VIDEO // COULTHARD'S CRASH @ 2010 BATHURST 1000

Fabian Coulthard, no relation to former F1 driver David Coulthard, had a rather serious crash on the opening lap of this years Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 at the Mount Panorama Circuit. And although his Holden Commodore rolled some six times, Coulthard managed to walk away without a scratch // [comment]

GEAR // TAG HEUER MONACO TWENTY FOUR

Featured above is Tag Heuer's new Monaco Twenty Four Calibre 36 Chronograph. What we find to be a perfect balance of vintage inspiration and modern-day engineering, the timepiece is powered by Tag Heuer’s 36 Calibre movement (which operates at 36,000 vibrations per hour), is coated with black titanium carbide and protected by a dynamic absorption system that utilizes four shock-absorbing arms made of aircraft grade polymers, literally suspending the movement within the 40.5mm case. The blue and orange stripes are inspired by the Gulf Porsche 917K driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans. An exhibition back and black alligator strap with orange stitching complete the package // [comment]

VIDEO // WINTERBOTTOM'S POLE LAP - 2010 BATHURST 1000

Featured above is video of Mark Winterbottom's qualifying lap at the wheel of his Ford Performance Racing V8 Supercar. Mark managed to secure pole position for Sunday's race with a 2:07.5 lap time // [comment]

BAJA 1000 // STARTING POSITIONS ANNOUNCED

Veteran desert racer Roger Norman has received the first starting position during Saturday’s computerized drawing for November’s 43rd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race. While the 2008 race winner will pilot his No. 8 Norman Motorsports Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck (above), starting first among the motorcycle and ATV classes will be Gabriel Williams, of Provo, Utah, on a Honda CRF450X motorcycle. A total of 207 vehicles officially entered in time for Saturday’s computerized drawing held at SCORE International’s headquarters in Los Angeles, and with nearly 300 entries expected before the green flag drops, entries will be accepted up to race morning... [read more]

43rd Annual TECATE SCORE BAJA 1000:

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (35)
8 Roger Norman
21 Gus Vildosola Jr.
97 B.J. Baldwin
31 Andy McMillin
84 Nick Vanderwey
71 Rick D. Johnson
9 Mark Weyhrich
23 Mark McMillin
59 Craig Potts
1 Robby Gordon
35 Jason Voss
74 Rob Bruce
2 Pete Sohren
47 James Bult
16 Cameron Steele
3 Mark Post
94 Steve Strobel
22 Damen Jefferies
13 Ed Stout
61 Josh Hall
24 Adam Householder
45 Gary Magness
49 Troy Herbst
88 Jerry Whelchel
19 Tim Herbst
54 Jesse James
7 Scott Steinberger
48 Jimmy Nuckles
27 Dave Crinklaw
73 John Harrah
86 Mike Jenkins
20 Rob MacCachren
76 Jesse Jones
30 Robbie Pierce
95 Scott Whipple

CLASS 1 (17)
101 Steve Appleton
102 Kory Halopoff
103 Daniel McMillin
104 Josh Rigsby
105 Cameron Thieriot
106 Dale Lenk
107 Dan Martin
108 Armin Schwarz
109 Eric Chase
110 Juan C. Flores
111 David Greenhill
112 Armin Kremer
113 Rudy Cortez
114 Todd Romano
115 Paul Keller
116 Conan Barker
117 Ikuo Hanawa

CLASS 1-2/1600 (8)
1601 Jay Reichert
1602 Wes McKenzie
1603 Harry Curtin
1604 Arturo Velazco
1600 Hiram Duran
1647 Arnoldo Ramirez
1648 Luke McMillin
1649 Daniel Lopez

CLASS 3 (1)
301 David Moore

CLASS 5 (5)
501 Cody Kellogg
500 Kevin Carr
503 Drew Belk
518 Vince Wavra
519 Tom Bird

CLASS 5/1600 (4)
551 Dennis Webb
552 Trevor Anderson
553 Sergio Moreno
579 Enrique Zazueta Jr.

CLASS 6 (5)
601 JT Taylor
602 Marc Burnett
603 Fernando Manzo
600 Heidi Steele
619 Dave Caspino

CLASS 7 (2)
701 Jackie Husmann
700 Dan Chamlee

CLASS 7SX (1)
741 Norman Turley

CLASS 8 (4)
800 Clyde Stacy
801 Sam Stahl
802 Noah Ostanik
839 Francisco Monroy

CLASS 10 (5)
1001 Peter Hajas
1002 Lars Ferry
1003 Jesus Gonzalez
1004 Sergio Salgado
1005 Jon Walker

SCORE LITE (10)
1201 Justin Davis
1202 Perry McNeil
1203 Zack Langley
1204 Samuel Araiza
1205 Jose Cervantes Jr.
1206 Lee Banning
1207 John Padgett
1208 Dave Wert
1209 James Marquez
1200 Brent Parkhouse

