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Atkinson in the new car in Greece, picture courtesy of swrt.com

In the lead up to the Rally of Greece, Subaru launched the all new Impreza WRC2008.

The new car is based on the latest road going Subaru Impreza which was introduced in June 2007. Although featuring radically new styling the Impreza WRC2008 retains the well proven Subaru horizontally-opposed turbocharged engine combined with Symmetrical All Wheel Drive. The WRC2008 will also sport a dramatic new livery created around the Subaru corporate identity but at the same time preserving the iconic blue identity familiar to rally fans worldwide.

“We are very excited to be able to launch the all-new Impreza WRC2008 ahead of schedule� said David Richards, Subaru World Rally Team principal. “It is testament to the dedication and commitment of the team behind the scenes in the UK and at STI in Japan. Just as the latest Impreza road car represents a new era for Subaru so the WRC2008 represents a new era for all of us at the Subaru World Rally Team and I am confident that we will arrive in Greece able to fight competitively.�

The team’s objective has always been to launch the WRC2008 as soon as the testing confirmed that good steps forward in overall performance had been made. We are confident that introducing the car in Greece will enable the team to be highly competitive in the second half of the season and give Petter and Chris the best opportunity to win in 2008.

On the 55th running of the notoriously punishing Acropolis Rally, the all-new Subaru Impreza WRC2008 made its competitive debut today to great acclaim. On this real event of attrition, Petter Solberg and Phil Mills grabbed third place overall on the opening day, whilst team-mates Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Prévot successfully completed their first competitive outing, and also Atkinson’s first ever rally aboard a brand new World Rally Car, lying within striking distance of the front-runners.

The Subaru World Rally Team is not one to shy away from a challenge, demonstrated this weekend by the decision to launch their newest World Rally Car on the most unforgiving event of the season, and ahead of schedule. Introduced to the World Rally Championship on Wednesday evening to worldwide media and VIPs, both Imprezas successfully completed the first day of their debut event on what is largely regarded as the most punishing rally on the calendar, and under the watchful eyes of the world’s press.

"Ok, we have finished the first day which is very important� reflected Chris Atkinson. “It’s good to be in the new car, and we know we still have some work to do. We damaged a control arm in the afternoon on the roughest stage of the day which lost us some time. We knew bringing it in early would be tough, and we need to find a bit more, but that’s what we came here to learn, and we are learning.�

press release courtesy of marcosambrose.com

Marcos Ambrose is confident his team made big inroads on its way to 14th place in the Carquest 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina today.

The Australian driver showed strong pace and while running a conservative strategy to ensure he came home with a solid haul of points towards his 2008 championship campaign, Ambrose’s pace was clear and he ran well on the leap lap all day at the 1.5-mile speedway.

Ambrose jumped one spot in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series standings after today’s result, now sitting 14th in the championship after 13 of 35 races.

Ambrose qualified 19th in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion, which ran a special livery this weekend in support of Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, in conjunction with Kingsford and Rite-Aid.

Ambrose ran a car livery and helmet paintjob designed by a patient of Levine Children’s Hospital. The helmet will now be auctioned off by JTG Racing, with all proceeds benefiting Levine Children’s Hospital.

During the month of April, Kingsford donated $0.25 to Children’s Miracle Network for every purchase of Kingsford, Match Light or Kingsford Lighter Fluid products at any Rite Aid store in the United States.

Marcos Ambrose - #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion

It was a really good night for us,� said Ambrose.

We’ve made big inroads here on the one-and-a-half-mile program and we had a really conservative race.

“It was good, really good. I was really proud of my guys and it shows that we’re making progress.

“We’re not just talking the talk, we’re actually starting to walk the walk a little bit. We’re much more competitive and we were racy all night.

“We just had a really conservative deal – major conservative. We didn’t really have a strategy apart from just being safe.

“We just wanted to keep working on our car, finish the race intact and then go from there.�

Mark Webber managed to stay out of trouble and despite having to switch to dry tyres to early, finished in a strong 4th place at the Monaco Grand Prix. It is his highest finish of the season and takes his point tally to 15. With David Coulthard crashing out Webber still is the only one of the 2 drivers to score points this season.

With his points Red Bull finds itself tied in 5th with Williams in the constructors championship.

“That was good, a great result which gives us a lot of points. It wasn’t the most exciting race in the world in terms of racing, but it was very difficult early on in the wet conditions and we were aqua-planning at Casino. It was definitely over the edge for the intermediate tyres for a few laps when it was raining hard, but then it started to dry and we had to think about changing tyres. It would have been good to have had a little bit more fuel as we had to change to dry tyres maybe five laps earlier than we would have liked. It wasn’t ideal, but the team did such a good job, both at the track and at the factory in Milton Keynes, it’s great to get a strong result.�

In his Indy 500 debut Will Power managed to finish 1o places higher than he started and finished on the lead lap. The strong showing made him the highest placed aussie with countryman Ryan Briscoe crashing out.

Power, who was making his first start on a super-speedway oval, started in the middle of Row #8 in the 23rd position. He spent the first three quarters of the 200-lap event calmly and patiently continuing to learn the nuances of ovals, especially big oval racing, which began to produce results starting just prior to his last stop. Power was running in 15th place when he pitted for the last time on lap 171. After an outstanding stop by his Aussie Vineyards crew he rejoined the contest in 11th quickly moving into 10th, but his car developed some overseer and went loose dropping him back to 13th on the where he remained until the end of the race.

“It was a good race and I am really happy with the way it went,� Power said. “Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia kept creeping up the leader board the whole race, but the car was becoming pretty loose at the end. I was able to hang on and finish the race which was key, but it was mentally draining. It was a good result because I was able to get a lot of experience and I am relieved to get have gotten through my first Indy 500.�

In an incident that both drivers will feel the other is the cause of, Danica Patrick and Ryan Briscoe have come together in the pits and ended both their races on the spot.

Briscoe had been running a solid if not spectacular 500 up to that point and was back in the top ten.

“From what I can see, there was still plenty of room on the right side for her to get around and there are people pointing fingers, but that's not the way we are,� Briscoe said. “We both have a brake pedal in our cars, and from what I can tell, there was still plenty of room for her to get around me. I was trying to get around (Dan) Wheldon, and I was staying in the middle lane. I got ran up in the back, and it's a shame."

The race was won by Pole sitter Scott Dixon from New Zealand and was his first Indy 500 win for the former series champion.

Well one of the highlight weekends of motorsport lies ahead this weekend.

In Formula 1 we have the Monaco Grand Prix, for many the highlight of the season and the one every driver wants to win. Whilst in the IRL we have the world famous Indy 500.

For Aussies we have three drivers taking part, including Ryan Briscoe on the front row at Indy. With Team Penske behind him Briscoe is a genuine chance and has shown pace throughout the month of May at the circuit.

Speaking in the lead he talked about where the team is at “Helio likes to compare our situation to the one he faced when he first came on board with Team Penske and Gil de Ferran was his teammate,� Briscoe says. “The ages are the same, the situations are similar. Now he’s playing the role of Gil, and I’m playing the role of Helio. Except I’m not Helio, and I never will be. He’s made that clear on more than one occasion.�  

What they share is the same joy and playfulness that Castroneves and de Ferran shared, along with a serious approach to their craft. What Briscoe and Castroneves hope to find in the similarities is the enormous success Team Penske encountered at Indianapolis during the Gil/Helio tenure. Castroneves won the 500 in 2001 and 2002, while de Ferran won it in 2003.  

“We’re going to see some great racing between the two of us, but there’s always a great amount of respect,� Briscoe says. “We are a team, and we work as a team on the track.�  

Like de Ferran, Castroneves likes to keep the mood light, especially when the focus and the work moves away from the racetrack. He instills that notion in his new teammate, trying to maintain Briscoe’s smile and his mood.  

“He really made me feel welcome on the team,� Briscoe says. “He’s always in a good mood, and he always wants people around him to be happy. His philosophy is that people can’t be productive if they’re too serious, and in many ways, he’s right. He’s never made it difficult for me in any way, and that’s really good. He’s openly complimentary, which helps my confidence. A lot of times in racing, your teammate is your biggest rival, but we’ve got a close and open relationship. That’s a big bonus for the entire team.�

Joining him on the grid will be Will Power starting from 23rd place. Power has shown pace also at various times but a large crash in practice seems to have had an effect. He spoke after final practice of where the team were heading into the race.

It was a really productive day,� Power said.  “Even with these windy conditions we had a really good setup and ran close behind cars comfortably.  We were able to do plenty of miles and the Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia car felt good over the whole run, so the KVRT team have done a really good job with the #8 car.  We definitely have a good race pace, but it’s just unfortunate we are going to be starting a little bit further back than where we need to be.�

Meanwhile in Formula 1 Mark Webber will look to continue his great season with more points at Moanco. He no doubt will be boosted by the news that his boss Christian Horner this week said he was in the form of his career. Not bad when you have just opened discussions on a new contract, or at least Mark tells us he has.

