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NASCAR Sprint Cup Ends with a Duel

Editor — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:19:53 +0000

As the final race of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday offered excitement from start to finish, ending with Tony Stewart taking the checkered flag and the championship title. Having won the NASCAR season championships in 2002 and 2005, this was Stewart’s third championship victory – a victory for which he had to battle against very strong competition. The last 40 laps of the 267-lap event proved to be a duel between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards that kept fans in suspense right to the finish line. Although Stewart and Edwards ended the season tied in points, the championship title went to Stewart because of his five victories during the season, compared with one victory for Edwards.

What made Stewart’s victory even sweeter was the fact that it was not without obstacles. Eearly on in the race he discovered a hole in his car’s front grille forcing him to stop for repairs. His team put a new grille over the damaged one, securing it in place with electrical tape, and sending him on his way again. At one stage Stewart was 40th in the field, but climbed to 5th place before a 74-minute rain delay broke his stride once more. But nothing was going to stand in Stewart’s way as he fought his way to the front of the field, and the battlefor first place became a duel between himself and Edwards.

In a post-race interview, Stewart acknowledged that the first 109 laps of the race had been very challenging and commended his crew for their hard work. Commenting on his daring driving style which saw him passing a trio of cars on the inside of the track, Stewart said:”That shows you how bad I wanted to win this thing.” He also noted that a driver can’t hold anything back when going for a championship.

Martin Truex Jr. finished in third place, with Matt Kenseth taking the fourth spot and Jeff Gordon coming in fifth. Having scored two wins in the season, Jimmie Johnson had a disappointing finish to the season, finishing 32nd due to engine trouble and an incident in lap 143 where he spun out and hit the wall. Nevertheless, Johnson ended in sixth place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings with 2304 points. Both Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards clocked up 2403 points, with Kevin Harvick taking third place with 2345 points, Matt Kenseth at fourth place with 2330 points, and Brad Keselowski in fifth place with 2319 points.

Costa Wins the Race, Wickens Takes the Championship

Editor — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:22:59 +0000

Canadian Robert Wickens may not have finished the race in Barcelona on Sunday, but he nevertheless won the Formula Renault 3.5 Championship on points. Starting the last race of the season with a nine-point lead over Jean Eric Vergne of France, it initially appeared that Wickens may have lost the title due to an accident on the first lap with his Carlin Motorsports teammate. Vergne had tried to pass Wickens on the inside of the track, but his car’s front left wheel made contact with Wickens’ side pod. This incident was followed up at the next corner with the right front of Wickens’ car hitting the left rear of Vergne, breaking Wickens’ steering and putting him out of the race as he collided with Nathanel Berthon.

Vergne tried to continue, but damage to his car’s steering and rear suspension, along with contact by Mofaz racer Fairuz Fauzy, eventually put him out of the race. Vergne would have had to finish fifth or higher in order to take the Formula Renault 3.5 Championship from Wickens, but with both drivers out of the race, the victory went to Wickens.

In an interview following the race, Wickens noted that while it was not how he had wanted to end the day, nor how he expected to be crowned champion, but was nevertheless pleased with the result. He pointed out that he and Vergne had enjoyed being teammates, they had raced hard and fair all year and it was a pity the last race of the season ended with contact at the first corner. He also thanked the Carlin team, describing them as being flawless all year, and thanked Marussia for making his championship win possible.

One of the rewards for winning the Formula Renault 3.5 championship is a half-day of test-driving a Lotus Renault on a full F1 track in Abu Dhabi next month, which Wickens describes as a “fantastic” prize. Having finished second in the 2009 F2 series and second in the GP3 series in 2010, and now claiming the Renault 3.5 championship, as well as being named Marussia Virgin F1 team reserve driver this year, Wickens appears to be well on his way to fulfilling his hopes of becoming the first Canadian driver to achieve in auto racing’s top series since Jacques Villeneuve – the 1997 F1 World Champion.

While the championship results may have outshone the actual victory of the day, it should not be overlooked that Albert Costa of Epic Racing took the checkered flag in Barcelona, having started in pole position, with Wickens second on the grid and Vergne starting from fifth.

