ColdTrackDays

RACE PREVIEW // 2009 TEMPEST RALLY

2009-11-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

Local rally crews take to the forests and military ranges surrounding Aldershot UK on Saturday, November 7th for the 2009 JLT South Of England Tempest Rally. The event which started life as a "Classic" rally has been based in the Hampshire town since 2003 and is now a round of the MSA English Rally Championship. This year as well as competing, the Jardine Lloyd Thompson Rally Team are the title sponsor.

Former competitors who have graced the Tempest stages have included the late Tony Pond and former World Rally Champion Richard Burns along with one of the original "Flying Finns" Pennti Airikkala who sadly lost his battle against liver disease this September.

This year local driver Peter Egerton from Burley along with his co-driver Jamie Edwards are again entered for the event. Egerton drives for UK rally ace Marcus Dodd's HPM Motorsport Team who are based in Poole Dorset, and will again be at the wheel of a Hyundai Accent World Rally Car for the single day event. Peter who began rallying some 20 years ago returned to the sport in 2004 driving a group N Subaru before making the switch to the fearsome 300bhp Accent WRC car. Dodd (above) who has been competing since the age of 17 this year secured his third British Gravel Rally Championship title in as many years and is recognised as one of the best rally drivers in the UK. Marcus who with co-driver Andrew Bargery won the event last year will again be running as the top seed in the 4 wheel drive section of the rally albeit with Alun Cook stepping in as co-driver... [read more]

The rally comprises of separate events for both two and four wheel drive machinery and as in the last two years "Tempest 2" and "Tempest 4" will tackle the same stages but will cover them at different times of the day effectively meaning both types of cars get to use some of the stages first while they are at their fastest.

Along with the more traditional rally machinery the Tempest sees the UK Armed Forces Rally Team compete with surprisingly rapid 4x4 Land Rover's. The team which has been competing at events both here and overseas for the last ten years switched from the Land Rover Defender to the more powerful Wolf (Below) in 2005. The goal of the Armed Forces Rally Team is to act as the pinnacle for the British Armed Forces Motoring Association (BAFMA) to which all advanced drivers from across the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force wish to aspire.

The Rally which is based at the Pegasus Village will see competitors head off to the special stages from 9am with the days action drawing to a close at approximately 16.30hrs

Spectator forest stages include "Warren Heath” and "Yateley" which are run twice along with the short Rushmoor Arena "Special" stage.

More Information can be found here

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Photo/Editorial: Neil Tozer

EYE CANDY // A WELL EQUIPPED 356

2009-11-06T13:26:00.002-08:00

Thought I'd post a bit of Eye Candy ahead of the weekend. And while I am not sure what iteration of 356 this is, with the rear wheel coverings, the louvered rear windows and rally inspired lighting, I do know one thing, I want one! If you have any additional information on this particular Porsche, please post it in our comment section below // [comment]

2009-11-06T13:26:00.001-08:00

MODERN DAY HEROES // ALAIN CASTERLLANA'S NORMA M20

2009-11-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

In these days of 500m asphalt run-off areas, constant radius turns, fifteen layer tyre barriers and the like, we here at ColdTrackDays thought that the 21st century motorsport enthusiast should not be without the few men and machines that still send a tingle down your spine just as back in the 'Golden Age' of the sport. So with this in mind 'Part One' of our series Modern Day Heroes looks to celebrate the unfashionably dangerous yet thrilling side of our sport... [read more]

Part One begins with the sport of "Hillclimbing" which in Europe can be quite a fearsome and at the same time interesting beast. Watch as Alain Castellana (above) in his Castellana Racing Norma M20 powered by a BMW 3.0l M3 powerplant (below) tackles a stretch of the Gemenos Hillclimb, France in 2005.

For those CTD readers wanting more after sampling the delights of this sport, a search on YouTube with the words F3000 and Bergrennen Hillclimb would be most recommended.

Editorial: Neil Tozer
Photo: AM Photosports

INSIDE THE HELMET // NICO HULKENBERG INTERVIEW

2009-11-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

German Nico Hukenberg spoke to our media partners at Williams F1 today about his hopes and aspirations for the coming season. The youngster nicknamed 'The Hulk' was announced earler this week as team-mate to Rubens Barrichello at AT&T Williams for 2010.

