Montreal: Good-bye F1... Hello Indy?

From the Calgary Herald

Didn't take long for someone to come sniffing for that $110 million that Bernie Ecclestone turned down...

"The Indy Racing League is ready to entertain talks of possibly staging a race [in Montreal] to fill the void left in the wake of a failed collective effort by city, provincial and federal government officials to secure the future of the country's only Formula One race."

Continued at the link above

Big 3 bosses head to Washington to cry poor.... in their private jets

This isn't helpful.

From ABC News

"The CEOs of the big three automakers flew to the nation's capital yesterday in private luxurious jets to make their case to Washington that the auto industry is running out of cash and needs $25 billion in taxpayer money to avoid bankruptcy."

... "All three CEOs - Rick Wagoner of GM, Alan Mulally of Ford, and Robert Nardelli of Chrysler - exercised their perks Tuesday by flying in corporate jets to DC. Wagoner flew in GM's $36 million luxury aircraft to tell members of Congress that the company is burning through cash, asking for $10-12 billion for GM alone."

... "Wagoner's private jet trip to Washington cost his ailing company an estimated $20,000 roundtrip. In comparison, seats on Northwest Airlines flight 2364 from Detroit to Washington were going online for $288 coach and $837 first class."

... "Ford CEO Mulally's corporate jet is a perk included for both he and his wife as part of his employment contract along with a $28 million salary last year. Mulally actually lives in Seattle, not Detroit. The company jet takes him home and back on weekends."

See the link above for the full story

L’Estage and Richard leading the North American Rally Championship

St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, November 18th, 2008 – Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard will be chasing back-to-back North American Rally Championship titles as they take to the start of the Rally of the Tall Pines on Saturday morning in Bancroft, Ontario. Almost 50 teams will compete in this event, Canada’s sixth and final round of the year. The duo from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec has already won four rallies on North American soil since the start of the season. They enter the competition with a five-point lead over main rival for the championship, Ken Block, who will be attempting to earn his first title. In addition to a variety of different Yokohama tires required to battle in the unknown weather conditions, L’Estage and Richard will be relying on their Royal Group Hyundai Tiburon, masterly prepared by rally legend John Buffum. L’Estage will be looking for his third consecutive event victory at this challenging rally.

Tall Pines is really the most unpredictable event on the calendar, commented L’Estage. At this time of the year, the road and weather conditions can change from hour to hour and we have to be prepared for anything. I like tough conditions and having good pacenotes and the best tire choice could make the difference between a great stage time and going off the road. It was here in 2004 that I had my first ever career victory and after winning again in ’06 and ’07, coming here always brings back great memories.

Antoine is the type of driver who excels under adverse conditions, adds Nathalie Richard. He has an innate sense that allows him to find the maximum possible speed a road can be driven, whether it’s dry or wet or icy. That’s what makes him a winner as often in summer, in winter, or at an event like Tall Pines.

One long day
Since 1971, Tall Pines has taken place over just one condensed day, unlike the common Canadian two-day rallies. At the Saturday morning start, L’Estage/Richard will be the first car on the road. The rally is made up of 180 kilometers and 15 competitive stages, over a period of twelve hours. « It’s a long day for us, admits the two-time Canadian Champion and reigning North American Champion. We’ll go from daylight to nighttime, as well as fall and winter, all the while adapting to the continuously changing conditions. For more information, event details can be found at http://www.tallpinesrally.com/.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard compete in the Canadian Rally Championship with the proud support of : Hyundai Canada, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Énergie Cardio, Libra Racing, OMP Racewear, VP Racing Fuels, and MBF Racing. You can also visit the team’s site Coyote Rallye for more specific information on the team or as a general rally reference.

Source : Coyote Rallye Media Services (514) 825 – 4332

NASCAR TRUCKS: Cut Tire Slashes Fitzpatrick's Chances in Season Finale

Homestead, Fla. (November 18, 2008) – J.R. Fitzpatrick made his third career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start on Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, marking his first start at a 1.5-mile superspeedway.  Fitzpatrick, who won the CASCAR Championship in 2006, made quick work of the steep learning curve and drove the No. 71 Mammoet Chevrolet to 18th before falling victim to a blown right rear tire 98 laps in to the 134-lap Ford 200.

Fitzpatrick, who had his career-best qualifying effort (sixth) last week at Phoenix International Raceway, was on pace to lay down another great lap in qualifying.  His first lap clocked in at 32.911 seconds at a speed of 164.079 miles per hour and he was on pace to outdo himself on lap two, but his determination outweighed the trucks abilities and he looped it on the second lap.  “In qualifying, I believe we had a top-15 truck but I made a small mistake by not wanting to lift off the gas and that cost us that potential start,” he explained.  “We were too free and I spun out on the second lap.  But we still maintained a top-20 start.” 

Fitzpatrick started the Ford 200 from outside row 10 in 20th position but his Chevrolet was “loose under throttle” and he slid to 24th.  When everyone hit pit road, under caution, on lap 43, Crew Chief Jon Wolfe called Fitzpatrick in for four tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment before returning him to the track in 22nd. 

