Full Throttle

Yes, you read the headline correctly.

The Principality of Monaco is famous worldwide for its racing heritage, so A1GP World Cup of Motorsport is delighted to announce A1 Team Monaco will be competing in the series in Season Four. Not only will the red and white colours of the Monaco flag adorn the car, but the venture also has the personal blessing of His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco.

The team will be headed by joint seat holders, Clivio Piccione and Hubertus Bahlsen. A former F3 and GP2 race winner, Piccione will also be only the second person in the series’ history to take on the dual role of being the race driver as well as seat holder. The 24-year-old Monegasque has enjoyed the patronage of Prince Albert II throughout his career, and also has the support for this venture from the Monaco Government and the President of the “Conseil National”.

Piccione says: “I am very proud to have been able to put this project together and I believe this new enterprise will bring a lot of excitement and glory to our country. It is a unique situation to be able to take on these two roles. I believe it is a great asset for me not just to be the driver, but to also have a real involvement within the team structure. I am really looking forward to racing for my country in the new A1GP Powered by Ferrari car.”

Monaco resident Bahlsen, from Switzerland, races his own personal collection of historic Formula 1 cars, winning his group in the 2005 FIA Historic Formula One series.

“Linking A1GP’s unique race format - being the World Cup of Motorsport - with Monaco’s heritage in motor racing is a thrilling opportunity. I am looking forward to making this partnership successful, both with Clivio and Monegasque supporters as well as with A1GP,” says Bahlsen.

The team will be run on a day-to-day basis by its Team Principal, Graham Taylor. The Briton, from Gloucester, has worked in the sport for 21-years, and has engineering and management experience from Formula 1 to Touring Cars. (Graham has been Super Aguri Sporting Director and a technical director at Bridgestone among many other racing related positions - ed)

A1GP Chairman, Tony Teixeira, is particularly delighted to welcome this new team: “No doubt Monaco represents the smallest population of any of our national teams, but in terms of a worldwide reach there are fewer places that are better known. Our aim in A1GP was to be a truly global series and each year we welcome new teams that help us in this. We are very proud that a principality with such strong ties with the sport has chosen to become part of A1GP.”

Technorati Tags: A1GP, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, A1 Team Monaco

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has moved A1GP Mugello, Italy from the opening round of the 2008/09 championship following a delay in the build schedule of the new chassis. The first time all the nations will be seen in action will now be on the 4 – 5 October at A1GP Zandvoort, Netherlands.

The series set itself a tight schedule with less than 11 months to design, build and test the new car and make sure all the teams received identical machinery. Any delays in the schedule were always going to impact on the ability to deliver to all the teams.

“It was always going to be an optimistic programme but we were confident we could achieve it. This in no way reflects on the work undertaken by the technical team and our partners, as it was due to circumstances beyond their control. I also want to thank all our technical partners for their support during our intensive testing programme, and especially Ferrari for the supply of engines,” said A1GP Chief Executive Officer, Pete da Silva.

“We now have to concentrate on what we have ahead of us rather than behind. We still have some great announcements to make. In the near future we shall be able to announce our full race calendar, as well as some deals that will enhance the overall package we are presenting to our fans for Season Four,” said da Silva.

Interesting… for what’s not said. This delay is a far cry from a short few days ago when series officials were touting the structural integrity of the new car and only cited “a small number of engine software issues to finalise” before the start of the season.

Maybe I’m looking to deep and it’s only “a delay in the build schedule,” unrelated to any technical issue, but you have to wonder why. The car is nothing more than an old and tried and true Ferrari design why the hell wasn’t in the hands of the teams at a date they could complete the build process?

Related articles At Asian Motor Sports:

• A1GP Season Preview and Rumorville

This one’s wild hold onto your hats (and helmets).

There has been a rumor floated about A1Team USA being bought out by Andretti (of Andretti Green Racing) AND fielding the team with Marco Andretti, and Danica Patrick during the winter months.

I don’t really buy the story although it would be a good way for AGR to stay active during IndyCar’s off season. And it damn sure couldn’t hurt A1 Team USA, anything is an improvement over the teams mostly mid-pack finishes over the last three years.

I might even buy, if only a little, keeping Marco active and on track during the winter, but The Danica? I fail to see that possibility, she’s been pretty adamant and downright giddy about the relatively short IndyCar season, one of the primary reasons I believe she didn’t complete the jump to NASCAR.

UPDATE: Maybe there’s more fire under this rumor than the smoke I saw. YAUMB, who’s sources I trust infinitely more than other outlets I’ve read this, writes Mike Andretti is going to buy out the “Green” in AGR and renaming the team Andretti-Savoree Racing. Part of the buyout will be the rumored takeover of A1GP Team USA.