With the 2009 GP2 Championship under his belt, how does Nico feel about his recent signing?... [read more]

Q&A WITH NICO HULKENBERG, 2010 AT&T WILLIAMS RACE DRIVER

Q: How are you feeling about your new appointment?

NH: I’m pretty excited to be racing for Williams. They’re real racers. I’ve been with the team as a test driver for two years now so I know everyone well. I’ve also been working in the factory itself this year with stints in composites, the wind tunnel and sub-assembly. I like the people and the atmosphere within the factory is really good. I’m now in a race seat and I’m really looking forward to next year.

Q: What are your objectives for next season?

NH: I just want to deliver consistently and do a good job for the team. I’d like to have some good races and score point.

Q: What expectations are there from the team?

NH: Of course they are expecting something otherwise they wouldn’t have put me in the car, but I think their expectations are realistic.

Q: What steps will you take to ensure you hit the ground running in Formula One?

NH: I can’t ensure anything; all I can do is work hard over the winter. I’ll take all of the tests that I get and I will use the simulator at Grove as much as I can. I’ll prepare well with my engineers and then hit the track and go racing and see where we are in Bahrain.

Q: When will you get your first run in the car?

NH: I will test the 2010 FW32 when testing starts in February, but I will be doing two of the young driver tests in December at Jerez.

Q: Rubens Barrichello will be your team mate for 2010, your thoughts?

NH: It’s completely positive from my perspective. As a rookie in Formula One, you couldn’t ask for a better person to be your team mate. It’s a good combination.

Q: Do you think you can get the measure of Rubens next year?

NH: It’s difficult to judge at this stage. As there is a limited amount of testing before the season starts, it will be difficult to get much track time in to prepare, but I hope to be on his pace from the beginning. From there, I hope I will be able to match his speed and results and maybe even beat him at some point.

Q: Is he the kind of team mate you would prefer?

NH: I don’t really mind. I just want the best team mate I can get. Someone who is quick, experienced and a good driver, and that’s what I see in him.

Q: Will you go to him for advice?

NH: I would be stupid not to! I think I can learn a lot from him and his experience, particularly by seeing how he works over a race weekend.

Q: It’s been five years since Williams’ last victory in Formula One. From what you know so far of the new car, do you think the team can turn their fortunes around?

NH: I certainly hope so. I’m in the factory a lot so I see how hard the guys work, but you never really know how quickly and effectively the other teams’ development programmes are going until you get to the track. It’s only then that we will be able to tell.

Q: What are your thoughts on the team running a Cosworth engine?

NH: I think it’s looking positive, but it’s the same as the development of the car; you have to wait to judge until you get out onto the circuit with the others.

Q: How do you feel you’ve grown as a driver following your year in GP2?

NH: I think GP2 is a tough series. In your first year, you have to compete against drivers who might have been in the championship for two or three seasons. They already have the experience of pitstops and the circuits. That is difficult to compete against and we definitely found the opening races hard work. After a few races, though, we quickly settled into a good rhythm and started to work well together as a team which helped. That was all a good learning process for me.

Q: Do you think there is more pressure on you because Willi Weber is your manager because he managed Michael Schumacher in Formula One?

NH: No, not at all. There’s no pressure from Willi. I have a great relationship with him and he’s always supported me, both on and off the track. We work very well together and I hope it stays that way.

Q: How do you feel about racing against the generation of young German drivers?

NH: Six Germans is a lot, but there are quite a few Brazilians now as well. For me, though, at the endof the day, it doesn’t matter where someone is from when I’m racing against them.

Q: Does the success of Brawn as an independent team give you hope that Williams will be ableto take on the might of McLaren and Ferrari?

NH: The hope is always there. Independent of what Brawn does, however, I know that Williams can be successful.

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Photo: Williams F1
Editorial: Williams F1/Neil Tozer

SPOTTED // HONDA S2000 CR IN VESTAVIA HILLS

2009-11-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

ColdTrackDays correspondent Raymond Moore spotted this Rio Yellow Pearl Honda S2000 CR in Vestavia Hills, Alabama earlier this week. The S2000 CR features a lower ratio steering rack, stiffer suspension, wider rear tires and a revised body kit, which is composed of a redesigned front lip, rear bumper, and a large rear spoiler, all of which were wind-tunnel tested and claimed to reduce the overall coefficient of lift by 80%. The power folding soft-top was removed and replaced with additional chassis bracing and a tonneau cover.