V8 Supercars Acquired by Archer Capital

Editor — Thu, 19 May 2011 11:34:50 +0000

The majority shares of V8 Supercars Australia Auto Racing Championship will now be controlled by Archer Capital, and the series is valued at an estimated $316 million. Archer Capital is based in Sydney and funds Australian Motor Racing Partners Pty Limited. The organization will now own sixty percent of the series. The remaining forty percent of the V8 Supercars will be retained by the management holding and teams. Even though Archer Capital has taken on some debt in taking over the series, Andrew Gray, Director of the Australian Motor Racing Partners, expressed his optimism in regard to the takeover.

Andrew Gray spoke at a conference, which is viewable on the V8 Supercars website, saying that Australian Motor Racing Partners are a company that considers themselves long-term investors and that they are patient. He commented that the industry has grown and that they foresee a lot more growth in the future. Tony Cochrane will remain the chairman of the V8 Supercars Series, continuing to supervise the daily management that includes races in Australia, New Zealand and Abu Dhabi. Last year, the sport attracted approximately a hundred and twenty thousand spectators for each event. It is hoped that the new structure of V8 Supercars will develop the sport and create an infrastructure for the sport to continue on a steady growth pattern, and possibly add additional venues to the series.

The Australian Motor Racing Partners have a very distinguished history behind them, and are known to be successful in developing businesses and brands. With the backing of this leading company, V8 Supercars has a wonderful new future ahead of it. Financially the sport will be able to continue and develop under the watchful eye of the new investors, who will also be assisting in promoting the sport.

Tony Cochrane is also excited about the future, being quoted as saying: “It has been a fantastic and exciting 14 year journey to date, and this new ownership structure and investment are an exceptional outcome for everyone who loves this sport. Everyone in V8 Supercars should be immensely proud of the business and the sport that has been created. For my part, I am most proud of the nearly 1,600 jobs that are now contained within V8 Supercars. I have been asked and have agreed to continue with my role as both chairman and full voting board member as I see the coming years as the most exciting and most dynamic in V8 Supercars’ history.”

Sprint Cup Changes

Editor — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:18:22 +0000

On Friday night, teams prepared their cars for the practice sessions that evening, as well as the Budweiser Shootout that was held at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. NASCAR officials were monitoring the progress and speed of the cars closely. With some cars reaching speeds of over two hundred miles per hour, it was decided to implement a new change to the vehicles, of which the teams have been informed. It is hoped that the changes will benefit the cars, teams and their drivers.

The Sprint Cup Series is a prestigious championship on the NASCAR calendar, with teams preparing and making changes to their cars in anticipation of the start of the new season. Teams will have to begin making the changes to their cars after the Daytona 500, which has been confirmed by Ryan Pemberton, the Vice President of Competition for NASCAR. The changes will involve the cooling systems of the cars, with new front grill specifications being twenty inches in width and two and a half inches in height. Not only will the grills have to be altered, but teams will be expected to lower their water systems to produce thirty-three pounds per square inch, which will be achieved by altering the pressure relief valve that is located on the water system of the car. Some teams will have to adjust their radiators for the pressure relief valve, which will cause the water to flow out if the radiator beings to overheat rather than being contained within the high pressure radiator systems that most cars are fitted with. NASCAR found that the temperatures on most vehicles were running between approximately two hundred and ninety to three hundred degrees, and with the new regulations it is expected to drop to an average of two hundred and fifty.

Pemberton commented on the changes by saying that: “Right now, I think it’s more important to get some things out there. Teams have to go home and prepare (for the cooling system alteration), so it will take several hours for them to get ready for this change. The bulletin was about enabling those guys to spend the time to get prepared and come back on Wednesday.”

Vettel is New F1 World Champion

Editor — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:03:23 +0000

The atmosphere at Yas Marina was thick with anticipation and excitement as the cars for the 2010 Formula 1 Championships’ final round got ready to race. With all attention focused on Mark Webber (Red Bull) and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) to win the drivers’ championship, there was one factor not many fans took into account, and that was the fact that in pole position was Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel. Mark Webber started in fifth position, with Alonso in third, and the stage was set for a race and a showdown that people are unlikely to forget.

