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Latest News and Race Reports

 

American Le Mans Series

Flying Lizard Heads to Utah for ALMS Round Four
News from Flying Lizard Motorsport
Photos courtesy Lisa Salazar

SONOMA, California (May 9, 2008) — Flying Lizard heads to Utah next week for round four of the American Le Mans Series season: the Larry H. Miller Utah Grand Prix on May 18. With five podium finishes so far this season, including the GT2 win at Sebring, the three-Porsche Lizard squad leads in the ALMS GT2 team championship. In the ALMS drivers' championship, No. 45 Lizard Porsche drivers Jörg Bergmeister and Wolf Henzler are in second place, just six points behind the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari of Dominik Farnbacher and Dirk Mueller. Johannes van Overbeek and Patrick Pilet in the No. 46 Lizard Porsche are in third, and in the No. 44 Porsche Seth Neiman is fourth and Darren Law fifth.  
-->MORE

 

American Le Mans Series

Will Utah Be The Fastest?
BRASELTON, Georgia (May 9, 2008) — That's the $64,000 question as American Le Mans Series teams ready themselves for the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix presented by the Grand and Little America Hotels. For the first time, the field will compete on the 3.048-mile, 15-turn perimeter circuit at Miller Motorsports Park for the fourth round of the 2008 season. And indeed, some in the paddock believe this will be the fastest venue in Series history.  -->MORE

 

American Le Mans Series

De Ferran Taking to the Air on XM 144
BRASELTON, Georgia (May 6, 2008)— In anticipation of his American Le Mans Series debut next week, driver and team owner Gil de Ferran will be a guest on XM Satellite Radio's Powershift at approximately 9:25 p.m. ET on Thursday. De Ferran, one of motorsports' most well-known and respected names, is joining the Series with his De Ferran Motorsports team that will field an Acura ARX-01b in LMP2. He will team with Simon Pagenaud for the balance of the 2008 season.   -->MORE

 

LMS

Harold Primat: Le Mans Series, Spa 1000kms preview
News from Harold Primat Racing
MAY 8, 2008 -- A superb podium finish for Harold Primat and Christophe Tinseau in the last round of the Le Mans Series at Monza has left the Pescarolo Sport duo lying fourth overall in the championship and the best-placed petrol-powered car heading to round 3 at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. With confidence already high, the pair’s Pescarolo 01-Judd gets a new aero package for the trip to Belgium, leaving the Geneva-based Primat hopeful of another strong result. -->MORE

 

Mosport 2008
Dickies And TSC Stores Team Up To Offer A VIP Trip To Mosport On Father's Day Weekend
The Dickies 200 presented by Lucas Oil to run June 15
BOWMANVILLE, ON (May 7, 2008) --
Williamson-Dickie Canada Co. and TSC Stores are teaming up to give racing fans a shot at a dream vacation to Mosport International Raceway this summer. For one lucky fan the dream will become reality when they win an all expenses paid VIP trip for two to the Father's Day Doubleheader, featuring the Dickies 200 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Mosport.  -->MORE

 

A1 Grand Prix of Nations

 Switzerland Wins A1GP Title as Great Britain Takes Superb Home Sprint Victory
Photos © A1GP.com
BRANDS HATCH, Great Britain (May 4, 2008) - A1 Team Switzerland has won the 2007/08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, after finishing fourth in this morning's sensational Brands Hatch Sprint race in the UK, in which Great Britain's Robbie Kerr took a fantastic home race victory ahead of USA and Ireland.  -->MORE

 

A1 Grand Prix of Nations
India Wins as GBR Takes Home Race Podium
Photos © A1GP.com
BRANDS HATCH, Great Britain (May 4, 2008) - A1 Team India secured its second win of the season when Narain Karthikeyan took victory in the Brands Hatch season finale Feature race this afternoon while GBR's Robbie Kerr notched up another home race podium after a beautiful drive, just losing out to India during the second pit stop. 
-->MORE
 

American Le Mans Series

Alex Figge Joins Tafel Racing
Open Wheel and Sports Car Racer to Share No. 73 Ferrari with Jim Tafel for Rest of '08