The S2000 Club Racer made its debut at the New York International Auto Show on April 4th, 2007, with a base price of $36,300, however with Honda announcing it will cease production of their S2000 sports car, the Club Racer variant had a rather short production run.

Follow the link for a closer look... [read more]

For a look at more of Raymond's photography, click here

Photo: Raymond Moore
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

NEWS // TOYOTA TO LEAVE FORMULA ONE

2009-11-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

In a surprise move today, Toyota announced that it's Formula One team would be quitting the sport with immediate effect. After seven years in F1 with only modest success it is now the third manufacturer to leave the sport within the last twelve months.

Citing the current economic downturn as the reason for it's withdrawal Toyota's president Akio Toyoda revealed that they had no choice over the decision... [read more]

Back In May this year the company revealed its worst ever set of results for the last financial year - a 436.9bn yen (£2.9bn) loss in the year to 31 March, 2009 and is expecting further losses when it reveals its results to September 2009 on Thursday.

The decision means Formula 1 is currently left with just three manufacturer teams heading into 2010, Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes and Renault. With rumours surrounding Renault's participation long term, it seems the sport really is facing it's biggest crisis for some years.

Toyota's withdrawal will open the door for BMW Sauber to remain on the grid for 2010, the Hinwil-based team, under new owner Qadbak, having been forced to wait for a grid slot to become available after efforts to get agreement to expand the field to 14 teams failed.

Photo: Toyota F1
Editorial: Neil Tozer

VIDEO // DTM: THE GOLDEN YEARS (PART 2)

2009-11-04T12:14:00.002-08:00

Courtesy of ColdTrackDays correspondent, Camden Thrasher, here is the second part of DTM: The Golden Years a tribute to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft racing series put together by DTM Enthusiast // [comment]

2009-11-04T12:14:00.001-08:00

VIDEO // KEN BLOCK'S SUBARU STI SNOW-TRAX MONSTER

2009-11-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week 0-60 Magazine posted a video of Ken Block's rally prepped Subaru STI equipped with a set of snow-trax. The video was nothing more than a teaser ahead of the full feature expected in their Winter 2010 issue, but it caused such a stir around the interweb that I thought we should post it. So for those of you that missed it, follow the link for a look... [read more]

For a closer look at Block's Sno-Trax STI and a short interview with the Rally America turn WRC driver (more on that later), click here

Photo/Video: 0-60 Magazine

POST RACE INTERVIEW // TOYOTA'S KAMUI KOBAYASHI

2009-11-03T22:02:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Toyota's Kamui Kobayashi scored his first ever points in only his second Formula One start. Having taken over from the injured Timo Glock, Kobayashi talked with our friends at Toyota F1 about his recent baptism of fire at Brazil and Abu Dhabi... [read more]

What did you think about the new Yas Marina Circuit?

The new facility is just amazing and I've never seen a racing track like that. The organisers did a great job with the facilities, which were perfect for everyone. The track itself was interesting and fun to drive; also you could overtake there which makes it even better.

How would you sum up your second Grand Prix weekend?

It was a great weekend for me and I have to thank the team for this opportunity. Sixth place was a fantastic result and better than I imagined at the start of the weekend, so I am very pleased with how things worked out. Still, there is room for improvement and I have several areas to improve, such as qualifying pace. My target was to qualify in the top 10 but I just missed out, so there is a bit of work to do there.
How did you feel when you crossed the line to score your first Formula 1 points?
I was just really, really happy because my goal since I was a little kid was to be a Formula 1 driver and to score points in only my second Grand Prix felt great. Actually, I had the potential to finish even higher but I lost a little time in traffic; otherwise I could have been fighting for fourth because I was getting close at the end of the race. It was a great moment to come back to the team after parc fermé and see how happy everyone was.

You had another exciting race, tell us about it.

