveil these superb classic racing cars,"
commented Panis. "All three represent part of French motor sport
history. The Panhard in particular is absolutely magic and I
still cannot believe people raced machines like this at full
speed on dirt roads! This is my first visit to Retromobile and I
have been genuinely impressed by the quality of the exhibition.
I'd like to offer my thanks to Gregor and his team for inviting
me and wish them all the best for the remainder of the show."
Retromobile continues through Sunday (February 5) at Paris’
Porte de Versailles, where Fiskens’ stand can be found at J91,
Hall 3. Pic James Mann
31-01-12
Porsche
Carrera Cup Great Britain:
Chris Dymond (24) has confirmed plans to contest the 2012
Porsche Carrera Cup GB with Parr Motorsport after three
successful seasons in GT racing. The Silverstone-based racer
participated in the FIA GT3 Championship in 2008 and 2009 and
spent last season contesting selected races in the Blancpain
Endurance series. He won the Radical UK Cup in 2010 and was a
top level international karter in his formative years. His
graduation to cars came in the Renault Clio Cup in 2007 and he
won the Clio graduate title in his debut season. Now, he is
switching focus to the Carrera Cup GB. “In the Carrera Cup it is
purely about me with no other factors,” said Dymond. “The career
path with Porsche is very good and it is the best platform for
me. Le Mans is where I really want to get to. I’m really aiming
to be consistently in the Carrera Cup top three by the end of
the year.” For Parr Motorsport, signing Dymond comes soon after
confirming plans to field Ben Barker and gives the team two
hard-charging young racers with the potential to win races and
challenge for the title. Team boss Paul Robe is delighted with
the latest development. “Chris is just the type of driver we
want to run in the team,” said Robe. “I’m really excited about
working with Chris and I believe he has got great potential.”
Endurance
Racing:
Jeroen Bleekemolen was part of Rebellion Racing’s Sebring and Le
Mans efforts
in 2011, partnering Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost. Together, they
achieved the Team’s best result at Le Mans 24 Hours with a sixth
place overall finish and first petrol powered car. This year,
Bleekemolen will join the Rebellion Racing regular drivers
Andrea Belicchi and Harold Primat for the Sebring 12 Hours race,
the opening round of the new FIA World Endurance Championship,
and also the 80th edition of Le Mans 24 Hours. Bart Hayden,
Rebellion Racing Team Manager: "I am pleased to have Jeroen back
with us again this year in the two longest races of the season.
Jeroen is a good endurance driver with consistency and speed and
great team spirit.” Bleekemolen added, “ It’s great to be back
with Rebellion Racing for the two classic endurance races. I am
looking forward to aiming again for some great results. I
already know all the people in the team from last year and I
have two very strong teammates. I know the team has worked hard
to improve the whole package since last year, so we should be
strong” A sixth Rebellion driver will be announced shortly.
David
Brabham is ready to embark on one of the busiest seasons of his
career
in 2012. In addition to contesting the FIA World Endurance
Championship with JRM Racing, the triple Le Mans 24 Hours winner
and double ALMS Champion will also target the Blancpain
Endurance Series title with United Autosports. Brabham joins
the Leeds-based team looking propel the McLaren MP4-12C GT3
towards securing the team’s first major championship title and
the Pro Class crown. He will be joined in the #22 car for the
Series by GP2 race winner and McLaren GT-factory driver Álvaro
Parente (Portugal) and United Autosports-managed Matt Bell
(England). Brabham commented: “I’ve been impressed with United
Autosports’ development in recent years. They are an ambitious
team looking to grow and that’s something I always enjoy being a
part of. We turned Highcroft Racing from a small team into one
of the most potent sportscar outfits in the world, so I’m sure
I’ll be able to help United Autosports develop.When you have the
calibre of drivers we have at United Autosports it gives
everybody a boost, as you know everything is being taken
seriously and the target is to win the championship. This is a
serious effort and there’s no excuse. The minute we hit the
ground in testing the focus will be on winning. We’ve got a
competitive package and I see no reason why we can’t take the
title.Having won the 1996 Japanese GTC GT500 driving a McLaren
F1 GTR, it will be interesting to take charge of the McLaren
MP4-12C GT3, as I’m sure it is going to be fast and a joy to
drive.” Earlier this monthBrabham was also confirmed as part of
JRM Racing’s all-star line-up to contest the inaugural FIA World
Endurance Championship, driving the Honda Performance
Development ARX-03a alongside teammates Karun Chandhok and Peter
Dumbreck. Brabham is eager to take charge of the latest
generation HPD LMP1 car, commenting: “The JRM Racing LMP1
programme in the FIA World Endurance Championship is something
that really excites me. JRM Racing is a team that’s been
developing over the years, it’s got great potential and I can
see there’s a real passion and desire to achieve. I know
everyone at HPD and Wirth Research, we’ve gone through a lot of
pain and a lot of success together and to join forces with them
again is pretty special.”