On that front things may be a bit tense with his teammate David Coulthard. Coulthard in a regular column for ITV has questioned why Webber would go public at this time of the season about his contract. He was of the view it may be in part to remind some other teams that he is in fact out of contract at the end of the season, as much as getting the ball rolling with Red Bull.

“Speaking of career moves, my team-mate Mark Webber told the media over the Istanbul weekend that he has opened talks with Red Bull to extend his contract. If I try to rationalise why Mark would say that, I can only presume it was either to stimulate talks with the team or to stimulate interest in the rest of the paddock, reminding people that he’s on the market.

When you think about it logically, you do your private negotiations in private and then when you’ve reached an agreement you make an announcement. You don’t normally say, ‘Er, I’m about to enter negotiations…’

So I would conclude that it was a positioning tactic rather than anything else.�

Either way Webber right now is in an ideal place to get a new contract with Red Bull or indeed start talks with other teams. Looking at the grid though I am not sure there would be many seats for Mark given his age. Perhaps Renault and a return to Williams but both would be long shoots in my view.

So make sure your TV is working and your set up to record what hopefully is some great racing this weekend. Lets hope with see some great results for the Aussies and who knows even get to hear the national anthem!

Chris Atkinson battled home in 6th place in a disappointing rally of Sardinia for the Subaru Rally team.

After a solid first day the rally came apart for both drivers on day 2 and Atkinson had an uneventful last day to bring the car home in 6th place.

“OK, it’s good to get more points and to still be third in the championship, but it’s definitely not been an easy weekend� said Chris Atkinson. “I drove the best I could and made no mistakes, and that’s it.�

With Subaru’s all-new Impreza WRC2008 on the horizon, drivers and the team alike are eagerly awaiting its first public appearance.

Will Power posted a average lap speed of 221.136 mph to take 23rd on the grid for the Indy 500. He was 12th fastest on the day, with Townsend Bell posting the fastest time on the day with an average lap speed of 222.539 mph.

Will Power posted a stunning 4th fastest time in the last full practice, before attempting to qualify Saturday for the Indy 500.

The downside was that he crashed 45 minutes into the session and did not return to the track. At the time of the crash he was sitting second with an average lap speed of 223.039 mph. The team were working on the car late into the night, in an effort to make sure he can run in Qualifying Saturday.

"Obviously this is a setback for the team because of the track time we're going to lose," Power said. "But I know the team will do what needs to be done and we will be ready to qualify tomorrow."

Hot on our recent article on Formula One Safety, the issue of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) has again been thrown into the spotlight. It seems that the GPDA is going through a rough time right now. Recently Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alsono and Mark Webber has spoken out about the issue by criticising those drivers not in the association. Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are not members of the GPDA. Also Force India’s Adrian Sutil is not a member.

"There are some drivers who couldn't care less but they take advantage of the work done by others," Trulli told Autosprint. "What these sensationally uninterested drivers don't understand is that the GPDA has a price. We fund it with a fee on the points scored.

"If the top six drivers are the uninterested ones, then there's a lack of money to survive and it's always the unlucky ones, the ones who get paid less, that have to sustain the costs. The figures are little. The entry fee was one thousand dollars, now it's probably one thousand euros, then you pay something like two hundred dollars per point scored.

"But what I don't understand is that you might not want to be part of the GPDA, then you can do what you want, but at least pay the money since you go on track too.�

"I'm not saying they should get involved, I'm saying as a grand prix driver you should be sensible about safety because you are driving," said Trulli.

"It's you getting in the car and going fast so the GPDA is only there not to do any politics. Any time we sit in a room, we discuss privately anything which we have in common – which is racing and safety.

"Apparently, there are some people who do not care about it – but they get the benefit anyway. And what is really concerning me and all the GPDA drivers is at the moment more and more drivers are pulling out of GPDA for no particular reason. But they are getting the benefit of all the work we are still doing.

Trulli expressed his frustration in the interview that the drivers who choose not to be part of the association simply don't understand how important the work it does is.

"The most outrageous thing is that a top driver doesn't give a damn about his safety," he added. "For me, that's unacceptable. Even drivers that were part of the association and left pretend not to understand, and don't read what we do.

"If it wasn't for the GPDA, and for Riccardo Ceccarelli of Formula Medicine, then if one of these guys had an accident during winter testing he would have risked his life. The minimum safety requirements were lacking yet they don't care and leave the association, this means they are truly insane."

Lewis Hamilton however again confirmed at the Turkish Grand Prix that he has no current intentions of joining the association. In addition he does not intend paying any fees to the association.

"I won't go on about whether I'm joining or not because you guys know the deal," he told reporters when asked about the GPDA situation.

"We spoke about it plenty of times, but they've not approached me and asked me if I want to support them. But in all honesty it's like asking you (the media) to pay for our driver salaries, or that sort of thing.

"I don't understand why I need to. I pay for my racing licence, which goes towards the FIA safety regulations. So I don't understand why I need to be paying more."

This lead to the great safety campaigner Sir Jackie Stewart to observe “I think this is one area where Lewis might be feeling he is a bit special,� the triple champion said, “and that is wrong. He should be part of the GPDA.�

Mark Webber indicated that the association remains very interested in having Hamilton involved. "He will be very welcome any day to come along and just flick a couple of views around," he said. "It is good to have someone at the front of the grid in the quick car, to be helping us out and taking the sport forward, because he is the future of the sport.

"Someone like Kimi (Raikkonen), we know he is not interested and that is fine. And some guys in the past were not interested but they paid their way because they knew every single lap they did, whether testing or racing, there were GPDA people saving them."

Felipe Massa has recently rescinded his membership of the GPDA. "I didn't always like the way it was run," the Ferrari driver told the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

However fellow countryman Rubens Barrichello was not impressed "It is a personal decision," the Honda veteran told Spanish newspaper Diario AS in Istanbul, "but it's not good for the rest of us.

"If the association wants to be a strong influence on the FIA, it is very important to have the Ferrari drivers on-board. If we have the 20 guys of the grid discussing these things, then every situation is possible."

All of this lead to Fernando Alonso also coming out saying he could not understand the drivers who did not want to be part of the association. Given the GPDA is really the main vehicle for the drivers to raise safety fears.

"It is true there are drivers not in the GPDA, which is their own decision, but in my opinion it is not good," said Alonso, when asked by autosport.com about the situation regarding GPDA. "As I have said another time, everyone can choose what they want - but it is difficult to understand how drivers don't want to be involved in an association of drivers that want to save our lives when we are racing.

"The accident that Kovalainen had last week, we will work on it with the FIA very closely, we will make some proposals and at the end we will find a solution. And these type of accidents will not be repeated. So drivers who don't want to be involved with that, it makes no sense."

Richard Woods, Director General of the FIA Institute, told the Independant newspaper that there has always been genuine interest in working with the drivers, and that this has frequently been the case.

“There’s a constant dialogue between the drivers and the FIA and they are welcome to attend the key safety research meetings where all the detailed work is done. The GPDA has regularly sent speakers and delegates to FIA Institute events such as this season’s medical summit in Bahrain and Sid (Watkins) and Gerard Saillant (FIA Institute President and Deputy President) value these contributions greatly.

Here at OzRacingWrap we would have to say we agree with Trulli, Webber and Alonso. It is staggering to us that any driver would view the association as optional. In fact we think further the FIA should make it a condition of being sanctioned to drive in Formula 1 that a driver must firstly pay the fee and secondly be a member of the association.

For those drivers who feel the association does not achieve anything, we have only look to the recent Turkish Grand Prix. In the support GP2 race a stray dog wondered onto the track and was collected by Bruno Senna. The GPDA immediately became involved with track officials to agree a work around of the problem. If there was no GPDA it would be much harder to get agreement, However the appropriate officials of the GPDA were able to be contacted and a solution found to allow the Grand Prix to go ahead.

Perhaps it has been to long since the last death in Formula 1 and some of the younger drivers are starting to take safety for granted. We can only hope that such a attitude will not come back to bite them. Motor sport will always be dangerous and the search for safety must be ongoing. What is safe today may not be tomorrow, as the cars find ever increasing speed.

Image Atkinson during the Sardinia shakedown courtesy of swrt.com

With his team mate holding third, Chris Atkinson has had a solid start to the Rally of Sardinia.

Atkinson and Prévot made a strong start to the event, finishing the first three stages of the morning sharing third overall with Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen. Solberg and Mills meanwhile lay fifth. Having made some changes to their car during the midday service, the Norwegian traded position with his team mate in an afternoon of change, snatching third position as Atkinson slipped to fifth with Hirvonen splitting the SWRT crews. The Australian remains within reach of the podium still, promising to keep this battle fuelled into the longest day of competition tomorrow.

