Nico Hulkenberg topped the times for Force India as testing continued at Barcelona Wednesday, according to Adam Cooper of Speed.com.

With all four Pirelli compounds on hand this week – including the supersoft – most teams focused on trying the full range, with some opting to do longer runs.

As with Tuesday, there were a lot of mechanical problems up and down the pitlane. The drivers concerned thus lost valuable time on their last day of this test before handing their cars to their teammates for Thursday.

Force India has looked good from the start of testing in Jerez, although the team lost a whole day there when test driver Jules Bianchi crashed on his first lap. Since then, the team has clearly made up for lost time.

“We started the day with some aero work – trying some constant speed runs and collecting more data,” said Hulkenberg. “Then, the rest of the day was spent working on the balance of the car and trying out all four tire compounds. I did some short runs, long runs and just got a feel for the tire characteristics and how the car reacts to them. Once again, the car has been very drivable all day and our baseline setup has proved to be a good starting point for running all the different compounds.”

Sergio Perez was second fastest for Sauber, the Mexican having lost some time with an exhaust issue in the afternoon. Other than that, Sauber reported that it was a good day.

“Today was a lot better, even though in the end we lost a bit of track time because of the exhaust problem,” said the Mexican. “I am happy with how things went. We have gathered plenty of information to go through now and I believe we are working in the right direction. I hope we get some more work done with Kamui (Kobayashi, teammate) driving the next two days, and then we will be well-prepared for next week’s final pre-season test session.”

Sebastian Vettel was third for Red Bull, the German successfully running a race distance in the afternoon.

“I’m happy that we got a lot of laps done,” said Vettel. “Unfortunately, we had a little bit of a problem. It was small, but with testing you stop whenever there’s a issue, take a look and see what’s what and that always takes up a bit of time. But nevertheless, in the afternoon I was quite happy. We got a lot of laps done, more than 100, so we got through most of the program.

“I think we are on the right road with the car. The first impressions at the last test were fine. The car reacted the way we expected. I keep talking about the loss of downforce compared to last year, as we don’t have the tools we had, but this is the same for everyone, not just us. So, we’ll get on top of it and we’ll spend the coming days trying to make improvements, find more performance and make the car faster.”

Mark Webber takes over the RB8 Thursday.

Fernando Alonso was next in the times, Ferrari reporting that it had worked through its planned program before Felipe Massa takes the car on Thursday.

Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo was fifth, having lost a lot of time in the afternoon with a driveshaft problem. He ran only 48 laps, which was frustrating for the Aussie.

“The afternoon did not go to plan,” he said. “But the morning was positive and we did all the runs we had planned for the first part of the day. We worked on making adjustments to the car balance, also trying some different mechanical changes to the car, which is why I did mainly short runs. I could feel the effect of these changes and the car reacted in the way we expected.”

Lewis Hamilton was sixth for McLaren after a quiet day for the team, while Nico Rosberg was seventh for Mercedes after losing time with an oil leak.

“It was good to get into proper testing today,” said Rosberg. “Early in the morning, it was a bit too cold on the track to collect some decent information. However, later we were able to get into our planned work. In the afternoon session, unfortunately we had a transmission oil leak which meant that I wasn’t able to complete any further running. That doesn’t affect my positive feelings about our test program, and things like that can happen in the early stages of running a new car. Now I am looking forward to driving again on Friday.”

Also running were Williams test driver Valterri Bottas, Caterham newcomer Vitaly Petrov and Marussia’s Charles Pic, the later still using the 2011 Virgin chassis.

Below are the unofficial test times from Barcelona:

1. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:22.608, 112 Laps

2. Sergio Perez, Sauber, 1:22.648, 85 Laps

3. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1:22.891, 104 Laps

4. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:23.180, 87 Laps

5. Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso, 1:23.639, 50 Laps

6. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 1:23.806, 120 Laps

7. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:24.555, 82 Laps

8. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:25.738, 117 Laps

9. Vitaly Petrov, Caterham, 1:26.605, 69 Laps

10. Charles Pic, Marussia*, 1:27.343, 108 Laps

* 2011 car

That is, will Danica Patrick win the Daytona 500 for Go Daddy?