Rallycross:
Lucas Oil Team Geriatric came away from the annual Quaife MSA
British Rallycross Championship awards
night with reason to cheer after securing two trophies in its
2011 campaign. Westhoughton-based racer Tony Lynch picked up his
trophy for finishing second in the Suzuki Swift Sport Rallycross
standings for a second successive season, while Lucas Oil Team
Geriatric was also honoured as the best promoted team. The
double success at the awards, held at the Hilton Hotel in
Coventry on Saturday evening, comes as preparations continue for
the 2012 season, where Lynch and Lucas Oil Team Geriatric will
once again fight for honours in the Swift Sport Rallycross
Championship. Lynch starts 2012 fully focused on clinching the
championship crown. “For two years now we’ve finished second in
the standings, so the aim is to go one better and take the title
this season,” Tony said. “It won’t be easy as the Swift field
just gets stronger and stronger, but we’ve shown what we can do
in recent years and I’d like to think we are starting the new
season as one of the teams to beat.Winning the best promoted
team of 2011 is a great achievement for us and a good boost for
all of our sponsors going into this season, as we wouldn’t be
out competing if it wasn’t for their support. I fully appreciate
how important it is to do all we can to represent each of our
sponsors and I’m pleased that the work we’ve done on their
behalf has been recognised.” As well as competing on track,
Lucas Oil Team Geriatric will also help younger drivers working
to come through the rallycross ranks by taking on title
sponsorship of the Clubmans Rallycross Stock Hatch Championship
this season. Run by the BTRDA and MDA, who have joined forces to
run the Clubmans series, the Lucas Oil Team Geriatric Clubmans
Rallycross Stock Hatch Championship is set to be contested over
six to eight rounds, with the final schedule set to be confirmed
in the near future. pic
Tim Whittingham
MotorSport Vision, owners of
five major UK circuits including Brands Hatch and Oulton Park,
are offering a number of pulsating driving experiences ideal to
get loved ones’ hearts throbbing this Valentine’s Day.
Activities available on track include amorous F1-style single
seater driving with RaceMaster, and seductive saloon car action
in a BMW M3 with M3 Master. Off-road highlights includes
sideways excitement in a works prepared rally car and sheer
drops and waist-high water passes with MudMaster. Youngsters
aged 11-17 can experience motoring for the first time in a brand
new MINI One with YoungDrive! This is priced at just £79, with
12 month vouchers available. Other experience gift vouchers
start from £99. Hot Rides in a Palmer Jaguar JP-LM Le Mans style
sportscar are available for £39, while enthusiastic motorists
can also take their own vehicle on track with Club MSV trackdays
from as little as £20.
For more information on MSV Driving Gifts visit
www.msvdrivinggifts.com
or call 0843 453 1000
30-01-12
Daytona
24 Hours:
AIM Autosport Team FXDD took eighth place yesterday in the GT
class
of the Fiftieth Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona as its FXDD
Ferrari 458 Italia GT Grand-Am performed flawlessly for 24
consecutive hours at Daytona International Speedway. The team
faced stiff competition in its debut race with its new Ferrari,
battling 47 other cars in the GT class with top drivers
representing GT championships around the world.
Read report
Toyota
Racing Series:
In only his third outing Down Under Jordan King proved
that he is a fast learner by taking his first pole position and
victory in the New Zealand-based Toyota Racing Series at Taupo.
He then added a fourth and a third place finish in the remaining
two races moving him to sixth in the championship with two
events still to run. Pic Bruce Jenkins
Read report
Grand-Am
Sports:The
Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Grand-Am regulars Scott Maxwell and
Joe Foster
showed encouraging potential by leading the early phase of the
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) series opener at
the Daytona International Speedway. Having qualified in third
position during Thursday’s qualifying session, the #55
Multimatic Motorsports-run car passed its rivals away from the
green flag in treacherous conditions to lead a field of 81 cars
on what was Aston Martin’s Grand-Am debut. he second Vantage GT4
of Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey and Aston Martin’s chief
engineer Chris Porritt – making a one-off guest appearance –
similarly improved on its qualifying position in the early
stages as Dempsey rose from 24th to 14th.After two and a half
hours of competition – during which the track dried and many
yellow flag periods interrupted proceedings – the lead Vantage
GT4 of Maxwell/Foster finished in 16th position, while Dempsey
and Porritt finished 32nd in the Grand Sport category after both
crews suffered punishing delays.
read report
Rallying:
Tony Quinn and Naomi Tillet's Targa Wrest Point challenge
has ended on the second competitive stage, after a braking
problem put their V.I.P. Petfoods Nissan GT-R R35 off the road.
The 390kW all-wheel drive supercar’s ABS partially failed on the
approach to a corner on the 22.9km Airwalk 1 stage, causing a
front brake to lock . "The sensor on the front left wheel
failed, which locked the brake for about 30 metres," Quinn said.