On lap 67, Fitzpatrick brushed the wall but it didn’t cause enough damage to his truck to tell.  “It’s really starting to come in,” said Fitzpatrick on lap 75.  “It’s really feeling good.”  About 15 laps later, his truck began to lose the handling and was slowly losing the nose and pushing loose.  He hit pit road under the next caution flag and took on four new tires and fuel, but when the race resumed, he cut down a tire and was forced to pit road for repairs.  The crew patched up the damage and sent the Mammoet Chevrolet on its way, but they fell nine laps down while repairing the damage.

“I had a ton of fun, running with eight to 10 trucks all night,” said Fitzpatrick of his first outing at the Homestead, Florida facility.  “Our truck was a bit on the loose side and it took about 40 laps before it came in.  When it did, we were running some great lap times.  We pitted under the caution flag for some tires and adjustments and I knew we were going to have a great truck after that.  But only one lap after the restart we went into turn three and we cut down a right rear tire.  Luckily I was already running the high groove and just kissed the wall a little but the damage was big enough were it took several laps to repair.  The crew took their time fixing the damage because it was crucial that we finish the race because I need my license for next year.  They worked very hard and got us back out to see the checkered flag fly.”  Fitzpatrick finished 32nd.

“I had a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to what hopes to be a full season in 2009,” he said.

From TRG_motorsports // Jamie Maynard

 
<<71 Mammoet Chevy at HMS.JPG>>

TW Steel – A1GP R3 Preview – Sepang, Malaysia

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (November 18, 2008) – The 2008-09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport remains in the Far East this weekend, following a successful debut visit to China’s Chengdu International Circuit two weeks ago, with Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit hosting A1GP for the fourth consecutive season with Round 3, Friday 21st – Sunday 23rd November.

TW Steel, the ‘Official Watch and Timing Partner’ of A1GP, will again be pro-active on-site with the Malaysian leg of the ‘Miss TW Steel’ competition – the Malaysian winner going on to face nine other national winners from around the globe in the grand finale at Brands Hatch in England in May 2009. ‘Miss TW Steel 2008-09’ will not only have the honour of the title but she’ll also collect $25,000 in prize money and receive a photo-shoot with a leading lifestyle magazine.

TW Steel will also be showcasing and selling product at the Sepang International Circuit with the TW Steel A1GP watch range expected to be a ‘must have’ item for race fans. Based on the successful TECH collection and launched at the start of the A1GP season at Zandvoort last month, the three TW Steel A1GP models have proved to be extremely popular – not least with the A1GP drivers.

Malaysian Momentum:

A1 Team Malaysia holds the honour of heading to its home track, the impressively wide 5.54km / 3.44-mile Sepang International Circuit, leading the 2008-09 A1GP Nations Standings after two rounds. With a five point lead over A1 Team Ireland, (28-23), the Malaysian squad is no doubt hoping to capitalize on its momentum and do something it has yet to achieve in A1GP – score a home podium!

While Malaysian favorites Alex Yoong and Fairuz Fauzy have led their nation to a total of five A1GP victories, a top-three finish at Sepang has currently eluded the squad despite the team’s competitiveness throughout the previous three seasons of A1GP competition.

Sepang has proved to be a circuit that rewards consistency with just eight nations achieving podium finishes in the six A1GP race starts held previously at the track. While Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic and New Zealand have all scored one podium a piece, with Germany and Great Britain scoring two each, ultimately A1 Team France and A1 Team Switzerland have made the Malaysian circuit their own territory with five podium finishes each.

Switzerland’s Neel Jani has ultimately turned Sepang into his own personal playground having scored all five of his nation’s podium finishes including three victories – most notably a lock-out of the top step in last season’s Sprint and Feature races. A1 Team France has had three different drivers steer to top-three finishes, including a double victory by Alexander Premat in the inaugural 2005-06 A1GP season, with additional podiums courtesy of Nicolas Lapierre and a brace of second-place finishes last season by Loic Duval. A1 Team Germany triumphed in the 2006-07 Feature race, courtesy of Nico Hülkenberg, the only time to-date that France and Switzerland have been denied victory in Malaysia!

Sepang Driving Impressions:

One driver familiar with both the Sepang International Circuit and victories in A1GP is A1 Team Ireland’s Adam Carroll. Having scored his country’s first-ever A1GP win in the Feature race at Mexico City last season, Carroll again showed his class last time out at in China collecting his first Sprint race victory in Round 2 at the Chengdu International Circuit. He promptly followed that up with a dogged pursuit of A1 Team Portugal in the Feature race, finishing a close second at the chequered promoting A1 Team Ireland into second in the A1GP Nations Standings heading to Sepang this weekend.

Carroll, a multiple GP2 race winner and ex-BAR Honda F1 test driver, enjoys the demands of the Malaysian circuit and is keen to see how the all-new ‘Powered by Ferrari’ A1GP car compares at the track having scored a pair of seventh place finishes there last year in his rookie A1GP season.