At the start I got a good getaway and managed to pass Kimi (Raikkonen) which was very important for our one-stop strategy. If I had been behind him during my first stint it would have been much tougher to score points but when I was past I concentrated on setting consistently fast lap times, even though I had a heavy fuel load. Towards the end of my first stint Jenson (Button) came out of the pits just in front of me. He was heavier than me and on cold tyres so I was able to pass him. Again that was important because I needed some fast laps at that time to make my strategy work. On the option tyres I struggled a bit to start with but then I found a rhythm and just kept going faster and faster, so at the end I was getting close to the battle for fourth.

How did it feel to overtake two World Champions?

I don't think about them as World Champions; they are just my rivals on the track like everyone else and my job is to get past them if I can. It's fun to battle on track, particularly when you can overtake, but I'm only thinking about my race position, not about what another driver has won or whatever.

How did you prepare for this race? Did you concentrate on anything specific after Brazil?

Well, I didn't know for sure I would be driving until the week of the race but obviously there was a chance because of Timo's injury. So I spent as much time as I could in Cologne at the factory; I was only at home in Paris for one day after Brazil. We looked at all the information from Brazil and identified areas to improve - things like car set-up, tyre management, communication with engineers. We studied everything and thought about improvements, which really paid off. One area I particularly worked hard on was race pace because that wasn't perfect in Brazil, so when I started the race I was confident I had the potential to get into the points.

Were you happy with your qualifying performance?

It was not bad but I was aiming for the top 10 and I definitely think I had the potential to do that. In the end I was just a tenth of a second away which was a bit disappointing. But as we proved on race day, I was close enough to finish in the top six so everything worked out well.

What will you do now?

My first priority is to take a holiday! For the past two years I have hardly had a day off with GP2, GP2 Asia and Formula 1 testing so I am really looking forward to a bit of a break to relax and recharge my batteries. After that, we'll see what happens.

Editorial: Toyota F1 and Neil Tozer
Photo: Toyota F1

PHOTO GALLERY // 12 HOURS OF THE CASCADES

2009-11-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, ColdTrackDays correspondent Camden Thrasher visited the Portland International Raceway for the 34th annual 12 Hours of the Cascades presented by the Cascade Sports Car Club. An event that sees a plethora of racing cars descend onto the 1.96 mile circuit for twelve straight hours of door to door racing, Camden was able to come away with a handful of incredible images and has (finally) decided to share them with us ;)

Follow the link for a look... [read more]

For a look at more photos from the 34th annual 12 Hours of the Cascades, click here

Photo: Camden Thrasher
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

NEWS // BARRICHELLO & HULKENBERG @ AT&T WILLIAMS IN 2010

2009-11-02T10:43:00.001-08:00

The AT&T Williams F1 team today confirmed as expected that their driver line up for the 2010 season will see Rubens Barrichello partner young German Nico Hulkenberg (above)

Frank Williams, Team Principal, said, "Rubens needs no introduction. He is not only the most experienced driver in Formula One, but a passionate and talented driver who fought hard for the Drivers' Championship this year... [read more]

Most opinion suggests that for Hulkenberg the drive is just rewards for his major career successes so far which has seen him this year capture the GP2 championship as a rookie along with previously having won the F3 Euroseries, Formula Masters, A1 GP and Formula BMW Germany.”

Photo: Williams F1
Editorial: Neil Tozer

VIDEO // CATERHAM CAR CONTROL

2009-11-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

Displaying a great deal of car control, watch as Chris Evans drives his Lotus Seven look-a-like at what appears to be a British gymkhana-autocross event // [comment]

NEWS // KOBAYASHI TO DRIVE FOR TOYOTA IN 2010?

2009-11-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

Kamui Kobayashi could well be set to take up a permanent drive for Toyota in Formula One next year, after team president John Howett commented that he has been mightily impressed with the Japanese youngster.

With two F1 outings, which have obviously made an extremely good impression with all the team, it looks likely that the man from Hyogo will return next year with a full time race contract.

The former GP2 driver who collected the championship in the Asian version of the series and was recently referred to by Jenson Button as "Absolutely Crazy" has certainly ruffled a few feathers with his "Never Say Die" attitude, while at the same time producing very strong overall performances... [read more]

Howlett told Autosport.com ""I am very impressed. What we like is his real fighting spirit He is not intimidated by anybody. It's very positive." "It is a lesson definitely that sometimes we should all be braver in our driver choices and not go for the safer risk-hedged decision."

Toyota will discuss their 2010 driver line up options further on November 14th.