“The car pulled left and slid off the road at something like
80km/h. At first I thought we’d get away with just a few
scratches, because there was a clearing with what looked like
small bushes where we went off. But there was a small tree in
amongst them – it made a quite mess of the side of the car.”
Although the Queensland-based Scot and his Adelaide navigator
were able to regain the bitumen and complete the stage, they
incurred a 20-minute penalty for failing to complete the next
stage while running repairs were made to the battered machine.
The penalty put the V.I.P. Petfoods team out of contention in
the two-day Hobart event, but Quinn and Tillett drove Saturday’s
remaining stages to gain practice mileage for April’s Targa
Tasmania, which will incorporate the same roads. They intended
to continue the extended practice session today, but retired
after four of the seven stages when the 2011 model GT-R’s
transmission began behaving irregularly. “We kept going even
though we didn’t have any chance in the event, because there
were some things we wanted to test before Targa Tasmania,” Quinn
said. “This was only our second event in the new car, and it has
quite a few things that are different compared to the 2009 model
we ran most of last year.It was going okay after we changed the
sensor and took off the broken bits and pieces, but we hit a
pothole on Cygnet 1, and that did something to the transmission.
There was nothing at stake, so I decided to stop rather than
destroy a $40,000 gearbox.” The event was won by Jason and John
White in a Lamborghini, with Matt and Casey Close second in an
Audi TT RS, and Brendon Reeves-Rhiannon Smyth third in a Mazda
RX8. The V.I.P. Petfoods team’s next tarmac rally is Targa
Bambina in New Zealand from March 17-18.
Endurance
Racing:
The first three graduates of GT Academy - Lucas Ordonez, Jordan
Tresson and Jann Mardenborough
-
will compete for Nissan in 2012 in three of the world's top
endurance racing series. A Spaniard Ordonez demonstrated at the
Le Mans 24 Hours last year, GT Academy is now a proven process,
turning out drivers who are ready to race against top
international competition. Ordonez is GT Academy's greatest
success story to date and he has now joined Greaves Motorsport's
European Le Mans Series campaign in order to take his next
challenge. He will be racing for overall championship honours in
an LMP2 Zytek-Nissan alongside Tom Kimber-Smith and Alex Brundle.
At the Le Mans 24 Hours he will race with Martin and Alex
Brundle. "2011 was an incredible year for me," said Ordonez. "I
learned a lot with Signatech Nissan. They believed in me and
trusted me to get the job done. Nissan has set me my next
challenge: an overall championship victory. With two top
team-mates and a championship-winning team I am aiming to win
the European Le Mans Series outright. The Le Mans 24 Hours will
again be a big challenge for me and I'm very much looking
forward to racing with Martin (Brundle) as I will learn a lot
from him. With Martin, Alex and myself I think we will have one
of the strongest line-ups in LMP2. It feels great to be able to
say that!" The driver with the steepest learning curve in 2012
is 23 year-old Frenchman Tresson. The 2010 GT Academy winner has
completed a championship-winning debut season in GT racing but
is now stepping up to the LMP2 class of the new FIA World
Endurance Championship with Signatech Nissan. He will also
follow in Ordonez's footsteps by competing at the Le Mans 24
Hours this summer. "I am taking a very big step up from GT
racing to LMP2 this year," said Tresson. "I have tested the car
already and it is so quick through the corners! I will have to
work hard but I am ready for it. Racing at Le Mans, especially
for a French driver, is a special dream. To be racing with a
French team, both at Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance
Championship at so many legendary race tracks, is almost more
than I can imagine. It will not be an easy year." The youngest
and newest recruit is 20 year-old Mardenborough. The British
driver won the third season of GT Academy just a few months
ago. He has been through the rigorous GT Academy training
programme in preparation for a season in the Blancpain Endurance
Series where he will race Nissan's new GT3 race car: the Nissan
GT-R Nismo GT3. "A year ago I was on a gap year and hadn't even
applied to enter GT Academy and now I'm heading into my first
full season as a racing driver," explained Mardenborough. "I
have had an incredible six months on the GT Academy driver
development programme where I have been thoroughly knocked into
shape by a group of instructors who I am sure will be lifelong
friends. Starting the season at Monza in April will be a big
moment for me and I can't wait!"