Yeah, it’s not been a bad day today� echoed Chris Atkinson. “It’s good to get through the day with no problems though as it’s been tough. The guys behind are going well and are fast, so we’ll have to pick it up a bit tomorrow to stay in the fight. It’s a close battle for third, and there are a few people quite close who will join the fight tomorrow so it’ll be hard, that’s for sure. I hope we can find a bit more to stay in the top five, but it’s not a bad start.�

Will Power posted the 6th fastest time in practice Thursday as the teams get ready for the second qualifying say Saturday. Power averaged 222.657 behind Ryan Briscoe who topped the sheets with a average lap speed of 223.708.

It was nice to get some dry track time today in the KVRT Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia car,� Power said.  “Everyone thought it would rain today, but fortunately it never came.  We were able to get through a few test items, did one qualifying run and a couple of long runs which were interesting.  But all in all, we are still at a similar pace as before.  We are making slow progress, but I think now we really need to focus on the race setup.   I think that is the most critical for us if we are going to finish well in this race.�

The above image of Chris Atkinson and Stephane Prevot, his co-driver and the below article are courtesy of swrt.com

Chris Atkinson has said he enjoys the upcoming Rally Sardinia: “It’s important to drive smoothly and without mistakes in Sardinia as the roads are very technical and narrow but it’s a rally I enjoy. It’s my fourth year here, and my second with Stéphane, so I hope we can have a good event and run competitively. I’m not thinking about another podium finish, but just concentrating on our pace and fighting as high up as we can.�

Sardinia is itself the first of a back-to-back trio of European events, it heralds the start of the most demanding section of the season with three events in just five weeks. The travel and intensified workload will punish drivers, cars and teams alike, and go a long way to setting the Championship scene for the remainder of the season.

Sardinia lies in the Mediterranean sea between Spain and Italy, just 12 kilometres from the coast of Corsica, itself the scene for a World Rally encounter later in the season. As per previous years, the rally is based in the northern tip of the island, in the industrial port of Olbia on the Costa Smeralda coast.

The soft and almost sandy gravel roads wind through a combination of unspoiled green mountainsides that contrast with the sometime dusty and rocky routes of the lower regions. The traction and braking stability of the cars will be really tested by the loose surfaces that can cause the cars to wander as the road beneath them shifts. Eighty per cent of the local area is hilly, and while more rolling than mountainous, the stages steadily undulate.

In the typically lush Italian hills, temperatures are expected to be upwards of 20 degrees Celsius, but routes can quickly become dampened by the ever-present chance of unexpected storms. The stages are very flowing and technical, meaning it is vital that crews get into a good rhythm from the outset in order to attack fully. Crews running first on the road will clean the loose surface to the benefit of those behind them, but as the roads deteriorate and become rutted by the second passes, it will actually favour the front-runners.

The event starts with a ceremonial start in the exclusive resort of Porto Cervo, 30 kilometres to the north of the service park, and consists of 17 stages stretching 354 competitive kilometres across the northern provinces of Olbia, Sassari and Nuoro. Whilst many of the planned routes are very similar to those used in previous years, there have been several significant changes to pit competitors against new challenges, namely that the third and final day is almost completely new.

The history of the island is evident in the numerous ancient ruins that the route will take the World Rally cars past. Abandoned castles, churches and strongholds all hint at the island’s medieval past and contribute to the collapsed carved stone structures and outcrops that typify this most varied of championship events.

Marcos Ambrose has claimed his second top 10 finish of the 2008 season and his first on an oval with a hard fought 10th place in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina today.

Ambrose toughed it out in a demanding race at the track known as ‘Too Tough To Tame’, coming home strong in the first race on Darlington’s new surface.

Ambrose started from 20th position in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion and maintained track position early. The Australian ran a long first stint and was one of the last cars to pit, resulting in Ambrose leading a lap on lap 64.

Seconds before Ambrose was to make his first pit stop the caution flag came out, a stroke of luck for Ambrose that allowed him to pit under yellow.

Ambrose was in 15th position at the restart and maintained a top 20 position for the rest of the race, despite sustaining repairs at each of his pit stops to continue to repair slight right side damage, a common occurrence at Darlington.

After a brief red flag stoppage, Ambrose was in 13th position at the restart with 13 laps remaining. A crash at the restart triggered by Mark Martin’s car running out of fuel caused carnage but Ambrose drove well to avoid damage and survive the wreck.

Ambrose came home strong and was setting some of his fastest laps of the race in the last part of the event, finishing in 10th in a ‘green-white-checker’ finish right behind ninth placed Jason Leffer.

Tony Stewart won today’s Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway ahead of fellow Sprint Cup drivers Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann.

Ambrose will participate in the official NASCAR Nationwide Series test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 12-13 before a rare off-weekend.

The Australian’s next race will also be at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, with the Carquest Auto Parts 300 on May 24.

Marcos Ambrose - #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“We got a bit of damage early but it was a night when plenty of people got a lot more damage than we did,� said Ambrose.

“We fought the car all night and kept making small repairs at our stops and it was at it’s best towards the end of the race.

“This track is so tough that it’s really about fighting the conditions rather than the competitors. That’s what we did for a lot of the race tonight.

“We deserved to finish where we did tonight. We had a really good run in the Kingsford car and we were at the front when it matters in the last part of the race.

“This is a great result for our team and I’m looking forward to testing at Charlotte this week for the two day test there and then running well there for our next race in two weeks time.

“We’ve had a lot of bad luck this year so it was good to have some good luck go our way. That’s what happens in this game, some times things go your way and other times they keep going against you. So you’ve just got to keep fighting and be up there in the front when things go your way.�

London, Great Britain - A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has revealed the first image of its brand new 'Powered by Ferrari' car for use in season four (2008/09). The CAD drawing was released ahead of the car's inaugural shakedown test in Southern England.

A1GP's own tv commentator and Formula One legend, John Watson, will have the honour of driving the car for the first time, powered by a V8 Ferrari engine producing in the region of 600 bhp.

The chassis is based on the design of the highly successful F2004 chassis, incorporating A1GP's core values to deliver close, exciting racing among a competitive field where overtaking is an essential part of the entertainment.

A1GP Technical Director, John Travis, is overseeing the design, development and production of the car from premises in Bognor Regis in the UK, with Rory Byrne acting as a consultant. Meanwhile the work on the manufacture and supply of the A1GP engine is being overseen by Ferrari's Jean-Jacques His.

The Powered by Ferrari project was first announced on 11 October 2007 when the most famous name in motorsport signed a six-year agreement to manufacture and supply all A1GP engines for this unique series and provide consultancy on the design of all A1GP chassis from season four onwards.

Speaking ahead of the shakedown and what will be an intensive testing programme for the new car and engine, Tony Teixeira, Chairman of A1GP, said:

'Everyone is very excited about this project and it will be fantastic to see the new A1GP powered by Ferrari car turn a wheel for the first time on Friday. We obviously still have a lot of work to do as this is just the first step in what will be an intense development and testing programme, but I am very happy with the progress made so far. We have a small, dedicated group of people in Bognor Regis and are very lucky to be able to use some well known motor racing companies for certain areas of expertise. I am pleased to say we are on schedule and we will be announcing the date of the official unveiling of the car soon.'

Ryan Briscoe has qualified third for the Indy 500 behind Kiwi Scott Dixon on poll.

The first day of qualifying saw the top 11 spots decided. Fellow Aussie Will Power is yet to qualify.

“I had a really good run,� Briscoe said. “The car was balanced really well for the downforce level we trimmed out to, and it was a solid gain, for sure. We were on the edge, and it was exciting. I’m really happy to be in the thick of it. This is unbelievable.�

Mark Webber has confirmed to reporters at Instanbul that he is seeking to extend his time at Red Bull.

Hot on the heels of his 5th in qualifying, Webber told reporters "We are talking now," he went on to say "I am free next year, but I am massively keen to stay here. I hope to stay here.

"What I love about this team is that I am employed to drive the car, and if I have to do a track day or a PR day then I would rather skip it - rather than go and talk to people that don't want to see me and I don't want to see them. That is great."

"I have always said I won't be around forever fighting for 12th, 13th or 14th," he added.

"I would just go do something else. I have no interest in doing that anymore, and I am massively motivated at the moment to come up and rack up the points, alongside Fernando (Alonso), and fighting like at Barcelona.

"That is good. It motivates you during the week, and you are looking forward to each race when it is like that.

"When you are getting smoked down the back every weekend and it is tough, then I would rather go ride my mountain bike with my dog."

Super Aguri have today confirmed they will be withdrawing from F1 with immediate effect. The moves comes after Honda decided not continue its support of the team.

In their press release the team noted that a sponsor from last season had defaulted on payment. This combined with the rules that would require the team in 2009 to build its own car meant they did not have the funds to continue.