Photo: Toyota
Editorial: Neil Tozer

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX // RACE RESULTS

2009-11-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

The last race of the 2009 Formula One season is now in the books, with an impressive drive by the sophomore Sebastian Vettel and a rather disappointing race for the reigning World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. Without getting into too much detail, as I am sure some of you have yet to enjoy the race on your DVR, please follow the link for complete results from the first annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and be sure to stay tuned as CRANKandPISTON editor, Phil McGovern, was live at the Yas Marina Circuit all weekend and will be sharing some of the images he was able to capture... [read more]

2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix // Race Results:

1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault
2. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Ferrari
3. Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes
4. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes
5. Nick Heidfeld, BMW
6. Kamui Kobayashi, Toyota
7. Jarno Trulli, Toyota
8. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-Ferrari
9. Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota
10. Robert Kubica, BMW
11. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes
12. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
13. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams-Toyota
14. Fernando Alonso, Renault
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-Mercedes
16. Giancarlo Fisichella, Ferrari
17. Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes
18. Romain Grosjean, Renault
DNF
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes – 20 laps
Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – 18 laps

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Images & Info: F1Fanatic

2009-11-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

WTCC @ OKAYAMA // BMW KEEP TITLE RACE OPEN

2009-11-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

After a rather wet race day at the Okayama International Circuit in Japan, both BMW and Augusto Farfus remain in the 2009 title hunt after a double victory for the Bavarian cars. After both races at the Japanese circuit took place under torrential rain, three drivers will go to Macau on November 22nd still in contention for the 2009 title while the manafacturer's standings are still too close to call... [read more]

Race one saw a BMW 1-2 as Andy Priaulx (Below) capitalised on a mistake by championship leader Gabriele Tarquini as the field were released from behind the safety-car after three laps. Priaulx resisted race long pressure from Jorg Muller and while Tarquini battled his way back to 5th behind Seat team-mate Yvan Muller, Farfus also fought back from a trip through the gravel to claim 8th place and a vital pole for the reversed grid second encounter.

Priaulx commented "That was tough. There was standing water in turn 2, and it was far from easy to keep the car on the track. When Gabriele Tarquini went off after the start, I almost followed him into the gravel. But all went well. Jörg Müller drove a strong race behind me, and he was always in my mirrors. Had the race been one lap longer, he might have overtaken me. The fight was good fun, but I must admit I was happy when it was over."

Claiming the last step on the podium in race one was Britian's Rob Huff (Below) in his RML Chevrolet who put in a sterling performance with the wet conditions seeming to suit the Cruze as he came up from ninth on the grid.

WTCC Okayama Race One Result:

1 Andy Priaulx BMW 320si 32:18.887
2 Jörg Müller BMW 320si +0.484
3 Robert Huff Chevrolet Cruze +2.552
4 Yvan Muller SEAT León 2.0 TDI +12.066
5 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León 2.0 TDI +15.757
6 Jordi Gené SEAT León 2.0 TDI +17.131
7 Tiago Monteiro SEAT León 2.0 TDI +18.693
8 Augusto Farfus BMW 320si +25.403
9 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze +28.163
10 Tom Coronel SEAT León 2.0 TFSI +30.133

Race two got underway without a safety-car start even though the circuit was now more flooded than during race one. From the line Farfus made no mistake and easily led into the first corner, behind however saw the fast starting Jorg Muller tap Tiago Monteiro's Seat into a spin which again forced Tarquini into traversing the gravel trap dropping him to the tail of the field.

Farfus was now gone and with Priaulx who had captilised on the first corner incident acting as his tail-gunner the Brazilian brought the 3 series home to remain in the title fight going to Macau.

Augusto (below) was a relieved man and said "“We had a good start to the weekend and looked really strong in dry conditions. The rain, however, made it all a bit more complicated
That’s why I’m really happy now that I scored another win and that BMW was able to reduce the gap in the manufacturers’ standings. We are in the middle of the title fight when we go to Macau. In the first race I unfortunately made a mistake in turn 2, which cost me dearly. Race two went according to plan, although it was really difficult out there. As the leader you are always the first hitting standing water or aquaplaning.”

