Report: 2014 Toyota Corolla to bow before LA

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Toyota

We've sort of been wondering when Toyota would finally debut the next-generation Corolla sedan, especially since the current car is getting very, very long in the tooth. We got a glimpse of the new compact's design at this year's Detroit Auto Show in the form of the Furia concept seen above, but we figured we'd see the production car by now.

According to Edmunds, Toyota will be unveiling the new Corolla sometime soon, and it won't wait until the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Officials from the Japanese automaker did not state a specific location or date for the new car's unveiling, but said that the 2014 Corolla is expected to be on sale before the LA expo later this year and that it will be revealed "somewhere in the US."

Toyota did not divulge any details about the new Corolla, and we're willing to bet that the aggressive lines of the Furia concept will be dulled down quite a bit for the production model. Still, news that the new car is coming sooner rather than later is indeed a good thing.

2014 Toyota Corolla to bow before LA originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/30/2014-toyota-corolla-to-bow-before-la/

Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

Congress to U.S. DOT: Streets Aren’t Safe Until They’re Safe For Everyone

Yes, traffic fatalities have been (mostly) going down, but as long as cyclist and pedestrian fatalities keep going up, we can’t truly say our streets and roads are getting safer. That’s the message from 68 members of Congress to one pretty receptive audience: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Lawmakers say states should be making sure their streets are safe for everyone. Photo: Tiffany Robinson, Ped-Bike Images

In their letter to LaHood, sent on Saturday, the 68 lawmakers – including nine Republicans — note that between 2010 and 2011, driving got safer: Roadway fatalities dropped 2 percent overall; 4.6 percent for occupants of cars and light trucks. But bicyclist fatalists went up 9 percent and pedestrian deaths rose 3 percent in the same time period.

LaHood announced last month that U.S. DOT would be holding two bike safety summits this year. But the lawmakers want the agency to go further. And they didn’t just ask in vague terms for increased attention to safety. They got specific: U.S. DOT should create “separate performance measures for non-motorized and motorized users.”

If it sounds like they might have gotten some ideas from people deep inside the bike advocacy world, well, you got that right. Hundreds of Bike Summit participants made this their key “ask” earlier this month when they visited their representatives on Capitol Hill. Apparently their representatives listened.

SAFETEA-LU, passed in 2005, required states to set goals for reducing overall fatalities but included no specific reporting requirements for biking and walking. Without state attention, vulnerable road users have become even more vulnerable, with fatalities increasing both in real numbers and as a percentage of roadway fatalities, according to Caron Whitaker of the League of American Bicyclists.

One-third of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee signed on to the letter, giving DOT a good sense how the committee wants them to interpret MAP-21. “When Congress set performance measures areas, they were saying, ‘These are the things we are going to judge you on,’” Whitaker said in an email. “If bicyclists and pedestrians aren’t included in the performance measures, we risk being left behind.”

“In over half of all states, more than 10 percent of roadway fatalities are bicyclists and pedestrians but yet only seven states report investing in any bicycling and walking safety projects,” she added.

The lawmakers’ letter notes that MAP-21 required U.S. DOT to set performance measures for safety and increase safety funding to states. The signers hope that by setting specific metrics for bike and pedestrian safety, DOT can incentivize states to reduce fatalities, “while giving them the flexibility to choose the best methods to do so.”

Could increased focus on reducing bike and pedestrian fatalities lead states to limit or dis-incentivize bicycling? They might (incorrectly) assume that fewer people on bikes means fewer people dying on bikes. Whitaker says Metropolitan Planning Organizations will see to it that the performance measures aren’t interpreted that way, and if for some reason a state did use the focus on safety as an excuse to limit biking, they’d be hearing from activists – and mayors, and community leaders – pretty quickly.

They also note that such a measure wouldn’t divert funding from other safety needs.

The timing of the letter is good. U.S. DOT is still working on drafting MAP-21 performance measures, and the agency is paying special attention to bicycle safety this month.

Source: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/03/28/congress-to-u-s-dot-the-roads-arent-safe-until-theyre-safe-for-everyone/

Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet

Parisy, Zuber demoted from front row

The Sebastien Loeb Racing McLaren that claimed a front-row starting position for this weekend’s opening race of the new FIA GT Series at Nogaro has been demoted for a technical infringement.

The #10 Loeb McLaren MP4-12C qualified second by Mike Parisy has had its time cancelled for exceeding the turbo boost pressure limit six times over the course of yesterday’s Superpole session.

The exclusion means that the car Parisy shares with Andreas Zuber will start this afternoon’s Qualifying Race from ninth position. The second Loeb entry, which Alvaro Parente qualified third, moves up to the front row as a result of the decision.

The Parisy/Zuber McLaren is still in front of the HTP Gravity Charouz Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG shared by Maximilian Buhk and Alon Day. It made it through to the four-lap Superpole session but did not take part because the car was in the gravel and not running at the end of the second of the two qualifying sessions.

The final grid for the Qualifying Race has yet to be issued. There could be further changes as a result of a stewards investigation into potential yellow-flag infringements during Qualifying 1 and 2.

The fastest 10 cars, based on the aggregate times of the two drivers in each car in Qualifying 1 and 2, go forward into the Superpole session. The remainder of the grid is decided on the basis of the aggregate times.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/parisy-zuber-demoted-from-front-row

Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison

Mears and GEICO Team Quick Out of the Gate in 2013

Casey Mears - Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR

Germain Racing has scored three Top 15’s in four weeks; tests Rockingham in preparation for Martinsville

Mooresville, NC (March 29, 2013) – Given the level of competition in NASCAR’s top two series’, it sometimes is a rarity for a driver to visit Victory Lane.  Casey Mears has done it in both series and while his career has been blanketed with success, Mears has also met with frustration when his tenure at Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing was cut short when the teams found themselves amid transition and change.

Fortunately for the Bakersfield, CA, native, he met team owner Bob Germain in 2010, a Florida auto dealer who has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championships and was the new owner of a fledgling NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team that, at the time, was struggling to even make races.  Mears was reeling from being out at a top NASCAR team, while Germain was figuring out how to build one.  It would appear as though it was a match made in heaven… and it has been.

Since Mears and Germain united, the program has experienced significant growth each year and longtime sponsor GEICO has fully bought in.  Recently, just prior to the 2013 Daytona 500, the insurance giant announced they would now be on-board full-time on the #13 Germain Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry for the next two seasons.  Seemingly experiencing a surge of energy from the welcomed news, Germain Racing and Mears have shot out of the gate in 2013 and recorded Top 15 finishes in three of the first five races, including three in the last four weeks.  Only incidental contact in Daytona where Mears’ #13 GECO Ford Fusion was hit unexpectedly on lap 33, and a heavy vibration in Las Vegas that sent him scrambling for pit road on lap 109, has hindered the team’s progress. If Mears was seeking redemption, it would appear as though he’s found it.