As the cars pulled away from the start and spectators prepared for racing action, the first lap turned out to be a hair-raising lap, as Michael Schumacher ended up in a spin, which resulted in Vitantonio Liuzzi not being able to avoid the crash. Safety cars were brought out onto the track and both Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso used this time for pit stops. Unfortunately, this put them back in the middle of the contender field, and with Alonso stuck behind Vitaly Petrov for most of the race, his top four placing in the drivers’ championship began to slip away.

Sebastian Vettel on the other hand delivered a perfect performance, leading the race and managing to collect twenty-five points after completing his fifty-five laps, making him the 2010 World Champion. It was a second reason for the Red Bull Team to celebrate, as they managed to win the constructors title as well during the Brazilian Grand Prix.

At the end of the season, the Champion Standings and points were as follows: Sebastian Vettel (256), Fernando Alonso (252), Mark Webber (242), Lewis Hamilton (240) and Jenson Button (214). The constructor title and points saw RBR-Renault in first position with 498 points, followed by McLaren-Mercedes (454), Ferrari (386), Mercedes GP (214) and Renault (163).

Vettel expressed his joy at his magnificent achievement saying, “I can’t believe it. The car is a masterpiece. Senna and Schumacher have been champions and now it’s me. It doesn’t seem real. It was light when I started and will be light again by the time I’ve finished celebrating.”

World Figure 8 Championship 2010

Editor — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:24:38 +0000

To watch the best drivers from around the country, as far as Florida, Texas, California and Kentucky, show off their extraordinary driving skills, motoring enthusiasts are advised to ensure that they attend the 34th Annual World Figure 8 Championship on 11 September 2010. It is where more than ninety drivers will continue to drive in a figure of eight, non-stop, for three hours. The thrill and excitement of this event is not to be missed, and is an event that the entire family can enjoy.

To find out more information about this historical track and the World Figure 8 Championship, visit the Indianapolis Speedrome website at www.speedrome.com.

Date: 11 September 2010
Venue: Indianapolis Speedrome
City: Indianapolis
Country: United States of America

Fuchs Rallycross Open Championship 2010

Editor — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:57:38 +0000

The Knockhill Racing Circuit is referred to as the Motor Sports Center of Scotland. It is home to many championship racing events and on 1 August 2010, it will be bringing the Fuchs Rallycross Open Championship 2010, to racing enthusiasts. A variety of exciting categories will be taking place, such as Procar 2000, Super National Plus, Supercar, Juniors, Super Minis and much more. This competitive championship is one of the highlights of the year, and motor sport enthusiasts should not miss out on this event.

For additional information in regard to ticket pricing and racing events, visit the Rallycross website at http://www.rallycrossopen.com/index2.php.

Date: 1 August 2010
Venue: Knockhill Racing Circuit
City: Dunfermline, Fife
Country: Scotland

Richard Petty Motorsports

Editor — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:41:12 +0000

Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) is a popular NASCAR team owned by Richard Petty and George Gillett Jr. The team was previously known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports, but was merged with Petty Enterprises in January 2009 to form Richard Petty Motorsports.

The team’s #9 Ford Fusion is driven by Kasey Kahne, who has done very well for the team, taking 10th position in the 2009 Sprint Cup standings. AJ Allmendinger is behind the wheel of the #43 Ford Fusion Best Buy Ford. Driving the #19 Ford is Elliott Sadler, a great addition to RPM. Taking to the driver’s seat in the #98 Ford Fusion is Paul Menard, a talented NASCAR driver.

Richard Petty, or “The King”, is an extremely accomplished NASCAR racing driver. During his career he racked up 200 career victories, along with seven Nextel Cup championships. His winning streak didn’t end when he stopped racing, as a car owner he has gone on to enjoy many triumphs, the first being in 1996 with driver Bobby Hamilton. Petty has certainly played a vital role in the sport of NASCAR and has always been active in giving back to his fans and the community. Currently he serves as the Chairman of the North Carolina Motorsports Association. Richard Petty has also been recognized by induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, North Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame and North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame. Now co-owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, you can be sure he will continue to exert his influence on the world of NASCAR for many more years.