“Sepang is a really great circuit,” stated Carroll. “I enjoyed racing there for the first time last year. It’s an extremely challenging circuit and it really has a little bit of everything to test you. It’s a quick track with a mix of fast corners and slow corners, with flat-out straights leading to heavy braking zones. Ultimately I can’t wait to get back out there and see what the new ‘Powered by Ferrari’ A1GP car do. I really think this kind of circuit will allow us to showcase the full potential of the car.”

He continued; “I think we’ll see some more overtaking with the new car, the track’s wide open and there’s always a lot of grip there too. It’s not like Chengdu where if you went off-line it was dusty and you’d likely go off, Sepang has grip just about everywhere which allows you a bit more track to play with heading into braking zones.”

With Malaysia famed for its heat and humidity, as well as the odd monsoon, the fitness of the A1GP drivers will undoubtedly be tested this weekend – something that Carroll is well aware of.

“Well it’s tricky to be fully prepared when you don’t live in a country that experiences the kind of humidity we’ll encounter in Malaysia. Ultimately this is where all your pre-season training should pay-off. If your fitness level is high then provided you maintain fluids throughout the weekend there’s no reason you shouldn’t be prepared. I’ll also be going out early enough that I’ll have had time to acclimatize to the conditions as well so it really shouldn’t be a factor.

“I was happy to come away with a first and second last time out in China but Malaysia’s an event I’ve been looking forward to for a long time and I’m hopeful we can maintain our momentum there and I can add to my TW Steel A1GP watch collection for scoring poles and podiums!”

TW Steel – Big in Oversized Watches. twsteel.com

Travis Walker Signs with Compass360 Racing

TORONTO, CANADA -- Travis Walker is one of those guys who is just naturally gifted when it comes to driving a race car. Some have talent, but have to work that little bit harder to eke out the last few tenths. For Travis, quick lap times are something that come with seemingly effortless ease. That's not to say those laps don't come without effort, it's just that they seem to come more naturally.

Compass360 Racing (C360R) reported today that Travis will once again be an integral part of the C360R KONI Sports Car Challenge team in 2009. He's been with the team since 2005 and has been impressively successful in every series he's competed in.

"I'm so excited to be back again with my team, the guys I have been with since the beginning of my road racing career," exclaimed Travis. "They gave me my first win in FAQ and first podium in Grand-Am. I know we can go for a championship this year!"

T-Walk, as he's affectionately known in the paddock, started his career in go-karts, winning two championships in the 2002 Grand Nationals. Like many karters, he made the move to sedans; for Travis it was the famous Honda-Michelin series which re-surfaced in the early 2000's. Competing with top-running Canadian drivers including the Wittmer brothers, Travis earned the distinction of being the youngest- ever driver to win a Honda-Michelin race.

Travis impressed in his first-ever Grand-Am Cup race at Mosport in 2005, where he finished third. That same season he won the FAQ championship in an Acura RSX-S our team prepared. In 2006 he was voted Inside Track's "Up and Coming Road Racer of the Year" by the readers of Inside Track Magazine.

In 2007 Travis started the season with C360R, but was quickly signed by Blackforest Motorsports to drive their GS and GT-class Mustangs alongside Quebec's Valerie Limoges and Alex Tagliani.

Building upon T-Walk's success in 2008 with the Ccompass360 Racing team (Travis and team owner Karl Thomson finished third at Daytona), he'll be returning to full-time competition with C360R this year with an eye to taking the title.

"Travis is one of those guys who just fits with our team," noted Technical Director Ray Lee. "He's always able to go out and lay a fast lap down when we need him to in practice, and he knows how to manage the car so there's enough left to go for the win at the end." Travis is one of a number of talented young drivers that will be calling Compass360 Racing home next year. The team will be announcing the other 2009 drivers in timed announcements over the coming weeks.

Compass360 Racing (C360R) is the motorsports division of Compass360 Marketing Communications, a firm offering branding expertise to clients in diverse industries across North America. For details visit http://www.c360r.com/
or http://www.compass360.com/

PR inquiries about the Compass360 Racing team should be directed to Team Principal Karl Thomson at (416) 465-2299 x21 or email karlt at compass360 dot com

Tim Miller NASCAR book signing... photo gallery from Bill Mehlenbacher

Canadian motorsports writer Tim Miller recently held a book signing for his book NASCAR NOW, which is available online at Chapters.Indigo.ca (Click here for the Chapters/Indigo link). The book is also available at your local Library.

According to Bill Mehlenbacher, there was a great turnout for the event. Tim gave some great insight into the book and the research he put into it. There was a great discussion group that featured former Cayuga Speedway owner Bob Slack, Raceline Radio's Erik Tomas, SOS Rookie of the Year Ryan Hunsinger, PMRA Director Bruce Mehlenbacher and others.

Thanks to Bill Mehlenbacher for the photo gallery and notes. Bill's website is located at: www.nxphoto.com