Full Throttle

The Superleague Formula Championship is set to hit the track for the first time this weekend with the global debut of the new football-themed motor racing championship at Donington Park in the UK.

The new championship brings together the international passion of club football with the speed and excitement of top-level international motorsport.

Clubs from across the globe will be represented on-track with their colours adorning 750 horsepower, V12-powered single seaters – each time fighting it out for 1 million euro prizemoney at every round.

The Donington weekend will be the first of six championship rounds in 2008 with other races scheduled for the Nurburgring, Germany (September 20-21); Zolder, Belgium (October 4-5); Estoril, Portugal (October 18-19); Vallelunga, Italy (November 1-2); and Jerez, Spain (November 22-23).

The Superleague Formula grid for Donington Park will include teams from the UK (Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur), Scotland (Rangers), Italy (AC Milan and AS Roma), Spain (Sevilla), Portugal (FC Porto), Netherlands (PSV Eindhoven), Germany (Borussia Dortmund), Belgium (RSC Anderlecht), Switzerland (FC Basel), Greece (Olympiacos), Turkey (Galatasaray), UAE (Al Ain), Brazil (Flamengo and Corinthians) and China (Beijing Guoan).

Each club will compete in identical single-seaters designed and built for the series by Elan Motorsport Technologies in the US. The beautiful music of the 750 horsepower, V12 engine was created for the championship by Menard Competition Technologies in the UK.

After the final round of pre-season testing this Thursday (August 28), the teams will hit the track for two practice sessions on Saturday morning followed by a new unique qualifying system.

Teams are split into two groups for 15-minute sessions. The top four cars from each group will then go into a shootout competition - 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th and 4th vs 5th.

Two cars are sent out on track for a single lap time attack – each car getting the opportunity to set a time with their rival running five seconds behind.

The four winners of the quarter-finals, go into a semi-final battle. The final shoot-out for pole will be fought out between the two semi-final victors.

Sunday’s race format will also offer unique action with two races, the grid for the second event being a complete reverse grid of the race finish of the first event. The races will be be run through to a 44 minute time limit – at which point, drivers will receive the “one lap to go” signal.

Leading drivers taking part in the championship include a host of stars with experience in Formula 1, Champ Car World Series, GP2 and World Series by Renault including Robert Doornbos (AC Milan), Borja Garcia (Sevilla), Adrian Valles (Liverpool), Andy Zuber (Al Ain), Davide Rigon (Bejing Guoan), Enrico Toccacelo (AS Roma), Tristan Gommendy (FC Porto), Ryan Dalziel (Rangers), Yelmer Buurman (PSV Eindhoven), Max Wissel (FC Basel) and Alesandro Pier Guidi (Galatasaray).

“With the combination of football and motorsport, we wanted to create a race weekend format that was truly unique,” Superleague Formula President and CEO, Alex Andreu said.

“Our key focus is on providing excellent entertainment for the fans. We didn’t just want to copy what every other motor racing championship had to offer. Our championship will attract many fans who are completely new to motorsport and we wanted to ensure we provide a unique entertainment package.

“That is also why we have also placed a considerable emphasis on off-track activities to provide great entertainment for all the family.”

Off track activities will kick off at the Superleague Formula Central Stage that will be equipped with giant screen displaying on-track images. This area will also include entertainment from DJs, break-dancers, a freestyle football show, fashion shows, autograph sessions, interviews with drivers and prize draws.

World champions will be on track on two wheels with Chris Pfeiffer (World Champion in Freestyle Streetbike) joining forces with Narcís Roca for a motorcycle stunt show.

The Superleague Formula Football Zone will include a spectacular array of activities including a giant inflatable human football table – just like a normal table football game, but using real people. Penalty shoot-outs, radar shoots and an extra-large table football game featuring up to 10 players on each side are also on site.

Go-karting, radio control cars (featuring the colours of the Superleague Formula clubs), entertainers, comedians, cheerleaders and face-painters will also provide added entertainment for the fans.

Sunday’s race action kicks off at Donington Park on Sunday at 11.00am for the first race. Race two is scheduled for 2.00pm.

Cross Posted @ Asian Motor Sports

Related in the Full Throttle Network

• Bejing Joins SuperLeague Formula
• The Reds Go Racing - Liverpool FC join Superleague Formula
• Race for Superleague Formula Seats Hots Up

Technorati Tags: Superleague, PSV Eindhoven, AC Milan, World Series by Renault, Enrico Toccacelo, FC Basel, Donington Park, Tottenham Hotspur F.C

The final race seats for the opening round of the inaugural Superleague Formula championship have been locked in.

Stars joining the championship include ex-Champ Car World Series race winner, Nelson Philippe (Borussia Dortmund); Brazilian driver, Tuka Rocha (Flamengo); Spanish GP2 ace, Andy Soucek (Corinthians); UAE-based Austrian, Andreas Zuber (Al Ain); Danish ace, Kasper Andersen (Olympiacos); Italian, Davide Rigon (Beijing Guoan) and young British stars, Craig Dolby (RSC Anderlecht) and Duncan Tappy (Tottenham Hotspur).