News from Tafel Racing
CUMMING, Ga. (April 30, 2008) - Tafel Racing announced today the addition of American Alex Figge to its 2008 driver lineup. The former Champ Car driver will share the No. 73 Tafel Racing Ferrari F430 GTC with owner/driver Jim Tafel (Alpharetta, Ga.) for the remainder of the American Le Mans Series season. Figge, who has seven career Series starts in the GT1 class, will make his GT2 debut with the Cumming, Ga.-based organization at the Utah Grand Prix on May 18. To date, the resident of Denver, CO. has an American Le Mans Series career- best finish of third (Portland, 2005). "I am just really excited to be with Tafel Racing,” said Figge. “When the [IndyCar- Champ Car] merger happened I was nervous about what I'd be doing and I am really thankful to Jim and Tony for taking me on. I have met all the guys and Dirk and Dominik. There is a lot to learn there. I am really pleased to be back in the American Le Mans Series and I am ready to get to Utah and get started."  -->MORE


A1 Grand Prix of Nations
Canada Secures Ninth in Final A1GP Standings
By Stuart Morrison
Photos courtesy Jakob Ebray Photography
BRANDS HATCH, United Kingdom (Sunday 04 May, 2008) - A1 Team Canada celebrated its highest placing in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport on Sunday, finishing the 2007-08 A1GP season ninth overall despite a tenth and final round to forget for Toronto's James Hinchcliffe at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit in the United Kingdom. -->MORE

 

The Victoria Day SpeedFest

Mosport's Victoria Day SpeedFest Schedule Complete
Addition of Sundown Grand Prix rounds out exciting kickoff to summer racing season
Photos courtesy Peter Brand
BOWMANVILLE, ON (April 23, 2008)— With the start of the 2008 season just under a month away, Mosport International Raceway has confirmed the return of the Sundown Grand Prix to round out the Victoria Day SpeedFest schedule (May 16-18). The opening event of the busy summer racing season has a full weekend of racing lined up, featuring the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship along with U.S.-based Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. The traditional Saturday night fireworks show also returns to highlight what promises to be an action-packed season opener. -->MORE

 

 

Star Mazda

Makela Joins Andersen Racing's Star Mazda Team for Testing and Three Races Later This Season
News from Restart Communications

Photo courtesy Anderson Racing
PALMETTO, Fla. (May 3, 2008) - Andersen Racing's international driver roster for the Star Mazda series presented by Goodyear is expanding to include a young star from Finland.

Team co-owner Dan Andersen announced today that he has signed 22-year-old Valle Makela, a native of Laitila, Finland, for five days of testing and at least three races this year in one of the Palmetto, Fla.-based team's Star Mazda cars.
-->MORE

 

The Last Champ Car Race

Will Power Wins Final Champ Car Event at Long Beach
Aussie Takes Advantage of Great Start, Pole sitter Wilson's Woes for Third Career Win
By Martha Meacham
Photos courtesy Celesta Montoya

LONG BEACH, California (April 20, 2008) — It was the end of an era for the Champ Car World Series as today's race at Long Beach brought to a close a chapter in American motorsports. A day after Danica Patrick became the first female driver to win a major open wheel race, Will Power became the last driver to win a Champ Car event. The driver of the #8 Aussie Vineyards entry for KV Technologies Racing took advantage of a great standing start and the early exit of pole sitter Justin Wilson (Newman/ Haas/ Lanigan Racing) due to engine failure to cruise to a relatively easy victory at the 34th running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. This race also marked the end of the turbocharged Panoz DP01 era in open wheel racing.  --->MORE

 

Atlantic Championship

Simona De Silvestro Is Atlantics “Queen for a Day” at Long Beach
By Martha Meacham
Photos courtesy Celesta Montoya
LONG BEACH, California (April 20,2008) -- Earlier today (in Japan), Danica Patrick made history at Motegi by becoming the first-woman to win a major open-wheel event. Today, it was Simona De Silvestro (#34 Newman Wachs Racing) who became “Queen for a Day” as she became just the second female driver, since Katherine Legge, to win in Atlantics. The young Swiss driver, who was featured in an interview here at RFM last summer, took the victory of the Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach - round 1 of the 11-race 2008 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda.  -->MORE