28-01-12
Daytona 24 Hours:
AIM Autosport Team FXDD driver, Jeff Segal has claimed a
front-row start in the GT Class
of this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. Segal’s last-lap run in
the team’s FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia GT Grand-Am, clocked at 1m
49.357s / 117.194 mph / 188.605 km/h, secured second place for
Saturday afternoon’s start and set up a fitting Ferrari-Porsche
front row for the fiftieth anniversary edition of the famous
race. With yesterday afternoon’s qualifying session approaching
its end, Segal started his final run and wrung a fantastic lap
from team’s Ferrari 458 Italia. His time, which he later
admitted could have been even better, was a mere 0.015s from
pole position and the Woodbrige, Ont.-based team was elated with
such performance from a new programme with a new car. Just a few
hours earlier, the team had battled development issues, finding
it challenging to fine tune a qualifying setup for its new
Ferrari. The team pressed on, working to find a solution and
ultimately began to unleash the car’s qualifying pace. “The car
was really good to drive and I am thrilled to have our Ferrari
on the front row for the race,” said Segal. “The team worked
really hard and this is a great result for such a new car to
us.” Race Engineer, Ian Willis added, “We lost a lot of time
with teething issues on the car in the morning, so it is very
satisfying to be so close to pole position, I feel that we are
well placed for the race.” The Fiftieth Anniversary edition of
the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening event in the 2012 GRAND-AM
Rolex Sports Car Series, is scheduled to start today at 3:30pm
ET. Segal, along with co-drivers Emil Assentato, Anthony Lazzaro
and Nick Longhi will take shifts driving around the clock to
Sunday’s 3:30pm conclusion. The AIM Autosport Team FXDD
Facebook page,
www.facebook.com/AIMautosport
will be updated hourly during the race to keep followers updated
on the team’s progress
This
weekend, WTCC regulars Darryl O'Young and Franz Engstler
face off at the 24 hours of Daytona. The two of them are
competing against each other in the GT category. Hong Kong's
O'Young is racing in a Porsche GT3 entered by Bullet Racing,
whilst German driver Engstler in a Liqui Moly Team Engstler/Mitchum
motorsport Porsche GT3."It's my third consecutive year in this
race and it's a great competition to be a part of. Driving along
the Daytona banking at 300km/h at night is a special feeling and
this race is going to be great fun! I think Franz and I are
going to enjoy this experience very much and I hope we can bring
back strong results to represent WTCC well in this race," said
O'Young.
Formula
Kart Stars
Championship Director Carolynn Hoy has been awarded the
2012 Lord Wakefield Challenge Trophy
by the British Women’s Racing Drivers Club for her lifelong
services to motorsport. Hoy was presented with the award by MSA
Chief Executive Colin Hilton last week at the MSA Night of
Champions at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London. The
Lord Wakefield Challenge Trophy is acknowledged the British
Women’s Racing Drivers Clubs’ premier award and has been awarded
by the BWRDC since the Clubs’ creation in 1962 by Mary Wheeler
MBE. Previous winners include ex Formula Kart Stars drivers
Sarah Moore and Alice Powell as well as former Formula One
driver Divina Galica, current DTM driver Susie Stoddart, rally
drivers Louise Aitken-Walker and Michelle Mouton and Dakar Rally
winner Jutta Kleinschmidt. A leading contender in the burgeoning
Superkart scene of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s culminating
in second place in the British Championship and sixth place in
the World Karting Championship during the early 1980’s when she
was a factory driver alongside the late Martin Hines in the
world renowned Hermatite Zip team. Hoy retired from karting in
1987 but went on to forge a successful saloon car career, where
she was a factory driver for British based sportscar marque
Panther and latterly the FIA European Truck Racing Championship
until her retirement from racing due to injury in 1995. Two
years later Hoy joined Formula Kart Stars, then known as the
McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future, and took over the
championship from series founder Hines in 2000. In 2009 Formula
Kart Stars became the only karting championship in the world to
receive official support from Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One
Management company and Lewis Hamilton, a champion in the series
inaugural season in 1996. “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured
to receive this award,” said Hoy. “It’s lovely to be awarded the
Lord Wakefield trophy as an individual and very humbling.
Formula Kart Stars is a team effort and everything we do we do
as a team.” Hoy was not the only Formula Kart Stars personality
to be honoured at the Night of Champions with MSA British Cadet
Champion Daniel Ticktum also receiving his official MSA trophy
from British Touring Car Championship boss Alan Gow.