Whilst a proposal was put to the Honda board for German outfit Weigl Group to take a stake in the team, the board was not prepared to put any further funding or support in.

Whilst not the sole factor the decision not to allow customer chasis in F1 is a large part of the problem. Prodrive abandoned their plans to enter F1 this season when it became clear they would need to build a car for the 09 season.

The future of Toro Rosso is also clouded by the need to build a car with the Red Bull interest in the team up for sale.

The statement from the team reads as follows

Super Aguri Formula One Team has today announced its withdrawal from the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Participating in Formula One since the 2006 season, the Team, which scored its first championship points after only 22 races (Spanish Grand Prix, 2007) and finished ninth overall in the 2007 Constructors’ Championship, will cease all activities as of 6th May 2008. Aguri Suzuki, Team Principal, SUPER AGURI F1 TEAM

“In order to realize my dream to become an owner of a Formula One Team, I applied for a grid position in the FIA Formula One World Championship in November 2005. Since then, I have participated in the championship for 2 years and 4 months as the SUPER AGURI F1 TEAM, but regretfully I must inform you that the team will be ceasing its racing activities as of today.

The team has competed against the many car manufacturer backed teams and has succeeded in obtaining the first points after only the 22nd race finishing in 9th place overall in the 2007 Constructors’ Championship. However, the breach of contract by the promised partner SS United Group Company Limited resulted in the loss of financial backing and immediately put the team into financial difficulties. Also, the change in direction of the environment surrounding the team, in terms of the use of customer chassis, has affected our ability to find partners.

Meanwhile, with the help of Honda, we have somehow managed to keep the team going, but we find it difficult to establish a way to continue the activities in the future within the environment surrounding F1 and as a result, I have concluded to withdraw from the Championship.

I would like to express my deepest thanks to Honda, Bridgestone, the sponsors, all the people who have given us advise during various situations over the past couple of years all the Team Staff who have kept their motivations high and always done their best, Anthony Davidson who has always pushed to the limit despite the very difficult conditions, Takuma Sato who has been with us from the very start and has always fought hard and led the team and lastly our fans from all over the world who have loyally supported the SUPER AGURI F1 TEAM."

Team India won the Feature Race with style and put on a great show for the fans with donuts on the main straight to celebrate their victory.

Early in the race on lap two both Team Pakistan and Team Australia collided on the back straight with major damage on the Team Australia car. John Martin's race was over and Adam Khan left the circuit after a quick medical centre check up.

John Martin was not impressed with Khan's attitude to the shunt and was quick to let Khan know how he felt when they met together in the medical centre.

Team Australia end the 2007-2008 season in 17th place overall.

Next race will be at Mugello on September 21 showcasing the new A1GP car "Powered by Ferrari"

Alan Jones A1 Team Australia Seatholder: "It was not the race result we expected, the accident appeared to be another racing incident. We are now looking to the new season that starts in September to launch our new car with Ferrari"

John Martin: "I was upset with Adam Khan as we were both on the back straight and had room for both of us. All he had to do was stay on his side of the race track and everything would have been fine. Instead he moved over towards me, so I had to move back and we touched. There was no way I could save the car once I hit the grass. We spoke at the Medical Centre and he left the circuit"

The month of May at Indy has kicked off with the Rookie Orientation Program. The Rookie Orientation Program, ROP, requires that first year drivers wishing to contest the Indianapolis 500 must compete four phases.  They must turn 10 laps at each of 200-205 mph, 205-210 mph, 210-215 mph and 215+ mph.  The first three phases must be completed on the first two days the track is open while the fourth phase may be completed during practice later in the month.

Will Power and his teammate Oriol Servia both took part and completed all four stages, with Power posting the fastest time of 220.694 mph the 11 drivers taking part. He also ran the most laps of anyone doing a full 94 laps for the day.

Commenting afterwards Power said, “The KV Racing Technology team wanted to get in as many laps as possible today, which is what we achieved.  To be quick today means we are gradually getting there and I was able to go flat the whole way.  I felt really comfortable with the Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia car and once I was able to go flat, the car felt better and I was able to start letting some of the front wing out.  The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is something I have never driven on and I found it unique because it was so fast.  It’s not really like an oval because of its four corners and flat banking, but almost a mixture between a banked oval and a road course.  It was something more than I had expected…daunting, and as far as ovals go, its more technical and therefore you can’t make a mistake.�

In just the last race we saw a crash that not that many years ago would have left the driver badly injured or dead. The fact that Heikki Kovalainen was able to walk away unhurt is a testament to the improved safety in FORMULA ONE. It is almost unbelievable that he will drive in next weeks Turkish Grand Prix.

His accident comes on the heels of the equally frightening accident in Canada last year, which saw the car of Robert Kubica become completely airborne. Again the driver somehow survived.

Of course it wasn’t always this safe. As Sir Jackie Stewart notes in his autobiography ‘Winning is not enough’ during a 11 year period in his career some 57 drivers died.

Indeed Sir Jackie was one of the first drivers to really demand increases in safety and making the Grand Prix Drivers Association a bastion of safety in FORMULA ONE.

No doubt also the work of Professor Sid Watkins also greatly saw the vast reductions in death, that for so long were an accepted part of the sport.

However motor racing remains a dangerous sport, as we sadly found out in Australia earlier this year. The risk of Death can not be removed from a sport where a car is driven at such speeds. It is important however that the Grand Prix Drivers association continues to push safety issues when they see them.

A example was provided during this years Australian Grand Prix, when the Toyota of Timo Glock was launched over the raised kerb of a access road. Such raised kerbs should not be on the circuit and it was somewhat surprising this was not picked up in any track inspection. The Grand Prix Drivers Association needs to ensure next that bump is not there.

Thankfully we can safely say that no driver should ever again be wishing 57 of their friends good bye in the future but we must not become complacent and let safety drift into the background.

Marcos Ambrose has ensured that he finished in a solid position and continued to add to his 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series points tally with 25th place on a trying day in the Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia today.

Ambrose qualified in 17th position earlier in the day in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion but unfortunately the Australian was never able to get an effective set-up and did not have the pace he expected in today’s 250-lap race.

Ambrose received the Lucky Dog when a caution was called on lap 67, vaulting him back onto the lead lap just one lap after he had been lapped by leader Carl Edwards.

The Kingsford driver ran in 22nd position for much of the race as he tried his best despite his car’s handling, set-up changes at pit stops doing little to improve Ambrose’s pace.

In the end Ambrose came home in 25th place, importantly staying out of trouble as many others crashed out to score all-important championship points to be 16th in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series standings.

Ambrose will be back in action next week at one of his favourite venues for the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.

Hometown hero Denny Hamlin won today’s Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond International Raceway ahead of Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.

Marcos Ambrose - #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“It was just a tough night for the Kingsford team but we brought it home and got some more points on the board,� said Ambrose.

“We were a little loose into the corners when we came off the truck and it just sort of hurt us here for the race.

“I thought we were going to be better than that, so I’m a little disappointed. We just didn’t have the pace we would have liked and that meant we couldn’t move forward.

“I’m looking forward to Darlington next weekend. I loved running there last year and with the new surface this year it should be even faster.�

Marcos Ambrose has had a potentially strong finish evaporate in a second after the Australian was caught up in a massive accident in the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama today.

With 47 laps remaining Ambrose was running in 17th position in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion. Ambrose was running in the main pack and on the lead lap while conserving his Ford for the finish.

“There’s nothing you can do in that situation and sometimes these things happen,� said Ambrose.

“We were running to plan, just hanging out there in the lead pack and getting ready to make a run at the front.

“I took the conservative approach like a lot of others. It was all running pretty smoothly but once the wreck started there was no stopping it.

“We got it back out there and moved up a little, salvaging something out of nothing I guess. I’ve definitely got the thank the crew for that because we are trying to score all the points we can get.

“There’s nothing you can do about it. We’ll just put this behind us and look to run well at Richmond next week. We’re certainly not the only ones that got caught up in it – Talladega looked like a parking lot after the dust settled!�

In return to combined racing, the two aussie drivers had very different races.

Ryan Briscoe managed to come home in 7th and commented "I thought today was a good race for Team Penske,� Briscoe said. “We had a solid car and I'm fairly happy with our result. The final laps were a little frustrating, because I think I had better than a seventh-place car. I was just trying to play it safe, looking for a solid finish. I thought it was a good day for me and I feel like I learned a lot out there.�

Meanwhile Will Power crashed out for KV Racing. Power, KV Racing Technology #8 Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia Honda/Dallara/Firestone, who was competing in just his third oval event and second on a big oval, started 18th with an average speed of 210.091mph. The talented 27-year-old Australian, who continues to learn the nuances of oval racing, was contesting lap 22 and battling in traffic when he lost the air that creates downforce and slid into the wall in Turn #2, damaging his car and ending his race.

