Full Throttle

With the autumn season fast approaching news is finally starting to leak out concerning the new Asia GP2 Series and Bernie Ecclestone’s brain fart child the SpeedCar Series.

As background for those not following the new series, Speedcar is an FIA sanctioned version of NASCAR. Bernie Ecclestone and & Mad Max Mosley announced it’s formulation in March this year and will feature events in Southwest and East Asia utilizing mirror images of Brian France’s favorite toys.

Series officials claim they have “designed and built” the cars to be used. As the image taken during a VIR test session shows they’re being a little fast and loose with their claim. My guess is they’re constructed somewhere in North Carolina under design parameters set out by SpeedCar.

The series will begin in November, (to say the schedule is unimpressive at the moment is a vast understatement), and form part of a eight-round championship across Asia and the Middle East. The series will run with GP2 Asia at five meetings as part of the “Grand Racing” events, and alongside the Formula One World Championship at two races in 2008. A $3,000,000 dollars prizefund is available for the 24 competitors, with the eventual champion receiving $600,000 dollars.

Team First Centreville is the latest team join the series and will compete in the #17 and #71 Chevys (?). The Italian GPC Squadra Corse (GPC) team is the first privateer team to join the series. GPC has a history of racing success in GT series with Ferrari, has confirmed it will enter two cars in the competition.

Japanese driver Ukyo Katayama has confirmed he will drive in the Speedcar Series and is the latest ex-Formula One driver to join. Other ex-F1 stars include Jean Alesi, Johnny Herbert, Stefan Johansson, Narain Karthikeyan, and Gianni Morbidelli have all confirmed their participation.

This week Williams F1 Test Driver Narain Karthikeyan, along with Indonesians Moreno Soeprapto and his brother Ananda Mikola (Both vertrans of the Asian F3 Series) were joined by Swiss regional stock car racer Alexandre Maus and Italian rally driver Nico Caldarola, to test at the Dubai Autodrome, completing over 60 laps in total.

Commenting after his run, Karthikeyan is convinced that the Speedcars offer race drivers an exceptionally fun racing experience which will create tight competition and good entertainment for the crowds.

“I had a good feel for the car,” said the former Jordan driver, “expecting some sliding from such a heavy car I had no surprises. But I have to say the car is a good car, despite its weight it is very balanced and pretty forgiving, it has a strong engine and is quick on the straight. The breaking distances are very long compared to those of single-seater cars of course and that took some getting used to.”

Ananda Mikola seemed to enjoy his time at the wheel of a tin top:

“The car is so much fun with a lot of under and over steering. It did surprise me after the second lap and shot me into a spin, but even that was fun. I am pleased that thereafter my times were really quick.

I love single-seater racing but have to say that today I truly had fun in the Speedcar.”

At the moment that’s the latest news on the SpeedCar front, on to the new Asian GP2 Series.

Super Nova has announced their commitment to the fledgling GP2 Asia Series due to start in January 2008 and run through April. Currently the team supports drivers Mike Conway and Luca Filippe in GP2. Filippi sits third in the European championship and Conway is placed tenth.

Interestingly, GP2 Asia is billed as a competitor to the A1GP Series as they have switched to a winter schedule this year. As a result Super Nova is set to continue their presence in that championship too having helped Germany and New Zealand to first and second in last season’s championship.

Super Nova joins BCN Cometiticion who were the first team to commit to GP2 Asia. BCN is currently running the only all-Asian driver line-up of Ho-Pin Tung and Sakon Yamamoto in this year’s GP2 Series, BCN have also reiterated its intention to continue racing in Europe in 2008.

As they say at the end of Loony Tunes cartoons, “that’s all folks!” With Asia GP2 starting it’s season two months after SpeedCar news is at a premium at the moment. But rest assured, the Half-Vast Staff™ of Full Throttle will keep eyes open, ears peeled the rumor detector sharply tuned for any further developments.

Cross Posted @ Asian Motor Sports