CLASS 11 (2)
1101 Alfonso Lacarra
1100 Eric Solorzano

STOCK FULL (2)
861 Sam Edgar
879 Joe Bacal

STOCK MINI (2)
778 Ivan Stewart
760 Gavin Skilton

PROTRUCK (4)
1360 Nils Castillo
1340 Chelsea Magness
1313 Paul Perrizo
1301 Troy Vest

CLASS 17 (3)
1700 Mike Shaffer
1701 Eric Filar
1702 Perry Coan

BAJA CHALLENGE (7)
BC1 Mike Cassling
BC2 John McInnis III
BC3 Dr. Steven Funk
BC4 Christian Hammarskjold
BC5 Bud Brutsman
BC6 Brian Valentine
BC19 Nick Baldwin

CLASS 2 (2)
201 James Kirby
202 Mark Stevens

CLASS 4 (1)
401 John Langley

CLASS 7-2 (2)
721 Fawn Finchum
722 Reid Rutherford

M-TRUCK (3)
M1 Glenn Harris
M2 Donald Verhoff
M3 James McAvoy

PRO MOTORCYCLES

CLASS 22 (8)
2x Gabriel Williams-S
3x A.J. Stewart
4x Junpei Saito
5x Steve Corrie
1x Kendall Norman
7x David Pearson
8x Colton Udall
9x Francisco Arredondo

CLASS 21 (2)
101x Sol Saltzman
102x Adam Neuwirth

CLASS 20 (1)
151x Jason Trubey

CLASS 30 (6)
301x Javier Henandez
302x Steve Garnett
303x Jonathan Jessy
304x Markus Saarinen
305x Ace Nilson
306x Francisco Septien

CLASS 40 (7)
401x Tom Vogt
402x Lloyd Andrew
403x Boo Custer
404x Louie Franco
405x Mike Prunty
406x Andrew Wilkins
449x Terry Peregoodoff-S

CLASS 50 (2)
501x Jim Dizney
500x Jim O’Neal

CLASS 60 (2)
600x Donald E. Lewis
619x Bill Nichols

PRO ATVS

CLASS 25 (4)
2a Felipe Velez
3a Scott Chandler
1a Wayne Matlock
5a Josh Edwards

CLASS 24 (4)
101a Shawn Robins
102a Brandon Brown
103a Tom Wright
104a Natanael Morron

CLASS 26 (1)
201a Reid Rutherford

SPORTSMAN

SPT CAR (2)
1401 Dan Kolenich
1400 Peter Lang

SPT TRUCK (2)
1501 Randy Swink
1502 Bill Wolford

SPT UTV (3)
1800 Thomas Graves
1801 Kevin Fuller
1802 Chris Koch

SPT M/C 250< (5)
201x Edd Price
202x Michele Bergman
203x Matt Ladendorf
204x Greg Willitts
205x Fred Sobke

SPT M/C 250> (32)
251x Tom Lajoie
252x Don Gentry
253x Mike Frick
254x Mike Mensinger
255x Barry Van Fossan
256x Oscar Fazz
257x Donald Hatton
258x Lance Kane-S
259x Carl Westphal
260x John Legate
261x David Smoljan-S
262x Craig Anstine
263x Yoshiyuki Imai
264x Peter Hardy-S
265x Chuck Shortt
266x Tibi Imbuzan-S
267x Tom Buikema
268x Nobuyuki Oguri
269x Go Onodera
270x Makoto Mitsuki
271x Anthony Nicodemo
272x Paul Lopez
273x Ulises Fierro
274x Salvador Sainz
275x Michael Korenwinder
276x Sanjay Shanbhag
277x James Avery
278x Tomoki Hayashi
279x Timothy Schimke
280x Andrew Tweedle
281x Keith Ciampa
282x Thierry Mas-S

SPT ATV (1)
99a Gustavo Ameca

S-Indicates Solo Rider

Image and Info: SCORE International

VIDEO // GARTH TANDER AVOIDS WILDLIFE @ BATHURST 1000

Watch as Australian V8 Supercar driver Garth Tander avoids hitting a kangaroo at speed during this weekend's 2010 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 // [comment]

MotoGP // LORENZO TAKES TITLE IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia has seen a number of title-deciding races over the years because it sits so late in the season. As a result, the absolutely punishing heat and humidity are often compounded by the tension of a title-deciding race. What’s worse is the ever-present threat of torrential downpour which can render all the weekend’s careful preparation useless. This happened last year and threatened to screw up Valentino Rossi’s plans royally. This year, it was Jorge Lorenzo, chasing his first-ever premier class title, who would have to play Sepang just right... [read more]

Dani Pedrosa, the only person still mathematically capable of beating Lorenzo to the title, was out for the second race in a row with a broken collarbone. This meant Jorge only had to place ninth or higher and he would take the title. However, Valentino Rossi made it absolutely clear one week ago that he didn’t plan to cede his crown to Lorenzo without proving he still has the ability to battle any rider and come out on top.