“I got caught up at the bottom of the track, and I couldn’t go high because I wasn’t sure if someone was there,� Power said. “I just lost all the air and the KV Racing Technology Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia car flicked round so quick there was no way I could fix it. It is disappointing. The crew has worked really hard, and I wanted to do better in my second oval race. But now we go to Indianapolis for the month of May, and we will have plenty of track time to improve the car. I can also get some more experience on ovals.� Next up in the series is the world famous Indy 500.

Chris Atkinson in action during the final day at rally of Jordan. Picture courtesy of swrt.com

Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Prévot secured a podium finish on the final day of the Jordan Rally after another day of change amongst the front-runners. The only entry for the Subaru World Rally Team today, the duo snatched a step of the podium as those in front stumbled to make it three podiums in a row.

Only Atkinson restarted the final day this morning, as Petter was sidelined just before the close of day two. Holding fourth position from yesterday, an intense battle for position between the top three meant that anything was likely to happen, and Chris was there to pick up the pieces.

Surely enough, it was Ford’s Latvala who hit problems during stage 18, losing almost 50 seconds during the stage and carrying his handicap into the longest test of the rally, the River Jordan stage. Atkinson continued with his steady strategy, which was sufficient to take him into third position midway through the stage and his fourth podium from five rounds this season.

“Yet again Chris has shown his consistency to ensure another podium position and maintain third position in the Drivers’ Championship� said David Richards, Subaru World Rally Team Principal. “I’m sure Chris is now looking forward to getting his hands on the new car and being able to challenge at the front.�

It is the first time since the beginning of 2005 that any one driver has recorded three consecutive podiums for the Subaru World Rally Team, when Solberg and Mills secured their trio in Mexico, New Zealand and Sardinia.

With a comfortable gap behind him to fourth position, the Australian was able to complete the afternoon’s three stages at a consistent pace, taking no unnecessary risks to reach the finish. His result ensures Atkinson maintains his third place in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

“We scored good points again and it’s good for us and good for the team as it keeps us close to the guys at the front of the championship� said Chris Atkinson. “It was a difficult rally for us as almost from the start we were in the middle of nowhere with big gaps in front and behind of us. We managed to go along at our own pace, keeping it on the road.

“We had some hard times when things weren’t going well but we managed to get through. It was a bit of misfortune for others, but lucky for us. Sometimes that’s just how it goes. We’ve still got a lot of work to do and we want to be more competitive on pace and pushing for wins, but four podiums from five rallies is a very consistent start for us so with that I’m happy.�

Will Power has ended his Champ Car carer by winning the final ever Champ Car race at Long Beach.

Power made a strong start and battled brit Justin Wilson early, before taking the lead when the Brit withdrew.

Drivers will now return to the IRL season, where sadly wins are likely to be few and far between.

Marcos Ambrose has driven the race of his life to pass more cars than any other driver on his way to second place in the Corona Mexico 200 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course in Mexico City today.

Ambrose achieved his best ever NASCAR finish today in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion in the drive of the day after coming through the field twice throughout the race.

The Australian qualified fourth for the 80-lap race but was forced to start from the rear of the field. Ambrose suffered from clutch problems in practice and opted to change the clutch for the race to ensure he finished the race, an adjustment that meant he started the race in 40th position, as cars are not to be worked on between qualifying and the start of the race.

Ambrose showed why he is one of the most formidable road course drivers in NASCAR by driving from the rear up into 23rd position at the start before the first caution of the day came out on lap three.

Ambrose was inside the top 20 when the first round of pit stops occurred, however this delivered a further setback for Ambrose. NASCAR ruled that members of Ambrose’s JTG Racing pit crew had left the pit wall and entered pit lane too early and the 31-year-old was forced to complete a drive through penalty under green flag conditions, again sending him to the rear.

The Kingsford driver then set about regaining lost ground and again coming through the field. Ambrose made good progress and had a steady middle part of the race, making his final pit stop with 33 laps remaining for four new tires and fuel.

At a race restart with 26 laps remaining Ambrose made contact with Boris Said entering the first corner, causing the Kingsford car to run across the grass but maintain eighth position.

The ensuing caution saw Ambrose gain a position at the restart entering the first corner and continue to pick off cars one by one as the laps wore down. Ambrose passed Patrick Carpentier in the Esses to gain third position with 13 laps remaining, then

moved up to second with a move past Scott Pruett at the end of the long front straight entering the first corner with six laps to go.

Ambrose began the chase down leader Kyle Busch and was edging closer to Busch with every lap but in the end time ran out and the driver from Launceston, Australia finished second, within a second of Busch, remarkable after all the adversity thrown his way throughout the tough 80-lap event.

The finish is Ambrose’s best NASCAR result, his previous best finish was third in two events in the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Kansas and Nashville. Ambrose’s previous best finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series was fourth at Memphis late last year.

This was Ambrose’s second top 10 finish in Mexico from two starts at the twisting road course. Today’s result was Ambrose’s first top 10 result this season.

After the race Ambrose said that he thought he could have taken the lead from Busch within two laps, but that he was pleased to have taken second on a day where he and his #59 Kingsford team had to overcome challenge after challenge.

Ambrose rises to 13th in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series standings, a jump of four positions, injecting a boost into Ambrose’s 2008 championship campaign.

MARCOS AMBROSE PRESS CONFERENCE:

�We’re really pleased. I feel like we had been battling all day. We had an overheating motor there at the end. We had to start at the back with a clutch problem and that was still there in the race and we had to watch that.

“Then we had to come from the back again because we miscalculated the fuel and we had an ignition stall. Then we had a penalty on pit lane and had to come from the back again. It had just been a day of fighting.

“I really want to first apologise to Boris on one of those restarts. I got into him and spun him out and ended his day. I just want to answer those questions now before they come up. I feel bad for him but our day has been fantastic and I’m really proud of my Kingsford guys.

“We fought all day and never gave up. I think if we had another two laps we would have had something for Kyle because he was really starting to go off. I’m proud of my finish. This is my best finish since I’ve been in NASCAR. I’ve got to be pleased.�

Q: DID YOU MAKE A CONSCIENCE DECISION TODAY TO DRIVE LIKE THE TASMANIAN DEVIL?

“Yeah, in the whole, we’ve had a tough year. We really wanted to have a strong day today. You’re not going to go and pass 43 cars 15 times like we did today without being aggressive. And you’ve got to be in this racing to try and come through. It was really tough racing. It’s some of the hardest racing I’ve ever done there that last 20 laps. Then you’ve got Carl [Edwards] and Kyle [Busch] and Scott [Pruett], they’re the best in the business.

“We’re hanging on the best we can and trying to race. It’s pretty awesome. I’ll probably look back at this race as probably one of my best races in just having to fight all day. Everything was against us, but we fought all day and came through.�

Q: I KNOW YOU APOLOGISED BUT BORIS SEEMED PRETTY INTENT ON GETTING REVENGE SOME DAY AND HE DID TALK TO YOUR CREW CHIEF.

“There’s no point in getting in the crew chief’s face because he’s not driving the car. I’m going to ring him on Monday and hopefully sleep will help him just think through things a little bit more. I value Boris’ friendship and he is a fantastic racer.

“I didn’t mean to do it. I don’t know what happened, to be honest with you. I had pretty square contact and all of a sudden, he’s up speed and off to the left. I caught his rear bumper bar in mine. I don’t know what happened, it wasn’t intentional.

“Racing happens. Look at the deal last year with Robby Gordon. Bad stuff happens out there and it’s unfortunate. I’ll apologise to him to his face. I’ll apologize to him today in front of the media. I can’t take it back. I wish I didn’t do it. I don’t know how it happened and that’s all I can really say.

“If he wants to come talk to me about it, I’d like to sit down and just find some common ground. It’s just unfortunate that that stuff happens but that’s what racing is all about. That’s what fans turn out for.�

Q: IS THIS FINISH SOMETHING YOU CAN CARRY ON?

“I hope so. It’s been a good day for us. I’m really proud of the Kingsford guys. Another two laps, I think we would have had the win. I was really closing on Kyle. I was either going to spin out or win because I was going to give it everything I had.

“If I could have gotten within shooting distance, I was going to shoot and try to make a run at him. I’m just really proud of my guys. We’re fighting in this championship. We’re fighting to stay alive. I feel like I’m a part of NASCAR. I just really, desperately want to do well. Today we did well and we’ve just got to keep carrying it on. Who knows what is going to happen in the future, but hopefully this will be a catalyst for better things.�

AMBROSE ON THE INCIDENT WITH BORIS SAID:

“If I could take it back, I would,� said Ambrose.

“I didn’t mean to get into Boris; I really like him. He’s a great racer and I’ve idolised him in the past and I still do. If I could wind the clock back, I would. It’s just hard racing up there. He checked up in the middle of the corner. I was getting something from behind and I wanted to defend my position. Our bumper bars just hooked and it just turned him around. It was just the craziest thing I’ve seen. I feel bad for him. I can’t take it back.