“I’ve been fortunate in my career to drive for some big teams and I learned a lot from those experiences and the great people I was surrounded by,” Mears said.  “The situation at Germain is different because it’s a small team and I am included in every conversation and I appreciate the opportunity to have input on a daily basis.  It’s like a family and we’ve been able to have continuity with our personnel since I’ve been here and that accounts for a lot when it comes to problem solving and becoming more competitive.  We have a great group of people and they give 100% and put it all out there.  I can’t thank GEICO, Ford and Bob Germain (team owner) enough for their belief and support of this team.  I’m very excited about our program and the obvious progress we’ve made.”

To Mears point, the Germain team opted to test this week rather than enjoy an off-week that would have otherwise offered rest and relaxation.  Mears and his GEICO team were the only NASCAR folks present when they tested ‘Little Rock’ on Wednesday in preparation for Martinsville.

While team owner Bob Germain sits comfortably with two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championships, it’s his current venture that is causing him excitement.

“We’re just a single car team that is working hard to get ahead in a series comprised of the best racecar drivers and teams in the world,” Germain said.  “I love owning a team that has people with great character, passion and commitment.  I don’t have to watch over these guys because they want to go to work, they want to be better and they fully commit to making it happen.  Casey and the guys on the team really feed off of each other and I think we’re seeing how familial this team is and how strong our relationships are.”  He continued, “We’ve enjoyed our relationship with Ford and they’ve been of great assistance in helping us get better.  Our sponsor GEICO has been a great partner and it’s been fun to grow together and elevate the program one milestone at a time.  It’s a dream come true to be competing at the Sprint Cup Series level and I’m fully committed to doing whatever it takes to continue our upward trajectory with GEICO by our side.”

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Please visit the Casey Mears Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/caseymearsracing

Source: Player Management International, Inc.,  for GEICO Racing, Press Release

The article Mears and GEICO Team Quick Out of the Gate in 2013 is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/29/mears-and-geico-team-quick-out-of-the-gate-in-2013/

Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen

He Said, She Said: Auto Club Speedway And Streets of St. Petersburg

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, celebrates with the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 24, 2013 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Tom Pennington/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Welcome to this year’s first edition of “He Said, She Said”, where members of the racing community sound off on a variety of topics in the Motorsports community.

This year’s panel includes current writers and editors, a current NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner, a former driver and current radio personality, providing a plethora of angles from all forms of the industry. Erin Crocker Evernham has agreed to join the panel but will be absent from this week’s edition.

This week’s edition includes a look back at the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway and the opening edition of the IZOD IndyCar Series from the streets of St. Petersburg.

The 2013 Panel:

Kyle Anderson (kyleanderson294@gmail.com): A long-time NASCAR enthusiast, Kyle Anderson is a long-time contributor to CATCHFENCE.com.

Tim Clagg (@Clagger01): A new contributor to He Said, She Said. Clagg is currently a radio personality for the Automobile Racing Club of America providing at-track commentary for non-televised events, while also co-hosting ARCA’s official show, “Inside ARCA.” Clagg is also known for his #ClaggStats providing statistical information about all things “racing” actively on Twitter.

Chris Knight (@Knighter01): Chris Knight is the assistant news editor, senior staff writer and director of driver communications for CATCHFENCE.com. In addition to those roles, he is also known for his public relations duties for a variety of different teams and an active Motorsports sponsor.

Adam Niemeyer (@adamniemeyer): Adam Niemeyer is a NASCAR-affiliate based in Ohio with experience in reporting and writing for multiple news network in the Indiana and Southern Ohio area. He also has his own NASCAR-blog.

Jason Sciavicco (@JSciavicco): Jason Sciavicco is a majority owner of SR2 Motorsports competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with current drivers Blake Koch, Michael McDowell and Jason White.

Annamarie Strawhand (@MrktgFullSpd): AnnMarie Strawhand is a long-time Motorsports marketing and public relations professional and the founder of Marketing at Full Speed.

Lori Tyler (@lorityler): Lori Tyler is a long-time staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and one of the original contributors to “He Said, She Said.”

Marty Tyler (mtyler@catchfence.com): Marty Tyler is a senior staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and is known for her long-time attentiveness to safety and a variety of driver’s personal projects on-and-off the track.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

• This past weekend’s race at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway provided a familiar face in victory lane with Kyle Busch, but the race didn’t come without its drama either. What were your thoughts?

Kyle Anderson: This race provided some of the best racing this season in my eyes. Seeing four and five wide on a track with different pit strategies will always make for a fun and exciting race. As much as drama can be a bad thing, drama is exactly what NASCAR needs right now to regain some of its attention in the sports media world to regain its popularity.

Tim Clagg: This past weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway provided the best side-by-side racing that we’ve seen thus far with the new Gen6 car. I think it was the perfect combination of the new car, tire combination and a “seasoned” track. This surprised me because typically Auto Club Speedway doesn’t provide the most exciting racing. In my opinion this is hands down the best finish in ACS history and one of the most exciting finishes we have seen during the last few years. I am eager for the series to head to 1.5 mile tracks on the schedule such as Texas to see if the Gen6 car can provide great racing at tracks that typically provide the greatest side by side racing

Chris Knight: Personally, I thought it was the best race I’ve ever seen at Auto Club Speedway and by sure, the best race of the 2013 season thus far. There’s no hiding behind that the Gen6 car brought this racetrack to life. Typically, this race is known as a snoozer, but I found a lot of people including myself on the edge of their seats towards the end of the race. No doubt that the track also did a good job promoting the race, the fans really came out to the track to support. One thing is for sure, I’m looking forward to Michigan International Speedway (the sister track) in June and August.

Adam Niemeyer: I think it was the best race of the season. Sure it had its stretches of long green flag runs, but a lot of races do. Drivers had to drive their cars. Crew chiefs had the ability to make adjustments. Those who had the best cars were able to make them work (did you see Keselowski rocket to the front from the rear at the beginning of the race and Dale Jr do the same at the end?).

And certainly the finish was one for discussion as well. The race had just about everything you could ask for.

Jason Sciavicco: I thought it was the best race of the year as far an ending. Heck my wife was even into it. It’s what NASCAR really needed besides the injury to Denny. That race was the lead story on 90% of sports shows.

Annamarie Strawhand: I have to say it was a very good thing for Kyle Busch; he was not the center of a controversy for once which is good for his public image, which is still In the ‘healing process’. Overall I feel he was showing us smart driving and this year he is really racing in a mature ‘thinking man’s’ way. He is growing up. Happy to see this. From a sponsorship perspective this is very good for him and his team.”