Toward that end, Rossi came out strong, topping Friday’s practice session, after that, his riding seemed to falter some. When qualifying came, he could manage no better than sixth place. To counter Rossi’s unevenness, Lorenzo was never out of the top three in any practice. He also stood at the top of qualifying for much of the session. He took the top spot from Stoner early on, was deposed by Ben Spies and then quickly landed on top again. Then, from nowhere, Nicky Hayden stole provisional pole from sixth place with less than five minutes left in the session. Lorenzo wouldn’t take defeat so easily and bested Hayden with less than a minute to go. No other rider had any answer, so the starting grid was: Lorenzo, Hayden, Dovizioso, Spies, Stoner, Rossi, Edwards, Bautista, Capirossi, Melandri, Simoncelli, Espargaro, De Puniet, Aoyama, Barbera and Kallio.

Lorenzo maximized on his pole position by being first into turn one. He seemed eager to try and get away safely at the front but Dovizioso decided to tag along with him. Rossi had a terrible start, he sunk as low as eleventh place in the opening few corners. Lorenzo then fought off Dovizioso through the final hairpin to narrowly complete lap one in first. At the same moment, Casey Stoner took himself out of contention when his front end slipped out on him, as it has far too many times this season. Lorenzo began to pull away from everyone except for Dovizioso, who shadowed Jorge’s every move and appeared ready to pounce at any second. Meanwhile Valentino Rossi had been methodically clawing his way back up the order with some genuinely ambitious overtaking. By the middle of lap four he passed Marco Simoncelli to take third place. Rossi now went to work on catching the two leaders by clocking the fastest laps of the race so far.

As the laps ticked on, Rossi miraculously bridged the chasm to the front two and left little doubt he was going to become a factor at the front before the end. Sensing this, Dovizioso made his move at the beginning of lap nine; he out-braked Lorenzo into turn one and led for the first time. Mid-way through the next lap, Rossi would pass Jorge going into turn nine and commence his hunt for Dovizioso, who he passed in the exact same spot on the next lap. Andrea retook the lead going into turn one with five laps to go but Rossi got him back, again at turn nine. Lorenzo refused to be dropped, he had been hanging onto the front two the entire time. Jorge had wisely learned his lesson from Motegi and refused to take part in any real battle but remained ready to pounce if the opportunity presented itself. As the laps wound down, Dovizioso stayed with Rossi but never was able to mount a pass, Valentino crossed the finish line only 0.224 seconds in front. Jorge Lorenzo backed off his pace, figuring third place with a world title beats tempting fate by pushing too hard, the gap back to him had grown to six seconds. Valentino had produced a masterpiece designed to take as much spotlight away from Jorge’s title as was possible. While Rossi did well, nothing really trumps a title-winning race, not even a spectacular win.

Further down the order, Ben Spies took a respectable fourth place after passing Simoncelli going into lap fifteen. The battle for fifth place raged hard in the final laps with Bautista, Simoncelli, Aoyama and Hayden swapping that spot multiple times. Bautista won that battle with Nicky Hayden following him. Hiroshi Aoyama took seventh and his best finish of the season after fending off some seriously hard riding from Simoncelli (it looked like their race here last year). Aoyama did this after having qualified all the way back in fourteenth, good stuff for someone who broke a vertebra this year.

So the 2010 MotoGP title has been settled. Jorge Lorenzo is only the second Spaniard to win the title (after Alex Criville, in 1999) and the first to win 250cc and MotoGP. Many congratulations to Jorge for the achievement. Now that the pressure is off his shoulders, we can only hope to see him tangle with Rossi unfettered for the last three races. It would also be nice to see Andrea Dovizioso win a dry race as he has been painfully close to the “aliens” all year. The next race is only one week away at Philip Island, Australia. It’s an amazing track that both Stoner and Rossi do well at. Let’s hope there are still some great battles left in the year.

It’s worth noting that the Moto2 title was settled Sunday after Toni Elias took fourth place aafter his only title challenger, Julian Simon, fell and rejoined the race but was unable to finish in the points. It’s Elias’ first title, surprisingly enough, and he was so overcome by emotion that he could barely speak in the press conference. He dedicated the title to pretty much his entire family and to Shoya Tomizawa, whose number 48 was on Elias’ special celebratory leathers. He ran a fantastic year, paving the way for an expected return to MotoGP next season. If anyone doubts Elias’ worth, go back and watch Estoril 2006. It was a fantastic performance and also the last time a satellite bike has won a MotoGP race. Big congratulations to Toni.

