Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Goodwood Festival of Speed, set to take place 11-13 July 2008 in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England, is considered by many to be the world’s largest and most diverse tribute to the history of car culture and motor sport, attracting participants and spectators from around the world. Visitors can expect to see everything from 19th century steam carriages through to current Formula One cars.

Racing motorbikes, classic rally cars and dragsters will feature at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Visitors can look out for a number of motor sport legends, including Emerson Fittipaldi, John Surtees, Stirling Moss and Mario Andretti, who will be mingling with the top drivers of today, such as Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Petter Solberg and Fernando Alonso.

A highlight of the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the Hillclimb Competition, with participation by invitation only. This takes place throughout the three-day festival in the grounds of Goodwood House. The start of the almost two kilometer course is in the south of the park near the gate lodge. Participants race along a beautiful tree-lined avenue before turning to pass in front of historical Goodwood House. The trail then climbs a steep and narrow estate road past dense woodland groves, as competitors head toward Goodwood’s horse racing track situated on top of the South Downs. The Hillclimb Competition starts on Friday with free practice sessions with Saturday being the official practice day. Sunday is the timed competition with about 200 vehicles competing. The cars are grouped according to various categories, including Early Cars, Single Seaters, Sports-Racing Cars, Saloon-Based Cars and Motorcycles. With the oldest cars starting first, competitors can participate either in a timed category, or purely as a demonstration run. Competitors complete two runs on Saturday and again on Sunday with each competitor’s fastest time determining the final competition result. When they are not competing, the cars will be parked in four paddocks near Goodwood House for festival-goers to view.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is also a celebration of the role that the United Kingdom has played in providing a competitive and high-profile environment for world-class manufacturers and riders to honor the British Superbike Championship. One of the largest collections of machinery and riders, past and present stars of the British Superbike Championship, will be showcased at the Festival of Speed.

Rally drivers will put their skills, and their cars, to the test on a 2.5 kilometer loose-surfaced track which has been cut into the wooded area near the Hillclimb finish line. Spectators will have unrestricted access to observe these talented drivers demonstrate some daring rally driving techniques, including sideways driving.

Away from the roar of engines, the Cartier Style et Luxe displays some of the most beautiful and innovative automotive designs to come out of this coveted car design competition. The competition consists of about 50 cars divided into 10 classes, representing motoring history. The judges for the competition are not car experts, but noteworthy personalities from the arts. Judging is done on the basis of the beauty and practicality of the vehicle, taking into account proportion, detail, texture and finish. Judging will take place on Saturday and Sunday with a live jazz band adding to the festive atmosphere.

Certainly, all motor sport enthusiasts would not want to miss the exciting Goodwood Festival of Speed. Tickets will not be available at the gate, so book your tickets now!

Rare Sport Car Collection Opens at Simeone Museum

After nearly half a century of careful collection, Dr. Fredrick Simeone has seen fit to share his prize, joy and passion with the rest of the world. Located just a short distance off Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, this impressive museum is some 75 000 square feet in size and displays approximately 65 rare sport and racing cars with the sort of meticulous attention to detail that you’d expect from a neurosurgeon. Fortunately Dr. Simeone is a neurosurgeon, and visitors to this fantastic museum will find that his passion and the painstaking effort that has no doubt gone into creating the exhibits was certainly not a waste of time.

The fantastic newly established Simeone Foundation Museum, which is due to open at the beginning of next week, provides car enthusiasts with the ultimate walk through time. After more than 50 years of collecting cars, Dr. Simeone now has one of the finest vintage racecar collections on the planet. The different cars are displayed in dioramas of the actual racing events that those particular vehicles were used in and this gives the museum a rather intriguing edge. It certainly helps to transport one back in time mentally and visitors will find themselves completely immersed in a journey that documents the history and development of sporting vehicles from 1909 to 2002. Classic images of Watkins Glen, Sebring, Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and Bonneville will stir onlookers and leave them with fond memories of their visit to the Simeone Foundation Museum.