Lori Tyler: I was so excited to see this for the Auto Club Speedway. For years, there were ranting’s over the lack of quality racing. And while I understand that, I also believe not every track is meant to be a Talladega, Daytona or a Bristol. Wow, is all I can say. It really couldn’t have been much better than it was. The race was exciting from start to finish, and those last 20 or so laps will be the makings of water cooler discussions and highlight reels for quite some time. It provided something for everyone. I was just glad to see this for the Auto Club Speedway. This is, after all, my home track, and a top notch facility.

Kyle Busch ran a stellar race and was in the hunt for most of the race. He was the dominant car, and deserved this win. While it probably wasn’t the television celebration it could have been, the performance of this team last weekend was phenomenal.

Marty Tyler: Kyle deserved that win. As far as drama, I feel that happens to some extent during most, if not all, races whether it is a big issue or not. And remember the drivers are still learning the capabilities or limitations of the Gen6 And, as fans we all love drama. We may not agree with some of it but it does make the viewing experience more exciting and enjoyable. After all that has certainly help make the NASCAR of today. And it was great to finally see this type of exciting racing at Fontana!

• In your eyes, give us your thoughts on the whole last lap tango between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Whose fault was it? Was it a racing accident? Will the feud continue?

Kyle Anderson: From what I saw throughout the race, Denny gave Joey quite a bit of space and raced him cleanly when the situation on the track came up. To me, if there wasn’t this whole “feud” between the two drivers prior to this race, it would be easy to stamp this incident as a race incident, but with all that has taken place that lead to this last lap crash, I would have to say that it was Joey’s fault. Denny had a lane up top that was given to him with Joey electing the low/middle groove. To me, it was more about Joey worrying that Denny would win the race electing that groove more than anything, and as he hasn’t had enough years in the Cup series to gain the respect of someone like Jeff Gordon or Mark Martin, the blame usually falls on the younger driver.

Tim Clagg: I was watching the race unfold between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano during the final few laps and knew that neither one of these “aggressive” drivers was going to back down coming to the checkers. A lot of people are pointing fingers saying this was payback for Denny taking Joey out in the late stages at Bristol while Logano was running 2nd. I disagree. This was a racing accident with two hungry drivers wanting to earn their first win of the 2013 season. The new Gen6 cars puts out a huge side draft in the corners for these cars and when Logano entered turn 3 his car kept pushing up the track, you then see his car get loose and make contact with Hamlin. In my opinion no driver would ever intentionally wreck another competitor at a track where you run 200 MPH plus entering the corner. Moving forward I truly believe this feud won’t be an issue because of the repercussions both drivers are facing after this incident. Hamlin now sidelined now for up to six weeks maybe more and Logano taking the heat from fans and some fellow competitors.

Chris Knight: Man, this is a touchy subject. I felt the last couple of laps were nothing but a typical racing deal. No driver was going to back down for the win and the intensity picked up a ton when it came down to either Denny Hamlin or Joey Logano. No one likes the end result of the crash, one that will keep Denny Hamlin on the sidelines for at least five races. I don’t think it was intentional on anyone’s part, just a bad outcome. If we learned anything, we learned that every single part of the track that has a wall, should be a “soft-wall.” There’s little doubt in my mind that Hamlin may have been able to walk away from the incident injury-free if the wall had been a soft-wall.

Adam Niemeyer: It was a racing incident. Period and the end. Joey Logano was not at fault. Denny Hamlin was not at fault. It was two guys giving it their all on the last lap. Did anyone expect Joey to back down, especially after what happened at Bristol and his comments all week? I didn’t. In fact, I was rooting for Logano to beat Hamlin just to prove his point.

This being said, no one, and I mean no one, wanted to see what happened to Hamlin. I hate seeing guys get hurt and I hope Denny can return as soon as possible. But I don’t think there was anything wrong with the finish. Good, hard racing occasionally involves a wreck.

Jason Sciavicco: I think Joey was either going to win the race or do whatever it took to make sure Denny didn’t. When he realized Denny was going to win…

Annamarie Strawhand: “The biggest thing I took from this is that Joey Logano is not just more aggressive, but I see a very “angry” young man with his behavior. Not sure what is the cause of this. I was stunned that he said “That’s what he gets” about Hamlin after Hamlin hit the wall and that was a bit immature, even if he did not know Hamlin was hurt. I used this as a lesson for younger drivers who follow on my Facebook page, that no matter how angry you are or the heat of the moment, saying something like Joey did was very in-appropriate. The on-track incident is racing and many factors involved, but you can control what comes out of your mouth, or at least think first that the other driver may be injured. I think Joey needs to get with his PR people and Roger Penske and learn how he can get better at thinking before he speaks and also understand that he is a leader of his team and must show a good example of sportsmanship, especially driving for the likes of a legendary class act such as Roger Penske. I know it’s the heat of the moment, and Joey is human and we need to give him some slack, so I hope he learns something from this.”

Lori Tyler: I truly believe this was simply a racing incident, that’s all, nothing else. Two guys, admitted rivals, were pushing their cars to the absolute limits. This close, hard racing was clean for the most part. I don’t believe that either driver made any intentional moves to limit the other from contention, other than to protect their own position and attempt to run for the win. The end result was two drivers challenging one another for position, in an attempt to grab that win. Furthermore, if these two had not had the heated exchanges that we have seen from them this season, I don’t believe this would have even been discussed or scrutinized the way that it has been. Isn’t this why we all believe the sport needs rivals?

Marty Tyler: Actually it could be viewed either way but relying strictly on Logano’s comments it wasn’t an accident therefore Logano is at fault. The fued? I think it will continue to some degree once Hamlin returns but the long arm of NASCAR will definitely be working on that situation. It will be interesting to watch this play out.

The article He Said, She Said: Auto Club Speedway And Streets of St. Petersburg is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/28/he-said-she-said-auto-club-speedway-and-streets-of-st-petersburg/

José Froilán González Oscar González Aldo Gordini Horace Gould

Michelin to supply Formula E tyres

Michelin will be the official tyre supplier for the Formula E championship that will kick of next year, the FIA has announced.

The series for electric single-seater cars will race in cities like London, Rome and Beijing, with the FIA saying expressions of interest had been received from 23 host cities.

French manufacturer Michelin was close to a return to Formula 1 in 2011, before the FIA chose Pirelli as the sport’s sole tyre supplier.

“I am delighted to welcome Michelin to Formula E,” said FIA president Jean Todt, “an innovative new motor sport concept which will highlight the commitment of all participants to what will be an exciting racing championship delivered to the public in city centres with particular attention devoted to sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.

“Michelin have a long and relevant history of performance allied with technical invention and are therefore ideal partners for Formula E.”