The answer is anything is possible, but her chances are slim. Based on published odds (with adjustments), her chance of winning is 1.1% — half that of 2.3% average for the field. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. top the expected win probability with 6.6% each, so odd makers expect these three drivers each to have six times the chances that Danica has to win the race.

Low expectations for Danica seems reasonable given that she hasn’t raced the Daytona 500 before. But crazy things have happened at the Daytona 500 in the past. The restrictor plates make the field evenly matched — it’s mostly about the driver’s skill and luck with a special emphasis on luck. Just look at last year’s results. Trevor Bayne won the race starting at the 32nd spot with prevailing odds of 50:1, which is only a bit better than Danica’s current odds. (Move over Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin!)

This year should be even more unpredictable. The mechanical changes from carburetor to electronic fuel injection and tandem rule implementation are sure to cause additional volatility. The return of pack racing style — driving 200 plus miles bumper to bumper — should cause many cars to crash, flip and spin.

Based on all factors, I think her chance of finishing the race is decent — not much different than the average — so call it 75 percent. Her chance of coming in top 10, which would be a win in itself for her and Go Daddy, I peg at about 5 to 10 percent. Her chance of winning, I would say should be higher than 1.1% — should be closer to the field average of 2.3%.

Below is an updated list of expected winning chances for the upcoming Daytona 500 based on published odds with appropriate adjustments:

The best race in the world is hearsay unless people see it. Some of the best racing in the world is not the headline race, but the support races featuring the stars of tomorrow. Mazda has supported more road racers over the past decade than any other automaker, and for 2012 is stepping up that support to include extended TV coverage on the new Velocity network.

“Hardcore fans know that some of the most intense action can be found in the Playboy MX-5 Cup, Star Mazda and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship. But if you weren’t at the race, you are left to take our word for it. Now, thanks to a partnership with Velocity and Carolinas Production Group, fans can enjoy the action on a regular basis from their living room,” noted Jim Jordan, Alternative Marketing Manager, Mazda North America.

Rick Benjamin, award-winning motorsports broadcaster, will host “The Mazda Motorsports Hour”. Benjamin’s Carolinas Production Group will handle production and distribution of the Hour. Benjamin said, “it’s an honor for our company to be selected once again to produce and place coverage of the Playboy MX-5 Cup, Star Mazda, and USF2000 championships. Our partnership with Velocity gives us a tremendous platform to showcase the incredible talents of young drivers and veterans alike who are taking full advantage of Mazda’s ladder system.”

Joining Rick Benjamin in the booth will be racers Randy Pobst for the MX 5 Cup, and James Hinchcliffe (Star Mazda graduate on 2011 IndyCar ‘Rookie of the Year’) on Star Mazda and USF2000. Todd Lewis will be the pit reporter.

The broadcasts will be a regularly-scheduled hour-long weekend show on Velocity – “The Mazda Motorsports Hour”. 24 shows will be broadcast on a tape-delay basis from April through November. The content will be a variety of Mazda centric series, with an emphasis on the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear, and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. All three series are a part of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Ladder, while the Star and USF2000 Championships are also a part of the Mazda Road to Indy. To find Velocity on your local cable system, go to Velocity.com.

Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing announced Tuesday plans to race the full 2012 Camping World Truck Series schedule. In addition, the team will enter select Nationwide Series events this season. For owner and driver Jennifer Jo Cobb, this marks a fresh canvas and she and her No. 10 team are more ready than ever to make a lasting impression.

The team will enter a combination of Ford- and Dodge-manufactured trucks in the Truck Series and Dodge Challengers in Nationwide. Cobb’s “Driven2Honor” program will adorn her vehicles until primary sponsorship is secured.

Cobb ran her first full season of Truck competition in 2010. She finished 17th in the championship standings that year, setting a precedent of the modern era as the highest-finishing female in one of NASCAR‘s top-three national touring series. Cobb’s team made 18 of the 34 events in the Nationwide Series in 2011. She also ran 12 Truck races, finishing a career-best sixth place at Daytona International Speedway in February. Cobb sees last year as a learning experience and plans to build on her achievements from the past two seasons.