So what can you expect to see at the museum? An Aston Martin DBR1 that was piloted to victory by Sir Stirling Moss at Nurburgring in 1958 is certainly not something an enthusiast would want to miss out on. Another highlight is a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S “Tank”. This particular “Tank” took the winner’s trophy at Le Mans in 1958. The 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B on display has the distinction of winning the Mille Miglia during its time as a racing car. While these cars are no doubt interesting highlights that should not be overlooked, the entire collection is also definitely worth seeing. The museum has been designed by its founder to clearly depict how competition and racing has helped to improve the quality, technology and prestige of motor vehicles over the years. The Museum will be open to the public six days a week, so make sure that you book your tour as soon as possible!

First Annual Randy Helton Memorial Race on June 21

Racing fans looking for some excitement in the weeks to come can make their way to the East Alabama Motor Speedway on June 21. This is where the first annual Randy Helton Memorial Race will take place. Named for Randy Helton from Palmetto, Georgia, who passed away in March this year at just 47 years of age, the race promises to be a good one. Helton raced regularly in the O’Reilly United Sprint Car Series during his career as a driver and he also worked as crew chief for the man who founded the series. The speedway, which is located just seven miles from Phoenix City on Highway 80 West, was Helton’s favorite race track and so it is a fitting choice of venue for this memorial event.

Randy Helton started driving as a rookie in the O’Reilly USCS in 1998 shortly after purchasing a J & J Auto Racing car from Walton. The car had previously been driven by Frankie Kerr and Stan Shoff, and provided Helton with the opportunity of a life-time: the chance to start his own racing career. During his racing career he has been able to set the fastest time at the East Alabama Motor Speedway, where he also took the lead until experiencing tire problems and having to pull back. That was in 2007 and Helton would have no doubt gone on to enjoy even more success if he’d been able to race for just a few more years.

The East Alabama Motor Speedway will be sharing the weekend with Penton Raceway, which is located about an hour north of the speedway. This is because the Randy Helton Memorial Race is part of the weekend’s sprint car double-header series. The points awarded at both races will count towards the O’Reilly USCS Southern Thunder Championship. The Randy Helton Memorial Race will also have the distinction of awarding drivers with national championship points. The event will give drivers the chance to win a number of commemorative trophies and plaques as well as other special awards. Randy Helton will be sharing his memorial weekend with Randy Scott, a retired USCS driver from Franklin who passed away in April this year at 60 years of age. The Randy Scott Memory Dash has been established in memory of this great driver and will form part of the weekend’s proceedings. Anyone wanting to know more should go to the raceway’s official website.

2008 Canadian Grand Prix Review

After a surprise accident that put both Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen out of the race, Robert Kubica managed to make his way over the finish line in first place. Though he is a good driver that has placed second on more than one occasion, Kubica would likely not have been able to claim the victory were it not for the untimely mishap. The win is not only Kubica’s first Grand Prix win, but it is the first Grand Prix win by a polish driver and the first win for his BMW-Sauber team.

It all happened when Hamilton accidentally smashed his McLaren into the back of Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari. Raikkonen and Kubica had stopped side by side at the pit lane exit, waiting for the red light to change color before moving on. It is not exactly clear why this happened and fans are enraged about it. While mistakes do happen, they usually occur when the driver is piloting his vehicle around the racetrack at 300 km/h – not when he is cruising out the pit lane. The accident was so severe that both Hamilton and Raikkonen had to climb out of their wrecks and discontinue the race. Hamilton further seems to have been punished for his actions by being docked 10 positions on the starting grid at the next race in France. This means it will be virtually impossible for him to win.

Yet Kubica certainly doesn’t mind. In fact he thanked Lewis Hamilton for crashing into Kimi Raikkonen instead of his own vehicle. After the unfortunate incident, which he narrowly missed being a part of, he was able to drive on, regain his nerve and take the checkered flag. After the race he was seen flashing an ecstatic grin as he popped a bottle of champagne on the winner’s podium. However, not everyone is as happy as Kubica. Prior to the accident Hamilton was set to repeat his Montreal win, which would have allowed him to pull away at the top of the championship standings. He also ruined Raikkonen’s race, bumping him down to fourth place with 35 points when he was leading just two races ago. Hamilton publicly apologized to for ruining Kimi’s race but seemed reluctant to name the exact cause of the collision. Fans will now have to look forward to the next Grand Prix on June 22 to see how this sudden turn of events effects the final outcome of this year’s Grand Prix.