When
Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and 22 other drivers line up on
the grid at Silverstone
on July 8th for the start of the 2012 Formula 1 Santander
British Grand Prix it will mark the highpoint of the Motorsport
calendar in the UK this year. For 12 Formula Kart Stars drivers
the unearthly pitch and wail of a modern day Formula One engine
will be closer than ever as they sit in the grandstand to watch
the race unfold courtesy of Formula One Management and Bernie
Ecclestone. Cadet drivers Luke Barker, Jack Leese, Enaam Ahmed,
Ross Martin and Jack Brookes, Mini Max drivers Josh White, Aaron
Thompson and Josh Cornwell and Junior Rotax contenders Steven
Handford, Luke Hughes, Nick Arthur and Shaun Arnold all received
the Bernie Ecclestone Driver of the Day award during the 2011
season and their prize of a weekend trip to Silverstone
including VIP Formula One paddock passes will be an experience
none of them will forget in a hurry. Drivers who attended the
2011 British Grand Prix, courtesy of winning the Driver of the
Day award during the 2010 FKS season, experienced the kind of up
close and personal access to the pinnacle of world Motorsport
that very few get to see. From mingling with the stars of the
sport in the Formula One paddock to touring teams’ motor homes,
hospitality areas and pit garages the lucky prize winners will
experience a side of Formula One usually unseen by the general
public or much of the world media. “I’m extremely grateful to Mr
Ecclestone and Formula One Management Ltd for continuing to
support this award,” said Formula Kart Stars Championship
Director Carolynn Hoy. “Over the past two years he has taken our
drivers to Monza and Silverstone and I know that this year’s
prize winners will truly have the experience of a lifetime. “The
drivers who travelled with us to Silverstone last year couldn’t
believe the level of access they were granted by the teams and
how welcome the entire Formula One family made them feel,” said
Hoy. “
WTCC:
Proteam Racing announced earlier this week that they have
re-signed Mehdi Bennani
for the 2012 season. Morocco's 28-year old racer will be facing
his second season with the Italian outfit at the wheel of a BMW
320 TC car. In 2011 Bennani's best result was a sixth place in
Macau and he was classified seventh in the Yokohama Trophy."We
are very pleased to keep Mehdi in the team and we expect a
further improvement in his performance after the positive season
last year. We have also confirmed our technical staff directed
by engineer Marco Calovolo," team principal Marco Guiducci
commented. Proteam Racing will start testing in February and
they are due to announce the name of a second driver very soon.
ETCC:
Switzerland-based Rikli Motorsport announced they will compete
in the FIA European Touring Car Cup once again.
Just like in 2011, the team will enter a couple of Honda cars
in the Super 2000 class: a Civic FD for Peter Rikli and an
Accord Euro R for Christian Fischer. "We are currently
rebuilding both cars, introducing a number of technical
improvements. We are doing our best to make them competitive for
the season opener at Monza," said team principal Erwin Rikli.In
last year's ETCC Rikli and Fischer were classified sixth and
ninth respectively in the S2000 class. The ETCC will be
supporting series in three WTCC events, at Monza, Valencia and
Salzburgring.
ADAC
Formel Masters
: McLaren Autosport BRDC Finalist Emil Bernstorff
confirmed as runner up in 2011 ADAC Formel Masters. After a long
drawn out appeal process in the Dutch appeals court following
the controversy at Assen, Bernstorff has been confirmed as
winner of Round 20, scoring the maximum 25 points. Cars #2 & #17
both have points deducted. Emil remembers: “In my mind the
situation was clear at the last race of the season; if I won and
Wehrlein didn’t finish, the championship would be mine” As it
happened Emil, starting second, raced into the lead but with 4
minutes of the 25 minute race remaining his battery died and he
had to retire, Wehrlein retired 9 minutes into the race. Final
Championship standings. Wehrlein 331, Bernstorff 310, Muller
296, Markelov 251, Kristensen 215, Farnbacher 173 (win 25 pts,
2nd 18 pts, 3rd 15 pts). Full preparations are taking place for
the 2012 season and Emil has been testing a few F3 cars and
showing really impressive pace resulting in a lot of attention
from sponsors, agents and F3 teams. Watch this space. Read more
on Emil’s website under blog dated October 3 2011 on
www.emilbernstorff.com and www.adac-formel-masters.de
27-01-12
Masters
Historic Racing:
Formula 1 fans should head to Brands Hatch in May
for a feast of F1 across the decades as part of the annual
Masters Historic Festival. The event, which will run on May
26/27 on the Grand Prix circuit, will be headlined by Formula 1
cars of the 1970s and 1980s running in the popular GP Masters
championship. In addition, cars from 1966-72 will race for the
Historic Race of Champions, recreating the halcyon days of the
non-championship Formula 1 race held at the Kent circuit. A
superb grid, including the ex-Jackie Stewart Tyrell-March 701
which won the race in period, is expected. In addition, the
earlier generation of Formula 1 machinery will be represented by
two races for cars from the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association
with cars from the 1930s through to the 1950s on track. In
total, six races are planned for Formula 1 machinery in addition
to sports cars and touring cars from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
There will also be displays on each day of the weekend of
Formula 1 cars from the 1980s and 1990s. In a packed weekend of
racing, there will be two races for the CanAm Interserie
Challenge where CanAm cars do battle against the smaller-engined
European sports-prototypes, while touring cars and GT cars of
the 1970s will go head to head in the Masters 70s celebration
and JD Classics Challenge races. Motor Racing Legends will bring
the Woodcote Trophy for pre-1955 sports cars, while later sports
cars will feature in the World Sportscar Masters and Sports
Racing Masters events. And if touring cars whet your appetite,
the popular Masters Pre-66 Touring Car grid will be full of Ford
Mustangs, Lotus Cortinas and Mini Coopers, all set to thrill in
a 50-minute race. GT fans will be well catered for as well with
the ever-popular Gentlemen Drivers Pre-66 GT cars grid set to
showcase a wide variety of sports car in a 90-minute pit stop
race. Masters Historic Racing Event Manager Rachel Bailey said:
“We are very excited about our Brands Hatch event for 2012. We
have worked hard to give the event a clear identity and focussed
on crowd-pleasing Formula 1 cars through the different races and
the displays on each day as well. Brands Hatch has a wonderful
heritage of Formula 1 races with Grands Prix, the Race of
Champions and the Victory Race so it is the perfect setting to
run these cars showcasing F1 across the decades. We are looking
forward to some fabulous racing as well as tremendous machinery
taking to the circuit.”
