Driving Sports

Driving Sports Time Attack: Saturday, July 26

Mark your calendars! Driving Sports is holding it's first all-make, all-model Time Attack challenge during the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway in Oregon. So, along with Formula D drifting, VW TDI cup, Motocross, Motorcycle Road Racing, Spec Miata, Star Mazda and the Playboy MX-5 cup (yes, Bunnies will be on hand) we'll have some intense Time Attack action.

Already Cobb Tuning (Salt Lake City, Utah) has lined up both its Nissan GT-R time attack fighter and  Mazdaspeed3, plus many other great local and national-level Time Attack cars will be on hand. Subiesport Magazine will have a fire-breathing STI and Forever MX-5 Magazine will make the debut of it's own Street Class turbo-charged Miata.

Want to race? Registration will open in a couple weeks. Classes will break down into Street, Modified and Pro (unlimited) classes. No tube-frame or formula racers allowed (sorry, Radikal and Atom owners). Spaces will be limited!

Getting Schooled

Last summer I had the opportunity to go through an abbreviated racing class at Skip Barber's Laguna Seca school. This was a special journalist edition of the school put together to promote the new MX-5 Cup racing program. This video takes you through all the basic elements of the school, including the one "off" experienced by the journalist from Grassroots Motorsports (how embarrassed was he?) through Turn 11.

I've been through a couple schools and I have to say that the methodology of the Skip Barber instructors was superb. Highly recommended. Plus, hey, it's Laguna Seca! That, and you get to experience the fun of driving real, race-prepped MX-5's -- just like the ones running in the Playboy MX-5 Cup series.

Dunlop Takes the Win in SCCA Tire Rack National Tour Autocross

It should be obvious that Dunlop's new Direzza Sport Z1 "Star Spec" tire would do well in the Lone Star State. Consider three Shreveport, La., racers who won big on the new ultra-performance tires at SCCA's Tire Rack Solo National Tour at Fort Worth, Texas.

Barry Booker and wife Connie won the Street Touring Xtreme (STX) classes for men and women with the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs on a 2004 Volkswagen R32 sports car. Car owner Paul Carrig took third in the class. Each took home coveted Sports Car Club of America hardware.

Booker, who has competed for more than 10 years in club racing and auto cross, notched the Texas win with a 2.85-second lead after two days of competition. In the past, the Bookers have won National Tour events in STX and D Stock classes. Barry Booker works for a specialty propeller manufacturer in Shreveport.

Formula Drift Announces TV Package

Professional drifting will slide into millions of households as Formula DRIFT announces a comprehensive and exclusive race programming schedule with SPEED TV. The 2008 Formula DRIFT Championship Series will air on SPEED beginning on Sunday, October 26 and continue through December 21, 2008.

The eight-stop Formula DRIFT Championship Series and World Championship programs will air over nine Sundays during the 4 PM (EST) / 1 PM (PST) time slot. Sunday, November 30 will be a “bye” on the air schedule. Each episode will showcase one Round of the Championship Series beginning October 26 with Round 1 – “The Streets of Long Beach” and continue all the way through the National Championships and into the final episode showcasing the inaugural Formula DRIFT World Championships. Each episode will re-air during the week immediately following the initial broadcast.

Vortex Race Performance Exhausts the Winning Strategy for Diesel and R3 Rally

In a BMW120 diesel Fin McCaul finished first in the diesel and R3 class of the Pirelli International Rally held 19 April, 2008, which is the first round of the British Rally Championship. In terms of achievement this merits high enough to be called very exceptional. The next rally will be the Jim Clark Rally. The Vortex team is confident that their rally race exhaust technology will make the difference and that Fin has an excellent chance to carry on winning and lift the silverware.

Saleen Offers 302 Crate Engines

For the first time ever, Saleen will begin selling its high performance 302 cubic inch (5.0L) premium crate engines through its Speedlab Aftermarket Division. The engine will be available in either short block or long block varieties to satisfy the most seasoned of engine builders and power enthusiasts.