Penn Can Speedway Sees More URC Sprint Car Action

The United Racing Company Sprint Cars will be returning to the 3/8 mile Penn Can Speedway oval on June 20th, providing fans with a great action packed program of racing. The United Racing Company has long been providing some of the best sprint car action in the country and it is currently one of the most respected and longest surviving sanctioning bodies in the U.S. In fact, it oversees more than 25 different sprint car races every year.

As if it wasn’t enough that this brilliant sanctioning body was involved with the race, the Penn Can Speedway is a brilliant venue in its own right. The ultra fast clay oval usually draws a massive contingent of sprinters and this year’s URC event should be no different. In fact the Penn Can Speedway saw some fantastic racing action just last year when Mares Stellfox made racing history as the first female driver to win in any division at the speedway. This great achievement was followed by Scott Purcell who managed to complete the double sprint car features later that night. This year’s race at the Penn Can Speedway will be the only time in 2008 that the 358 URC sprint car drivers will be making an appearance. The entire event will be sponsored by Rislone Oil Products.

So what can fans look forward to when all this exciting racing action kicks off that Friday night? The strong field will be headed by Curt Michaels who has just enjoyed his 37th URC feature win, so you can be sure to see some exciting driving action. Fans will also see Chris Coyle, who will be sponsored by BPG, and the Davey Sammon’s Palladino Motorsports Team. Other people to look out for include Randy West, Dave Ely, Tim Hogue and Kevin Welsh. All of these racing veterans are sure to make for an exciting race. But that’s not all. Jeff and Alan Rudalavage, Craig Terrel, Butch Tittle, Brian Weaver, Joey Grammes and a whole bunch of other top drivers will be joining the already strong field and providing some very stiff competition.

The gates will open at 5:15 p.m. and racing will start at 7:15 p.m. Racing fans will be happy to know that the sportsman, super stocks and pure stocks will also be racing that night, so if you need a change of pace you will definitely find one. So start getting ready to enjoy one great night of racing at the Penn Can Speedway later this month!

Keep an Eye on Colin Braun’s Career

Colin Braun is widely considered to be one of the bright rising stars in the world of American motor sports, and auto racing enthusiasts will no doubt be watching the progress of this talented young driver with intense interest in the years to come. Colin had already won two professional racing championships at the age of seventeen – a clear indication that he has what it takes to carve a memorable career in the competitive world of motor sport.

Colin was born in Ovalo, Texas, on 22 September 1988. He was six-years old when he started his racing career by racing quarter midgets. At the age of eight, Colin’s career as a go-cart driver went international, and he competed in Spain, Monaco, France and Japan. At the age of fourteen, Colin moved to cars, going on to win championships in Formula TR2000 Pro Series and Formula Renault TR1600.

At sixteen-years of age, Colin became part of the Team 16 squad as teammate to Brad Coleman, making his road racing debut driving a Porsche 996 GT3 in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. At seventeen, driving an Essex Racing Ford Crawford, he made history as the youngest Daytona Prototype driver. In 2006 Colin Braun joined Krohn Racing’s #75 team as Jorg Bergmeister’s teammate. These two talented drivers had great success despite the fact that they had no sponsor. Colin’s win at the Brumos Porsche 250 in Daytona made him the youngest winner of a major race in North America. He once again went down in history when he drove his Ferrari F430 to a second place finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, making him the youngest driver to be placed on the podium for this prestigious race. Colin remained with Krohn Racing for the 2007 auto racing season, with Max Papis as his teammate.