2010 Malaysian Grand Prix // Complete Results:

1. Valentino Rossi
2. Andrea Dovizioso
3. Jorge Lorenzo
4. Ben Spies
5. Alvaro Bautista
6. Nicky Hayden
7. Hiroshi Aoyama
8. Marco Simoncelli
9. Marco Melandri
10. Randy De Puniet
11. Hector Barbera
12. Mika Kallio

Photo: MotoGP
Editorial: Jeff Winterberg

BTCC // PLATO CLAIMS POLE @ BRANDS HATCH

In a titanic qualifying battle at Brands Hatch Jason Plato out paced his championship rivals to take pole position for Sundays first race of the 2010 series finale. Despite carrying 45kg of (championship success) ballast, Plato edged out the two Team Honda Civics of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden with only 0.144 of a second covering all three title aspirants... [read more]

Plato who gains an extra championship point for the pole commented “My first pole of the season – I couldn’t have timed it better! It’s been a fantastic qualifying – not just the session but the way everyone has prepared for it and gone about today. We were fastest in both practice sessions this morning and gain now. To do that with maximum ballast in the car is very pleasing.”

The other driver of the four still in with a chance of claiming the prestigious title Tom Onslow-Cole didn't fair so well and will line up in tenth spot on the grid after a frustrating session which saw the youngster from New Malden fail to replicate his free practice pace after going the wrong way with the Focus's set-up.

Ben Collins (aka "The Stig") had a nightmare day in the third Airwaves BMW with the former sportscar driver failing to set a time in qualifying after a electrical fault with the 320si's ECU caused gearbox cooling pump failure.



Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Brands Hatch Saturday 9th October 2010.

Qualifying Results:

1. Jason Plato Silverline Chevrolet Cruze 48.647secs

2. Matt Neal Team Honda Honda Civic 48.780secs

3. Gordon Shedden Team Honda Honda Civic 48.791secs

4. Alex MacDowall Silverline Chevrolet Cruze 48.830secs

5. Tom Chilton Team Aon Ford Focus ST 48.871secs

6. Mat Jackson Airwaves BMW 320si 48.885secs

7. James Nash Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra 48.902secs

8. Sam Tordoff Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra 48.947secs

9. Paul O'Neill sunshine.co.uk Honda Integra 49.100secs

10. Tom Onslow-Cole Team Aon Ford Focus ST 49.110secs

11. Andrew Jordan Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra 49.171secs

12. Tom Boardman Special Tuning (UK) SEAT Leon 49.173secs

13. Robert Collard West Surrey Racing BMW 320si 49.190secs

14. Steven Kane Airwaves BMW BMW 320si 49.249secs

15. Andy Neate West Surrey Racing BMW 320si 49.540secs

16. Arthur Forster Forster Motorsport BMW 320si 49.788secs

17. Lea Wood Central Group Racing Honda Integra 49.841secs

18. Martin Depper Forster Motorsport BMW 320si 49.960secs

19. Martin Johnson Boulevard Team Racing Vauxhall Astra 50.010secs

20. John George sunshine.co.uk Honda Integra 50.116secs

21. Shaun Hollamby AmDMilltekRacing.com Volkswagen Golf 50.129secs

22. Ben Collins Airwaves BMW BMW 320si No time

23. James Kaye WRC Developments with Barwell Honda Integra No time

24. Dave Pinkney Pinkney Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra Withdrawn


Editorial/Photo: Neil Tozer

VIDEO // FIRST TIME OUT: LOTUS & FORD @ DUTCH GP

Check out this wonderful short film produced by Ford called First Time Out. Watch as Formula One legends Graham Hill and Jim Clark debut their 410 horsepower Ford DFV powered Lotus 49s at the infamous Zandvoort circuit. Hill was on pole but it was Jim Clark that drove his Lotus 49 to victory.

Video comes to us courtesy of MotorsportRetro // [comment]

BTCC // BATTLE OF BRITAIN @ BRANDS HATCH

This weekend (9th/10th October) sees Britain's most popular race car series come to the boil with the final rounds of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The short Brands Hatch Indy circuit plays host to the last chapter of yet another extremely competitive season with four drivers still in the hunt for the 2010 title... [read more]

After thrilling the crowds around the UK since round one at Thruxton back in April the BTCC has yet again consistently provided arguably the closest racing in the country and with four drivers and 3 very different types of racecar set to do battle in 3 races around the natural amphitheatre of the Kent circuit the 52nd season of the BTCC looks set to end in fine style.

Current championship leader Jason Plato (RML Chevrolet Cruze) leads the standings but just 24 points separate all four title contenders. With 52 points in total up for grabs at Brands all four drivers will still be in contention starting race two whatever the race one result.


BTCC Drivers’ Points (After 9 of 10 Rounds):

1. Jason Plato, 224
2. Matt Neal, 207
3. Gordon Shedden, 203
4. Tom Onslow-Cole, 200
5. Tom Chilton, 171
6. Steven Kane, 152
7. Mat Jackson, 143
8. Robert Collard, 122
9. Paul O’Neill, 117
10. Andrew Jordan, 79

"The Title Favourite"
Jason Plato
RML Silverline Chevrolet Cruze.

