Alonso’s Win at the Singapore Grand Prix

The latest Grand Prix race held on Sunday (28/09/2008) was packed with never-before-seen excitement and drama. Not only was this the first Grand Prix to take place in the colorful country of Singapore, but it was also the first time a Formula One race has ever taken place at night. In the end the outcome was anything but predictable and the race was wildly exciting for fans watching from all over the world.

A number of the drivers may have been nervous about hitting the racetrack at night, fearful that bad visibility could’ve caused some nasty collisions. But in the end it seems that the demanding Marina Park circuit had enough spotlights to ensure that the drivers could see as clear as day. The excitement of the race was further emphasized by showers of sparks created by titanium skid plates as the cars made their way around the circuit. Initially it seemed Felipe Massa might claim the winner’s trophy yet again. He led from pole early on in the race and was driving well. Unfortunately his race was ruined at the start of the 20th lap when he pitted. The Brazilian was so eager to get back out on the track that he pulled away prematurely, taking the fuel rig and hose with him. By the time he was extricated from the situation by his crew, he had dropped to 18th place. To make matters worse, he was also given a drive-through penalty for his ‘unsafe release from a pit stop’, leaving many to wonder if he’d ever make it out last place. In the end he managed to climb up the grid a bit and finish in 13th place.

In the end it was Renault’s Fernando Alonso who took the victory, though even he hadn’t foreseen the victory. He started at 15th on the grid after a fuel pump failure during the qualifying rounds and his prospects looked grim. However, he managed to benefit from an early safety car period early in the race and from there it wasn’t long before he catapulted himself into the lead. The victory marks his 20th career win. It is also the first time that Alonso has won since he raced with McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix last year. Alonso was followed over the finish line by Nico Rosberg (Williams), while Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) finished third. Hamilton continues to lead the championship and has now gained further points over arch rival Massa.

JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals

The past weekend in Columbus, Ohio, was a very exciting one for auto racing enthusiasts. Eight champions were crowned in the various Lucas Oil sportsman categories following the outcome of the highly successful fourth annual JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals on the weekend of September 20-21, 2008.

The SPORTSnationals were held at the National Trail Raceway where more than 500 different competitors took part in a variety of action-packed events. In the end there were a lot of thrills and spills and the best of the best emerged to claim their trophies. Robert Baily of Wabash, Indiana, won the Comp Eliminator title and Jeff Taylor managed to lay claim to the Northern SPORTSnationals Super Stock title for a second time. Female driver Katie Sepanek from Moosic, Pennsylvania, became one of the few women to have won an NHRA national event when she was given the Stock Eliminator title ahead of fellow competitor and former champion Kevin Helms. Helms only just missed his chance to recapture the JEGS Crown by loosing to Sepanek. He won the JEGS Cajun SPORTSnationals in Bella Rose last April and has to win at least two of the three JEGS SPORTSnationals to capture the limited edition JEGS trophy. He still has one more chance at the crown, however, since the third JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals is set to take place in Fontana, California, from October 3-5, 2008.

Other racers who managed to go home with a trophy were Super Comp winner Don Trasin (Pickerington, Ohio), Super Gas winner Gary Linkhorn (Cumberland, Ohio), Don Moyer (Pickerington, Ohio) who won the Super Street trophy, Ronnie Davis (Suwanee, Georgia) who took the Top Sportsman award and Bill Webb (Centerburg, Ohio) who managed to go home with the trophy for Top Dragster. The Coughlin family also enjoyed a good weekend, with John Coughlin getting the best finish in a quarterfinal finish in Super Stock. Mike and Troy Jr Coughlin each won their opening races but were unable to make it past round two of eliminations. After an action-packed weekend of fantastic racing, fans and drivers alike will no doubt be looking forward to the final instalment in the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals this year. So make sure you don’t miss out by making your plans for the October SPORTSnationals now.

8th Nationwide Series Win for Busch

When Kyle Busch takes to the racetrack, fans are generally kept on tenterhooks waiting to see if he’ll blast past fellow competitors to take the winner’s trophy or if he’ll let his winning style slide for another bad finish. This past weekend’s race left no-one guessing, however, as Busch leisurely kept ahead of the pack for an easy finish.

When Busch took to the Dover International Speedway on the September 20th in the latest race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, it was quickly apparent that there would be no stopping him. Busch absolutely dominated the race, starting at pole and leading for the duration of the 400-mile Camping World RV Sales 200. His Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota performed flawlessly, his driving skills were on the mark and there was never a moment of tension. As Busch noted, the team “made it look easy.” So easy in fact that the run has been called a “leisurely afternoon drive.” Though the race stretched into overtime with 207 laps, Kyle Busch always ensured that fellow competitors were choking on his exhaust fumes. In the end he pulled ahead by a couple of car lengths on the final restart, ensuring an easy and almost flawless victory for himself and his team. He led for laps 1-72, 74-98 and the final 60 laps – certainly not something that is often seen in the motor sport industry.