“We’re proud of our day. We’ve driven well and we’ve got a team behind us. We’re back in the points and we’re having a great day.�

Danika Patrick has taken her first win and the first by a female driver in open wheel racing in the states.

Ryan Briscoe had been running with the leaders when he rubbed the wall late in the race and bought his Penske home in 9th place.

In a rather surprise move Mark Webber has told BBC Sport that the affair had bought the affair into disrepute.

"I'm not interested in commenting on Mosley specifically - however what concerns me is that the current scandal has brought the sport into disrepute," said the Australian.

"Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport, all of us involved have worked very hard to get there, and whether we like it or not, we are role models.

"Whether Max chooses to resign or how the vote will go at the extraordinary meeting on 3 June is a matter for him and the FIA membership, but my point is that Formula One simply cannot have scandals of this type."

"He's in a very, very influential position and it's a very, very important role that he has," he said. "And I think that makes it difficult when any of these scandals become public. It would be more challenging for him to do his job." In regards to others in the F1 paddock not commenting on the affair Webber said "I think they are waiting for the extraordinary meeting to take place and obviously a lot of people are sitting on the fence and waiting for the right protocol to see what will happen," Webber said. "I'm sure after 3 June we will have more reaction."

Open wheel racing in America, this weekend ensures one of its last weekends apart.

Due to contractual obligations, the old CHAMP Car series was required to run the Long Beach Grand Prix this weekend. However the IRL was tied to a deal to race in Japan at Motegi.

So the two Aussie's in the series find themselves racing apart again. Will Power is with KV Racing at Long Beach and Ryan Briscoe is in Japan.

Power has qualified 10th for the Long Beach Grand Prix and Briscoe will start from 15th. Rain saw the qualifying session washed out and the grid was determined by the last practive session.

<p>In a press release today Super Aguri  confirmed that the planned sale of the team had fallen through.  The team is now fully dependent on Honda providing finanical support until an alternative can be found.  If Honda withdraw support, it is likely Aguri will fold, possibly prior to the Spansih Grand Prix.

<p>The statement is as follows "Super Aguri F1 Team confirms that it has been informed by Magma Group, the potential purchasers of the team, that its investors no longer wish to fund the intended acquisition.

<p>"It is with deep regret that Aguri Suzuki is now forced to consider the future of the team, however negotiations with other parties continue."

Image and following press release courtesy of A1GP.com and Team Australia

A very difficult weekend for the team here in Shanghai China with a 14th place result in the Feature Race. Not what the team expected after numerous changes to the car throughout the weekend.

John Martin had a good clean start and kept his position until the first pitstop which did not go well, costing him at least two places as he was closing in on Teams Germany, Brazil and Italy.

The second pitstop was better though track placement never improved throughout the entire race for Team Australia. The first set of tyres towards the end were causing more understeer than previous oversteer and the second set were obviously no better.

Martin's track speed was good and his times comparable to the top end of the racing grid. A1GP is so close and the cars identical, endless changes being made to the car over the weekend did not deliver the targeted results expected by the team prior to arriving here in Shanghai.

Alan Jones A1 Team Australia Seatholder: "We tried a lot more setup changes here than we expected to do and still no improvement. John was in a position to improve during his pitstops, unfortunately we lost a bit of time during both stops and that cost him some places. The car was quick during the race on a better second set of tyres, the grip improved as most cars were lapping faster and making overtaking a lot more difficult"

John Martin: "The first set of tyres were no good as I had understeer all of a sudden, after battling oversteer all weekend. The second set were better and where I had very little traction out of a corner during Friday and Qualifying, I ended up with too much. The car was changing every lap and all weekend I havent been able to be consistent anywhere. The team have tried loads of setup variations to help me get the car sorted and I thank them for their perseverance. We'll do better at Brands Hatch"

Rob Arnott: "Everyone experienced similar track changes today, and John was no better off as we did cost him some places during his pitstops. The team are normally perfect on a stop, you have a day when a second costs you places in pitlane. We have already started planning the setup for Brands Hatch and should do better there after a tough Shanghai A1GP"

Marcos Ambrose has enjoyed a solid run in the Bashas Supermarkets 200 with 17th place at Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona today.

Ambrose qualified in 11th position in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion and maintained a position in the top 15 in the early stages of the race.

The Australian dropped out of the top 20 mid-race but improved the pace of his car entering the final stages, moving up to be one of the first cars running one lap down by the end of the race.

After 202 laps at the challenging 1.0-mile speedway Ambrose finished as the second car one lap down, collecting a solid haul of points to now sit 17th in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series standings.

Kyle Busch won today’s Bashas Supermarkets 200 ahead of Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin.

Ambrose returns to road course racing next weekend with the Corona Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.

Marcos Ambrose - #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“We had a reasonable day out there and brought it home,� said Ambrose.

“I was waiting for the Lucky Dog to get back on the lead lap, because I really thought we could have had something for a lot of them towards the end to push us up the order.

“In the end we were trapped a lap down but we finished and added to the points.

“It wasn’t a bad day for the Kingsford team and we will look to step it up a notch over the next few races.�

Well we haven't really covered A1GP to date, and yes we have even expressed strong views on the series. However at the end of the day, the team is giving some up and coming Aussie racers a chance so we think we should cover them.

we pick them up ahead of the Chinese round of the series and news that A1 Team Australia will start a new rookie at the next round of the ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ in Shanghai, China. Sydneysider Nathan Antunes comes to the team with extensive open wheel experience including stints in Formula BMW, Formula 3 and GP2. Both Nathan and lead driver John Martin will experience the Shanghai circuit for the first time in this penultimate round of season three.

Alan Jones A1 Team Australia Seatholder: "This is a very important race like all others, where we have to secure the best points to move back up the championship ladder. John has not raced here before, nor has our new Rookie Nathan Antunes ever driven our A1GP racecar. Again we have created the opportunity for young talent to shine on the International motorsport stage with A1 Team Australia. Shanghai International Circuit has a very long fast back straight, with challenging corners and a long pit lane. We provided Nathan Antunes the best information possible in Mexico with our engineers and driver on the car setup and team strategies and communications. Both young guys are working and talking to each other so we feel confident of a good weekend"

John Martin: "Shanghai is a great circuit to simulate on with Playstation, as many international drivers use this type of feedback on tracks they have never been on before. The last race there for the team was a good one to start though the result was not so good in the end. Year before was a podium so I have my target set to do well there. This week I have spent valuable time talking over race strategy with Rob [Arnott] and Ash [Edwards]. We arrive on Thursday morning to have a good walk around the entire circuit with our engineers and rookie driver to review what we discussed this week and take notice of the weather forecast for tyre selection"

Rob Arnott Chief Engineer: "Shanghai has a lot of speed on the front and back straights, so we are confident as the car is quick. Tyre degradation will play a vital part in our plan to get our car high up on the grid for both races. John like Nathan is new to Shanghai, as are some other drivers. We will let Nathan get used to the car at his pace so John can set it up for Saturday’s all important qualifying"

Nathan Antunes: "I am keen to get into the car, and thank everyone for the opportunity. The information and feedback from Alan Jones is no doubt a very valuable asset to have access to at anytime. We have so much to draw from with his experience; the engineers were excellent in Mexico to understand the entire car setup. Adam Gotch with his crew made it quite clear, on how to best prepare for Friday in Shanghai and look forward to a walk around the circuit on Thursday with John Rob and Ash. I met John again in Mexico, we soon swapped information together over the weekend, good vibe inside the team, and together we will do our best for the team and our country in China.

Ted Toleman founder of Toleman Motorsport, the Team who gave Ayrton Senna his first Formula One drive:"After observing Nathan in Australian, France and driving competitively in New Zealand, we are convinced he has the ability to be a frontrunner in his chosen sport. He has the correct mental and personal attitude to compete at the highest level. He is professional in his approach to motor racing and aware of the ‘up’s and downs’ he will encounter whilst attempting to achieve a permanent seat in A1GP"

We would love to hear your thoughts on the A1GP series. Is it worthwhile? Should we cover it? Have we been to harsh in the past with our comments? Just use the comments section in the blog or the e-mail link at the top of the page.

In what would have been his home round of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series at Wakefield Park on the weekend, Ashley Cooper’s friends and family put in a gallant effort to raise $17,533.20 in public donations for the Ashley Cooper Foundation.

And to top it off Fujitsu General have matched the amount dollar for dollar, meaning the Fujitsu Series weekend raised an incredible $35,066.40 to help support Ashley Cooper’s partner Casey and their two children Ella and Bailey.

The Cooper family were truly touched by Fujitsu General’s generous offer and the Foundation was suddenly overwhelmed with offers from the public wishing to be volunteers and pledging donations to the foundation that was set up by Transplant Australia.