Lives: Oxford, UK.
Date Of Birth: 14/10/67
BTCC Starts: 333
Previous Best BTCC Championship Position: CHAMPION (2001)
2010 Results: 5 Wins

Plato started the year as "Title Favourite" although the season began with rather modest results. Along with the ultra experienced RML team gradually developed the Cruze (New this year to the BTCC) to suit the all new Dunlop tyres coming on strong in the second half of the season despite ballast. Showed true champions form at last round (Donington Park) with fighting drives in races two and three after race one shunt. Love him or hate him he is one of the BTCC's biggest crowd pullers. Often criticised for forceful driving style which seems to have been tempered down somewhat this season. Famously collected all three race wins at Brands Hatch series finale 2009.

He Says:

"I’m happy with a 17-point lead because I’d rather have a handy cushion than be going to Brands Hatch playing catch-up. We just need to make sure we have done our homework leaveing no stone unturned and make absolutely sure we take nothing for granted.”


"Mr Experience"
Matt Neal,
Honda Racing Team Dynamics Honda Civic

Lives: Shenstone, UK
Date Of Birth: 20/12/66
BTCC Starts: 432
Previous Best BTCC Championship Position CHAMPION (2005/2006)
2010 Results: 5 Wins
Neal is the most experienced man in this years field having started over 400 BTCC races. Champion with Team Dynamics back in 2005 and 2006 the 43yr old will be out to make it a hatrick of titles. The Honda Civic has suffered aerodynamically this season on the faster tracks with it being a hatchback but it is renowned for its handling around the tighter circuits. Always outspoken with an aggressive style the double champion has been matched for pace this season by team mate Gordon Shedden. With both Neal and Shedden in title contention this arguably could well hinder either of them catching Plato.


He Says:

“Jason holds all the aces but he’ll have two Hondas to worry about – there are no team orders between Gordon and I and we’ll be coming at Jason from all directions. But he’s been there before and so have I so we both know the score. The Honda’s big strength is its handling and Brands Indy is a twisty circuit so it’s game on.”

"The Scott"
Gordon Shedden
Honda Racing Team Dynamics Honda Civic

Lives: Fife,UK
Date Of Birth: 15/02/79
BTCC Starts: 132
Previous Best BTCC Championship Position: 3rd (2006)
2010 Results: 5 Wins

Scotsman Gordon Shedden has matched the pace of more experienced team-mate Matt Neal this year and goes into the title finale just 4 points behind his team-mate. Questions will be asked over how the amiable 31yr old will handle the intense pressure should he still be in contention come the final race of the day. Showed signs of feeling the heat at Silverstone with a forceful post race discussion with Rob Collard after an on track incident in race three.


He Says:

“It’s all to play for and Jason will have two Hondas to worry about. Then again, I think all three cars, the Chevrolet, the Honda and the Ford will be very evenly-matched at Brands. I’m relaxed about it, I’ve nothing to lose so it’ll be maximum attack. My mindset is that I have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"Saturday’s qualifying session could really have an affect on what happens in the three races on Sunday – Brands Indy is a short lap and it’ll only take a tenth of a second to make the difference between starting on the front row and row five. Bear in mind Jason in particular will have a lot of success ballast in that Chevrolet. That could be those vital fractions of a second…”


"The Underdog"
Tom Onslow-Cole
Team Aon Ford Focus ST

Lives: New Malden,UK
Date Of Birth: 16/05/87
BTCC Starts: 99
Previous Best BTCC Championship Position: 6th (2008)
2010 Results: 4 Wins

After having spent the winter working with Mountune on the all new LPG powered Ford Duratec engine Team Aon's decision to run the unit triggered controversy during the early races of the season as rival teams raised questions over the top speed of the turbo powerplant. Restrictions were imposed by series organisers TOCA curbing the Ford's advantage but the car remains a force to be reckoned with due to its extra torque. Onslow-Cole, who is by far the youngest of the title contenders has shown awesome pace this season in seeing off more experienced team-mate Tom-Chilton. Questionable and bizarre in-house team tactics cost Tom two victories at Silverstone which may well make the title realistically just too far out of reach.

He Says:

“I’m the absolute outsider so have no other option but to go for it. We had some strong results with the Focus on the Brands GP circuit earlier this year but the Indy circuit is a very different animal. I’m in a situation where I need to take the risks and stick my nose in a bit. I’ve not knocked people about this year whereas maybe the others have got involved in a few tangles, so hopefully I’ve got a few more friends out there on the track.

“I think I can play with these guys and take it to them. But above all, it’s just fantastic to be coming into the final round in with a shout of what is one of motor sport’s most coveted titles.”