Saleen offers the same OEM quality, durability and precision-built engines used today in Saleen built performance vehicles. The legendary 302 engine has already made its rightful return to the performance stage in Saleen product offerings such as the Parnelli Jones Edition, Heritage Series, and the new 25th Anniversary Sterling Edition. Consumers now have the opportunity to upgrade their existing vehicle with a high performance Saleen 302 crate engine.

Pombo Takes First VW TDI Cup - Series Sponsors Announced

Rising star Mark Pombo won the first Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup race on Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway.  With a best lap time of 2:15.686, Pombo, 25, from Duluth, GA., raced against 28 other up-and-coming drivers to secure his win in the race.

“Winning the first race of the Jetta TDI Cup is definitely a highlight of my racing career so far,” said Pombo.  “It’s a competitive field of racers, with each of the drivers at the top of their game.  I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this win without the support of the Volkswagen cup series team and Cates Engineering.”

Supercar Life Expands Options for Hot Rides

Supercar Life, the first adventure lifestyle company to offer drives of exotic cars on racetracks, is expanding its program lineup to appeal to hard core driving enthusiasts as well as to those who prefer to travel first class.

Supercar Life's new Track Package ($4,990) includes a full day piloting $1.5-million worth of supercars on premier tracks around the country. The Luxury Package ($5,690), formerly the only option, adds top-shelf accommodations, gourmet dinner and VIP ground transportation. Details and registration can be found at www.supercarlife.com or by calling 1.877.420.0090.

Xtreme Motorsports Announces Electric Sand Car

Xtreme Motorsports of California announced that it has completed the engineering & manufacturing plans for the industry's first completely electric sandcar.

With the ever-rising concerns by California Air Resource Board (CARB) of new emissions laws within the sandcar industry and the growing concern about future climate change, Xtreme Motorsports has completed the engineering and production plans for the first "Zero Emissions Sandcar" (ZES). Utilizing the latest in motor & controller technology from Azure Dynamics, a leader in providing solutions for the electric car industry, along with advanced Lithium Ion battery technology from AEVehicles, these new Sandcars are the most exciting line of vehicles for the consumer we have put out to date.

Messing with our Head

It's been a while since posting an update on the Time Attack Miata Project, simply because there's been nothing to report.

Several weeks ago the head was removed and shipped down to Delta Cam for some cleaning and spiffing.

Halfway into the job we stopped by to get some details about the process of cleaning up a Miata head. Click the jump to see Rob working his magic in a short video -- you might just learn something.

Mopar Signs Lux in World Challenge GT

Cindi Lux and Mopar announced today the addition of the veteran female road racer to Team Mopar for the 2008 race season. Lux, the 1999 American Le Mans Series Women's Global GT Series Champion, will represent the parts division of Chrysler in the highly competitive, road car-based Sports Car Club of America's (SCCA) World Challenge GT Series. NayKid Racing will enter the Lux Performance Group, LLC prepared and managed No. 2 Mopar Dodge Viper Competition Coupe starting at the April 20 Grand Prix of Long Beach (Calif.). The Long Beach event marks the first race of the 2008 SPEED World Challenge season for the Aloha, Oregon resident.

"Being part of the Mopar racing family holds more of significance for me personally due to my family heritage. My grandfather started our family Chrysler dealership back in 1925 and it is still running strong today. I have many memories as a kid sweeping our parts department on weekends with all of those Mopar parts surrounding me. And now I get the opportunity to represent Mopar on the race track. That is awesome. Our team has worked so hard over the winter months on our Vipers and I can't wait to hit the track at Long Beach. What a great place to debut our new paint scheme and partnership," Lux says.

NOPI Drag Racing Season Kicks Off in Florida

The NOPI drag racing series kicked its 2008 season into high gear with a recent national race at Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach, Florida. Moroso has been long known to host great events for and this weekend was no different. Spectators from all across the country and Canada came out to enjoy the weekend, with well over 16,000 in attendance. This is the second largest crowd Moroso has ever had for an event.

There was great participation all around, not only in spectator attendance but with competitors as well. NOPI had 350 car show entrants, 163 drag competitors and 24 drifters. The racing action was top notch all weekend, which set the mood for the atmosphere. NOPI Motorsports has surely set the tone for the 2008 season!