In 2007 Colin Braun made the move to stock cars by signing a driver development contract with Roush Fenway Racing. He made his stock car racing debut at Gateway International Raceway, competing in an ARCA RE/MAX Series race and finishing thirteenth. He went on to notch up a fourth place finish at Chicago, followed by a near win at Talladega. He made his NASCAR debut driving the #50 RSC Equipment Rental Ford for Roush Fenway in the Craftsman Truck Series. He was holding his position within the top 20 when a flat tire sent his car into the wall, causing him to finish in 34th place. Colin went on to compete at the Sam’s Town 250, driving the #16 3M Ford. He was in eleventh place when another car went into a spin in front of him, forcing him to drop back, resulting in a 30th place finish. On 16 November 2007 it was announced that Colin Braun would be the full-time driver of the #6 Ford. Colin qualified for the 2007 Corona Mexico 200 by scoring his first Nationwide series pole at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigues in Mexico City.

Colin Braun’s future plans include making a run for Rookie of the Year, under the sponsorship of Con-Way. Should he succeed, he will be the first road racer to win such an award. Judging by his achievements thus far, it would seem that this determined young driver can achieve anything he sets his mind to.

11th Annual Showdown at Fulton Speedway This Saturday

Fans are already getting ready to enjoy the racing action at the Fulton Speedway in the state of New York this weekend. On Saturday night, June 7th, spotlights will illuminate the raceway making it possible for dozens of excellent teams to participate in the 11th annual “Show Down at Sundown“. The race is part of the Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar Big Block Modified Super DIRT Series and is a 100-lap event.

So what’s all the hullabaloo about? The competition is bound to be stiff with drivers like Dale Planck, Jimmy Phelps, Danny Johnson, Ryan Phelps, Steve Hulsizer, Jim Witko and Alan Johnson taking to the track for the race. Dale Planck is a former track champion and he arrives with two tour wins and is only trailing only three points behind trails series point leader Brett Hearn. He joins the regulars at the track – many of whom are already ranking in the top five in series points – as well as the track points leader Tommy Sears Jr. Brett Hearn, driver of the No. 20 Teo Pro Car, will no doubt be looking to claim another victory and scoop up his first Fulton win. Despite the fact that Hearn has hundreds of victories and championship wins, he has never been able to claim this particular trophy. Hearn will be up against veterans Billy Decker and Matt Sheppard – both of whom have managed to find their way to the victory lane at Fulton on more than one occasion. Tim Fuller might also choose to participate in this legendary annual event in his No. 19 Teo Pro Car. With so much talent in the lineup it will likely be impossible to predict who the winner will be until the final lap of the race.

This year’s Show Down at Sundown race will be sponsored by Bradco Supply and Ferries Mowers. The night’s activities will also feature the DIRTCar Crate Sportsman Modified, the E&V Energy Rookie Crate Modifieds and the UMO Street Stocks, so there will be plenty of exciting racing action. Gates will open at 17:00 and racing will commence at 19:00. The prices are reasonable and fans are already buying up tickets, so make sure you get yours as soon as possible if you want in on all the action.

All-Star Speedway Gets Ready For 2nd Showdown

This Saturday will see the start of the second leg of the $20 000 WaterSnoGo All-Star Modified Showdown series. The second race in the four-race series will be held at the All-Star Speedway, which is located in Southern New Hampshire, on June 7. With running costs lowered and the race made more accessible, some 32 teams are expected to show up for the event. The action should be memorable and a lot of fans have already got their tickets.

With the change in venue comes a couple of changes in race strategy. For starters temperatures are already soaring and authorities are predicting about a 20 degree increase in heat for the event. This means that teams that ran the first leg of the race on May 10 may well find themselves having to adapt their strategies and equipment if they want to continue to race successfully. There will also be a change in the length of the race, with the June 7 event consisting of 100 green flag laps. Authorities have attempted to make things more affordable for teams by allowing them to use their tires from the last race to practice for this one. This means they only have to buy one new set of tires for the actual race, making the race more affordable for teams that are still starting out.