For Tickets and Timetable click here

Photos: BTCC and Neil Tozer
Editorial: Neil Tozer

TRIVIA // SCHECKTER AND THE FERRARI 312T4

Unfortunately, the only person to answer this weeks trivia question correctly, did so under an 'anonymous' profile, so it looks like we'll have to save the CTD schwag for next week. That being said, the photo featured yesterday is of Jody Scheckter driving the Ferrari 312T4 and was taken at the 1979 German Grand Prix which was held on July 29th 1979 at the Hockenheimring // [comment]

VIDEO // FERRARI 599 GTO @ THE NURBURGRING

Enjoy a lap around the famed Nürburgring in Ferrari's new 599 GTO. And while it seems the driver wasn't pushing the Italian touring car to its limits, he did manage to hit 182mph on the back straight // [comment]

EYE CANDY // ASTON MARTIN DP214 @ SPA

This photo of an Aston Martin DP214 was taken by our friend Julien Mahiels at this years 6 Heures Historiques de Spa. The DP214 was a prototype sports car developed by Aston Martin for use in GT racing, to include the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Only two DP214s were built in 1963, with one surviving today // [comment]

RUMOR(S) // PORSCHE WILL RETURN TO FORMULA ONE?

Rumor has it that Porsche might return to Formula One thanks in part to new FIA rules regarding turbocharged powerplants. The new regulations are scheduled to go into effect in 2013 and according to Porsche’s new CEO Matthias Mueller, Volkswagen wants to enter either Porsche or Audi into the FIA Formula One World Championship, while allowing the other car maker to pursue another racing series. And seeing as how Audi has been rather successful in Le Mans Series racing these past few years, we'd guess the brass at VW would look to Stuttgart for their F1 effort. More when we know more // [comment]

TRIVIA // WHO, WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE?

Can anyone tell us who is featured in the photo above? Better yet, can you tell us when and where the photo was taken, and what they are driving? First person with the correct answer will win themselves some CTD schwag (assuming you provide a mailing address) Good luck! // [comment]

NEWS // SEBASTIEN LOEB COLLECTS 2010 WRC TITLE

Sebastien Loeb secured his seventh World Rally Championship title last weekend following an impressive win at the Rallye de France. This was Loeb's 60th career win and gave the Frenchman 226 championship points with just two rallies left on the schedule. Additionally, the Citroën team pulled off a one-two win at the French rally with Loeb's teammate Dani Sordo finishing second overall. Taking the third and final step on the podium was was Peter Solberg, who is currently fourth place in points.

Follow the link for a bit of onboard footage with Loeb... [read more]




Image and Info: Autoblog
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

EYE CANDY // ALFA ROMEO GIULIA SPRINT GTA @ SPA 6 HEURES

The photo featured above, which comes to us courtesy of Motoring Con Brio and Julien Mahiels, was taken at this years 6 Heures Historiques de Spa, a vintage motoring festival held at the famed Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Click here for additional Eye Candy from Spa // [comment]

NEWS // SAUBER SIGNS SERGIO PEREZ FOR 2011

Mexican racing driver, Sergio Perez, will make his Formula One debut for Sauber at the start of the 2011 season. Perez will join Kamui Kobayashi who has already be confirmed for next year. Nick Heidfeld, who took Pedro de la Rosa’s place at Sauber for last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, will not continue as a racing driver with the team beyond the end of this season... [read more]

Perez had this to say following the announcement:

"Formula One is the dream of every young racing driver. And now this dream is about to come true for me. Although I’m very much aware that this is also a big challenge and responsibility, I’m happy to accept that and am proud to be representing my country in the highest category of motor racing. I would like to thank Peter Sauber for the faith he’s shown in me and I’ll do everything I can to make the most of this wonderful opportunity."

Perez currently sits second in the GP2 championship behind Pastor Maldonado, who has already been crowned champion. Additionally, Sauber also announced it will be sponsored by Mexican telecommunications giant Telmex as of next year.

Team principal Peter Sauber said:

"Telmex has been involved in motor sport for a number of years already and supports drivers in various race series. Now they are making the key step up into the top category of motor racing, and we are happy and proud that they are taking this step with us. Telmex is an outstanding company and represents a strong partner for our team. We are looking forward to a fruitful partnership."

Image and Info: F1Fanatic
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // PORSCHE'S 911 GT3 R HYBRID @ PETIT LE MANS

Driven by Timo Bernhard, Mike Rockenfeller and Romain Dumas, Porsche's experimental 911 GT3 R Hybrid survived Petit Le Mans this weekend, finishing 18th overall. According to Porsche, the car suffered more from bad tire choice than hybrid system complications. That being said, you'd think they Petit Le Mans after watching this post-race promo video. A bit much considering they finished mid-pack // [comment]

DOMESTIC INDULGENCE // DODGE CHALLENGER DRAG PAK

Chrysler has upgraded their Drag Pak edition Challenger for 2011. The new car is powered by the Viper’s 600-hp, 8.4-liter V10 and features a plethora of racing bits, to include a 2-speed gearbox with pistol-grip shifter and built-in roll control, fuel cell assembly, polycarbonate door windows, lightweight front brakes, power-steering delete and more. According to our sources, Chrysler’s is planning to build only 70 units starting at $85,512. Click here for additional information and images // [comment]

MotoGP // STONER'S WIN ONE-UPPED BY BATTLE FOR THIRD

MotoGP finally got around to running the Japanese GP this weekend. The race originally was to run back in April but an uncooperative volcano in Iceland killed most air travel out of Europe. Sunday’s rescheduled race slots in nicely with the next two rounds (Malaysia and Australia). All three are now on consecutive weekends, meaning less jet lag and presumably easier movement of cargo. Hopefully... [read more]