Atlantic Racing Series Announces 2008 Schedule

In the five weeks since open-wheel unification was announced, officials from the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda have been hard at work on several fronts, including shoring up its schedule for the 35th Anniversary season in 2008.

Those efforts bore fruit today as Atlantic Championship Managing Director Vicki O’Connor unveiled an 11-race schedule at a news conference to confirm the return of the series to the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres—one of Canada’s most beloved events and a historic venue for Atlantic racing—after a five-year absence. The Atlantic Championship will headline activities in Trois-Rivieres on Sunday, August 17 for the first time since the 2003 season, when A.J. Allmendinger claimed the victory en route to his series championship.

VW Announces TDI Cup Drivers

Thirty up-and-coming drivers to launch new environmentally responsible race series

Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today the selection of 30 drivers to compete in the all-new Jetta TDI Cup series. The drivers were chosen at a driver selection event April 3-6 at the Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, Ariz.

“We’re offering a unique opportunity for some of the best and brightest drivers to get their start in a factory-backed racing series,” said Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Through an exhausting driver evaluation process, we looked at a variety of factors including driving ability and potential, media and communication skills and overall fit, to choose the 30 best drivers to help promote Volkswagen and the introduction of our all-new 50-state clean diesel Jetta TDI, and ultimately themselves.”

Bomarito Signs for Atlantic Season

Mathiasen Motorsports announced today that they have signed Jonathan Bomarito to drive the #26 Swift for the 2008 Cooper Tires presents the Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda.  This partnership comes on the heels of their impressive performance at the final pre-season testing session at MSR Houston, in which the team ran the fastest lap in three of the four sessions and clocked an overall fast lap over a half second quicker than the next competitor.

“From the moment Jonathan and the team met at MSR Houston throughout the test it was obvious that driver and team had great chemistry.  Jonathan was able to provide tremendous feedback on the car, which allowed for positive changes throughout the test session. We feel very fortunate that circumstances fell into place that allowed us the opportunity to bring a very talented driver like Jonathan to our team” said team owners Ray and Leslie Mathiasen.

Be The First Guy On Your Block To Drive 800 MPH!

The biggest one-day sporting event of 2008 may well be the breaking of the Land Speed Record by the North American Eagle (NAE), a group of Canadians and Americans working together for a common goal; creating a 50,000 horsepower car that will travel faster than the speed of sound. This huge event will inspire people all over the world and re-ignite the spirit of every American and Canadian.

NAE is currently searching North America for a young man or woman that wants to be trained by veteran land speed racing driver and NAE co-owner, Ed Shadle, to be the fastest person on earth. NAE is seeking a person with experience in high-speed motorsports as well as experience being on camera and with speaking to large audiences.

SpeedSource Fifth at Homestead-Miami Rolex Race

Homestead-Miami Speedway - At the team's home track, SpeedSource put the victory of Daytona behind them and focused on last Saturday's Gainsco Grand Prix of Miami for the Rolex Sports Car Series. In this DP-GT combined race, traffic and yellow flags set the tone for the day. From fourth on the GT grid, the No. 70 Mazdaspeed/Castrol Syntec GT RX-8 felt the impact of the traffic, taking a bump at the start that lost the rotary powerhouse 5 positions on the first lap. Hearing the news of the incident, team owner and driver Sylvain Tremblay just shook his head. The race would take everything Tremblay and veteran driver Nick Ham could give.

NASA Announces $30K Contingency From Moton

The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce that Moton Suspension Technology will offer a generous $30,000 in cash rewards to the top finishers at the 3rd annual NASA Championship event at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course on September 11-14th, 2008.

“We’re thrilled to be a supporter of the NASA Championships this year,” said Lex Carson, U.S. Sales Director. “We wanted to become more involved with NASA’s competitors for 2008 and this program seemed to fit perfectly with that goal. With the wide range of offerings Moton currently has, we hope a large number of competitors at the Championship event take advantage of the cash we are offering. We’ve been a part of countless championships across the world, and we’d like to add as many NASA classes to that list as we can.”

