February 28, 2008
Michael Schumacher is looking at this Formula One season and he has come up with his own predictions as to who’s going to be dominating the whole deal. He thinks it’s going to be a race between Ferrari and McLaren. He even said at The Times, “There are two teams, which will fight for the world championship. Us and the silver arrows (McLaren).”
As part of his preparations for the season which starts this March 16th, Schumacher has been doing some test drives in Barcelona. And during these drives, McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton raced ahead of him. “We know now, where we stand now. And we know how the silver arrows are doing as well,” Schumacher mentioned.
Last Monday, Hamilton was fastest during the test drives when he clocked in a minute and 22.276 seconds. Kimi Raikkonen, another driver, took 1:22.319 while Schumacher came in third at a minute and 22.428. If Schumacher was using a Chevy Caprice, he might be clocking in even far behind. But we’re sure he wouldn’t be doing that, now would he?
February 27, 2008
The 12-race American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans is on the way! Corvette Racing has already created the perfect formula for the team by bringing in well-experienced and champion drivers. According to Corvette Racing, six drivers were selected to drive the team’s Chevrolet factory team’s twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars.
"Continuity and consistency are two of the cornerstones of Corvette Racing’s success, and that is reflected in our longstanding relationships with these championship-winning drivers," said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group manager. "They thoroughly understand the team’s overall objectives, and they are total professionals both on and off the race track. We’re very proud to have these six drivers as part of the Corvette Racing family."
"It’s been very special to be a part of Corvette Racing since Day One," Fellows said. "People around the world now recognize and respect the Corvette brand as a result of the success in top-level racing that the team has achieved over the years. It’s also been very gratifying to see how the race program has been integrated with the production Corvette, first with the sixth-generation Corvette and the Z06, and now with the Corvette ZR1."
2008 Corvette Racing drivers courtesy of CorvetteRacing.com:
Olivier Beretta, Compuware Corvette No. 4
Notes: Five-time ALMS GTS/GT1 champion, five class wins in 24 Hours of Le Mans, holds ALMS records for most career wins (37) and most career poles (20), two FIA championships, overall victory in 2000 Rolex 24 at Daytona
Ron Fellows, Compuware Corvette No. 3
Notes: Four-time ALMS Most Popular Driver award (2004-07), three-time ALMS champion, two 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins, 19 SCCA Trans-Am wins, five NASCAR wins (two NCTS, three NNS)
Oliver Gavin, Compuware Corvette No. 4
Notes: Three-time ALMS GT1 champion, 28 career ALMS class victories, four class wins in 24 Hours of Le Mans
Jan Magnussen, Compuware Corvette No. 3
Highlights: Three Class wins in 24 Hours of Le Mans, 14 career ALMS wins, former Formula 1 driver, twice voted "Most Popular Driver" in ALMS, 2005 Danish Racing Driver of the Year
Johnny O’Connell, Compuware Corvette No. 3
Highlights: Two-time ALMS GT1 champion, 28 career ALMS wins, six Sebring 12-hour class victories, holds ALMS records for most starts (84), most podium finishes (63), most top-five finishes (76) and most top-10 finishes (82)
Max Papis, Compuware Corvette No. 4
Notes: Daytona 24-hour winner, two Sebring 12-hour victories, three CART wins, 2004 Grand-Am Daytona Prototype champion.
February 25, 2008
Before the Daytona 500 took place, an inspection was made to all participating cars and Robby Gordon’s car was found to be equipped with an unapproved nose. The team than changed it and went on to place eighth at the first points race of the season.
Robby was expecting to be fined for that infraction although he knows that it is not intentional and it was a simple mistake which no one on his team even committed.
Let us look at what really happened. On February 2, Robby announced that he will be switching from Ford to Dodge to cut down on costs (whatever that means). So, he had a few days to change gear. Dodge supplied Robby with the car and its parts of course. This is where the mistake took place.
Dodge teams use the Charger this year but a nose for the Charger is not yet approved so they are using last year’s Avenger noses with the Charger decal. When Robby asked for a nose for his Charger, he was given the unapproved one. And this cost him $100,000 in fines and a 100 points.