The win was Kyle Busch’s eighth victory so far this season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Current series point leader Clint Bowyer did not enjoy quite such an easy race. His No. 2 Chevrolet was severely damaged in a pit-road accident that took place about halfway through the race. Bowyer managed to pull the pieces together for a 10th place finish which helped him to maintain his lead over Edwards, but the accident and subsequent bad finish certainly has helped Edwards to catch up 21 points. Edwards is unlikely to catch Bowyer however, as he still has to make up 186 points and there are only six races left in the series for the season. Mike Bliss finished second while Brad Keselowski finished third. Scott Wimmer was fourth and Carl Edwards finished fifth. This was Busch’s 19th win in the top three NASCAR series this year.

Vettel Wins Italian Grand Prix

21-year-old German driver Sebastien Vettel is a new face on the F1 scene, but he isn’t’ unknown altogether. He has spent the last year driving for BMW Sauber in the United States after Kubica suffered a devastating car crash. During that time he became the youngest driver to score a Formula One point when he finished eighth. He went on to replace Scott Speed for Torro Rosso for the final seven races of the year. Clearly this youngster has a lot of talent.

It comes as no surprise then that even though he’s still relatively new to the F1 scene, Vettel became the youngest driver to ever win a Formula One Grand Prix when he won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday. Starting from pole position, he not only quickly managed to pull ahead of the pack, but he also kept his cool and came out tops on a wet racetrack. Vettel was driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso and displayed exceptional composure during the course of the weekend’s events. Not only did he race exceptionally well during the qualifying, finishing ahead of Ferrari, McLaren and BMW Sauber, but when it came to the big race he continued to keep his cool. By the time he made his first pit stop he had already gained a six-second lead over second-place finisher Heikki Kovalainen, who was racing for McLaren. Robert Kubica, who finished third, used a one-stop strategy to work his way up from his start at 11th on the grid.

During interviews with the press, Sebastien Vettel described his win on Sunday as being a somewhat unbelievable experience. He said: “It was difficult to realize what had happened. It was unbelievable seeing everybody going crazy all the way round the circuit. To see the people in the team, from my family, going mad and then to listen to my national anthem I started to cry.” It isn’t difficult to imagine what an emotional experience it must have been for the young and still relatively inexperienced driver to surpass other racing greats with inexplicable ease and take home the winner’s trophy. Hopefully this will mark the start of a long and illustrious career for Vettel who will be racing with Red Bull Racing next year.

New Smyrna Speedway to Host FASCAR Late Model Challenge

New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, will play host to the FASCAR Late Model Challenge on Saturday 13 September. Auto racing fans can expect plenty of action as competing drivers tackle 100 laps around the half-mile asphalt track. The exciting program includes Modifieds, Super Stock, Sportsman, Mini Stock and Strictly Stock, plus double points for Modifieds.

Fans can expect the pit gate to open at 2 pm on Saturday, with an exclusive practice session for the FASCAR Late Model Challenge drivers between 3 and 4 pm followed by Division practice. Qualifying for the FASCAR Late Model Challenge (which was formerly known as the Goodyear Challenge Late Models) is scheduled for 6:30 pm with racing action starting at 7:30 pm.

FASCAR (Florida Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing) is considered to be the state of Florida’s version of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing), providing a developmental league where 16 to 18 year old drivers can develop their skills racing stock cars in preparation for competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The FASCAR Late Model Challenge Series is a twelve race season at the most challenging late model tracks in Florida. Saturday’s FASCAR Late Model Challenge is the eighth of the season, and Daniel Keene Jr. is currently in the lead for the series. Out of the five races so far this year, Keene has won four, demonstrating his exceptional driving skills. Jeremy Colangelo is second in points, while third is Jessica Murphy, followed by Alan Bruns, Darren Brown and Joe Winchell.

FASCAR has been operating since 1970 with various series taking place at their two race tracks, being New Smyrna Speedway (half-mile) and Orlando Speedworld (3/8 mile). FASCAR traveling series, which take place throughout Florida, include the Sunoco-Sunbelt Super Late Model Series and Advance Auto Parts Pro-Trucks Series. New Smyrna Speedway also hosts the annual Florida Governor’s cup in November and the annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing in February each year.