Silent But Deadly - "Zero" Electric Dirt Bikes Hit the Market

Zero Motorcycles of Santa Cruz, California today announced the Zero X, a no-compromise electric motorcycle that has race winning performance without the obnoxious noise and pollution of regular gas motorcycles. Its electric drive system provides incredible torque, delivering all you would expect in a full-fledged high performance motorcycle.

"I rode the Zero X prototype in a demonstration motocross race in Las Vegas in 2007 and was very impressed," said National Motocross Champion, Hall of Famer and TV commentator Jeff Emig. "I'm expecting the production version to have a huge impact in the motor sports industry."

Grand Am Rolex Series Fields Grow

An impressive 66 cars made the show at the Grand Am Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, and now 44 entries are signed up to race in just two weeks at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami.

Those 44 entries represent full season Rolex Series machines, comprising the largest grids of any top-level motorsports series in the United States in 2008. 

Competitors tested at Homestead for two days last month and are just as anxious to get back on the track. Among those is Miami resident Oswaldo Negri, who has topped the speed charts in nearly every official and unofficial testing and practice session so far in 2008.

Walker Racing Sticks With Atlantics

After a long and eventful three week break, Walker Racing was happy to get back on track.  The Indianapolis based squad completed a successful two days of testing at the breathtaking Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California, with drivers Canadian Kevin Lacroix, and Englishmen Greg and Leo Mansell.

“All three drivers did a great job.  The test went really well and we accomplished a lot.  We completed lots of laps and the team did fantastic. There was a lot of good camaraderie.  We really did improve quite a bit to everyone else and the overall times didn’t reflect our true progress,” stated Derrick Walker, Walker Racing owner.

Hamilton takes Aussie F1

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, the first race of the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship. After turbulent 58 laps (307.574 kms) with three Safety Car periods, Lewis won with 5.4sec ahead of Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) and Nico Rosberg (Williams Toyota).

“I feel fantastic – what a dream start to the season and my championship challenge. I am sorry not to have Heikki with me on the podium as a one-two would have been a great reward to the team.  It was a super race which I controlled from the beginning. I was able to drive at a steady pace without feeling any pressure which is always the ideal situation when you are leading. The three Safety Car periods meant that there was never time to relax and the whole situation was a bit like Canada last year when I claimed my first victory. We constantly had to change our strategy and the strategists were on the ball throughout which was super. The car is fantastic to drive and the team has done a superb job. I have prepared much better this year than last and it’s important that myself and the team continue to push hard in the months to come,” Hamilton said.

Dunlop Introduces New Autocross Tire

Fresh off the starting line, Dunlop's Direzza Sport Z1 ultra-performance tire already has a star next to its name in 2008.

A star has always implied something special, and on the new Direzza Sport Z1 "Star Spec" summer tire, the star designation carries prestigious cachet. For example, "Star Spec" helps provide faster lap times from the start and "consistent grip on ensuing laps" in sanctioned events, according to Matt Neidert, performance tire brand manager for Dunlop in North America.

The new tire features the "Star Spec" tread compound, which helps a performance car's initial dry grip during sanctioned amateur driving events, such as autocross and high-performance track-events hosted by regional car clubs.

The new Direzza Sport Z1 "Star Spec" is available now, qualifying it for use in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national events. According to section 13.3 of the 2008 SCCA SOLO rules, tires must be readily available by April 30 to qualify.

The "Star Spec" predecessor won SCCA's hotly contested Street Touring Ultra class at the San Diego National Tour on Sunday. Drivers Thomas Kenna and Richard Jung set the fastest overall times for street tires with a first and fourth place. The Southern California duo raced on full treads, while competitors used shaved tires.

Champ Car Drivers Oriol Servia, Will Power Land IRL Rides

KV Racing Technology co-owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser have announced that the team will campaign two cars during the 2008 IndyCar Series season.

"In conjunction with our commitment to the IndyCar Series, we have re-branded the team as KV Racing Technology and agreed to a sponsorship arrangement with Aussie Vineyards -- Team Australia. This will allow Will Power to join teammate Oriol Servia in what I believe will be the most competitive and exciting open-wheel racing series. We want to welcome both Aussie Vineyards -- Team Australia and Will Power to our team and we look forward to a very successful season in 2008 and for many years to come."