Volkswagen
Racing:
Former motocross racer Stewart Lines is planning a busy
season of four-wheeled motorsport for 2012, combining a full
season in the APR Volkswagen Racing Cup with Mini Challenge
events.Stewart, 48 and from Sutton Coldfield, sampled Volkswagen
racing for the first time at Donington Park and Silverstone at
the end of last season, collected a brace of sixth-place
finishes and was sufficiently impressed that he bought an
ex-Aaron Mason Golf GTI with which to contest a full season. “My
objective was to learn about the cars and the championship,”
said telecomms company managing director Lines, “and having done
that I am now looking forward to a competitive season. I will be
racing my Mini regularly also and I am hoping that the more time
I get on track that the more competitive I will be. I’ll be
disappointed if I finish outside the top six in the VWs and am
hoping for a podium at least at every circuit we visit.” Lines’
Golf will be prepared by AWM, for whom Mason won four races in
2011. Backing for Stewart’s track attack comes from telecomms
hosting company Wavenet, and from Maximum Networks, Mitel and
NEC. After success at Grand Prix and European championship level
in motocross, Lines switched to cars in 2007 and has sampled
Clio racing and the SEAT Cupra series in addition to his
race-winning exploits in Minis. His entry will be part of a
three-Golf campaign from AWM, with Lines and Mason joined on
track by racing novice Simon Tomlinson. Pic Jakob Ebrey
Photography
Porsche
Carrera Cup GB:
Leeds racing driver, Sam Tordoff is joining forces once more
with Team Parker Racing
to contest the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB. Sam (22) made his
debut in the series in 2011 with the team, winning plaudits as
he took an impressive 7th in the overall Championship standings.
After making such a strong entrance to the series, Sam will be a
strong contender in the upcoming season and has his sights
firmly set on challenging for the Championship. BRDC Rising Star
Sam commented “It was my dream to return to the Porsche Carrera
Cup for 2012 and I strongly feel I can do so as a title
contender. To return with Team Parker Racing, who showed in 2011
that their professionalism and ability is second to none, is a
great pleasure and privilege. I am really looking forward to
working with Stuart and all the Parker team once again”. The
twenty race Carrera Cup series starts on 31 March/1 April at
Brands Hatch.
Historics:
Fiskens, London’s historic automobile specialists
will unveil a selection of new additions to their inventory at
Retromobile Auto Show in Paris next Wednesday (February 1). The
Kensington-based company are joined by Frenchman Olivier Panis,
a veteran of over 150 grands prix who sealed his place in motor
sport folklore by triumphing on the streets of Monaco in 1996.
He will be on hand to take the wraps off a trio of
groundbreaking French racing cars that span a full eight decades
of competition. Two of these made their names on the grand prix
circuit at opposite ends of the century, yet they share
remarkable similarities: each was a pioneer of its era,
leviathan like in sheer power, and both were amongst the last of
their kind, with rule changes capping the grunt of subsequent
machinery. The elder represents a Behemoth of the pre-Great War
era, a time when racing cars were so powerful teams hired
aviators, men of incredible bravery and skill, to handle their
controls. The newer model emerged from an age when grand prix
racing was a hotbed of innovation and technical exploration,
with cars unbridled in their pursuit of power. The trio is
completed by an iconic sixties sports car that would dominate
the most famous race of them all - the Le Mans 24 Hours. Also
present on the stand, and underlining their showroom’s
strikingly varied stocklist, will be a trio of pre-war British
automobiles, one a works la Sarthe entry and all remarkably true
to their original build. They are joined by some exceptionally
rare Italian vehicles, along with two of the truly great sports
racers to emerge from Italy and Britain during the
fifties.morning and am sure that all present will be thoroughly
taken aback by what lies underneath." The unveilling will take
place on Fiskens’ stand (J91, Hall 3) at 10am on the opening day
of this year’s Retromobile (Wednesday, February 1), which is
housed at Paris’ Porte de Versailles. Retromobile public opening
times Feb 1, 11:00 am 2nd-5th Feb, 10am
The
third dedicated Goodwood Aviation Show will be held this
summer as a fully-integrated attraction at the popular Festival
of Speed and Moving Motor Show (28 June - 1 July). The Goodwood
Aviation Show is being relocated within the Festival of Speed’s
stunning Goodwood Parkland site for the very first time, rather
than being based at the Goodwood Aerodrome, as in the previous
two years. With this new on-site location the annual Goodwood
Aviation Show is set to expand considerably, with some
additional attractions planned for the first time this year,
including a dedicated military and civilian careers area. As in
the past two years, the Goodwood Aviation Show will enable
manufacturers and agents of fixed wing and rotary aircraft, as
well as aviation service suppliers, to showcase their latest
innovative aircraft designs and products to both a specialist
aviation audience, plus an inquisitive and enthusiastic
public. Pleasure flights for the public visiting the Show will
be available from the Goodwood Aerodrome during the event,
located less than one mile from the Festival of Speed site.