Michelin left Formula 1 at the end of 2006.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/michelin-to-supply-formula-e-tyres

Jackie Holmes Bill Homeier Kazuyoshi Hoshino Jerry Hoyt

Analysis: why team orders should stay

Red Bull’s ‘multi 21′ controversy with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in Malaysia has prompted fresh calls to ban team orders in Formula 1, but doing so would simply create more problems than it solves.

The manner in which the Red Bull and Mercedes drivers were ordered to hold position at Sepang may be an annoyance to some fans who wanted to see a race to the flag, but a team orders ban would not have improved the situation.

Red Bull and Mercedes were motivated to go into a formation pattern because of concerns about tyres, and in the latter case fuel as well.

The high degradation experienced with the 2013 Pirellis meant there were big question marks about whether or not the rubber would last until the end of the race without hitting the often talked about ‘cliff’ where performance drops off dramatically.

On a day when title rival Fernando Alonso crashed out, it would have been foolish to have got your cars into a strong position in the race and then not protected it by nursing the machinery and rubber to the chequered flag.

MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX CONTROVERSY

Red Bull: Vettel’s actions deliberate

Red Bull must lay down law say rivals

Brawn says team orders a no-brainer

Webber: Vettel stole the race win

That Vettel ignored the order is irrelevant to the argument over the rights and wrongs of team orders. It relates more to the relationship between the triple world champion and team management.

The only difference to Malaysian GP events had team orders been banned would have been a change to secretive radio messages and perhaps more deception for fans.

Just like prohibition in the United States did not stop people drinking alcohol – it simply drove the activity underground – so too a ban on team orders would just make such tactics plunge in to a murkier world.

Team orders have been a part of motor racing since the very first race, and they will continue to be there until that final chequered flag comes out in the long and distant future.

By the very nature of there being one team and two drivers, there are always going to be occasions when the team has to step in and make calls that perhaps are not in the best interests of individual drivers.

Allowing team orders means that such instructions can be made publicly, which at least leaves fans knowing exactly what is playing out in front of them

Ban team orders and you create ludicrous situations when drivers have to be given coded messages – ‘Fernando is faster than you’ – or even forced to undertake charades like pitting too early, too late or for too long to swap a position.

In such events the biggest disservice is done to the fans, for they are led to believe that they are watching a motor race when in fact it is anything but.

Above all else, teams have a duty to the fans to put on a race; or to let it be clear when they are not.

The existence of team orders gives them that platform.

It may not be what we want to see at times when we would rather have team-mates gunning at each other wheel to wheel, but for that to happen all the time is a utopian idea anyway.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/analysis-why-team-orders-should-stay

James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III

BMW champion team PTG closes

The Prototype Technology Group team that masterminded BMW’s sportscar successes with the M3 in North America in the 1990s and 2000s is closing its doors.

Tom Milner’s Virginia-based PTG squad was appointed by BMW North America to mastermind its entry into the IMSA series with the E36-shape M3 in 1995.

The partnership yielded titles in IMSA, the United States Road Racing Club championship, the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am across 11 seasons and two generations of M3.

Milner said: “I have now sold everything except the building, including the trucks and all the equipment. I’m certainly not going to run my own team again, but I wouldn’t rule out an involvement helping someone else.”

The German, whose son Tommy Milner is a factory Chevrolet driver in the ALMS, explained that there were a number of reasons behind his decision to close the team.

“There are lots of factors involved and one of them is that sportscar racing in North America is changing,” he said. “I’m not saying it is for better or for worse, but there is definitely less money around.

“The other thing is that I am now 70 and have been doing this for 45 years. Maybe it is the right time to stop.”

PTG’s relationship with BMW came to an end at the conclusion of its 2006 ALMS campaign, after which Milner’s team ran works Panoz Esperante in the GT2 class of the series in 2007-09.

It subsequently built and briefly raced the one-off Panoz Abruzzi GT2 car and last year ran the Oryx Racing Audi R8 GRAND-AM in two races, including the Daytona 24 Hours.

Milner, who emigrated to the US with his parents when he was 16, formed Bill Scott Racing with the late Bill Scott in 1969, competing in a variety of single-seater series as well as in sportscars.

He then set up on his own in 1988 as Tom Milner Racing, running Ford Probe Mustang, Spice and Intrepid GTP prototype machinery in IMSA and, briefly, a Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series before changing the team’s name to PTG ahead of the BMW programme.

Did you know…

… Tom Milner arrived on the PTG name by reversing the letters of IMSA’s GTP class.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/bmw-champion-team-ptg-closes

Marc Gené Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini

MATT ARTIN JOINS NHRA AS DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS

NHRA
GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012)

NHRA announced today that Matt Artin, an eight-year veteran in media planning, advertising and promotions, has joined the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body as director of advertising and promotions.

"We are excited to bring someone of Matt's caliber to NHRA to spearhead our advertising and promotions for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series," said Glen Cromwell, vice president of national event marketing, NHRA.

As director of advertising and promotions, Artin will work in partnership with national event track owners and operators on all advertising and promotions for the 23-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. His primary and day-to-day focus will be to increase ticket sales at national events through creative and innovative strategies designed to reach the core as well as a broader fan base.

Artin comes to NHRA from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where he spent the last six years as a senior marketing manager. In that capacity, he played an integral role in brand management, advertising, ticket sales marketing, game entertainment, special events and promotions. During his tenure with the Angels, he maintained a strong relationship with Major League Baseball and was responsible for the team's brand and logos making sure the look and usage of core assets aligned with brand standards.

Prior to the Angels, Artin was a media planner at the Los Angeles-based agency PHD US, implementing media plans in the Pacific Northwest for Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep. Before that, he was a media assistant at Davis-Elen Advertising in Los Angeles, working on the McDonald's account.

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 23 national events featuring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/matt_artin_joins_nhra_as.php

Carl Edwards Copart Ford Denny Hamlin Z Line Toyota

Kia Reveals Wonder Woman–Inspired Sportage, It’s Disappointingly Visible [2013 New York Auto Show]

Kia’s efforts to raise awareness for the We Can Be Heroes giving campaign to fight hunger in Africa has thus far produced six DC Comics–inspired custom Kia show cars. At the 2013 New York auto show, the automaker revealed the seventh car, a Sportage crossover dedicated to Wonder Woman. The Sportage follows the Superman Optima hybrid, Batman Optima, The Flash Forte Koup, Aquaman Rio5, Green Lantern Soul, and Cyborg Forte five-door.

But back to the Wonder Woman Sportage; Kia, working with DC Entertainment and Super Street magazine, fitted the crossover with a body kit, a stars-and-stripes paint job derived from Wonder Woman’s outfit, and star-like five-spoke wheels. Wonder Woman’s signature chest shield logo is integrated into the Sportage’s grille opening, the gold trim smattered about the crossover’s body is a reference to Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth—her weapon of choice—and the headlights are tinged with blue as a nod to the hero’s eye color. Finally, Kia slapped a sticker across the top of the windshield that mimics Wonder Woman’s tiara. So this Sportage has a tiara.