KV Racing Technology is entering its sixth year of competition and its first in the IndyCar Series. Servia, who came to an agreement with the team earlier this year, will be behind the wheel of the KV Racing Technology No. 32 Honda/Dallara//Firestone entry. Power will drive the No. 8 Aussie Vineyards -- Team Australia car.

"I am very excited that KV Racing Technology will be competing in what I think will become the most challenging open-wheel series," Vasser said. "Speaking from past experience, this series will be one of the most difficult to win because it requires a driver and a team to race on a variety of different tracks. To win the championship you have to be competitive in all disciplines of open-wheel racing."

AMG/Mercedes to Supply F1 Medical Cars

With the new Official F1™ Safety Car and the new Official F1™ Medical Car, Mercedes-AMG, the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz, is launching into the 2008 Formula 1 season.

The Safety Car, based on the SL 63 AMG, and the Medical Car, derived from the C 63 AMG Estate, have the task of ensuring maximum safety at all 18 Formula 1 races. The two specially prepared AMG high-performance automobiles will be on duty for the first time when the Grand Prix season kicks off in Melbourne, Australia from March 14 to 16.

The Official F1™ Safety Car is immediately on hand whenever the safety of a race is threatened by accidents, adverse weather conditions or other hazardous situations. After receiving his instructions from the race management, Bernd Mayländer, the driver of the Safety Car, must go to the head of the Formula 1 field and safely guide the world's fastest racing drivers around the circuit. Fast lap times are a must for the Safety Car, because otherwise the sensitive Formula 1 engines would overheat – and their tyres and brakes would cool down excessively.

Ferrari Challenge Opens 2008 Season

The North American Ferrari Challenge Series 2008 season opener took place on March 6-9 at Miami's Homestead Speedway. No results have been posted as of press time.

      

Now in its 15th racing season in the U.S., the Ferrari Challenge Series (utilizing race-prepared F430 Challenge vehicles) offers Ferrari owners the opportunity to compete against other Ferrari owners in a highly competitive racing series at world-class venues throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is regarded as the longest-running series of its type in North America.

No word on whether they'll risk humiliation in open competition against Miatas.

The Ferrari Challenge is one of the numerous "exclusive" experiences that Ferrari offers its customers -- and whether owners are actually racing in the series, dining in the luxurious VIP hospitality tents, participating in weekend driving clinics or socializing with those that share their enthusiasm for Ferrari, the weekend provides a unique atmosphere and incomparable experience.

Walker Racing Pulls Out of IRL

Reluctantly, Walker Racing has been forced to withdraw its attempt to join the IndyCar Series for 2008.  The racing partnership of "Team Australia" and the association with Australian businessman Craig Gore, drivers Will Power and Simon Pagenaud, has also come to an end.

Notwithstanding a commitment for 2008, it came down to the lack of funding. A lengthy search for new sponsorship partners drew a blank, so Walker Racing had to close the program officially on Friday.

“It's a great pity that the team has had to abandon our IndyCar program.  So much work by so many has gone into the Team Australia program over the last three and a half years, but now it will remain unfinished business for us.  I wish my co-partner well with his new venture and so to Will and Simon and all the employees, associates and fans who have given me the opportunity. Many thanks,” said Walker Racing Owner, Derrick Walker.

For further updates on Walker Racing, please visit www.walkerracing.com.

Indy Racing League Integrating Champ Car Teams

The line forms to the right in the Indy Racing League administration trailer at Sebring International Raceway, the home-away-from home office for the sanctioning body's operations personnel during four days of road course testing.

Brian Barnhart, president of the competition and operations divisions, greets each visitor -- armed with a grocery list of questions and/or suggestions -- with a hearty handshake and quip as they settle onto the leather sofa to chat. It's been a hectic week since Indy Racing League CEO Tony George and Champ Car World Series co-owner Kevin Kalkoven confirmed that the open-wheel racing series would unify for the 2008 season under the IndyCar Series banner. But welcome, according to Barnhart.