“We sat down in the offseason and evaluated our strengths and weaknesses. We figured out what we needed to leave the same and what needed to change,” Cobb said. “We realized that we’ll be better off focusing our efforts primarily on one series, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and running a few select NASCAR Nationwide Series events. We felt like we were scrambling last season between the two series and couldn’t give our best effort in each event. For our small team, we were just spread too thin. Now we can concentrate primarily on one series and make sure that our trucks get better and better each week.”

Other changes that Cobb made in the off-season include a new race shop and three additional crew members. Steve Kuykendall is returning as Cobb’s crew chief; however, he will only lead Cobb’s NCWTS efforts, allowing the team to focus on the full schedule.

“I’m so excited about how all of our changes are shaping up,” Cobb said. “We are already seeing dividends. The new shop has more equipment and resources. Our new crew members have brought lots of fresh ideas and perspectives to our organization. Our crew chief, Steve Kuykendall, is able to dial in his efforts on one program and focus on our truck team. We’re definitely more prepared and more organized heading into this season. Things are off to a great start.”

Cobb will continue with her Driven2Honor program in 2012. The program rewards female members of the military for their service by hosting them at the race track. Cobb entertained numerous women and their guests last season and aims host a female soldier/veteran at every NCWTS race this season.

“I’m very proud of our Driven2Honor program and so glad that we can continue it in 2012,” Cobb said. “We aim to honor the women of armed services with our race team. It’s our way of saying ‘Thank you’ for all that they’ve sacrificed and contributed to our country. We hope to host someone at every venue this year. The program is very important to me and will always be part of our team, even if a primary sponsor takes over its space on the truck.”

No. 40 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver Michael Waltrip expects to make his 26th consecutive appearance in Sunday’s 54th running of the Daytona 500. But it won’t be an easy task for the two-time Daytona 500 champion. As the seventh fastest qualifier of the go-or-go-homers last Sunday, he will likely have to race his way into the 500 field. That means he’ll need to finish in the top two of the go-or-go-homers in the first of Thursday’s two 150-mile qualifying races.

To race in: Waltrip must finish first or second among the following drivers in his 150-mile qualifying race:

1. Robby Gordon

2. Trevor Bayne

3. David Stremme

4. Terry Labonte

5. Mike Wallace

6. Michael McDowell

How will you approach the Duels?

“In the middle of the Bud Shootout I thought, ‘We have only run 8 laps so nobody is going to wreck each other.’ They did. I guess you just have to sort of survive first. I think we will try and not be too eager to get in the middle of it all early on Thursday and just ride for awhile. Just lay back like Tony (Stewart) did. He made it work out alright.”

How do you deal with the emotions of trying to make the Daytona 500?

“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but I’ve been able to accomplish it with some major, extreme circumstances — ’07 in a car that I had never practiced — ’10 when I had to sit there and hope that somebody got me in because I had a crash. Last year, finishing third up front was pretty cool. I’ve experienced every emotion except missing it and I don’t want to experience that.”

As teams make final preparations to start the 2012 race season, NASCAR announced Tuesday the lineup of 2012 contingency program sponsors for all three national series.

The NASCAR Contingency Program is administered by the Charlotte, N.C.¬based NASCAR Automotive Group. The program strives to build strong relationships with high-quality, performance-driven brands that are leaders in their respective categories, and award money to NASCAR teams via per-race and year-end awards. Competitors become eligible for prize money by displaying sponsor decals on the front fender of their race cars and trucks. In some instances, use of a sponsor’s product is also required.

Three new special awards highlight the 2012 contingency program award lineup. This season, longtime official partner and Roush Fenway Racing primary sponsor 3M will present the 3M Lap Leader award in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. The award will go to the eligible driver who leads the most laps in each race throughout the season. USG Corp., the official building product supplier of NASCAR, will present the USG Improving the Finish award to the eligible Cup driver who improves the most positions from starting position to finishing position in each race event.