 

Top Ten for Andreas Wirth in His Atlantic Championship Return
News from Brooks Associates Racing

Photos courtesy Celesta Montoya

LONG BEACH, California (April 21, 2008) – Eager to pick up where he left off in 2006, Wirth was hopeful for a repeat of his 2006 Long Beach sophomore run where he lead wire to wire. Sadly that was not to be the case this weekend due to mechanical woes and tight street racing.   -->MORE

 

The Last Champ Car Race

Rocketsports finishes an open-wheel era on top by recording fastest race lap in an otherwise disappointing race in Long Beach
News from Rocketsports Racing
LONG BEACH, California (April 20, 2008) – Rocketsports Racing may have had a rough weekend on track in Long Beach, but the ultimate goal was to take one last chance to run the magnificent DP01 race cars and have an opportunity to thank all of the supporters and fans of the Champ Car World Series. That goal was accomplished and Rocketsports was able to demonstrate the top speed of a Champ Car during the race around the 1.968-mile temporary street course in downtown Long Beach, California with Antonio Pizzonia by logging the fastest race lap in this afternoon’s main event. -->MORE

 

Atlantic Championship

Hinchcliffe Takes Tenth in Season Opener
By Stuart Morrison
Photos courtesy TNT Images

LONG BEACH, California (April 20, 2008) – James Hinchcliffe opened the 2008 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda season with a tenth place finish on the streets of Long Beach, California on Sunday – the 21-year-old Canadian a victim of the nature of street racing following a frustrating final qualifying session the day before. -->MORE

 

The Last Champ Car Race

Solid Finish for Walker Racing and Alex Tagliani in Long Beach
News from Walker Racing
Photos courtesy Celesta Montoya

LONG BEACH, CA (April 20, 2008) - Walker Racing and Alex Tagliani (No.15 CEC Wheels) proved this weekend ‘they were the team that could’. As the Champ Car World Series drew to an end today, the team showed they were up for the fight and could be competitive.
---->MORE

 

Dakar Rally Raid Series

 Mike Petersen into Top-20 as American Readies for Final Stage of Central Europe Rally
Petersen Motorsports 12th in Penultimate Stage Six
VESZPREM, Hungary (April 25, 2008) - The strong performance predicted after Michael Petersen (Las Vegas, Nev., USA) jumped from 67th to 24th overall yesterday in the Central Europe Rally proved itself in today's penultimate stage. At the conclusion of today's two Specials, the American made another significant jump breaking the overall top-20 for the first time since the start of the second stage. hours, eight minutes and four seconds behind the event-leading Sainz and 18 minutes out of 19th place.   --->MORE

 

The Last Champ Car Race

Best Career Finish for David Martinez at Long Beach
News from Forsythe Petit Racing
Photos courtesy Celesta Montoya
LONG BEACH, California (April 21st, 2008) — David Martinez improved more positions than any other driver on his way to a career best eight place finish at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the final Champ Car World Series race. The Mexican driver made daring on track passes throughout the race, which combined with the Forsythe – Pettit engineer’s brilliant pit strategy allowed them to capture ten positions throughout the 83 lap event. --->MORE

 

The Last Champ Car Race
Dominguez Scores Emotional Podium for PCM at Champ Car Finale
Drives the Imperial Capital Bank Car from Tenth to Third at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
News from Pacific Coast Motorsport

Photos courtesy Celesta Montoya
LONG BEACH, California (April 20, 2008) — The last time Mario Dominguez drove a Champ Car, he was scoring a top-ten finish for Pacific Coast Motorsports in his native Mexico City. He got the call to drive for the California-based team last week, and jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Champ Car finale; the series that made him a superstar in his native country and throughout the U.S. Latin regions. There is no such thing as being “rusty” or out of practice for the “Official Driver of Mexico City.” Dominguez opened the weekend fourth and remained in the top-ten in every session, setting up a record-setting weekend for the PCM squad.  -->MORE