"It has been an incredible challenge with the timing (the season kicks off March 29 on the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval), but it's definitely a good challenge to find ourselves in," Barnhart said. "I couldn't be more proud of our staff jumping on board and doing what is necessary to make it happen combined with the cooperation of the existing IndyCar Series teams top to bottom and our partners at Honda, Dallara and Firestone.

Ford Unveils Fiesta - Shows off WRC Focus

Ford of Europe unveiled their new "Fiesta" this week at the Geneva Auto Show - the little hatch comes in three and five-door versions.

"Sustainable mobility imposes a huge challenge for society and the automotive industry, and there is still a long journey ahead of us," said John Fleming, Ford of Europe president and CEO. "Further out, we're working on a range of affordable new petrol engines under the Ford EcoBoost name. These use a combination of direct fuel injection and turbocharging technologies to deliver better performance, emissions and economy from smaller displacement engines."

Block/Gelsomino Take Threepeat at 100 Acre Wood Rally

The plan in the Rally America season is to hold just one true snow rally. Sno*Drift in January leads off the season, and some competitors skip the event in favor of the much more temperate Rally in the 100 Acre Wood held in Missouri a month later. But this year, Mother Nature caught many teams with their long johns down as winter weather again dominated the results at the second round of the 2008 rally racing championship series.

The day before the event, snow, ice, and freezing rain paralyzed the nation’s heartland and kept drivers, co-drivers, and some teams waiting for the St. Louis airport to reopen. Several participants had to make forced drives at the last minute to arrive in time to start the event, but when they did start, the conditions were anything but hospitable, leading to one of the most difficult 100 Acre Wood rallies in recent years.

Chris Atkinson of Subaru World Rally Team Takes a Personal Best in Mexico

Atkinson excels with highest WRC career finish as SWRT continue strong season

Chris Atkinson and Stephane Prevot completed Rally Mexico in spectacular style, recording their highest ever finish together in a World Rally Championship event with a hard-fought second place. Meanwhile Petter Solberg and Phil Mills pushed hard to clinch the final Manufacturers’ Championship point, keeping the Subaru World Rally Team in second position in the overall standings.

Atkinson’s second podium in three rallies this season jumps him to fourth overall in the Drivers’ Championship, just six points shy of the top of the standings. It’s his best start to a WRC season, and firmly establishes the Australian as a contender for WRC victories. Solberg and Mills lie just behind in fifth in the Championship standings, as the team continue their strong start to 2008 with more solid points.

An Epitaph for the Champ Car World Series

Champ Car died as it lived - disorganized, unprepared, and generally unloved.

Maybe I'm a little bitter. Hell yes, I'm bitter. I was one of the few people who liked Champ Car, who thought they had some pretty cool drivers and some nice technology in the cars. If you ever got the chance to meet A.J. Allmendinger, Oriol Servia or especially Katherine Legge, you'd agree that these were great drivers who deserved better than they got from Champ.

But it's not for them that I want to evoke your sympathy - they at least got to show their talents to the world, and they'll land on their feet. It's for the thousands of other people who are just flat screwed by this eleventh-hour, fifty-ninth-minute decision to fold the tent and go join Tony George and IRL.

Racing at the Arctic Circle

Greetings from the Arctic Circle!  For a brief, shining moment, there's Internet access here in Dawson City, Yukon, and so I decided to seize the day and let you know what we've been doing.

What we've been doing is tear-assing through Canada, overwhelming kitchens and bars that normally see about two tourists a week this time of year. And doing a little TSD Rally and Ice Racing on the side.

We spent the first day getting across the border (and only a few of us got strip-searched, as I understand it.) and spent the night in Quesnel, B.C.  Next day we rallied the Blackwater Road - a tight, twisty track through deep snow. We knew we weren't in Kansas any more when we chased a Moose off the road in front of us.

The third day, we crossed into the Yukon - stopping for lunch at a place called "Mamma Z's" (no relation, honest) - absolutely the best Italian Food in Dease Lake, B.C. - and that's no exagerration. We spend the night in White Horse - and the next day was Ice Racing. 