Racing fans can expect to see plenty of action at the All-Star Speedway when the race gets underway. Mike Stefanik, a nine-time NASCAR champion and the current leader of the series, will be taking to the track yet again. Stefanik won the Laticrete 150 on May 10 with a 1996 Troyer Chassis. His modest mode of transport proved yet again that driver ability and handling often mean much more than plenty of money and top racing vehicles. Stafanik is up against drivers such as Andy Seuss, Jon McKennedy, Kirk Alexander, Ted Christopher and Matt Hirschman. These veteran drivers will have to watch their backs as a number of top underdog drivers also take to the speedway. Chris Pasteryak, Jimmy Kuhn, Brett Gonyaw and Tommy Cravenho will all be joining in on the action. Each of them are noteworthy drivers and most of them even have a few wins under their belts already.

The racing action at this quarter-mile track is bound to be brilliant. The Modified heats will be starting at 6:00 pm and the racing action will continue late into the night. So make sure you get your ticket for this great race or you will definitely be missing out!

Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race Off-Road Action

Many racing drivers find that nothing gets the blood pumping quite like a good off-road race. The Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is the best of the best. It is noted for being the best part of the Australian Offroad Racing Championship. The grueling race tests the mental prowess and physical fitness of the driver, as well as the strength of their machinery. It is little wonder then, that the race draws all the big names of off-road racing to Alice Springs each year.

The Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race takes place on the Queens Birthday Long Weekend in June each year. This year that falls on June 6 to 9. The race has a somewhat unique point-to-point format and starts and ends in Alice Springs. Along the way competitors hurl themselves along the old Ghan Railway to Finke where they spend the night before scurrying back to Alice Springs in pursuit of the checkered flag the following day. Competitors drive a whopping 230 km in each direction. The route has a reputation for being the most difficult off-road track available and the winning driver is invariably crowned ‘King of the Desert’.

More ‘regular’ drivers might find the sound of the race daunting – yet 2008 has seen hundreds of entries flood in once again. The auto field will feature around 80 cars and the entries were closed on May 30. Additionally, a whopping 449 bikes and 51 quads are scheduled to start the event. Just how many manage to make it to the finish line remains to be seen. It seems there should be a lot of healthy competition between the bikes and cars this year, just as there has been in previous years.

Last year’s winner, Australian Hayden Bentley, had his entry for this year’s race in very early with hopes of claiming the victory a second time in a row. However, he is facing tough competition with Brad Prout, Shannon Rentsch and Mark Burrows also getting ready join the field. The 2008 Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race should be action packed to the last minute so make sure that you get in on the action!

Hillary Will’s Definitive Win

While there may be hundreds of images of bleached blonde, busty woman splashed across the pages of auto magazines and calendars, there are not many women who actually drive at major auto racing events. It would seem that times are changing, however, with a handful of brilliant female drivers carving up local circuits and even leaving male counterparts choking on their exhaust fumes.

Sunday saw another landmark victory in the battle of the sexes at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas. Hillary Will became the 11th woman in NHRA history to take first place at a national event. Will whizzed around the circuit to take first place in Top Fuel at the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals. The sensational win was the first in Will’s career and had her grinning, laughing and shaking hands. Hillary Will managed to beat the No. 1 qualifier Larry Dixon when she drove her dragster to a 4.744-second run at a top speed of 304.53 mph. In doing so she not only took first place, but she became the third female to win in the past four NHRA races. It would definitely seem that ladies are making headway in this predominantly male-dominated domain and you can be sure that the men are having a lot to say about it.

This was only Hillary Will’s 55th professional start and it was the first Top Fuel win for team owner Ken Black. It would seem that the win comes as a result of Will’s decision to simply enjoy her job instead of worrying about winning or loosing. Will admitted that she’s let the pressure get to her previously, but she had finally told herself that she was incredibly lucky to have the job she had. She also felt incredibly proud to have the support of her team who have never doubted her in the two and a half years she has been working with them, regardless of how much she may have doubted herself in that time. She considered herself to be the luckiest driver in the world and dedicated the win to her team. This was definitely a proud moment for both Will and her remarkable and supportive team.

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