The next two events in the FASCAR Late Model Challenge Series take place on 25 October at the New Smyrna Speedway and 7 November at Orlando Speedworld – so make a note in your diary to be there.

Drama at the Belgian Grand Prix

When Lewis Hamilton breezed over the finish line at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in first place this weekend, it seemed he had claimed yet another victory for his team. However drama struck when officials later decided to impose a 25-second penalty on Hamilton, pushing him back to third place and giving the victory to Felipe Massa two hours after the race had ended.

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team has already registered their intention to appeal the decision but for now it seems that Hamilton will remain in third place. Apparently after race stewards reviewed videos of the chaos that ensued after a short but heavy downpour near the end of the race, they ruled that Hamilton should be penalized for actions taken at the Bus Stop chicane. Hamilton collided with Raikkonen, who was in first place, and inadvertently cut the corner. However he subsequently slowed down and allowed Raikkonen to retake the lead, perhaps as part of efforts to ward off a penalty. Unfortunately if that was his goal, it didn’t work. The stewards have ruled that he gained an advantage due to his actions. However Raikkonen later spun off the track on the same lap due to a completely unrelated incident, leaving Massa to gain the most from the ruling.

The British driver had again proved that he was the best wet-weather driver on the track when a sudden shower turned the race into utter chaos during the last few laps. Hamilton kept his cool, took the lead with ease after Raikkonen spun of the track and finished in first place with Massa (Ferrari) hot on his tail in second place and Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) in third. After the penalty was imposed Massa was moved into first place and Nick Heidfeld was gifted with second place. The change now means that Hamilton only takes six points instead of the ten he would have got for first place in the championship. It also pushes his team a little further back in the Constructors’ Championship. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are currently second with 119 points after Ferrari with 131 points.

New Book Sheds Light on Tommy Byrne

When you mention the name ‘Tommy Byrne‘ to the average Formula One enthusiast, they won’t even know who you’re talking about. But the fact is that Tommy Byrne was arguably the best Formula One driver of all time. The only difference between him and other greats such as Jim Clark, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher is that he didn’t get his chance to shine.

Tommy Byrne is a short Irishman who once showed promise of absolutely crushing every racing driver there ever was. He may no longer be racing Formula One, but he’s still alive and well and living in the United States where he works as a driver coach. His recent autobiography is appropriately entitled “Crashed and Byrned – The Greatest Racing Driver You Never Saw”. The book was written by Byrne himself in conjunction with Mark Hughes and has that never-put-it-down quality that is rare in autobiographies. In his book, Byrne discusses his jaded past, his back luck and his poor judgment. As a youngster in Ireland, Byrne was raised in a troubled household at a time when sectarian violence regularly affected him. Before long he dropped out of school and ended up becoming a thief, drunk and womanizer. Perhaps it was this troubled past that later prevented him from reaching the glory that he was clearly capable of. The book goes on to tell how eventually Byrne managed to quit drinking and stealing and make his way to England to seek his fortune as a racing driver.

On the track, Byrne was the driver every other driver hated but respected. He was feared – the guy that other promising drivers like Senna avoided competing against as much as possible. He simply blew away the competition. Unfortunately his past continued to plague him since it meant he continued to have contempt for any form of authority. He also tended to look gift horses in the mouth and so missed out on many great opportunities. In the end his F1 career was limited to only a handful of races which he performed as part of the badly-funded Theodore team. He also did a test outing for McLaren that is now legendary. The book packs one heck of a riotous punch and is filled with women, billionaires, guns, fights and wild parties. It is a definite must-read for F1 fans.

The Annual AMP Outlaw Winter Nationals

For the past six years the AMP Outlaw Winter Nationals have been bringing race-lovers of every sort together for some fantastic auto racing action. The races take place during the last few months of the year, continuing into early next year and are divided into four divisions: ATV Quads, Karts, Motorcycles and Modified Hot Rod Riding Lawn Mowers.

This year all the action will be taking place at the OK Corral Indoor Arena in Harrah, Oklahoma. The competition is open to a wide variety of drivers, including vintage drivers, regional professionals, adults and youths. The various divisions have been carefully created to cater for specific engine sizes and rider skill levels. The 2008-2009 race schedule has just been released so fans of the AMP Outlaw Winter Nationals Indoor Short Track Race Series would do well to get a head start on the event and have a peek at the schedule.

The 2008-2009 Outlaw Winter Nationals are sponsored by NOS Energy Drink and will get underway on October 4, 2008, with a massive series opener. After that the action will die down for a while, only to return on October 25 with Bike Night. November 8 and 22 will be Regular Points Night, while December 6 is the night of the 4th Annual Curley Sutton Memorial Race. The final race of the year is the Inaugural Eddy Daley “Celebration of Life” Tribute Race which will take place on December 27. Bicycle races will take place at half time and double points can be earned on the night.