---

• Instrumented Test: 2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo AWD
• First Drive: 2014 Kia Forte
• First Drive: 2014 Kia Sorento

---

Inside, the unique Sportage gets red upholstery and blue LED lighting to match the exterior theme, and the seats are embroidered with Wonder Woman’s logo. It’s all for a good cause, and we’re pleased to see Kia turn out such thoroughly worked-over rides to raise awareness. Although if they really wanted to save some time, they could have simply paid tribute to Wonder Woman’s invisible plane and pulled the sheet off of . . . nothing.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/Up8SumVggLA/

Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet

Hamilton denies Ecclestone RBR claims

Lewis Hamilton has dismissed claims he asked Bernie Ecclestone to get him a Red Bull deal, insisting that joining Mercedes was the best decision of his life.

Ecclestone was reported at the weekend as saying that in mid-2012 Hamilton had asked for his help to get a contract at Red Bull.

Those efforts failed to come to fruition, however, with Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz preferring to remain loyal to Mark Webber.

Hamilton said he was aware of Ecclestone’s comments, but he was confused as they did not tally with his version of events.

“He seems to only make comments about me for some reason,” said Hamilton when asked for his feelings on Ecclestone’s remarks.

“It makes me a bit nervous because we have quite a good relationship and I’m quite open with him about a lot of stuff.

“I don’t really know what to say about the comments he made.

“I think he said something about me talking to Red Bull? I said to my management team to speak to all the teams and give me what the best options were.

“There was no particular one that I was pushing for more.

“At the end of the day I am here [Mercedes] and it’s the best decision I have ever made.”

Hamilton took his first podium for Mercedes in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/hamilton-denies-ecclestone-rbr-claims

Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski Ruby Tuesday Dodge Carl Edwards

Trevor Bayne Locks Up Another Top-Ten Finish; Climbs to Sixth in NASCAR Nationwide Series Standings

Trevor Bayne - Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick / Getty Images for NASCAR

FONTANA, Calif. (Mar. 23, 2013) – Roush Fenway’s No.6 Cargill Ford Mustang was one of the fastest cars on the track Saturday at Auto Club Speedway, helping RFR driver Trevor Bayne rack up his third top-10 finish of the 2013 season. With the finish, Bayne moved up one more spot to sixth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings.

Bayne’s car was tight through the corners early in the race, but loosened up with changing track conditions. A track-bar adjustment during the No.6 teams’ second pit stop cleared up the problems prompting Bayne to radio his crew chief, “We have her dialed in now!”

Bayne spent two-dozen laps picking off cars and climbing as high as fourth place before a late-race adjustment worsened the car’s handling. Still, the team held on for a solid ninth-place finish.

“We got it way too free there at the end. It is frustrating when you have a car you can run top five with and you give it up from ill handling,” said Bayne. “The right rear is probably worn out on this thing from letting the wall hold me in the race track. That was all I could do with it though. It is frustrating.”

The No.6 team maintained its’ consistency through the early part of the NNS Season, claiming one pole, two top-five’s and three top-tens. This week’s ninth place finish earned Bayne another 35 points and moved him up one more spot into sixth place; 47 points behind the leader.

After a two week break for the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Bayne and the No.6 Cargill will head in to Texas Motor Speedway for a Friday night race. Bayne walked away with his first NNS win during his last trip to Fort Worth in November of 2011.

Next Up:

O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

Texas Motor Speedway

Fort Worth, TX

Friday, April 12th 2013

Source: Roush Fenway Racing Press Release

The article Trevor Bayne Locks Up Another Top-Ten Finish; Climbs to Sixth in NASCAR Nationwide Series Standings is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/nationwide/03/24/trevor-bayne-locks-up-another-top-ten-finish-climbs-to-sixth-in-nascar-nationwide-series-standings/

Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin

Report: Bankrupt A123 changes name to B456 PDQ

Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

Ok, so we made the "PDQ" part up, but battery maker A123 Systems, Inc. has changed its name to B456 Systems, Inc. - and no, this is not an early April Fool's Day joke. As part of A123's bankruptcy proceedings dating to last October, it was required to change its name in order to be purchased by Chinese company Wanxiang. According to the Detroit Free Press, as part of a March 22, 2013 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, A123 declared that its new name is B456 the name of the old assets to be liquidated is B456, akin to the way the post-bankruptcy General Motors was broken into GM and Motors Liquidation Company. The ongoing concern owned by Wanxiang is still called A123 Systems, Inc. We're not sure if anyone at A123 realized the irony - B456 is also the model number for a fire extinguisher made by Amerex that happens to be good for "energized electrical equipment."

Wanxiang completed its purchase of A123 B456 earlier this year. The company formerly known as A123 had received hundreds of millions of dollars in loans, tax credits and grants from the federal government and the states of Michigan and Massachusetts. Part of the funds from the Wanxiang purchase repaid the $2.8 million it received from Massachusetts, but it looks like the other monies will go unrepaid. The Chinese company has said it will keep the Michigan plants open, but Michigan is trying to keep Wanxiang from collecting the rest of its unused incentives.

Bankrupt A123 changes name to B456 PDQ originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/29/bankrupt-a123-changes-name-to-b456-pdq/

Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley

Maryland on the Verge of a Fix for Transportation Funding Woes

Maryland is one of a growing number of U.S. states that’s found itself in a tough spot when it comes to transportation funding.

Transit advocates in Maryland have rallied around Governor Martin O'Malley's plan to increase revenues. Image: Transportation for America

The state blew through its transportation funds when it built a big highway project called the Intercounty Connector. Now, the state has so little money left that unless something changes, it won’t be able to build long-sought transit projects.

Stephen Lee Davis at Transportation for America says transit advocates, state lawmakers, and Governor Martin O’Malley have coalesced around a plan to fund transit expansions.

First, the damage from the ICC:

The state spent $265 million in general funds and though the $180 million from the state’s Transportation Trust Fund represents only about 10 percent of what the state gas tax and vehicle fees bring in each year, Maryland is also devoting $750 million in future federal funds they haven’t yet received to the project — or almost 130 percent of what the state receives from the feds each year for all of their state highway needs. ($580 million in FY12.)

State and independent analysts have been saying that by 2018, Maryland will only have enough money to cover maintenance and repair, making it nearly impossible to fund any new highway projects or any of the long-awaited and much needed public transportation projects, including the new Red Line subway in Baltimore, the Purple Line rail link for Metro and the innovative Corridor Cities Transitway rapid bus line in the DC region.