Anyway, and leaving rumorville for reality, there have been a few changes as A1GP enters its fourth season of competition.

The biggest change of course is the car itself as it features a new Ferrari designed powerplant and body that is essentially a Ferrari clone of a few seasons ago.

The sporting regs have been slightly modified as well. The Sprint Race distance has been lengthened from 9 to 24 minutes plus one lap and a second mandatory pitstop has been added that must be completed between laps four and eight.

A note on the new car: During the recent test session at Magny-Cours Patrick Friesacher had a crash caused by a suspension failure.

The ex-Formula One driver crashed heavily at the high-speed Estoril curve when the right-rear top wishbone failed. He suffered three crushed vertebrae which was believed to have been caused by a heavy landing.

The component breakage is why the scheduled pre-season test at Silverstone for all the A1Teams had been canceled, only the test cars will now use this session, with testing now moved on to Donington Park September 9-11 2008.

John Wickham, A1GP’s technical director told Autosport: “The component that failed had been on the car since the beginning of the test program and had already covered 5000km. That is part of the reason we go testing.”

In team news A1 Team Korea join the series this year for the first time. The team will operate under the Carlin Motorsport banner who previously collaborated with A1Teams Japan, Portugal and Lebanon.

The primary driver will be Hwang Jin-Woo, 25, a former single-seat racer who currently competes in the Japanese Super GT Series. He will be backed up by promising 18-year-old driver Sung-Hak Mun, who currently races in the UK in Formula Renault.

There have also been unconfirmed reports of both A1 Team Japan and Russia returning to the series. Also unconfirmed is A1 Teams Lebanon and Pakistan leaving the series.

The 2008-09 schedule fololows and you will note the U.S. is again missing for the second consecutive season. (Stupid! - ed) Just as idiotic, Australia has also been dropped from the schedule for the first time since series inception.

Mugello, Italy 19 - 21 September 2008.
Zandvoort, Netherlands 03 - 05 October 2008.
Jakarta, Indonesia 07 - 09 November 2008.
Sepang, Malaysia November 2008.
China 12 - 14 December 2008.
New Zealand, Taupo 23 - 25 January 2009.
South Africa 20 - 22 February 2009.
Mexico City, Mexico 13 - 15 March 2009.
TBA 27 - 29 March 2009.
Algarve, Portugal 10 - 12 April 2009.
A1GP Great Britain (Silverstone or Brands Hatch?) 01 - 03 May 2009.

Cross posted @ Asian Motor Sports

Technorati Tags: Carlin Motorsports, A1 Team Japan, A1GP, World Cup of Motorsport

Matt Kobyluck arrived at Lime Rock Park for the NASCAR Camping World Series East Mohegan Sun 200 Saturday afternoon carrying the series point lead for the first time in two years. He asserted his leadership by posting his fourth win of the season and more than doubling his point lead.

Kobyluck led 41 of 82 laps in the No. 40 Mohegan Sun Chevrolet, and relaxed during a 75-minute rain delay 51 laps into the event.

“We have a really good package here,” Kobyluck said. Once you find the total car package - the springs, the shocks, the brakes and all those things - it builds confidence. You look forward to it on the schedule.”

Marc Davis (No.18 Slim Jim Toyota) matched his career best finish of second place, followed by Peyton Sellers (No. 44 Red Line Oil Chevrolet), Jesus Hernandez (No. 11 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet) and two-time series champion Mike Olsen (No. 61 Jack’s Auto Service Chevrolet.)

Completing the top-10 were Eric Curran, Steve Park, Max Dumarey, Jeff Anton, and Alex Kennedy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Taupo has only a 50-50 chance of hosting the A1GP after 2009, Taupo Motorsport Park shareholders have been told.

At their annual meeting yesterday, shareholders were told the internationally rated track was $6 million in debt and there was no assurance the “marquee” A1GP round would be held there in 2010.

It had previously been estimated the company owed $3 million. The track complex has hosted the A1GP and other motorsport events on land leased from Taupo District Council. Negotiations are continuing with A1GP organisers, but the company has no right of renewal when its three-year contract expires in January 2009.

Taupo Motorsport director David Steele told the meeting it was 50-50 whether the event would be held in Taupo in 2010. A decision was expected next year.

The $13 million track was built in 2006 in time to host the first A1GP race in January 2007. The event is estimated to be worth $20 million to the Taupo economy, attracting 70,000 spectators for three days in late January.

Mr Steele said the cost of travelling to the southern hemisphere for one round could be too much for teams. There was also a suggestion a planned track at Hampton Downs, near Huntly, could replace Taupo as an A1GP venue.

“It’s a wonderful event putting Taupo on the world map, and the A1 people like coming down here but commercially it is better for them to go nearer Auckland where the sponsorship support is closer,” Mr Steele said.