Behind the rear wheel drive leaders Tarquini again had to play catch up, this time bringing the TDI home in seventh. Meanwhile team-mate and fellow championship contender Yvan Muller ran in Priaulx's wheel tracks from lights to flag to claim third place and close to within just two points of the Italian going into the season finale at Macau.

WTCC Okayama Race Two Result:

1 Augusto Farfus BMW 320si 26:55.015
2 Andy Priaulx BMW 320si +0.761
3 Yvan Muller SEAT León 2.0 TDI +3.298
4 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze +5.878
5 Nicola Larini Chevrolet Cruze +13.725
6 Robert Huff Chevrolet Cruze +17.538
7 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León 2.0 TDI +24.104
8 Rickard Rydell SEAT León 2.0 TDI +26.212
9 Jordi Gené SEAT León 2.0 TDI +27.272
10 Stefano D´Aste BMW 320si +35.619

2009 FIA WTCC Drivers' Championship:

1 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León 2.0 TDI 115
2 Yvan Muller SEAT León 2.0 TDI 113
3 Augusto Farfus BMW 320si 102
4 Andy Priaulx BMW 320si 84
5 Robert Huff Chevrolet Cruze 69
6 Jörg Müller BMW 320si 66
7 Rickard Rydell SEAT León 2.0 TDI 64
8 Jordi Gené SEAT León 2.0 TDI 39
9 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 36
10 Sergio Hernández BMW 320si 36
11 Tiago Monteiro SEAT León 2.0 TDI 36
12 Alessandro Zanardi BMW 320si 31
13 Nicola Larini Chevrolet Cruze 25
14 Tom Coronel SEAT León 2.0 TFSI 15
15 Félix Porteiro BMW 320si 10
16 Franz Engstler BMW 320si 7
17 James Thompson LADA Priora 6
18 Stefano D´Aste BMW 320si 3
19 Eric Cayrolle SEAT León 2.0 TFSI 1

2009 FIA WTCC Manafacturers Championship:

1. SEAT, 289 points.
2. BMW, 286.
3. Chevrolet, 192.
4. Lada, 84.

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Photo: WTCC Media/SEAT Sport
Editorial: Neil Tozer

EAR CANDY // DYNO TESTED - MOTHER APPROVED

2009-11-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

Enjoy a bit of Ear Candy as this Nelson tuned, 547hp, NASA spec, FC3S Mazda RX7 makes a pull on the dynometer // [comment]

SUNDAY SHOWING // DTM: THE GOLDEN YEARS

2009-11-01T13:10:00.002-08:00

Nothing like the sweet sound of German pop music on a Sunday morning... Okay, I kid. But then again, I am willing to endure just about anything for some quality footage of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft during the 'golden years' of the 1980's.

Enjoy this great bit of video courtesy of DTM Enthusiast and Camden Thrasher // [comment]

2009-11-01T13:10:00.001-08:00

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX // QUALIFYING RESULTS

2009-11-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

Ahead of this afternoon's first annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the brand new Yas Marina Circuit, follow the link for complete results from yesterdays qualifying session.

Also, be sure and stay tuned for additional coverage from the UAE, as Phil McGovern of CRANKandPISTON is live at the circuit all weekend... [read more]

2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix // Qualifying Results:
1. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes – 1:40.948
2. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault – 1:41.615
3. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault – 1:41.726
4. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes – 1:41.786
5. Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes – 1:41.892
6. Jarno Trulli, Toyota – 1:41.897
7. Robert Kubica, BMW – 1:41.992
8. Nick Heidfeld, BMW – 1:42.343
9. Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota – 1:42.583
10. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – 1:42.713
11. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari – 1:40.726
12. Kamui Kobayashi, Toyota – 1:40.777
13. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes – 1:40.983
14. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams-Toyota – 1:41.148
15. Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – 1:41.689
16. Fernando Alonso, Renault – 1:41.667
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-Mercedes – 1:41.701
18. Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes – 1:41.863
19. Romain Grosjean, Renault – 1:41.950
20. Giancarlo Fisichella, Ferrari – 1:42.184

Images & Info: F1Fanatic

NEWS // TARQUINI WRAPS UP JAPANESE POLE

2009-11-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Italian WTCC championship leader Gabriele Tarquini took a surprise pole position for the penultimate round of the 2009 World Touring Car Championship at Okayama Japan. Tarquini's SEAT will start Sunday's race one from P1 after narrowly edging out the BMW's of Andy Priaulx and Jorg Muller.