Now, the solution:

The plan would:

• Index the gas tax to inflation starting immediately (with a ceiling of 5 cents maximum increase in any given year.)
• Add a three percent sales tax at the gasoline pump, phasing that in over a period of three years starting this summer.
• There are other provisions that could change the sales tax rate on gasoline that have to do with internet sales tax. In short, if Congress allows states to tax internet sales, Maryland will devote that revenue to transportation. If not, they’ll raise the sales tax on gas to five percent.
• Raise $4.4 billion for transportation over six years (including the ability to borrow against increased future revenues.)

The Maryland House of Representatives has approved the plan. Now it is up to the State Senate to fix this problem, or punt.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Greater Greater Washington compares the residential density of the country’s largest metros. Seattle Bike Blog reports that the city’s efforts to encourage family cycling are paying off. And the Tri-State Transportation Campaign says that a provision of the new transportation bill, MAP-21, could open up a new stream of transit funding for Connecticut.

Source: http://streetsblog.net/2013/03/28/maryland-on-the-verge-of-a-fix-for-transportation-funding-woes/

Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson

2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid: Subie’s First Gas-Electric [2013 New York Auto Show]

It’s been 13 years since Toyota put hybrids on U.S. car-buying charts, and while the Prius has become the benchmark for this new class—as well as a hybrid-system resource for others through licensing—Subaru has been standing on the sidelines, watching and weighing its options. Now it’s finally prepared to enter the fray. At this year’s New York auto show, Subaru unveiled a hybrid version of its year-old XV Crosstrek compact crossover, with technology similar to most mainstream hybrids: a gasoline engine augmented by an electric motor, operating primarily as a parallel hybrid but capable of electric-only propulsion for brief periods. Very brief. READ MORE ››

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/mVcq3-lSyp4/2014-subaru-xv-crosstrek-photos-and-info-news

Brian Henton Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann

Rast gives Audi pole at Nogaro

Three-time Porsche Supercup champion Rene Rast started his first season as a full-time Audi driver by claiming pole position at the opening round of the new FIA GT Series at Nogaro.

WRT driver Rast headed the timesheets by just one hundredth of a second with a time of 1m26.091 aboard the Pro-Am Cup class Audi R8 LMS ultra he shares with Nikolas Mayr-Melnhof.

The German edged out local driver Mike Parisy in the best of the Sebastien Loeb Racing McLaren MP4-12Cs in the Super Pole session, during which the fastest 10 cars from the first two qualifying sessions each have two flying laps to set a time.

Rast, who has become one of Audi’s pool of GT drivers for this season, said: “I’m very happy because the conditions were difficult. The first session was wet, it was drying for the second session and then it was completely dry.

“It looks like it is going to be very close between all the cars, especially the Audi and the McLaren.”

Parisy, who shared his McLaren with Andreas Zuber, was a tenth quicker than team-mate Alvaro Parente, who is paired with team owner Sebastien Loeb.

The two Pro Cup WRT entries, which like all the Audis are running in 2012 specification for homologation reasons, ended up fourth and fifth in the hands of Frank Stippler and Stephane Ortelli.

Cesar Campanico made it four Audis in the top six at the wheel of his Novadriver R8.

The make-up of the Super Pole session is decided by the aggregate times set by the two drivers in each car from Qualifying 1 and 2.

The two one-hour races that make up the opening round of the FIA GT Series, which has superseded the FIA GT1 World Championship, take place on tomorrow (Sunday) and on Monday.

Results to follow…

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/rast-gives-audi-pole-at-nogaro

Jacky Ickx Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue

If It’s Week 8 This Must Be Belgium

Zolder’s chicanes are as tough as they come.

Week Eight brought the iRacing.com Skip Barber Race Series to Circuit Zolder, located in Heusden, Belgium.  The 2.492 mile (4.011 km) features ten turns, including one of the most challenging and dangerous on iRacing, the Turn 5-6 chicane.  It wouldn’t be so difficult if it weren’t for the massive curbs on either side which you have to hit just right to carry optimal speed, but why would the Belgian track builders want to make it easy on us?  Nevertheless, 761 drivers took to the track to participate in a race session, with 326 in placing a qualifying lap during the week and 165 completing a time trial.  The pole sitter once again was Jon Tanko (Iberia), clearing the field by nearly two tenths with a time of 1.45.380.

On top of the standings for the fourth time this season was Kenneth O’Keefe (Eastern Canada), scoring 237 points.  O’Keefe struggled, only finding speed very late in the week to put in a decent qualifying effort.  Luckily this was before the highest scoring race with a 3840 Strength of Field.  O’Keefe started from the pole position but cracked on lap three under pressure from the weeks second place finisher Julien Griffiths (France) and Rudi Reinkort (Central Eastern Europe), cutting the Turn Five chicane too tight and flying over the inside curb, causing him to cut the other side of the chicane and receive a famous iRacing “slow down” penalty.  Luckily for O’Keefe, but not so much the others, Griffiths had followed into the exact same mistake, but spun across the exit of the corner.  This collected Reinkort and some others, leaving O’Keefe to chase down the new leader of the race and this week’s third place finisher, Ramon Sprecher (DE-AT-CH).  By Lap Seven O’Keefe resumed the lead, and pulled to a 1.702 second lead over Sprecher by the line.  Sprecher scored 218 points, enough to place in third for the week.

Ramon Sprecher (2) leads John Hille (9) and Martin Peck (10) out of Turn Four.

With Griffith’s bad luck in the highest SOF race, he had to fall back on a score which he had from a previous race, being a 3628 SOF race which he started from the pole but ran most of the race behind O’Keefe.  Griffith moved back into the first position at the time that counts, taking the win by 0.116 seconds.  This gave him a score of 225 points which was enough to put himself second overall.

Completing the top ten was Jairo Via (Iberia), Wojciech Swirdowicz (Celtic), Victor Nandez (Iberia), João Freitas (Iberia), Janne Köykkä (Finland), Martin Peck (England), and David Burnett (England).

The point’s standings are shaping up with drop weeks coming into play next week, Kenneth O’Keefe currently leads the way with 1680 points and four overall wins.  Following just within grasp are Jairo Via and Rudi Reinokrt with 1411 and 1391 points respectively.  Anyone still has a chance at this championship as some drivers still are counted with less than eight weeks, meaning they will see big increases in points while others will only be looking to better their lowest scores from the season so far.