Freescale, the official automotive semiconductor of NASCAR, is not only helping to usher in electronic fuel injection to the Cup Series, but also will present a new contingency special award to Cup competitors. The Freescale Wide Open award will be given to the eligible Cup driver that is the most aggressive during the final 20 percent of the race, measured by having the throttle “wide open” the greatest amount of time and finishing in the top five.

“As one of the largest suppliers of electronics for automotive, networking, consumer and industrial products, Freescale is known for high performance products and for pushing technology to the limits,” said Rich Beyer, chairman and CEO of Freescale Semiconductor. “We want to reward that same kind of performance on the track.”

“We are very pleased to have a strong lineup of NASCAR Prize Money & Decal Program sponsors in the national series this year including new special awards from our dedicated partners 3M, USG and Freescale,” said Todd Armstrong, managing director, NASCAR Automotive Group. “NASCAR contingency sponsors and teams display a level of synergy and teamwork that is unparalleled in sports and continues to be one of the major reasons companies choose to partner with NASCAR.”

Below is the 2012 national series sponsor lineup and special awards:

•3M — NSCS#, NNS#

* Lap Leader Award

•ARP Fasteners — NNS

•Auto Meter Gauges — NSCS, NNS, NCWTS

•Competition Cams — NSCS, NNS, NCWTS

•Coors Light — NSCS#, NNS#, NCWTS# (Keystone Light)

* Pole Award

•DIRECTV — NSCS#

* Crew Chief of the Race/Year

•Edelbrock Intake Manifolds — NSCS, NNS, NCWTS

•Featherlite — NNS#, NCWTS#

* Most Improved Driver Award

•Freescale — NSCS#

* Wide Open Award

•Goodyear Tires — NSCS#, NNS#, NCWTS#

* Goodyear Tires Award to Series Champions

•Growth Energy/American Ethanol — NSCS#, NNS#, NCWTS#

* Green Flag Restart Award (NSCS)

* Awarded to Series Champions (NNS, NCWTS)

•Holley Throttle Bodies/Carburetors — NSCS (throttle bodies), NNS, NCWTS

•JE Pistons — NNS, NCWTS

•JEGS — NSCS, NNS

•K&N Filters — NSCS, NNS, NCWTS

•Lincoln Electric — NSCS, NCWTS

•MAHLE Clevite — NSCS#, NNS#, NCWTS#

*Engine Builder of the Race/Year Award

•Mechanix Wear — NSCS#, NNS, NCWTS

* Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew (Quarterly/Year-End)

•Mobil 1 — NSCS#, NNS#, NCWTS#

* Driver of the Race/Year

•MOOG Steering & Suspension — NSCS#, NNS, NCWTS

* Problem Solver of the Race/Year

•MSD Ignition — NNS, NCWTS

•Simpson Firesuits — NNS, NCWTS

•Sunoco — NSCS#, NNS#, NCWTS#

* Diamond Performance Award to Series Champions

* Rookie of the Year

•USG — NSCS#

* Improving the Finish Award

# Indicates Special Award sponsor with a year-end bonus.

Lotus Motorsport and Alex Job Racing announced a partnership today that will see Lotus Alex Job Racing compete for the GT championship in the 2012 American Le Mans Series.

The factory-backed effort will feature a 2012 Lotus Evora GTE car beginning with the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach the weekend of April 14th. Lotus AJR will carry sponsorship from Battery Tender, William Rast and is a Yokohama-supported team for 2012. It will go head-to-head against factory and works-supported GT entries from the likes of BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari and Porsche.

“This is doubly good news for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón,” said Scott Atherton, ALMS President and CEO. “It’s a pleasure to welcome the Lotus brand and its spectacular Evora to the most competitive GT class of racing in the world. But to have this factory-backed effort spearheaded by Alex Job – one of the most successful team owners in ALMS history – assures that this will be yet another championship-caliber entry to the GT class. I know that fans at each of our events will be enthralled when the AJR Lotus, complete with its iconic livery and Battery Tender sponsorship, hits the track.”