Daily air displays are a highly popular Festival attraction –
ranging from the Red Arrows to the UK public debut of the Air
Bus in flight – and this year will be no exception, with
interesting fly pasts currently in the planning stages, with
news to follow shortly.Since its introduction in 1993, the
Festival of Speed has grown to become the world’s leading
celebration of transportation for enthusiasts, with the prime
focus being automotive, but other modes of transport also being
celebrated, from pedal cycles, right through to high-speed boats
and aircraft.
26-01-12
Karts:
Kart racer Jessica Hawkins is set for, potentially, her
best ever year in 2012
after officially confirming a works deal to contest the Super 1
MSA British KF3 Kart Championship along with selected European
events – all in addition to being chosen for the MSA Academy.
Despite competing on a shoe-string budget since her debut in
2005 the Farnham teenager’s ability has shone through every
year, not least in winning the ABkC ‘O’ Plate Cadet Championship
in 2008 and finishing runner-up in the Junior Rotax class of the
2011 MSA Kartmasters British Grand Prix. In addition, Jessica
took a memorable Junior Rotax victory on her BNL Karting Series
debut in Belgium. Having been selected as one of just five
karters to join the MSA (Motor Sports Association) Academy this
year, the 16-year-old has now set her sights on a strong season
at home and abroad after putting pen to paper with PKP
Motorsport. Driving a factory Dino Kart this year, powered by a
factory Maxter engine, the teenager will race in one of the UK’s
premier categories while also taking on the best in Europe with
a planned programme of CIK-FIA events on the continent. Prior to
that, Jessica’s first major racing of the year will come at the
end of February in the ABkC ‘O’ Plate event at PF International
near Grantham. “I’m really looking forward to this season in
KF3, it’s great we’ve got a deal with PKP and hopefully we’ll
have a strong year together with some good results”, said
Jessica, “It’s a really important year for me and it’s the first
time I’ve ever had factory backing, so I can’t wait to get
started.” Her involvement in the MSA Academy will afford Jessica
essential coaching throughout the year plus she will receive key
guidance on how best to develop her career. “It’s such an honour
to be chosen for the MSA Academy, I’m really grateful to the MSA
and I want to repay the faith they’ve shown in me”, added the
Hampshire racer.
BTCC:
World leaders in battery design and manufacture, Yuasa
have signed for a third year as a key sponsor with the Honda
Racing British Touring Car Championship Team. The company has
already played a key role in developing the Honda Civic BTCC
success over the past two years and is now looking forward to
working with the team on the new Civic making its BTCC debut at
Brands Hatch on April 1. Yuasa Batteries UK Managing Director
Andrew Taylor commented, "It's been a remarkably strong
partnership which has given Yuasa the perfect springboard for
its ambitious UK and European aftermarket plans over the next
three years. With a brand new car and exciting rule changes for
2012, we expect a season of very close racing with Matt and
Gordon taking on all-comers in the title fight." Behind the
scenes, Team Dynamics is putting the final touches to the new
2012 Civic at its Pershore headquarters with plans well advanced
thanks to close cooperation with Honda's Swindon-based
engineering team. Team Manager Peter Crolla said, "Honda's
engineers and everyone at the Swindon car plant have been 100
per cent behind the build, giving us support at every critical
phase. We are certainly in a good place compared to previous
build programmes at this point. We can't wait to start racing."
F2000:
SMR Racing will be back for its third season in the F2000
Championship Series with Tim Paul
in the no. 06 CellMark Paper Van Diemen. Again teaming with
Glenn Phillips and GTP Motorsports, the squad hopes to improve
on their sixth place Championship effort in 2011. Paul is hoping
to build on his breakout 2011 season, that saw a podium at Lime
Rock, two top fives and six top tens, along with a near win at
VIRginia International Raceway in the rain. “The goal for 2012
is to podium at every track we run and see where that puts us in
the second half of the schedule, and then make adjustments and
decisions appropriate to that situation,” said Paul. “Hopefully
we'll be hunting for the Championship.” The offseason for SMR
was highlighted by a winter trip down to Sebring. “This year
will take lots and lots of effort. We went to Sebring just for
seat time, and we've really worked on our communication as a
team, between Glenn, Michael (Witson), my crew chief, and I.