Next week drivers of the Skip Barber Series will attack the Brands Hatch “Indy” layout.  Located in Kent, England, this is one of the shortest tracks on the schedule with only 6 turns and lap times well under one minute.  We expect to see the regulars up front still fighting for the championship, be sure to check back next week to see if anyone will give O’Keefe a run for his money before season’s end.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/if-its-week-8-it-must-be-belgium

Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi

Video: Ferrari F12 races Air Malta A320 jet

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Ferrari, Luxury

Air Malta recently worked up a little stunt that pitted an Airbus A320 against a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta in a drag race to raise funds for charity. It's easy to forget just how quick something the size of a jetliner can be, but watching the video below shows us just where the big passenger aircraft stands when it comes to sprinting down a runway. We won't spoil the clip for you, you'll just have to check out the showdown below.

Air Malta says it raised over 178,820 euro with the stunt, which is around $230,000. That's despite the fact that intermittent rain showers kept crowds away. Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton even stopped by to say "Hi" to the crowds. He wasn't piloting the F12, however. Check out the video below for yourself.

Continue reading Ferrari F12 races Air Malta A320 jet

Ferrari F12 races Air Malta A320 jet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/29/ferrari-f12-races-air-malta-a320-jet/

Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet

Lada clash could cost Dudukalo drive

Lukoil is considering dropping Aleksei Dudukalo from the Lada World Touring Car Championship programme as a result of his intra-team qualifying crash at Monza.

The 36-year-old Russian misjudged his braking and speared into the side of team-mate James Thompson’s Granta, a collision that ultimately led to both cars being withdrawn from Sunday’s races.

AUTOSPORT understands that Lukoil, title sponsor of Lada’s new works outfit, is considering replacing Dudukalo for the rest of the season.

“Aleksei is not confirmed for Marrakech,” Lukoil Racing director Evgeny Malinovskiy told AUTOSPORT.

“It will not be an easy decision but I think he goes back to the Russian championship.”

Asked whether the decision came in response to the qualifying collision, Malinovskiy said: “Yes. I think he will stop.

“I have another guy in my team in Russia, we would like to try and get him in. I think we have decided, but confirmation will be next week.”

While any driver change would also need approval from team principal Viktor Shapovalov, Shapovalov told AUTOSPORT that Malinovskiy would ultimately make the final call.

James Thompson, who had been due to start on the front row for race two, said he bore Dudukalo no grudges.

“I like Dudukalo, he didn’t do it on purpose,” he told AUTOSPORT.

“It’s a shame though as I’d have loved to see our potential, particularly from the front row.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/touring-cars/wtcc/lada-clash-could-cost-dudukalo-drive

Geki Olivier Gendebien Marc Gené Elmer George

Pirelli: Red Bull tyre criticism is wrong

Pirelli insists it is unmoved by complaints from Red Bull about its tyres, and it thinks that the Malaysian Grand Prix proved it is doing the right thing.

Formula 1′s tyre supplier faced a hard time from Red Bull representatives over the Sepang weekend, with the reigning champion team eager for the tyres to be less aggressive.

Red Bull feels that the impact of the tyre on car performance is too great, which is limiting the speed of its car.

The team still managed to take a one-two finish on Sunday as it carefully managed the tyre situation, and Pirelli believes the lack of problems in the race showed that it has got its 2013 tyre formula right.

Mark Hughes’ GP report: tyres played key role in Red Bull flashpoint

When asked by AUTOSPORT if the race had silenced critics who were questioning the 2013 tyres, Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “To be honest it was only one critic really.

“Everyone else came and said they don’t know what they [Red Bull] were talking about.

“It was a challenge. And pretty much the same as we had the last two years.

“You have a combination of the new car, winter testing in the cold, new tyres, and the first time they come together is in Melbourne. And it has happened again.

“We have had two races and we tend to look at the first group of four races to see where we are.”

Hembery was insistent that it would be wrong of Pirelli to make any changes to its tyres at the whim of a single team.

“If you want to favour one team then the season is over,” he said. “It would be finished by Monza.

“Red Bull clearly have a lot of performance. Maybe they would like something else but I am sure other teams would like other things as well.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/pirelli-red-bull-tyre-criticism-is-wrong

Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison Jacky Ickx Yuji Ide

Force India says issues hid pace

Force India believes its Malaysian Grand Prix wheelnut issues hid just how competitive it was in the second round of the 2013 Formula 1 season.

Both Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil ultimately had to retire because of the nut system problem.

But the pace they showed before then left team boss Vijay Mallya both delighted as his team’s progress and despondent over the cars’ retirements.

“It’s more than deep disappointment. It’s extreme disappointment,” he said.

“The cars were quick, very competitive: we were racing Mercedes very comfortably, [were] much quicker than the McLarens, quicker than Lotus I would like to believe.

“So it was really looking good until the wheelnut failed.”

Di Resta agreed that a significant points chance had been squandered, though he does not think the Malaysia form will be a one-off.

“I went out and was setting purple times, was very quick, and was making good progress,” he said of his pace after his first pit delay.

“I was probably looking at seventh place, without the first stop in which I lost all that time, so it is pretty frustrating given how quick we were over the weekend.

“Wheelnuts can be fixed for China, performance can’t be fixed that quickly, and performance has been a big highlight of what we have achieved.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/force-india-says-issues-hid-pace

Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje

Southwest Sprint's At Queen Creek

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/03/southwest-sprints-at-queen-creek.html

Al Keller Joe Kelly Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel

Paul McMahan becomes an Outlaw and wins the Mini Gold Cup

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/03/paul-mcmahan-becomes-outlaw-and-wins.html

Walt Hansgen Mike Harris Cuth Harrison Brian Hart

Gommendy gets Alpine Le Mans seat

Former Superleague regular Tristan Gommendy is returning to the Le Mans 24 Hours with the Alpine LMP2 team after a two-year absence.

The Frenchman, who made the last of his three previous Le Mans starts with Welter Racing in 2010, will share Alpine’s Signatech-run ORECA-Nissan 03 with Nelson Panciatici and Pierre Ragues, who will contest the European Le Mans Series in the car.

The deal marks a return to the fold of Signatech boss Philippe Sinault for Gommendy, who drove for the sister Signature team in Formula Renault V6 in 2003.

Gommendy contested only a handful of races in the VdeV Group CN prototype series last year.

“There are big emotions in France connected with the return of Alpine to Le Mans,” he said. “I am very proud to be in this car for the 24 Hours.

“I have kept in touch with Philippe over the years and many times he wanted to put me in one of his cars, but there were always budget problems. This deal was slightly different.”

Gommendy is testing the Alpine-liveried LMP2 at Paul Ricard on Monday and Tuesday this week. He revealed that there was a chance he could race a proposed second Alpine entry in the European Le Mans Series later in the season.

A return to single-seaters looks unlikely for Gommendy, the 2002 French Formula 3 Champion who also raced in GP2, Formula Renault 3.5 and Champ Car.

“I have looked at getting back into single-seaters in the US [in IndyCars] but without a lot of money, it is impossible,” he explained.