Acting chairman John Loughlin said Taupo Motorsport needed bigger crowds to generate more income.

“The A1GP is the marquee event for the company but it is everyday track hires that are our bread and butter that is the key to financial viability.”

A range of events including Australian-based modified street cars, jet sprints and national race championships were being considered. Mr Loughlin said the financial position was “delicate”.

Staff members were cleaning the public toilets after racedays to cut costs.

He said four factors contributed to the loss. A public share offer had not raised as much as the company had predicted and had cost $337,000; there was a $1.3 million ‘blowout’ - later funded by debt - to finish the final stage of the track in time for the A1GP; depreciation was $260,000, and increased interest rates added an extra $315,000 to loan repayments.

The biggest debt was a $5,957,000 term deposit loan from ANZ Bank.

“The failure of the IPO was a real disappointment and a lost opportunity,” Mr Loughlin said.

“Our offer to the market did not inspire investors.”

Technorati Tags: Taupo Motorsports Park, A1GP, World Cup of Motorsport

Matt Kenseth tried to keep up.

But in the end, Midwest horsepower trumped NASCAR starpower as Tim Schendel of Sparta, Wis capped a sweat-soaked Sunday with a dominant win in the Rasmussen Group Twin 75s ASA Super Late Model Series race at Iowa Speedway.

“It’s top three,” Schendel said of the triumph that came two weeks after needing a last-chance win to gain entrance to the feature. “It ranks right up there. Every win is No. 1. It’s awesome. They don’t come easy, ever.”

Much of the estimated paid crowd of 14,888 came to see Kyle Busch compete along with 2003 Cup champ Matt Kenseth, who ended up third behind Schendel and Jonathan Eilen.

Busch, who raced Saturday night in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway, led most of the first 75-lap segment of the 150-circuit race, slowed and pulled in on lap 84 with mechanical problems., never to return.

Kenseth (3rd) was in a fierce three-way battle for third during much of the late going, beating Donny Reuvers of Dundas, Minn ., and Chris Wimmer (4th) of Wausau, Wis., for that position.

According to ASA officials, Busch dropped out because of a rear end problem.

A crew member told reporters a flat tire finished his day. (So he had a flat rear tire?)

Whatever the reason for his exit, Busch did not talk to reporters after the race and his car and equipment had been loaded into his hauler by lap 125.

Busch left the track in an Iowa Speedway courtesy car before the race had ended.

“I wish he wouldn’t have broke,” said Schendel, who qualified first but started 12th after the field was inverted. “I didn’t want to be the guy who won because Kyle broke.”

Schendel credited crew chief Chris Bires, whose younger brother, Kelly, races in the Nationwide Series, for making adjustments that allowed him to power to the front of the field.

“Everybody’s so good, there’s never a dull moment,” said Schendel, who took 41st in last year’s NASCAR East vs. West race at Newton.

“There’s never a lull where you’re going to run around in 10th and think you’re going to have a top-five finish.”

Eilen managed to hold off Kenseth for a second-place finish while enduring stifling heat - he had no cooling elements infused into his race suit - but couldn’t catch Schendel, who won by 3.2 seconds.

“A long race, it seemed like, but a good, fast race,” Eilen said.

As for Kenseth, third-place didn’t bring despair.

He went with the word “fun” to describe the sweltering day’s events.

“It was good, a lot of fun,” the Roush Fenway Racing driver said. “It was a really clean race.”

Exciting, too - with or without NASCAR’s Cup points leader.

“I wish I could have raced him at the end,” Schendel said of Busch. “And seen how it would have went.”

Sixteen-year-old Thor Anderson, a student a nearby Bondurant-Farrar High School, started 14th and raced to a seventh-place finish right behind Jamie Iverson of Escanaba, Mich.

Technorati Tags: NASCAR, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Iowa Speedway

London, Great Britain - A total of 3,500 kilometres, the equivalent of over half a season’s mileage, is the distance covered to date by the new A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Powered by Ferrari car. The latest series of tests for the car were in Spain with five days at the Guadix Circuit near Granada followed by three days at Jerez.

Scuderia Ferrari test driver, Marc Gene, has now had his first taste of the car and his first impressions were: “It’s an interesting car and I had a lot of fun. It’s not an F1 car but it’s not intended to be one; it will produce exciting racing, allows overtaking, and is an extreme drive.” However, the majority of the testing has been undertaken by Andrea Bertolini, while Patrick Friesacher has also been behind the wheel. Feedback has been good with them finding the car well balanced, the tyres have been working well and the gearshift and electronics have been reliable; all in all they have found it an extremely driveable car.