The biggest news of the weekend was Dani Pedrosa crashing on only the third lap of the first practice session. The bizarre accident was only captured by his onboard camera, so Honda and Dorna have just one angle from which to investigate. Honda’s conclusion so far is that Pedrosa’s fly-by-wire throttle stuck open. His bike got severe wobbles and dumped him hard on his left side. Dani got up and walked to the track edge, giving some hope that maybe he was unhurt. Unfortunately, he was then stretchered away. X-rays showed he had broken his collarbone in three places. He was immediately flown back to Barcelona to undergo surgery (imagine flying that far with such an injury). There is as yet no verdict on whether he will take part in the race in Malaysia next week. Pre-race tabulations concluded that if Jorge finished first or second at Motegi, and Pedrosa didn’t show up for Malaysia, the title would be Lorenzo’s.

Qualifying saw Andrea Dovizioso channel his absent teammate with menacingly fast and consistent laps. He would take his first MotoGP pole position with six minutes left in the session. The Fiat Yamahas were back on form after their less than stellar showing two weeks ago. Lorenzo stayed near the top of all sessions and Valentino Rossi’s lingering shoulder injury was a much smaller factor than he and his team had anticipated. Rossi clinched second position on his very last lap, just a few hundredths behind Dovizioso. More importantly, Rossi knocked Lorenzo off the front row for the first time this season. Even though the title is out of the question for Rossi, he is keen to hold his own against the man taking it from him. Casey Stoner snatched third after uneven results across all sessions. He seemingly ironed out whatever was upsetting his rhythm. The starting grid was as follows: Dovizioso, Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo, Edwards, Spies, DePuniet, Simoncelli, Bautista, Capirossi, Hayden, Melandri, Espargaro, Aoyama, Barbera and Kallio.

Dovizioso had a great start, leading into turn one, but Casey Stoner quickly snatched the lead into turn two. Dovizioso refused to be dropped and would periodically chip away at Stoner’s lead. Unfortunately for him, Stoner would respond by upping his own pace. As close as Dovizioso was getting, he could never get close enough to really challenge Stoner. Stoner wouldn’t really break away until near the end, eventually winning by a comfortable margin of just under four seconds. While Stoner was cruising to victory, the TV audience was distracted by the battle for third place. Rossi had passed Lorenzo with 19 laps to go but had never dropped his teammate/ rival. With about 7 laps left, Lorenzo passed Rossi under brakes at turn 5 and Rossi immediately passed him back and pulled a slight gap. With 2 laps to go Jorge was right on Rossi’s tail again. Going into turn 5, Lorenzo tried the same move as before with Rossi countering again, just more forcefully. They banged fairings going under the tunnel and Rossi retained 3rd place. Going into the S curves, Lorenzo tried to grab the inside line, forcing Rossi wide. Rossi countered by forcing Lorenzo wide in to the second half of the turn complex. Lorenzo regrouped for a last lap push on Rossi but found himself too far back to mount a pass at his favorite overtaking spot (turn 5). This time though, he made a pass stick on Rossi going into the S curves. Rossi then took Lorenzo at the V corner (these corners are so literally named) and barely kept 3rd place, wheelieing up to the hairpin. Rossi barely managed to keep Jorge at bay and eked out the final podium spot. It was a fantastic battle the likes of which we have not seen this year. Jerez, where Lorenzo charged to victory in the final laps from a distant 3rd place, would be the closest such battle this season.



It would be an understatement to say the Rossi/ Lorenzo battle stole the show but there were some other notable performances. Dovizioso’s strength over the whole weekend added real ammunition to his bid for a 3rd factory Honda ride next year. Colin Edwards took a strong 5th place while his teammate, Ben Spies, came back fighting from an early bobble that sent him and Hayden off track into 15th and 16th. He eventually managed to claw his way back to 8th. The Suzukis also had a strong showing, they would have finished 7th and 8th had Capirossi not run off track with 3 laps to go, stalling his bike and failing to finish. Hopefully such results will persuade Suzuki to stick with their 2-man team and pour more resources into their MotoGP effort.



The Rossi/ Lorenzo scrap brought out all the expected recriminations. Lin Jarvis felt Rossi should have been more helpful to Lorenzo’s championship effort. Lorenzo himself complained that some of Rossi’s moves were “a bit too much.” On Rossi’s side, Masao Furusawa, who was instrumental in Rossi’s Yamaha success, was caught on camera smirking at the amazing battle going down and Rossi could be heard on camera in parc ferme saying “it was fun!” From my perspective, Lorenzo got as hard as he gave. The racing was definitely rough but Jorge put some similarly hard moves on Pedrosa in Jerez earlier in the year.