The complete Superleague Formula field for this weekend’s opening round will feature:

3 - AC Milan - Robert Doornbos
4 - Galatasaray - Alessandro Pier Guidi
5 - PSV Eindhoven - Yelmer Buurman
6 - Al Ain - Andreas Zuber
7 - Flamengo - Tuka Rocha
8 - Anderlecht - Craig Dolby
9 - Olympiacos - Kasper Andersen
10 - FC Basel - Max Wissel
11 - Borussia Dortmund - Nelson Philippe
12 - Beijing Guoan - Davide Rigon
14 - Corinthians - Andy Soucek
16 - FC Porto - Tristan Gommendy
17 - Rangers - Ryan Dalziel
18 - Sevilla FC - Borja Garcia
19 - Tottenham Hotspur - Duncan Tappy
21 - Liverpool - Adrian Valles
22 - AS Roma - Enrico Toccacelo

Technorati Tags: SuperLeague Formula, Robert Doornbos, AC Milan, FC Porto, Tristan Gommendy

As long time and probably occasion readers know I’ve not been totally sold on the idea of another international open wheel auto racing series, let alone one that brands itself as SuperLeague Formula has with a tie-in to the “Beautiful Game,” football.

The latest to jump on this crapwagon bandwagon is the most successful club in the history of English football, Liverpool FC.

The “Reds” will make their racing debut less than 100 miles away from their Anfield home at the historic Donington Park circuit on August 30/31, the opener for the SuperLeague Formula series.

Liverpool becomes the 17th club to sign up for the championship and the second Premier League outfit – joining London team Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs). Local fans at Donington Park will now have three teams to follow covering the UK from top to bottom – Tottenham, Liverpool and Scottish side, Glasgow Rangers. (Here’s a short video of the race team unveiling in Liverpool.)

(Gee, wonder if their fans will get to see the live action, or will they get the shaft and have to pay an arm, leg and their first born to see the broadcasts as the A1GP fans are required to do? - ed)

Liverpool’s entry has given the opportunity to glimpse behind the curtain at SuperLeague’s finances. If your a football club owner it looks like a potential winner, if you’re a financier of the racing series itself not so much, more like a bottomless money pit.

Liverpool’s commercial director Ian Ayre is confident the club will feel the financial benefit of competing in the new Superleague Formula series. As well he should, it’s not only a cost-free experience for the club, but they are actually guaranteed to make money via a licensing fee charged SuperLeague for the right to use the club’s branding.

“We’re licensing our colours, our brand, into the series.” Ayre told BBC Radio Merseyside.

But wait there’s more…

“We get a guaranteed signing-on fee and each year we have a guaranteed revenue stream. The race series, the drivers, the tracks - all of that is covered by the race organisers and the series organisers.”

“We’re hopefully supporting [the series] and hopefully bringing some of our sponsors along to support it but we have no financial burden,” said Ayre.

I’d say Ian Ayre has a strange sense of what “series support” means, but your mileage may vary from mine.

Superleague Formula President and CEO Alex Andreu believes the addition of Liverpool will significantly boost the profile of the new championship.

“As a global sports brand, Liverpool is one of the biggest names in the world,” Andreu said.

I don’t doubt that, I just wonder where all this cash is coming from. It isn’t cheap placing 17 drivers/teams, 17 special-built Élan Motorsports tubs, and 17 Menard Competition Technologies V12 engines on a single starting grid.

Multiply that by 6 events and all the spares needed, plus 1 million euros ($1.4 million USD) in prize money awarded each event, and this is a huge undertaking.

I’d be curious to know what the sanctioning fee for each track is. Judging from ticket prices at Donnington (Sunday only: $35 USD, $57 USD with paddock access), they can’t be over-the-moon high.

Let’s face it, it isn’t F1, but for 57 bucks you get paddock access on race day.

To get that in F1 you’d need a multi-million dollar drivers contract, be a regular visitor to London sex dens to assuage your S&M sexual fetish, or wear short skirts and have silicone implants the size of hot air balloons. (or a billionaire Gnome - ed)

So that’s something, but still, where is all this cash coming from?

Superleague Formula development driver Bruce Jouanny took the first “victory” for the V12-powered Panoz chassis at the Nurburgring on Sunday.

Jouanny’s prototype Superleague Formula car took part in a “World of Race Cars” event prior to the DTM event at the famous German circuit.

The Frenchman’s competition included the Audi R10 sportscar, its Peugeot Le Mans rivals and the LMP2 class Porsche Spyder. Other entries included historic grand prix racers from Mercedes and Audi, GT machines from Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and Corvette; a Lancia Delta Integrale rally machine; a VW Touareg Dakar rally entry and even a Red Bull NASCAR chassis.

After starting, mid-pack, the regular Le Mans Series driver soon relished the opportunity to catch, and pass, his sportscar rivals and went on to take victory in the 10 lap demonstration event.