Robby is appealing this matter to NASCAR and hopes that the punishment will be reduced. His sponsor, Jim Beam even went as far as calling up a signature campaign to support Robby Gordon.
If the penalty sticks, Robby Gordon Motorsports would go from being ninth in the standings to 40th. That would be bad for the team as only the top 35 teams will be given a guaranteed spot on every race this season. Even if Robby Gordon has a car that can easily overtake an Acura MDX with its water pump working at full speed, he would be hard-pressed to get back the 100 points docked from him.
February 16, 2008
It’s been a while since the concluding race of 2007 season, and now, the 2008 Formula One World Championship season is on its way. Of course we have our own personal favorites, and Ferrari, as usual, will be on the top list. If you’re going to bet your car’s distributor cap, I’ll say you go with the Italians. It’s very possible that Ferrari would still notch this year’s championship. But who knows? Anything can happen.
On the other hand, Panasonic Toyota driver Jarno Trulli believes that Ferrari would definitely take the crown… and he’s 100 percent sure about it. What made him think about this matter? According to MotorSport.com, Jarno Trulli has confirmed that Ferrari is the near-positive world champions… again! Trulli spent almost a week testing next to the Maranello based marquee in Bahrain where the routine of Ferrari’s F2008 appeared to be threatening for the other teams.
"In my opinion they are at least half a second faster per lap, even considering McLaren," Trulli told the Italian specialist weekly Autosprint. "The championship already looks over to me before it has started," he added.
Toyota’s star driver also said that he wondered at how Ferrari’s 2008 machine is completely modified to the traction control’s latest ban.
"When you watch their performance on the track your arms drop," Trulli said, also describing the pace of the F2008 as "disconcerting".
"Ferrari and McLaren are out of reach for us, so it is unrealistic to talk about podiums," he said.
February 12, 2008
For the rest of this week, you can take a view of a 2008 race car. I know there is nothing special with me saying a 2008 race car (which would be just like me saying my car has a grille guard) but actually this race car comes with the famed No. 3 GM Goodwrench. Now that is special for we know that it stands by Dale Earnhardt’s victory in Daytona 500, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
This is the 10th year anniversary of that win and with Richard Childress (owner of the race car), Teresa Earnhardt (Dale Earnhardt’s widow) took off the covers of the 2008 race car. The Daytona 500 win has been one of the most remembered events in racing history for when Earnhardt won it, it actually became an instant trophy for him for he had been failing at taking the crown at that race despite racing for two decades in different competitions (and winning most of them). At Daytona 500 races before his win, this racer had taken the second spot four times and had been included in the top five ten times.
Dale Earnhardt died three years later while racing. This was in 2001.
Thinking back, Childress shared, “Every time I think of that win, it still gives me chills. It just doesn’t seem like 10 years ago. It was something the sport needed.”
February 8, 2008
It is considered as the most significant and prestigious race in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the largest motorsport authority in US. I’m talking no less than the Daytona 500.
The much-anticipated Daytona 500 will be celebrating its 50 years of inception and is expected to be a hit with 24 of its living Champions including three-time winner Bobby Allison (1978, 1982, 1988), Pete Hamilton (1970), Junior Johnson (1960), two-time winner Sterling Marlin (1994,1995), and four-time winner Cale Yarborough (1968, 1977, 1983, 1984) to grace the event.
In a press release, Speedway President Robin Braig said that since this year’s Daytona 500 marks a big event in racing history, it would be an honor to celebrate the important occasion - the golden anniversary of “The Great American Race” with these “living legends.”
The 24 former Daytona champions will serve as Grand Marshals for this year’s Daytona 500 race which would be held on February 17 at the Daytona International Speedway. They will have the grand privilege to give the signal, “Gentlemen, start your engines.”
Also expected to highlight the occasion is former Daytona Champion and International Motor Sports Hall of Famer Junior Johnson who will drive a 2008 Corvette Z06 as a prelude to the historical event. Johnson claims to have 139 victories and six NASCAR top division championships. Thus, Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper regards Johnson’s gesture as a of Chevrolet’s heritage and triumph in NASCAR.