Malaysia is looking to be where the 2010 championship will most likely be decided. Lorenzo is 69 points ahead of Dani Pedrosa, the only other rider with any mathematical chance of taking the title. The odds of Dani making it to Sepang seem slim right now. If he skips the race, Jorge has only to finish 10th to be champion. If Pedrosa makes it, Jorge needs to come out 7 points ahead of him. Valentino Rossi faced similar odds of taking the title at Sepang last season. A bad start on a rain-soaked track and a determined Jorge Lorenzo threatened to spoil everything. Rossi prevailed in the end but Jorge never made it easy for him.

2010 Japanese Grand Prix // Complete Results:

1. Casey Stoner
2. Andrea Dovizioso
3. Valentino Rossi
4. Jorge Lorenzo
5. Colin Edwards
6. Marco Simoncelli
7. Alvaro Bautista
8. Ben Spies
9. Randy De Puniet
10. Hiroshi Aoyama
11. Marco Melandri
12. Nicky Hayden
13. Hector Barbera
14. Aleix Espargaro
15. Mika Kallio

Images: MotoGP
Editorial: Jeff Winterberg

NEWS // 2011 PRODRIVE MINI WRC OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

The new Mini WRC, which will contest the FIA World Rally Championship from 2011, made its world premiere today (Sept 30th) at the Paris Motor Show. In addition, Kris Meeke (GB) has been confirmed as one of the drivers who will contest the championship with this brand new rally car... [read more]

The MINI WRC, powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder Di turbo-charged engine, recently received a baptism of fire, acquitting itself well during initial testing at Prodrive’s rally track. The company commenced development of the car in 2009, and a concept of the MINI WRC is being displayed in Paris.

“The Paris Motor Show is the perfect stage, on which to launch our MINI WRC,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing. “The response to our announcement that MINI will return to the world of rallying next year was very positive. The FIA World Rally Championship is the pinnacle of rallying, making it the ideal platform for demonstrating the competitive spirit of our brand. The development of the car is running on schedule, and the preparations for the world championship are in full swing. The MINI Countryman production model provided the ideal basis for our new world championship challenger.”

The 2011 World Rally Championship will see the new MINI WRC contesting in six of 13 scheduled rounds, with MINI competing in the full 2012 season. In addition, Prodrive plans to make available customer versions to independent teams for use in the championship.

Rallying is hardly unchartered territory for MINI. In the past this popular motor sporting genre decisively shaped the image of the brand. The MINI Cooper S became a true legend through its numerous victories on Rally Monte Carlo. The European Rally Championship, too, saw MINI notch up serial successes.

“MINI can look back on a successful tradition in rallying,” said Dr Wolfgang Armbrecht, Senior Vice President Brand Management MINI. “The interest in motorsport among the present generation of MINI customers is massive. The WRC provides an excellent communications platform for the MINI Countryman, upon which the MINI WRC is based.”

Prodrive, an experienced motorsport operation, was chosen as the partner in the quest to continue MINI’s success story. The company, founded by David Richards, is viewed as one of the most respected and successful in rallying.

“This project is a truly passionate opportunity,” believes Richards. “MINI is a cult brand which left a lasting impression during its previous motorsport campaigns. We are both extremely happy and proud to be on board as a partner when MINI returns to rallying. We aim to use 2011 as a preparatory year, amassing experience in order to ensure we are fully competitive from the start of the following season. But let's not underestimate the task ahead of us nor the stiff competition we will face on the way, however our target is firmly set on winning the World Championship title again with MINI.”

Prodrive was founded in 1984, and has established itself as one of motorsport’s leading independent teams. Currently employing over 500 staff, the company is based in Banbury (GB). Among other successes, Prodrive has to date won six World Rally Championships, five British Touring Car titles, and scored three class victories in France’s classic Le Mans 24 Hours.

Kris Meeke has been confirmed as the first driver to compete for Prodrive in the MINI WRC. The rally ace from Dungannon (GB) first came to prominence when he won the British Junior Rally Championship in 2002. Numerous victories and titles were to follow. With support from his long-term mentor and former rally world champion, the late Colin McRae (GB), Meeke has been able to successfully establish himself on the rally scene. The Northern Irishman celebrated his most recent success last year, when he won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

The heart of the MINI WRC is the BMW Motorsport-developed 1.6 litre, four-cylinder Di turbo-charged engine which can be deployed not only in the WRC, but also in other championships running to the FIA’s Super2000 regulations. The power transmission takes place via an Xtrac 6-speed, sequential gearbox.

Images and info: Prodrive
Editorial: Neil Tozer

VIDEO // 2011 CITROEN DS3 WRC REVEALED

During this weeks Paris Motor Show, Citroën officially launched the car they hope will continue their dominance in the World Rally Championship next year when new regulations come into force. Dubbed the Citroën DS3 WRC, the new car is powered by a 300hp 1.6-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine, while a four-wheel-drive transmission incorporates a six-gear sequential gearbox and front and rear mechanical differentials. We'll provide additional information when it becomes available, in the mean time check out Citroën Racing's official promo video featured above // [comment]