IRL Gets All Tipsy on Ethanol

Ryan Hunter-Reay is "an environmental freak." His words.

"I'm full on recycling all that stuff," the IndyCar Series driver said. "I'm a surfer, so I'm in the ocean and see the pollution and how it affects that. Being with ethanol, we're firsthand green."

No comment was made on how IRL fuel tastes with cranberry juice and a wedge of lime, however.

The IndyCar Series, which is the only motorsports series to use 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol in its Honda Indy V-8 engines, is taking another step in improving racing's environmental footprint and being a proponent of a less oil-dependent future.

Land Rover Chooses Nevada Passage for G4 Competition

Land Rover North America and the Nevada Commission on Tourism announced today that this year's Nevada Passage will serve as the national selection event for the 2008/2009 Land Rover G4 Challenge.

      

Twenty athletes from around the nation will travel throughout Nevada competing in driving and outdoor adventure activities designed to test teamwork and skills such as 4x4 driving, navigating, trail running, mountain biking and kayaking. The top two two-person teams from the national competition advance to the international selection event in early 2009, where one team will be selected to represent the United States in the final challenge in Asia.

Team Mitsubishi Alcan Ready To Roll on Arctic Adventure

Team Mitsubishi Alcan is prepared to take on the Arctic in the world’s most extreme Time-Speed-Distance Rally competition - the Alcan 5000 Winter Rally.

The Alcan is a two-week, 5000-mile journey from Seattle, Washington to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, and back. The event begins Sunday, February 17 in Seattle, and  ends on February 27 in Jasper, Alberta. Along the way teams will travel over frozen rivers, cross mountain ranges and the Arctic Circle, and experience temperatures as low as -60F. Over 20 teams have entered the event.

The Daily Champ Car Grind

The latest rumors about reunification between Champ Car and IRL had just started to go stale when various pundits started in about Champ Car going bankrupt this week. Champ Car President Steve Johnson vigorously denied the rumor, but it's not unusual for companies to deny such bad news right up to the moment they announce it.

Cracks are starting to show between the teams and Champ Car, with Derrick Walker telling the Associated press "It has all the makings of the end of Champ Car. How it's going to be done, I don't know. But I think Champ Car is going to shut down."

Yet, Robert Davis, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Quality for Mazda North American Operations, said "Current rumors and speculation regarding the fate of open wheel racing remain just that, rumors and speculation.  Regardless of the final outcome, Mazda is fully committed to all rungs of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder, including our top rung, the [Champ Car] Atlantic series. Mazda is working diligently with all series partners, promoters, tracks, and sanctioning bodies, to preserve full schedules for each of our potentially impacted series."

Regardless of who said what to whom, these rumors may yet become a self-fulfilling prophecy. With the future of Champ Car - even their ability to hold their next race - in doubt, who will step up to sponsor an event? Who will commit money or time to fulfill a contract with Champ Car that may evaporate in bankruptcy court?

No one - and that by itself could spell doom for Champ Car and victory for Tony George and the IRL.

VW Jetta TDI Cup Dates Announced

Volkswagen of America and SCCA Pro Racing have announced the eight dates comprising the 2008 schedule of the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup race series.

Making its debut on American shores this summer, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series is an innovative approach to motorsports. The Jetta TDI Cup is composed of 30 factory-prepared and managed 2008 clean-diesel Jetta TDIs, piloted by talented drivers aged 16 to 26, who are relative unknowns in the industry. Volkswagen's goal is to find the driver with the most talent and help them break into the world of professional motorsports.

2008 USA D1 Series Cancelled

After a messed-up 2007 schedule, we really thought D1 had its act together by finally hiring Mike Mucklin and his crew to get the USA series moving again for 2008. Our enthusiasm, and the series for 2008, died last November when Mucklin walked, citing frustration with his Japanese counterparts and their inability to make final decisions on -- well, anything. After months of not returning phone calls, the replacement appointments from the home country finally issued a press release citing what we already knew, "D1 Grand Prix Announces the Cancelation [sic] of 2008 Points Series."