Team principal Alex Job confirmed that IndyCar driver Townsend Bell will partner with two-time ALMS Founders Cup winner and AJR driver Bill Sweedler for the full season. The pair will attempt to build on Alex Job Racing’s record of 39 ALMS race victories and three GT championships.

“I am excited to announce the racing partnership between Lotus and Alex Job Racing in North America,” Job said. “Our efforts and ability to attract Lotus is a testament to the hard work that AJR has put in over the past several years. This partnership – along with our key sponsors William Rast, Battery Tender and Yokohama – represents a new chapter for our seasoned organization and for the ALMS.

“Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell, and Colin Dyne (CEO, William Rast) played the key role in forging this long-term relationship with Lotus,” he added. “We collectively look forward to representing this iconic sports car brand for years to come in GT racing.”

“We are focused on winning,” said Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus. “Alex Job has one of the best records in sports car racing. We look forward to working together and developing a top-tier team over the coming years. Racing is a core component of the Lotus brand, and we are thrilled to have this new partnership to further enhance our winning racing heritage.”

Bell’s racing pedigree boasts an Indy Lights Championship in 2001 and Rookie of the Year honors in 2000. He finished fourth in the 2009 Indy 500 and was the first American to have a podium finish in the FIA Formula 3000 Series.

“We are delighted to welcome Townsend to the Lotus AJR family,” Job continued. “Townsend comes from a distinguished career in IndyCar and open-wheel racing in the U.S. and Europe. His natural speed and personality will make for a successful partnership.”

“I am really excited about 2012 and driving with Townsend,” Sweedler said. “He will be a strong addition to the team. I had a fantastic time working with AJR for the last couple of years and am honored to continue as one of their drivers. Alex and his team run a first class operation just like Lotus. It will be a strong partnership.”

Added Bell:

“Having the chance to represent such a great brand like Lotus is simply awesome. The fact that I get to work with one of the best teams in sports car racing is icing on the cake. I’m really fired up to work with Lotus AJR and Bill in what will undoubtedly be a great adventure. Time to buckle up!”

Alex Job Racing is one of the most successful teams in sports car racing. The team’s resume includes ALMS GT series championships in 2004, 2003, 2002; a record 22 consecutive ALMS GT pole positions; two class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; and seven Sebring 12 Hours victories – 2010, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999 and 1995.

It was Saturday Night Alive.

Last week’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway held a special sort of madness. Cars were unstable in the new form of pack racing that NASCAR’s rules changers have created, and among the results was a spate of major incidents.

The worst occurred near the end of the race when contact between the frontrunners sent four-time champion Jeff Gordon into a wild, flipping ride. By the time the race finally ended in overtime, the garage area was filled with an ugly group of smashed race cars.

But, almost to a man, the drivers climbed from their cars and talked about how great it all was – at least in comparison to the tandem-drafting scenarios.

But…does the madness continue in the Daytona 500, a much longer, much more important race?

Probably not. Or at least not at the same level.

“Everybody, no matter what their outcome was tonight, learned something they’re going to take into the qualifying races and we’ll take into Sunday,” said Tony Stewart after being outrun by Kyle Busch on the Shootout’s last lap.

“You can always push harder in this race than the 500 because we always run this at night, and it’s a lot cooler. We’ll have most likely a lot warmer conditions [Sunday]. That will eliminate some of the stuff that guys were really trying to push the envelope on.”

Drivers tend to adopt a more conservative approach in the 500, and that will likely be underlined this year because of uncertainty about how the return of pack drafting will impact the race over the long afternoon.

“The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of anyone’s career,” said Greg Biffle, who qualified in the No. 2 position Sunday. “It’s a long race, a lot happens, you have to miss the big wreck and you’ve got to be there at the end.

“We don’t know how long we’ll be able to push, and it’s all about track position in the last few laps. We learned a lot from the Shootout, and the fact we were able to qualify on the outside row for the Daytona 500 is a testament to how hard my team has worked in the off season getting ready for this weekend.”

Engine temperatures could be a big issue in the 500. Several drivers reported temperatures approaching the critical 300-degree mark in the Shootout because of close drafting.