Meanwhile, Daytona 500 seven-time champion Richard Petty will be the one to wave the green flag to officially open the race.
Spyker is out, Force India is in. Last year, Spyker did not perform too well and the latter part of the year saw the team being bought by Indian gazzilionaire Dr. Vijay Mallya. The team was renamed Force India and secured the services of Adrian Sutil and of Giancarlo Fisichella who left Renault after a disappointing season.
The team recently unveiled their new car in Mumbai. "I am delighted to present before you the livery of the brand new car that will compete in the 2008 FIA Formula 1 World Championship," said Dr. Mallya during the unveiling of the car.
"Today is a memorable day not only for me as the owner of India’s first-ever F1 team, but also for millions of Indians who can today watch India occupy a place of pride as Force India becomes the first and only Indian Formula 1 racing team to compete with the best in the world, at the pinnacle of motorsport," he continued.
"The Force India F1 Team is one of the only eleven elite teams guaranteed an entry into the FIA Formula 1 World Championship races.
"The Force India Formula 1 Team is the new global face of an emerging superpower and is today increasingly viewed as a team that will change the dynamics of F1, bottom up and a team that dares to dream.
"Most importantly, the Force India F1 Team has come to epitomize the dream of every Indian and is powered by the passion of a billion hearts!"
Hopefully for India, the team performs better than Spyker did last year. Don’t expect the team though to be able to fight for points along with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren. Maybe that will come a few years from now.
February 6, 2008
It’s a reality we have to face. Some people really haven’t grown from the distorted idea that there is an inferior and superior race. As if brain cells depend on a person’s nationality alone. Sigh… It would have been quite acceptable (actually, it’s not!) in the fashion world or in the movie industry, but in car race? Tsk tsk!
Instances like this make me think about mass-producing Acura Legend brakes designed to control humans’ inactions. Isn’t it a bright idea?
Autoracingdaily.com reported yesterday that Lewis Hamilton, the first black driver Formula 1 who is 23 years old, suffered from some groups wearing wigs, blackened faces and T-shirts bearing “Hamilton’s family” and other spectators’ taunts and insults while moving between the McLaren motor home and the team’s garage at the Montmelo circuit in Barcelona, Spain last Saturday.
“The truth is that I feel somewhat sad. I’m in love with this country, and especially the city of Barcelona and this circuit, which is one of my three favourites,” said Hamilton.
Some reliable sources said that the said incident was provoked by his victory over Spanish world champion Fernando Alonso.
“The only thing that I have done is to try to give the best of myself and try to win the championship. At no point have I tried to deliberately prejudice Fernando. The fight has been very tough and my image in Spain has been severely damaged,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United defender and also a victim of racism himself, said, “There should be no room for that kind of stupidity and ignorance, not just in sport but in society. If there are punishments to be handed out I hope they’re severe enough to deter people from going to stadiums or out in public going on like that.”
On the sidelight, Spanish officials supported Hamilton’s camp saying, “Car racing is a sport where events that divert from cordiality between fans and drivers and teams will not be allowed. These kind of madmen who confuse sporting rivalry with violence must know that the federation will have no tolerance with them.”
Now, that’s exactly my point!
So what makes Patrick Head, the director of F1’s Williams team, happy?
According to AFP, the director is currently happy with the way things are going for the team. In fact, he says that he is elated that Nico Rosberg is with the team this season. Rosberg is 22 and is one of the best drivers there is in the sport. Because of his young age, it is expected that Rosberg will continue to hone his craft so as to be able to be even better with each experience.
Rosberg sure did have some humble beginnings. He may have started his flair for the sport tinkering first with maybe an ignition distributor then maybe going on to learning how to drive and taking in the thrill of speed.
Head has shared, “Nico is a philosopher, he has decided to become a successful driver, just as we have decided to become a successful team, we are striving to improve our engine." Head is also excited about the upcoming season and that he is proud to have Rosberg in the team. He disclosed that Rosberg has been the best driver of choice for the team for last year and they were not disappointed with the results.