A1GP General Manager, Technical and Operations, John Wickham: “The car has now completed about 3,500 km testing, equivalent to about half a season’s mileage, and is looking reliable. We have spent the majority of time working on the engine and control systems but there’s also been work on the tyres and chassis so there has been no down time. There have been a number of small issues, which is to be expected from a completely new package, but there is nothing we can’t resolve in the coming tests so we are happy with how things are progressing.”

With the development programme moving forward positively, the car will be back out at Jerez in a couple of weeks before testing moves to France later this month. The teams are expected to get their first test in Silverstone in August and then a few weeks later at another UK location.

Anyone attending the Sprint Cup event at MIS Sunday spot a strange but vaguely, very vaguely familiar figure talking to Juan Montoya during pre-race festivities?

No?

Guess that’s understandable, unless you’re also an F1 fan. Then you may have caught a glimpse of Toyota’s F1 driver Jarno Trulli talking up his former F1 grid-mates Montoya and Scott Speed. “They were the first two people I visited with,” Trulli said. “They were surprised to see me.” said Trulli who stayed over an extra week after finishing sixth in Montreal.

“A few people asked me for autographs when I first arrived but it basically cooled down,” Trulli said. “In Italy or France, you would basically be surrounded.”

Trulli, eighth in F1 points, said he watches NASCAR on television, but Sunday’s was the first stock car race he’d attended. Would he take a crack at ovals if given a chance?

“Maybe one day — a test or something,” said Trulli, who began his F1 career with Minardi in 1997. “I like the U.S. and having another (racing) experience would be good.” “It’s not so easy as people think,” said Trulli, 33. “Juan is having a bit of a hard time. The racing is very tough.”

Jarno Trulli, a NASCAR fan, who’d a thunk it!

Technorati Tags: Auto racing, Jarno Trulli, Juan Pablo Montoya, Motorsports, Sports, Scott Speed, NASCAR, Full Throttle

There’s no other way to put it, Tony Stewart is putting on another display of NASCAR’s elite at a short dirt track this evening, and it has to be classified as a Wallace family gathering.

No less than five will be in attendance at Macon Speedway (co-owned by Stewart, Kenny Wallace and Bob Sargent) for the Night of NASCAR Stars II event.

The list of participants is below and all will be driving super modifieds in the 1/5th mile dirt oval with the exception of Kyle Busch who’s been assigned special duty of giving on lucky fan a ride in a special two seater late model car for several laps.

Marcos Ambrose, Dave Blaney, Mike Bliss, Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte, Michael McDowell, Buzzy Reutimann, (Retired, short-track legend, DIRT Hall of Famer & father of David), David Reutimann, Ken Schrader, David Stremme, Chrissy Wallace, Kenny Wallace, Mike Wallace, Rusty Wallace, Steve Wallace and finally Michael Waltrip.

ESPN will broadcast live from Macon Speedway tonight as part of its “NASCAR Now” series. One report I’ve read claims Speed is also scheduled to cover the event but a check of their schedule has no listing for it.

Technorati Tags: Mike Wallace, Kyle Busch, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace, Steve Wallace, Marcos Ambrose, Ken Schrader, Macon Speedway, Full Throttle

Doug Demmons reporter for the Birmingham News and author of The Blog of Tomorrow is reporting Germain Racing will test the unemployed and former Champ Car driver Paul Tracy at Chicagoland Speedway.

Tracy, who made his NASCAR debut in NASCAR’s #2 series in 2006, will return to the oval-track for a one-day test at Chicagoland Speedway. While this will be Tracy’s first experience in a truck, he is known as one of the most cerebral wheelmen in the business and he will adapt quickly. Versatility is a trademark of the 2003 Champ Car World Series Champion, as Tracy has raced open-wheel cars, Grand-Am cars, NASCAR, and off-road trucks, all in the last two years.

Quickly running past the PR fluff quoted above and just as quickly moving along to my question….

Why Tracy?

Why out an out of work “cerebral” 39 year old - who couldn’t get an IndyCar ride except from Vision Racing that was turned down because he thought they weren’t good enough for him - when Germain has not only tested but given a ride to someone who may be the future of the race team?

Chrissy Wallace started 35th and finished a very credible 18th in her NCTS debut at the wheel of the #03 Germain Racing Tundra at Martinsville. In addition Chrissy is signed to run the full 2009 NCTS season for Germain.

So why Tracy… no wait, let me guess.

He brings cash and has paid for the test if not a few starts before the end of the year.

Sound about right?

(Note to Germain Racing: Diversity isn’t adding another late thirty something to the NCTS starting line-up, the series has an over abundance of them now - ed)

Technorati Tags: NASCAR, Paul Tracy, Motorsports, Auto Racing, Chicagoland Speedway, Chrissy Wallace, Germain Racing