The other series, Formula D, is still going strong. So this doesn't mean drifting is dead in the Americas. Not by a long shot.

If you really want the details about D1's incompetence decision, the complete release is after the jump.

IRL Buyout of Champ Car Stalled - Egos Back in Play

Rumors and talks have been going on for years concerning a possible reunification of American open wheel racing. With the massive egos of Tony George and Kevin Kalkhoven in the mix, it's tough to predict what's going to happen.

Kalkhoven is reportedly pissed off that news of the latest offer from George (made directly to Champ Car's teams, by some accounts) was leaked to the media last week. Also, there's a conflict between the IRL's Japanese Motegi date and Champ Car's Long Beach Grand Prix. Long Beach is the second-largest open wheel racing event in the United States after the Indy 500. It's by far the largest open wheel street-course racing in the United States.

 

L'Estage/Richard Win Canadian Rally's First Round

Hyundai takes manufacturer's victory in the hunt for the  2008 Canadian Rally Championship

MANIWAKI, Quebec -- Defending Canadian Rally Champion Antoine L’Estage took the first win of the 2008 Canadian Rally Championship Presented by Subaru on Saturday, besting a competitive field of top drivers at the Rallye Perce-Neige in Maniwaki, Quebec.

“It’s a very good start, I’m very happy,” said L’Estage at the finish.

It’s the second win of the early season for him and co-driver Nathalie Richard, who also took victory at the U.S. season-opener two weeks ago. L’Estage said it took a push late in the day in his Hyundai Tiburon to secure the victory in icy conditions.

Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and co-driver Marc Goldfarb finished second overall in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

Rocket Scientists to Visit NASCAR - Seek Intelligent Life

In honor of NASA's 50th anniversary and the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008, NASA will participate in two racing events in Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 12-17.

NASA and NASCAR officials were mum on the rumor that this is being called the "UFO Tour" - so named because it appears in southern towns and causes people to disappear for a short while and return without memories of the experience.

Technology developed for the space program has helped NASCAR drivers increase their performance and stay safe over the years. They wear cooling suits similar to what astronauts wear during a spacewalk. Also, foam that NASA developed for aircraft seats protects racecar drivers' necks in a crash.

Rally Sweden WRC In Progress

The World Rally Championship heads to the long and winding forest routes of Rally Sweden ready to tackle the challenge of all-out sideways action as crews wrestle their machines across sheet ice. The only specialist snow rally of the year, it is one of the fastest and most competitive as WRC crews battle to prove their mettle on the only wholly ice-covered speed tests they will encounter all year.

Travelling to the city of Karlstad for the event that has honed the skills of so many past greats, it is clear to see how the conditions develop the flamboyant mastery of Scandinavians behind the wheel. Aboard his Subaru Impreza WRC2007, Petter Solberg is no exception. The Norwegian grew up driving cars on the tundra of his homeland and won here in 2005, finishing on the podium twice since joining the team. He is currently sitting in fifth place after Stage 7.

BMW Takes M3 Back Into ALMS

BMW of North America to partner with Rahal Letterman Racing for 2009 season

BMW presented the racing version of the new BMW M3 at the Chicago Auto Show. Powered by a 485 bhp eight cylinder engine, this impressive race car has been designed to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) beginning in 2009. The car is based on the fourth generation of the BMW M3, the high-performance sports car produced by BMW M GmbH.

NHRA Loses Xplod, Sanctions NOPI Series for 2008

NHRA announced that beginning in 2008, the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body will combine forces with NOPI Motorsports to sanction sport compact drag racing events at NOPI events. The new sport compact race series will be called NOPI Drag Racing Series sanctioned by NHRA - and the new series replaces NHRA's Xplod Drag Racing series.

“This is a logical step for sport compact drag racing,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president of sales and marketing, NHRA. “Bringing together NHRA and its 50-plus years of experience in conducting competitive drag racing events, and NOPI’s lifestyle activities and events, results in one series that can meet the needs of all the fans, sponsors and the entire racing community.”

Skip Barber/Mazda Boosts Kart Racing

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