“It was a great opportunity to actually race the Superleague Formula chassis for the first time and do battle with a wide variety of other cars,” Jouanny said.

“For me to race against the Audi and the Peugeot was a great opportunity - I usually don’t get the chance to catch these guys in the Le Mans Series, let alone pass them on the racetrack.

“It will be brilliant when the championship comes to the Nurburgring for round two - the fans are going to be in for an even bigger show.”

The Superleague Formula championship will visit the Nurburgring from September 20 to 21.

Technorati Tags: Nurburgring, SuperLeague Formula

Football and race fans can now purchase tickets for the opening round of the inaugural Superleague Formula championship at Britain’s Donington Park circuit. Tickets went on sale Tuesday for the inaugural event which will be staged on August 30/31.

The Superleague Formula championship will feature the colors of the world’s leading football clubs adorned on 300km/h, 750 horsepower, V12-powered single seaters. Tickets for the two-day event range from as low as 24 euros (37 USD) for a weekend pass. A weekend advance purchase ticket for a family (2 adults and 2 children) is only 88 euros (137 USD).

My question is how do you sell tickets for an event where none of the race teams have nominated any drivers and the event is a short 9 weeks away?

Of the thirteen football clubs scheduled to compete only AC Milan has selected a driver, former F1 and Champ Car series driver Robert Doornbos. Wikipedia lists Galatasaray SK and RSC Anderlecht with nominated drivers but I trust Wikipedia about as far as I can spit, neither clubs list a driver on the official SuperLeague website.

Yepper… you can still call me Mr. Skeptical on the entire SuperLeague operation. But what the hell, the tickets are cheap!

Technorati Tags: Robert Doornbos, Superleague Formula, Donington Park, Robert Doornbos, Full Throttle

Race fans at Zolder will get their first chance to see see a Superleague Formula machine this weekend when the former home of the Belgian Grand Prix celebrates its 45th anniversary.

The Circuit Zolder hosted the Belgian Grand Prix on 10 occasions in the 1970s and 80s and is set to become a popular location for football fans for round three of the inaugural Superleague Formula championship on October 4-5.

Three Superleague Formula clubs are located within 200 km of the circuit - RSC Anderlecht in Brussels, PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund.

Despite the fact that RSC Anderlecht and Zolder are both Belgian - Netherlands neighbours PSV Eindhoven is actually the nearest club, located only 60km from the circuit.

The PSV showcar will be on site at Zolder this weekend at the 45th Anniversary event.

“We’re very happy to have Superleague Formula with us in October. In our 45th year of existence, it is great to have this brand new championship on our track,” Zolder Marketing Manger, Walter Goosens said.

“The new approach of racing and football is quite teasing, and promises a thrilling event. Since Anderlecht will be our ‘home club’, we’re looking forward to seeing their team perform, but we’re close to Eindhoven as well, so their fans are more than welcome.

“We can even expect Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Galatasaray fans in October. Dortmund is only 2 hours drive, and there are huge Italian and Turkish communities living in our province.”

About SuperLeague Formula:

Superleague Formula will feature 20 cars competing against one another, with each one carrying the colours and livery of major football clubs from Europe and around the world.

The Car:
With its excellent facilities, specialist manufacturing experience and delivery record, Élan Motorsport Technologies from Atlanta, Georgia USA will be responsible for the development of the Superleague Formula car design and chassis.

As a multi-car manufacturer in the single-seater and sports car world, Élan currently manufactures cars for Indianapolis, Indy Racing League and Champcar, as well as other domestic and international championships.

Primarily designed to provide real spectacle, the Superleague Formula high-performance chassis is built on a two-metre wide track, with under-body aerodynamics to create increased overtaking opportunities.

The Engine:
The 750bhp engine is brand new and unique to Superleague Formula and comes in a V12 configuration with a 4.2 litre capacity. Based in Oxfordshire, England, Menard Competition Technologies is responsible for the manufacture and supply of engines.

SuperLeague Formula Schedule:
Superleague Formula’s inaugural race season will visit the following six major circuits across Europe, from August – November 2008:

Race 1: Donington, United Kingdom – August 30/31, 2008
Race 2: Nürburgring, Germany – September 20/21, 2008
Race 3: Zolder, Belgium – October 4/5, 2008
Race 4: Estoril, Portugal – October 18/19, 2008
Race 5: Vallelunga, Italy – November 1/2, 2008
Race 6: Jerez, Spain – November 22/23, 2008

A series of YouTube videos covering the new racing formula are available here

Technorati Tags: Belgian Grand Prix, SuperLeague Formula, Formula One, Motorsport, Sports, Indy Racing League, F1 Rage!

As one open wheel series gets buried this week a new one gets it’s first on track testing. Superleague Formula racing was announced in 2005, receiving the full approval of the FIA in December of 2005. The league will introduce team sponsorship by major European football clubs.

The car has been built by Panoz under the