A successful business owner, George Gillett Jr. is an integral part of Richard Petty Motorsports. He is also the owner of Liverpool Football Club and the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. He is sure to bring his outside the box perspective to the team, which will likely see it gaining many victories. After forming Gillett Evernham Motorsports in 2007, it has been Gillett’s goal to form a championship team. And that is what he has been doing, with 3 wins, 6 top-tens and 3 poles scored by his team during the 2008 season.

Be sure to keep your eye on Richard Petty Motorsports in the years to come!

Lotus Racing

Editor — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:54:52 +0000

Lotus Racing made its F1 Championship debut at the 2010 Bahrain F1 Grand Prix, with drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli finishing in fifteenth and seventeenth place respectively. The CEO of Lotus Racing is Riad Asmat, with Mike Gascoyne as the technical director. The team’s drivers are Italian Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen of Finland, with Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy as test driver. The Lotus T127 chassis is powered by a Cosworth CA2010 engine, with Bridgestone supplying the tires.

While the name Lotus may be a familiar one to racing enthusiasts, Lotus Racing is not a resurrection of the original Team Lotus that was so prominent on the F1 scene between 1954 and 1994. It is a new team that is an initiative of the Malaysian Government to promote national unity, and is backed by a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs, including Proton (the owner of Lotus Cars and the connection to the original team), Tune Group, Sepang International Circuit, Naza Motors, the Automobile Association of Malaysia, and the Motorsports Association of Malaysia.

Lotus Racing was a late entry into the 2010 F1 Championships, and pulled out all the stops to have its cars on the grid for the first race of the season. Having successfully completed their debut event, the future looks promising for this new team, with a legendary name.

Robert Kubica

Editor — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:08:43 +0000

Born in Kraków, Poland, on 7 December 1984, Robert Kubica has the distinction of being the first Polish driver to compete in Formula One racing. Kubica started his racing career by competing in the Italian Formula Renault 2000 and Formula Renault 200 Eurocup in 2001. He progressed to Formula Three and continued to build his reputation as a competitive and consistent driver, winning the Renault World Series in 2005.

The year 2006 proved to be a turning point in Kubica’s career as he was appointed as Formula One reserve driver with BMW Sauber. He went on to replace Jaques Villeneuve for the final six races of the season, thereby becoming the first Polish driver to compete in the sport. Claiming third place in the Italian Grand Prix, he became the first driver to finish on the podium within his first three F1 races since Villeneuve achieved this in 1996. It was confirmed at the end of the 2006 F1 season that Kubica would be driving for BMW Sauber for the 2007 season.

Kubica started off well in the 2007 season, consistently achieving point scoring finishes. However, at the Canadian Grand Prix Kubica had a serious accident, resulting in his car rolling across the track, striking a wall and landing on its side. Considering that he had been subjected to a peak G-force of 75G when his car hit the wall, he escaped with relatively minor injuries of a concussion and sprained ankle. It did, however, result in him being unable to compete at the 2007 US Grand Prix, where test driver Sebastian Vettel took the wheel. Kubica was back in action for the French Grand Prix where he finished in fourth place, going on to achieve a fourth place finish for the British Grand Prix as well.

Retained by BMW Sauber for the 2008 season, Kubica soon established himself as a serious contender for the title, taking the first pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and notching up second place finishes at both the Malaysian and Monaco events. It was on the June 8, at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix that Kubica achieved his first F1 victory. Having started second on the grid, he soon passed Lewis Hamilton, who was in the lead. On leaving the pits after the first pit stop, Hamilton crashed into the back of Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari, putting both cars out of the race and leaving the field open for Kubica who had been in the pits at the same time. Kubica won the race, joking that it had been his good fortune that Hamilton had not crashed into him seeing as he was alongside Raikkonen when the incident happened. Kubica finished the season fourth in the drivers’ championship.

Following the excitement and success of 2008, the 2009 season proved to be disappointing, with the new BMW Sauber F1.09 underperforming all the way. Robert Kubica managed to earn a second place in Brazil, which boosted his points, but he started to look for an alternative team for the 2010 season. With BMW announcing plans to withdraw from F1, Kubica signed with Renault in October 2009 for the 2010 season, with Russian driver Vitaly Petrov as his team-mate. No doubt fans will be watching the career of this talented young driver very closely as the 2010 season progresses.