“The rules package makes the car a lot looser than what we have seen in the past, on top of the fact that you have to be very smart with keeping your car cool,” Jimmie Johnson said. “We are dealing with a ton of issues. I think temperatures are going to be a big issue come Sunday. I’m not sure if NASCAR will consider looking at it, but we could overheat some cars Sunday afternoon.”

Matt Puccia, Biffle’s crew chief, said being in good shape in the final 50 laps is a key.

“Survival is the biggest thing,” he said. “You’ve got to be there at the end to be in position to win. Coming off the Shootout, I feel like our team is working well together, and I’m ready to see how the new fuel injection system plays into a full race. It should be interesting and may shake up how pit strategy has worked in the past.”

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

Some news tidbits that involve the world of Formula 1:

Bahrain Should Stay On 2012 Calendar – Hill:

Damon Hill has backed Bahrain as the island Kingdom returns to the F1 calendar this year. After last year’s race was cancelled, the 1996 World Champion traveled to Bahrain with FIA president Jean Todt and afterwards said he supports the decision to give the Sakhir circuit its April 22 date for 2012. However, as some clashes between protesters and police are still taking place, there are some who believe strongly that Bahrain is not ready to host F1 again. The teams are mainly quiet, but Red Bull’s Christian Horner said last week that, “As far as I’m aware, we’re definitely going. As of today there’s a race committed to Bahrain and we’ll be there.” Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary added: “I have decided I will be going to Bahrain if the race goes ahead.” Briton Hill, the winner of 22 Grands Prix, thinks Horner and Cary are right. “Everyone wants things to move in the right direction in Bahrain,” he is quoted by The Sun. “The Grand Prix is of huge economic importance to Bahrain. You’d almost be putting an economic sanction on Bahrain by pulling the race.”

Lotus’ Preseason Hits Barcelona Speed-Bump:

Lotus’ impressive start to the 2012 season hit a speed-bump on Tuesday. While the former Renault team’s new E20 car set the pace at Jerez, Romain Grosjean had to retire early when the Barcelona test kicked off on Tuesday. “I was very quickly aware that the car wasn’t responding as it should,” said the Frenchman. Grosjean was shaking down the second E20 chassis, but it will now be sent back to Lotus’ Enstone headquarters for investigation. “Fortunately (on Wednesday) we will have the chassis which ran perfectly in Jerez, so I should get some good track time,” he said. Team boss Eric Boullier played down the problem. “This is a minor setback to our overall test program,” he said. “If this is the only issue we have during testing then we will still be well prepared for the start of the season.”

Dumping Trulli ‘A No-Brainer’ – Jones:

1980 World Champion Alan Jones has backed Caterham’s decision to dump Jarno Trulli. Despite having extended the Italian veteran’s contract for 2012, the former Lotus team decided at the last minute to sign the well-backed Russian Petrov. Caterham explained that Petrov brings “fresh impetus” to the team, while also admitting that the decision was made “with a realistic eye on the global economic market.” One French report has calculated the 27-year-old’s sponsorship contributions at EUR 12 million, including money from Russia’s largest petrochemical company Sibur. But the straight-talking Australian Jones, who won Williams’ first drivers’ title three decades ago, said Caterham was also right to oust Italian Trulli on performance criteria. Told that Heikki Kovalainen “destroyed” Trulli in 2011, Jones said: “I think he was destroyed by everybody, wasn’t he?” On Caterham’s decision, he told GMM: “In my opinion Trulli wasn’t doing the job so it would have made it a pretty easy decision to get in this younger guy who is perhaps a bit keener, a big hungrier. “It’s also a fact that he (Petrov) is bringing in money, so to me it’s a no-brainer,” added Jones.