Formula Renault Eurocup graduate Paul-Loup Chatin has been announced as the Alpine squad’s fourth or junior driver. He would be involved in plans for a second car later in the season.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/gommendy-gets-alpine-le-mans-seat

Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman

Excitement Level High For STP Gas Booster 500 At Martinsville Speedway

STP Gas Booster 500 Logo

PMARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 29, 2013) – Could the excitement and anticipation level be any higher for next Sunday’s STP^® Gas Booster™ 500 at Martinsville Speedway?

Let’s count the reasons.

The target on Joey Logano’s rear bumper after last Sunday’s wild finish.

Tony Stewart’s temper. (See above).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is off to his best start ever in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and comes into the STP^® Gas Booster™ 500 as the points’ leader.

The new Gen-6 cars have proved exciting everywhere this season, but drivers have pointed to Martinsville Speedway as the track the new cars may be best early in the season.

And the list goes on.

Like Danica Patrick earning the distinction of the first woman to ever start a Sprint Cup race at Martinsville. Women have raced in every other major division at the half-mile track.

Then there is Jeff Gordon trying to get his season back on track. He’s mired back in 18^th in points, but Martinsville could help turn that around. He’s won here seven times, and even though his last Martinsville win came in 2005, he has led laps in the past 13 Martinsville races.

And of course the news of the week: Mark Martin replacing injured Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota for the next few races, starting here at Martinsville Speedway.

With all the chatter about some wild on-track antics the past two weeks, Earnhardt Jr. has sort of flown under the radar into the Sprint Cup points lead.

The STP^® Gas Booster™ 500 at Martinsville will mark Earnhardt’s 475th NASCAR Sprint Cup start. Although he’s never won at the 0.525-mile track, Earnhardt has finished in the top five on 10 occasions, including third in last year’s spring race, a race he had a shot to win right up to the closing lap. He has finished second on two occasions at Martinsville.

Gordon and Johnson are tied among active drivers with most Martinsville wins, seven. Gordon led the most laps here last spring and seemed to be on his way to victory when Clint Bowyer tried to make it three-wide on a restart late in the race and created a multi-car wreck that included Gordon and Johnson. It was the start of a feud between Gordon and Bowyer that hasn’t been settled yet.

With 14 wins between them, Gordon and Johnson obviously have been dominant here. At one point in his career Johnson had 17 straight top-10 finishes while Gordon once had a 15-race top 10 streak. Johnson got back on track at Martinsville last fall with a victory.

Hamlin is the other recent master of Martinsville, but is on the sidelines for next Sunday’s race. Martin, his replacement, hasn’t been too shabby at Martinsville. In 48 starts at Martinsville, the 54-year-old Martin has two wins, two poles and a career-average finish of 13.3.

While Logano has drawn a lot of attention from his late-race collision with Hamlin a week ago and a similar situation two weeks ago, his success this season, his first with team-owner Roger Penske, has been overlooked. He’s ninth in the Sprint Cup points’ standings, a spot behind Paul Menard, who has been the top driver out of Richard Childress Racing so far this season.

Rookie Ricky Stenhouse has also been a surprise in 2013, sitting 12^th in points headed into the STP^® Gas Booster™ 500. The other top rookie-of-the-year candidate Danica Patrick hasn’t fared well after the Daytona 500 and sits outside of the top 25 in points. Interestingly enough, neither Stenhouse nor Patrick have ever turned a lap at Martinsville Speedway in any division.

Action kicks off at Martinsville Speedway next Friday with practice and qualifying for both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck series. Fan gates open at 9 a.m., the same time that the trucks hit the track for their first practice. After a full day of practice for both divisions, Sprint Cup qualifying is set for 3:40 p.m. with Camping World Truck Series qualifying at 5 p.m.

There will be two Sprint Cup practice sessions Saturday morning with the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race taking the green flag at 1:30 p.m.

The STP^® Gas Booster™ 500 is set to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday April 7.

Fan gates will open at 9 a.m. each day.

Tickets for the STP^® Gas Booster™ 500, the Kroger 250 and Martinsville Pole Day may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or by visitingwww.martinsvillespeedway.com online.

Martinsville Speedway’s phone hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone hours for this Sunday are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Phone hours next week will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Martinsville Speedway’s ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays through the upcoming race weekend. The ticket office will be open Easter Sunday, March 31.

Source: Martinsville Speedway, Press Release

The article Excitement Level High For STP Gas Booster 500 At Martinsville Speedway is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/29/excitement-level-high-for-stp-gas-booster-500-at-martinsville-speedway/

Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory

Green puts Audi on top at Barcelona

Jamie Green put Audi at the head of the timesheets on the third day of DTM testing at Barcelona.

The Briton, who ended an eight-year stint with Mercedes in the DTM to switch to Audi late last year, completed 180 laps of the Spanish circuit and recorded a best time of 1m07.171s, putting him a scant 0.065s clear of the pack.

“It was a good day,” Green said. “We went through our plan and did everything we had on today’s checklist, so that’s a pretty good thing.

“The track was dry, there were no interruptions, no technical problems and we did a lot of laps – over 100 in the afternoon, and this is all helping me to get a feel for my new RS5 and to help me gel with my engineers.”

DTM rookie Pascal Wehrlein, a race winner in the Formula 3 European Championship at Monza last weekend, was second fastest in what was his first outing for Mercedes since being confirmed as Ralf Schumacher’s replacement at the RSC Mucke squad.

Morning pacesetter Filipe Albuquerque was third fastest for Audi with Roberto Merhi fourth for Mercedes and within a tenth of a second of Green’s benchmark time.

On what was the closest day of the test in terms of times, less than 0.6s covered the 11 drivers that took to the track. Slowest was BMW rookie Marco Wittmann.

The test concludes on Friday.

Pos  Driver              Car          Time       Gap
  1.  Jamie Green         Audi         1m07.171s
  2.  Pascal Wehrlein     Mercedes     1m07.236s  + 0.065s
  3.  Filipe Albuquerque  Audi         1m07.257s  + 0.086s
  4.  Roberto Merhi       Mercedes     1m07.266s  + 0.095s
  5.  Adrien Tambay       Audi         1m07.274s  + 0.103s
  6.  Christian Vietoris  Mercedes     1m07.309s  + 0.138s
  7.  Dirk Werner         BMW          1m07.413s  + 0.242s
  8.  Mike Rockenfeller   Audi         1m07.463s  + 0.292s
  9.  Andy Priaulx        BMW          1m07.590s  + 0.419s
 10.  Joey Hand           BMW          1m07.594s  + 0.423s
 11.  Marco Wittmann      BMW          1m07.742s  + 0.571s
 

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/miscellaneous/dtm/green-puts-audi-on-top-at-barcelona

Ignazio Giunti Timo Glock Helm Glöckler Paco Godia