It’s going to be a good year,” Paul added. After many years of
Sprint and Midget oval racing on asphalt and dirt, the SMR team
tackled putting together an F2000 Championship Series effort
from scratch in 2010. Paul had never driven a formula car, or
even driven a road course before, deciding to switch gears and
join the F2000 Series. Always a threat while driving different
cars on different tracks, the first year of road racing proved
difficult, but educational. In 2011 the combination of GTP, SMR,
Paul's growing confidence in the car and talented young crew
chief Michael Witson's experience in setup and repair began to
pay off. Paul and the SMR team ran the SCCA Sebring club races
on the Hoosier F2000 spec tires and setups in early January of
this year and brought home a second place trophy before what the
team described as an “ill-advised brake-check by an Atlantic
car” in the second race took them out before the green flag.
“Plenty of experience was gained in Florida,” noted Paul.For
2012 SMR, hopes to run a two-car team and is considering several
drivers for at least part-time entries in the identically
prepared bright orange and green second car.The 14-race,
seven-weekend 2012 season starts at VIRginia International
Raceway, April 12-15. Pic Valet
Silverstone
Classic:
The UK will stage its first-ever BMW ‘Z-Fest’ at this
summer’s Silverstone Classic powered by the AA (20-22 July).
Organised by the BMW Car Club GB as part of its 60th birthday
celebrations in 2012, the UK’s inaugural Z-Fest will see
hundreds of BMW’s popular Z1, Z3, Z4 and Z8 sportscars on
display as well as participating in a special parade lap on the
full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. “We wanted to do something
spectacular to mark our anniversary and staging the UK’s first
Z-Fest at the world’s biggest classic racing festival certainly
fits that bill,” said Steve Miller, general manager of the BMW
Car Club (GB). “A number of hugely successful Z-Fests have been
held on the continent and in The States – now it’s our turn.
There are close to 50,000 ‘Zeds’ registered in this country and
we are aiming to get at least 500 cars to join in our special
landmark celebrations at the Silverstone Classic. The main
gathering will be on the Saturday (21 July) and the cavalcade on
the circuit, of course, will be a major highlight for all those
attending on that day.” BMW introduced its first two-seater Z1
roadster to the media in 1986 with the new Z badge standing for
Zukunft – the German word for ‘future’. Just 8000 were produced
and the Z1 – which notably featured novel doors that dropped
down into its doorsills – has become one of the rarest and most
collectable of all BMWs. The Z1 was superseded in turn by the
more-mainstream Z3 and Z4 models – both produced in far greater
numbers and with the added bonus of right-hand drive. BMW also
applied its sporty Z moniker to its range-topping Z8 roadster –
a V8 engined aluminium chassis supercar capable of topping
180mph.
Karts:
In a sport where the line between success and failure can be
defined in thousandths of a second,
any advantage a driver can muster no matter how small can be
critical. In 2012 twelve lucky Formula Kart Stars(FKS) drivers
will get a first hand insight into how they can unlock those
vital tenths and hundredths thanks to iZone Driver Performance’s
new ‘In the Zone’ prize. Following a successful 2011 season in
which the four FKS class champions all earned themselves a day
with iZone, the Championship will nominate one driver in each of
the twelve 2012 rounds to attend a full day of training at
iZone’s state-of-the-art Silverstone facility. During the day
the lucky prize winners will benefit from iZone’s expertise on
improving all areas of their driving, expertise that helped Andy
Priaulx to three World Touring Car titles. “The prize winners
will receive structured development training with iZone,” said
iZone’s Neil Riddiford. “We identify potential areas of
improvement with each driver and then use the technology that is
available to raise their awareness of their own strengths and
weaknesses and improve their progression.We look at scientific
methods to help them be the best that they can be through a
series of accumulated marginal gains,” concluded Riddiford, who
also confirmed that the prize would also entail time in iZone’s
simulator. FKS director Carolynn Hoy is enthusiastic about the
continuing partnership between FKS and iZone. “It’s incredibly
important for every driver to be on top of their game in every
race and the team at iZone Driver Performance have been really
successful at helping young drivers develop, including our
current MSA British Champion Daniel Ticktum.” Hoy also sees the
connection between the type of learning available to FKS drivers
through the ‘In the Zone’ prize and Boston College’s Education
Bus, which will travel with the Championship throughout the
year. “Formula Kart Stars is committed to giving our driver all
the tools they will need in adult life off the track with our
education bus and iZone has the same commitment to giving
drivers all the psychological tools they need on the track,”
continued Hoy. “It’s also important to remember that a driver
who finishes 15th may have been driving just as close to the
limit as a driver who wins a race. That is what being ‘In the
Zone’ is all about, maximising your own peak performance.” Prize
winners will be split into three groups and prize dates will be
organised throughout the year depending on school holidays.
For more information on iZone Driver Performance and its full
range of facilities please visit
www.izoneperformance.com
For previous news click on
January &
December Archives
Here
for all Archives
The opinions
expressed on this site are not necessarily shared by 11/56
MotorSport or any of theGrid team
|