Ashley donated his organs following his fatal accident at the Clipsal 500 in February, saving the lives of six other people including a young girl.

The emotional weekend at Wakefield Park gave those close to Ashley the chance to reflect and grieve their loss with the racing community in a moving tribute lead by Chaplin Richard Cormack before the start of the final race.

The front of the grid was left empty and in its place stood Ashley’s family, friends and team-mates in a fitting farewell to the sport that Ashley had loved and lived for.

Highly respected amongst his motor racing peers, Ashley’s colleagues drove the warm-up lap with their headlights on as a mark of respect.

At the time of his death, 27-year-old Ashley Cooper lived life away from the race track with equal passion and drive. Inspired to reach his full potential in every aspect of his life, Ashley was a successful businessman, community role model, committed partner, father of two young children and fun loving man.

The Ashley Cooper Foundation was subsequently formed by Transplant Australia with the aim of raising enough funds to ensure the future for Ashley’s partner and their two children.

The Ashley Cooper Foundation would like to thank the small country town of Goulburn for their big hearted generosity.

Details about the foundation can be found here

In case you thought the events at the Melbourne Grand Prix were a one off, V8 Supercars this week announced that the L&H Philip Island 500 will have a new format. Rather than the traditional 500 race on the Sunday only for the first time in the history of the endurance event, two individual races will be held on Saturday with each co-driver contesting one or the other. Teams will decide which driver competes in which race but their identity will not be known until all teams have nominated their drivers.

Adding to the intrigue will be that each car is required to complete one compulsory pit stop for a tyre change in either of the two races. Again the teams will make their own decision in which race they choose to change tyres.

“It’s an innovation that will lead to the ultimate in strategy and it will be intriguing to see what teams choose to do,� said Shane Howard, V8 Supercars Australia General Manager of Events and Motorsport.

“There will be some eagle eyes in pit lane for the first race to see who they are lining up against and then when each team chooses to pit. For the fans it will be sensational.�

The first two races are short, 15-lap sprints. They will count for only one third of the points on offer for the weekend but will decide the composition of the grid for Sunday’s famous L&H 500 which is being held at the World class Phillip Island circuit for the first time.

“While we are adding the two short Saturday races the Sunday L&H 500 remains the emphasis of the weekend and the winner of the L&H 500 will be the car that crosses the line first on Sunday,� Mr Howard said.

“But the Saturday races set the all-important grid, decide pole position and count for Championship points so in their own right will be integral parts of the L&H 500 and the Championship picture.�

The following article is courtesy of swrt.com

In a period of hot events that started with Mexico and will continue into the European summertime, we look at what blazing sun, blue skies and humidity mean for the drivers and the co-drivers aboard the Subaru World Rally Team’s Impreza WRC2007s.

As the series approaches the inaugural Rally Jordan, crews prepare for potentially the hottest WRC encounter of the year as temperatures are set to soar to 40 degrees Celsius over the rally weekend.

Wind no cooling breeze, that’s near unbearable for the team members working in the service park, but inside the World Rally cars crews can face temperatures that are another 10 degrees higher.

The sun’s rays are magnified through the window glass and the roof of the car, and the air inside becomes stifling. Of course, World Rally cars do not have air conditioning in the same sense as their road-going counterparts, and whilst they do have cockpit cooling fans, their efforts are often hampered by dust.

On dry and arid roads such as those in Jordan and Greece, the dust produced by the cars is substantial, and it would take a matter of seconds with the windows or the roof vent open for the car to fill with the swirling clouds.

Extreme in-car temperatures can rapidly drain the driver and co-driver of strength, focus and concentration, leading ultimately to a slower pace and a greater likelihood of mistakes.

Fitness plays a key role in the battle, as the fitter and stronger crews are, the less they will struggle with the physical demands of competition and therefore suffer from the loss of vital fluids through sweat. Fitter drivers are also afforded increased endurance in the heat, enabling them to attack the stages harder and for longer before tiring, and so both Petter and Chris have recently increased their training in preparation.

Hydration also plays a crucial role, absolutely essential to the sustained effort of the drivers and co-drivers over the course of the rally. Between them, either pair of Petter and Phil or Chris and Stéphane can consume 20 litres of specially formulated electrolyte fluid per day, helping to replace those essential vitamins and minerals that have been lost and boost strength and focus.

It is important that the crews do not just drink plain water however, as this can actually lead to a worsened condition and sickness. When drivers sweat, they lose minerals as well as water. If these are replaced simply by water, the body remains hydrated but severely weakened, in a condition called hyponatraemia.

The team also have two methods of reducing in-car temperatures as a result of absorbed sunlight, both of which focus on reflection. Firstly the side windows are lined with a protective and reflective film, similar to the concept of tinted windows on road cars, but in this instance silver in colour. Acting like mirrors, these simply reflect the majority of the sun’s rays and thus help keep the interior cooler.

Similarly, the Imprezas run with white patches on their roofs for the same end. White reflects heat more efficiently than the car’s normal blue, and seeing as the roof has a large surface area and absorbs a high proportion of the cockpit heat, it is a simple but effective measure.

Cockpit temperatures are just as important as extracting every last drop of performance from the car. Like engines, drivers and co-drivers don’t work well if they overheat

Toyota Racing Development driver Neal Bates has won the Australian Rally Championship season opening event in WA.

The win came when the sister car driven by reigning champion Simon Evans who was forced to retire in SS17 with an engine failure.

Bates was delighted with the win "I'm absolutely delighted, I am obviusly very disappointed for Simon and Sue, they drove an exceptionally well and deserved to win but when they stopped we were happy to pick up the pieces" said Bates.

Second place went to Eli Evans and third was Alex Stone. As Stone is not registered for Rally points third place in the points went to Justin Dowel.

The retirment by Evans marked the first time in 14 heats that Evans was not a ARC wiiner.

Evans was quoted as saying "It's disappointing, but I'm happy" "Our dream run ended when I was in the leas and we were doing everything right so if you're ever going to DNF this is the way to do it".

Forget the debate over a night race, as we discussed in the last podcast it is time the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC)  took steps to provide cover for the fans.

Despite being raced often in 30+ degrees the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park has no cover in the stands for paying spectators.  There is shelter often at the back of the stands for Corporate Guests but punters shelling out over $400 Aussie dollars are expected to sit in the sun and enjoy it.

As Ryan has noted, the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide next year is aiming to cover all stands with shade cloths.  It is hard to see any reason why Melbourne can not follow suit.

It can only be a matter of time before someone sues the AGPC for the exposure to the sun, and whilst not clear who would win such case it seems plain dumb to wait for it to happen.

Anyway providing shade for the fans is just plain smart marketing.  At a time when numbers are no longer growing to the heights seen in the early days, shade from the sun is a great way to encourage more fans into the stands.

Certainly it is our view that before any money is spent on lights or importing any other overseas acts to star at the grand Prix, even if Kiss were great, they should first put some money into look after the people who help make it one of the great Grand Prix’s of the season.

Surely after all this time that is not asking to much.

The OzRacingWrap team.

<p>On a day that saw the youngest ever winner and a win by a Champ Car driver in Graham Rahal in his first start, Will Power came home in 8th for KV Racing at the St Petersberg Grand Prix.

<p>Fellow Aussie Ryan Briscoe driving for Penske racing again crashed out of a race, when he hit the wall at Turn 10 on lap 57.

Marcos Ambrose has had a steady run in the O’Reilly 300 to net 18th place at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas today.

Ambrose collected his third top 20 finish from the past four races in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion at the fast 1.5-mile speedway.

The finish sees the Australian maintain 16th in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series standings after seven of 35 races.

Today’s race was largely uneventful for Ambrose and on the whole, the race had fewer caution periods than is usually the case.

This meant that Ambrose, who had a loose (oversteer) race car for much of the 200-lap race, only had minimal opportunities to make set-up chances at pit stops.

Nevertheless, 18th is a solid result for Ambrose as he aims to reacquaint himself with new crew chief Gary Cogswell and the consistent run today will have no doubt helped that cause.

Only six of the top 20 drivers in today’s race were Nationwide Series only drivers, with nine of the top 10 finishers at Texas all full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers.

Kyle Busch won today’s O’Reilly 300 ahead of Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer.

Ambrose and JTG Racing will be back in action next weekend for the Bashas Supermarkets 300 at Phoenix International Raceway on April 11.

Marcos Ambrose - #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“We finished the race and learned some more, which was important this weekend as we had a new crew chief,� said Ambrose.

“We’re pretty pleased with that. It wasn’t stellar, and we were loose in all day, but with our direction I’m really excited and feel confident. The racing just got away today.

“There weren’t many cautions today so we didn’t have much opportunity to make adjustments at the stops. I mean, we’re brand-new, and we’ve got a brand-new set-up on the car, and we’re really happy how things progressed.