January 3 & 10 in 2009 are another two regular points nights while Dad’s Race Night will follow on January 31. The Mom’s are not left out and February 14 is the date for Mom’s Powder-Puff Night. The Birthday Bash will take place on February 28 and there is a Spring Break Special with a five dollar special on kids’ tickets on March 14. March 28 is Mechanics Race Night and the action will start to draw to a close on April 4 with the Grand Finale. However, while the points series ends there, the fun does not – a massive Fun Race will take place on April 18, followed by an Awards Party on May 3. Further noteworthy events include the Lightning C Arena McAlester Indoor MOTO TT and Indoor Short Track events taking place in the Lightning C Arena in McAlester, Oklahoma, on May 15 and 16 respectively. Tickets will be available at the gates on the day of the race and drivers can enter their respective races on race day before 17:30.

Schumacher Sweeps Up At U.S. Nationals

There was a lot of racing action worth taking note of this past long weekend at the U.S. Nationals, but despite that there was only one name on everybody’s lips: Schumacher. The 39-year-old drag racer simply blew fans away with his performance as he swept in and set even more records.

Despite suffering the negative effects of having his U.S. Army-sponsored dragster not functioning up to standard at the start of the weekend, Tony Schumacher managed to pull ahead of the competition yet again in the big race on Monday, September 1. The 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals were held at the O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis and it was one exciting weekend. By the time the race ended on Monday, Schumacher had not only claimed the winner’s trophy, but he set a new record by winning 24 straight elimination rounds. He drove furiously, mowing down his competitors and pushing his way to the head of the pack. The win also extended his winning streak to six consecutive national event wins – a new Top Fuel record. This was his eleventh win of the, a new class record, and his seventh victory at the U.S. Nationals in nine years. The mean machine is now tied with Joe Amato, with 52 victories for first all-time in Top Fuel. If his luck continues he may pass Amato in two weeks time when he races at the Carolina Nationals in Concord.

When asked about his success on the track this past weekend, Schumacher said: “An awful lot of great things happened today. To do all of that on the same day you win at Indy, it’s hard to figure out what you’re smiling about most.” And he certainly was smiling. And who could blame him? That kind of success is part luck, part hard work and he’s proved that he’s earned every bit of it. In the final race against Doug Kalitta, Schumacher flew down the hot track in 3.916 seconds, leaving Kalitta to choke on his fumes and finish in 4.036 seconds. Schumacher now faces the Countdown to One championship playoff in which he will be trying to take his fifth straight championship. The upcoming weeks will no doubt be exciting for Schumacher and his fans alike.

Racing Legend Phil Hill Dies

Racing legend Phil Hill recently passed away at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula at 81 years of age due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. The celebrated octogenarian was the first and only US born racing driver to ever win the Formula One international auto-racing championships.

Philip Toll Hill was a memorable racing legend who was born on April 20, 1927, in Miami. He was raised in Santa Monica and started to develop his passion for cars from an early age. At just 12 years of age, he started to drive a Model T Ford that his aunt bought him on the private roads in Santa Monica Canyon. Cars were clearly a life-long obsession for him – one that stood him in good stead in future years. Hill started out his automobile career as a mechanic, but by the mid-1950s he found himself behind the steering wheel in Santa Ana. From there he went on to race in Pebble Beach, Mexico and even Europe. After his long but brilliant journey to the top, he eventually managed to join the Ferrari team and tackle a Ferrari Formula One car. The year was 1958 and it marked the start of the most spectacular leg of an already spectacular career – one which culminated with his earning the Formula One world title for himself.

During his years as a Formula One driver, Hill witnessed many tragic events. Perhaps the most memorable of these was the 1961 Grand Prix in Italy at Monza when German Wolfgang von Trips was killed in a tragic three-car collision that also took the lives of eleven spectators. It must have been a tragic race for Hill since Von Trips was his Ferrari teammate. Nevertheless, Phil Hill managed to enjoy a very successful career without ever suffering a serious injury. He not only won the F1 Championship in 1961, but became a three-time winner of both Le Mans and Sebring. After he retired from competitive racing, he never left his passion and focused on his love of classic cars, pianos and other antique musical instruments. His life as a driver was commemorated in 1991 when he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Hill is survived by his wife, children, step child and grandchildren. He lived a very full life of passion and excitement and will no doubt be remembered fondly by loved ones and fans around the world.