Economic Situation Saved Massa’s Seat – Keke Rosberg:

Felipe Massa may have kept his seat at Ferrari for economic reasons. That is the view of Keke Rosberg, the 1982 World Champion and father of Mercedes race driver Nico. Keke’s Finnish countryman Mika Salo, a former Ferrari driver, told MTV3 last week he was “surprised” Brazilian Massa kept his seat for 2012 after two consecutively poor seasons. Massa already had a contract for 2012, but at the end of 2009 — when Kimi Raikkonen was replaced by Fernando Alonso — Ferrari showed it is not afraid of paying handsomely to end a deal. So is Rosberg also surprised Massa is still Alonso’s teammate? “I think that’s been influenced by the fact that they burned quite a lot of money with Kimi,” the 63-year-old said. “They could have again paid off the guy with the contract and taken someone else, but at some point you have to be economically mindful — you can’t always go for the most expensive option.”

2012 Cars ‘Not Ugly’ Insists Alan Jones:

Amid all the ‘ugly’ talk, Alan Jones doesn’t mind the look of F1′s field of 2012. With McLaren the notable exception, every team has incorporated an awkward step into its nose design as the optimum solution to new FIA rules. Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motor sport director, recently decried the look as “pig ugly.” But 1980 World Champion Jones doesn’t think so. “I don’t think aesthetics matter, and anyway I don’t really find them (the 2012 cars) particularly ugly,” the Australian told GMM. “There’s a couple of interpretations of the new nose that aren’t as nice as some of the others, but there are a few out there that don’t look too bad at all. And I’ve never seen an ugly car in the winner’s circle.” Meanwhile, another former World Champion — 1982′s Keke Rosberg — described McLaren’s solution as aesthetically pleasing, but hopes the British team has not made a mistake by going a different route to the rest of the grid. “At least it’s nice-looking and I wish the others would have done the same,” said the Finn. “Jenson Button is quite a big guy and he has said he is sitting significantly lower than last year. If it (McLaren’s solution) suddenly becomes a problem for them, with the chassis already homologated then that’s just what they’ve got,” he told the MTV3 broadcaster.

Rigon Not Third Driver At Ferrari In 2012:

Davide Rigon has confirmed reports he will not serve as Ferrari’s official reserve driver in 2012. With Ferrari’s Jules Bianchi moving to Force India this year, it was initially assumed that Italian GP2 driver Rigon, 25, would be promoted to replace him on the race team. Indeed, Ferrari confirmed last month that Rigon “has recently extended his relationship” with the scuderia. But it was subsequently rumored that Maranello-based Ferrari does not consider Rigon ready to step in should Fernando Alonso or Felipe Massa need replacing during a Grand Prix weekend. Reports in January said Adrian Sutil might be a contender for the third role. Rigon told the Italian website F1Web that he will work on the simulator in 2012. As for whether his responsibilities will include actual track testing, he answered: “I don’t know, although I cannot deny that I would like to do some during the season. I am available to the Scuderia and I have to keep myself ready for any eventuality, but right now I am not the third driver,” admitted Rigon.

After an offseason of changes, the Ricky Benton Racing (RBR) Enterprises No. 92 BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors/ fleetHQ.com team is ready to tackle Daytona International Speedway and the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

Since last being on track in October, the team has hired David Reutimann to pilot the truck and Jason Overstreet to manage the team and make the race day calls as crew chief. The duo previously worked together at Darrell Waltrip Racing where they combined for one win, six poles, 17 top-fives and 38 top-10s from 2004-2006.

“Having worked with David and having a great working relationship with him definitely flattens the learning curve,” Overstreet said. “Driver-crew chief communication is one of the most important things to being successful in this business and we have that part down.”

Overstreet anticipates the success to start at Daytona.

“We are anticipating a strong run out of the box to give the team momentum for the rest of the season,” said Overstreet. “We have a great truck and want to show folks what we are capable of and get some support to run the entire schedule.”

Driver Reutimann is also anticipating big things in his first outing with RBR.

“This team is committed to bringing the best piece possible to every race,” Reutimann said. “I expect us to run well. This team had a great run at Daytona last year, finishing third, and I think they’ve grown and come a long way since then so we should have a good finish.”

RBR Enterprises is committed to running 12-13 of the NCWTS’s 22 races in 2012, including the first three races at Daytona, Martinsville and Rockingham. More races could be added to the schedule if additional sponsorship can be secured.