SEAT Sport driver Tarquini commented, “Getting pole has been key in past races but we didn’t expect it here. I was surprised to get pole and I was helped by Gené who gave me a good slipstream. Being away from trouble in the rolling start is important and pole position gives you 90% safety. We know BMW have a better race pace so I don’t think I will keep the front position but I must score points and finish both races"

Tarquini's Pole is his third in as many races and makes it his fifth of the season so far... [read more]

WTCC Japan Qualifying Top Ten:
01 Gabriele Tarquini Seat 1:37.666
02 Andy Priaulx BMW 0.050
03 Jörg Müller BMW 0.060
04 Rickard Rydell Seat 0.133
05 Augusto Farfus Jr. BMW 0.160
06 Jordi Gené Seat 0.169
07 Yvan Muller Seat 0.312
08 Tiago Monteiro Seat 0.453
09 Robert Huff Chevrolet 0.954
10 Alain Menu Chevrolet 1.444

Photo: WTCC Media
Editorial: Neil Tozer

WE REMEMBER // GREG MOORE 1975-1999

2009-11-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

At Fontana Raceway California 10 years ago today, racing lost one of it's most promising and friendliest stars. 24 year old Canadian Greg Moore was tragically killed while racing in the 1999 Cart Championship Final round the "Marlboro 500" at the speedway venue.

By race end the terrible news had filtered through to the paddock and all flags were flown at half mast. The podium presentations were cancelled amidst a very sombre atmosphere as the whole of the Cart racing community came to terms with the incomprehensibly tragic event that taken the life of one of the series most popular drivers.

Greg was born in New Westminster, British Columbia before moving to Vancouver. His motorsport career had started just as with so many others in Karts. His first title success came at the age of 14 with him winning The North American Enduro Karting title in both 1989 and 1990. While in karts he always raced as #99 the same number that he would then take with him all the way to the top of the sport in later years... [read more]

Through Formula Ford and Formula 2000 he had modest success before joining the Indy Lights Championship in 1993. 1994 saw the 18 year old became the youngest driver ever to win a CART-sanctioned race when he won the Indy Lights season-opener at Phoenix. He would go on to finish third in the championship with three wins. In 1995 he joined Players-Forsythe Racing and duly took the Indy Lights title with an astounding ten wins during the twelve race season.

1996 saw Greg move up into the Cart series, again with Players-Forsythe Racing and by season end he placed ninth in the championship just missing out on rookie of the year to Alex Zanardi.

During the 1997 Cart season Greg became the youngest driver in Indycar racing history at that time to win a race, when he scored his first CART victory in June at Milwaukee at the age of just 22.

After claiming 7th place in the 1997 Cart standings he improved to finish 5th in the final table at the end of 1998 with two wins.

His final season the following year started well with a win at Miami in the opening round. He led the standings after the opening rounds but fell foul to engine reliability issues later in the season. The summer of 1999 brought Greg his big chance as he was offered and duly signed a contract to race for Penske in 2000. Obviously he never had the chance to show off his talents in one of Roger's cars but with the red and white Penske's taking the title in 2000 and 2001 it is widely acknowledged that he would almost certainly have gone on to much greater things.

Besides his obvious talents behind the wheel Greg was an extremely well liked driver in the paddock along with a firm fans favourite. His funeral in his home town of Maple Ridge was attended by over 1500 people and saw TV screens erected outside the church for the crowds who had come to pay their respects. As one fan that day said "Greg was a natural, but beyond all that he was "One of the good guys"

Greg Moore April 22nd 1975 - October 31st 1999.

Photo: CART/C.Hogan/Neil Tozer
Editorial: Neil Tozer

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT // PATRICK DEMPSEY ON LETTERMAN

2009-11-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

Patrick Dempsey, star of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and member of Team Seattle, was a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman last Wednesday evening. Included in his discussion with the late night host was his involement with Team Seattle and their benefactor; Seattle’s Children’s Hospital. They also discussed his involment in Team Seattle's 24 Hours of Le Mans effort and his plans to compete with the team again, when they head to Florida for the 24 Hours of Daytona this coming January // [comment]