“We had speed at certain times of the race. We just were slow at the wrong times when it had long green runs. But, I’m very excited, and I think we’re building something pretty good here.�

In the first road race of the season, Will Power has grabbed second spot in qualifying to show he is coming to grips with the new car. Whilst St Petersburg is a road course the result suggests Power will be on the pace once he and the team come to grips with oval racing.

"I wanted to get into the Firestone Fast Six, which we did," Power said. "I was a little disappointed that we didn't get the pole considering the lap time we posted in the previous session. I'm very happy to be on the front row."

Power said the results were a vindication of the ex-Champ Car teams' efforts.

"Most importantly, it's a payback to the team," he said. "They've been working so hard over the last month - working long hours and they haven't been seeing their families - so I 'm very happy for them."

As Massa drove to a strong win leading a Ferrari one-two (the first 1-2 for any team this season), Mark Webber was able to drive a great,if fairly boring, race and finish in 7th position securing 2 Championship points. He now has 4 points and 10th position in the drivers title race.

Teammate David Coulthard finished 18th.

The RedBull press release quotes Mark as saying“The guys did a good job here all weekend. There were quite a few incidents in the first few laps, which we were able to capitalise on. The first lap went okay for us, but it was very tight on the track, you always have to be careful here on the first few corners. There was oil or something on the track too at the start, which made things difficult. After that I got my head down and spent the rest of the afternoon chasing Jarno (Trulli).�

<p>"The full membership of the FIA will be invited to attend the meeting at which the widespread publicity following an apparently illegal invasion of the FIA President's privacy will be discussed.

<p>"The FIA has noted that Mr Mosley is preparing legal proceedings against the newspaper in question.

<p>"It is anticipated that the meeting will take place in Paris. It will be held on the earliest practicable date. No further comments will be made by the FIA regarding the matter at this stage."

<p>In addition Mosley responded in particular to the earlier BMW and Mercedes-Benz statement speaking to Reuters he said ""Given the history of BMW and Mercedes Benz, particularly before and during the Second World War, I fully understand why they would wish to strongly distance themselves from what they rightly describe as the disgraceful content of these publications.

<p>"Unfortunately, they did not contact me before putting out their statement to ask whether the content was in fact true.

<p>"No doubt the FIA will respond to them in due course as I am about to respond to the newspaper in question."

With BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Toyota all raising concern about the Max Mosley sex romp, the question now has to be how long before he goes? The German car manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz have issued a joint statement labeling FIA president Max Mosley's behaviour as 'disgraceful.

Their statement read "The content of the publications is disgraceful. As a company, we strongly distance ourselves from it."

"This incident concerns Max Mosley both personally and as President of the FIA, the global umbrella organisation for motoring clubs. Its consequences therefore extend far beyond the motor sport industry. We await a response from the relevant FIA bodies."

This was followed by the following statement from Toyota, "Toyota Motorsport does not approve of any behaviour which could be seen to damage Formula One's image, in particular any behaviour which could be understood to be racist or anti-Semitic," said the statement.

"Senior figures within any sport or business, including motorsport, must adhere to high standards of behaviour. When all the facts are known, it will be for the FIA to decide whether Mr Mosley has met the moral obligations which come with the position of FIA President."

Fellow Japanese manufacturer Honda in its statement "It is necessary that senior figures in sport and business maintain the highest standards of conduct in order to fulfil their duties with integrity and respect," It then went onto say "The Honda Racing F1 Team [are] extremely disappointed by recent events surrounding Mr Mosley and we are concerned that the reputation of Formula One and all its participants is being damaged.

"We request that the FIA gives this matter careful consideration and reaches an immediate decision in the best interests of F1 and Motorsport."

Whilst it seemed Max hoped to ride out the storm, that option seems to get smaller and smaller. Apart from the teams raising the issue, we now also find out that as reported in The Times newspaper, the Crown Price of Bahrain had asked Mosley not to attend the event in order to keep the focus on the grand prix.

There is also the issue of the Nazi aspect to the whole thing and Mosley having to deal with Racism in F1 and in particular earlier this year with Lewis Hamilton in Spain. A situation that may very well arise again during the Spanish Grand later this season.

With Jean Todt now freed of his day to day duties at Ferrari, the time is right for Max to step down and handover to Todt.

The following article is courtesy of swrt.com

In the first of a series of articles we look at what helps drive the car that has taken Chris Atkinson to the podium 3 times this year.

Where far more than expected meets the eye, we look at the complexities of the gearboxes and differentials used in the Impreza WRC2007, and what goes into making them work:

The Subaru World Rally Team has produced over 100 WRC gearboxes since 1999. Almost 50 WRC differentials have been built since 2004.

Each gearbox takes 85 hours to build and costs £75,000. Coupled with the rear differential the transmission system contains over 700 individual components.

Each differential takes 16 hours to build, and costs £20,000. The front and rear differentials share components to reduce costs, whereas the centre differential is unique.

Once a gearbox has been built, it takes three hours for the team’s dedicated dyno to run through the complete test procedure before it is used on a rally.

There are two special insulation panels fitted to the side of the gearbox to shield it from the heat of the exhaust which runs alongside it. Each plate is made from titanium and ceramic coated, using a process designed for space craft.

The engine, gearbox and differential are all individually oil sealed, meaning that each can be removed and replaced without fluid loss.

The gearbox lubrication system has a capacity of 4.5l and is fitted with a high-flow oil pump to keep temperatures down. The gear shift system operates at a pressure of 150bar, or 2,500psi for almost instantaneous shifts.

Each unit uses over 40 specialised oil line connectors. Approximately half of these are built specifically for the Subaru World Rally Team, and all use aircraft grade materials.

The gearbox retains the road car’s H pattern but uses a hydraulically and electronically controlled semi-automatic gear change system to shift each gear in fewer than 0.1seconds.

Undergoing 3500 gear shifts on every rally, each unit is rebuilt after approximately 750km of competitive use or two rallies. The oil is changed for every rally.

The gearbox and differential run at 100 degrees Celsius, and need their own oil coolers to maintain that temperature. On hot rallies such as Greece, the operating temperatures can reach 120 degrees Celsius.

It takes between 10 – 12 minutes to replace a gearbox and rear differential. The fastest time on a rally was 10mins and 20 seconds set during Rally Deutschland 2007.

The housings of both units are cast from magnesium for strength and to reduce weight. A gearbox weights 95kg when wet (full of oil) and a differential 25kg wet.

V8 Supercars Australia is delighted to announce the successful amalgamation of the two boards previously charged with managing the sport after a majority vote by the 17 competing teams on the Gold Coast today.

The amalgamation will merge the boards of V8 Supercars Australia and the Touring Car Entrants Group (TEGA) into one entity to provide for a streamlined business structure that will guide the sport well into the next decade.

It will also mean that the Racing Entitlements Contract will replace the Team’s Licence Agreement to ensure a long term financial blueprint for the sport and increased stability moving forward. This agreement is a stakeholders document agreed to by all competing teams.

The team vote today was overwhelmingly in support of the amalgamation and the associated changes to the business structure following seven months of extensive work by an amalgamation committee chaired by eminent South Australian businessman Roger Cook.

It will result almost immediately in a board compromising four team representatives, two representing of Sports Entertainment Limited (SEL) and two independent directors.

“After 11 and a half years this is another exciting development in the history of V8 Supercars Australia,� Chairman Tony Cochrane announced today.

“The business has never been in better financial shape underpinned by record numbers across all income categories. This will really enable the business to move in a very progressive way to the next level.�

Previously the two boards had individual responsibilities and made decisions in those areas. Now one united board will oversee the entire business of managing, running and staging the V8 Supercar Championship Series across Australia, New Zealand and internationally.

Mr Cochrane also announced that he would stand for the Chairmanship of the new board.

“It is now my intention to stand for Chairman of the amalgamated board at the first meeting in April for an appointment spanning the next three years,� Mr Cochrane said.

“V8 Supercars Australia is in a tremendous growth phase and I, along with the team owners and stakeholders, look forward to a very exciting period in the next phase of our great sport.�

Chris Atkinson celebrates his second place at the Rally of Argentina Pic courtesy of swrt.com

Following the retirment of his teammate Peta Solberg, Chris Atkinson has finsihed the Rally of Argentina in second Place.  This makes it three podiums from the first four races of the season.

“It’s been such a hard weekend it’s more of a relief to finish!� said Chris Atkinson. “Another podium is fantastic for us and for the team, there’s nothing that motivates the guys more than a great result at the end of all the hard work. The feeling in the car was just so much more consistent this weekend and it was easier to drive so I was able to push without making any big mistakes. It’s clear we’ve taken some good steps forward with the car this year and it’s sort of a surprise for me to be third in the championship at the moment. It’s a real shame about Petter as he was going very well and we should have had two cars on the podium, but it demonstrates that we’re definitely moving in the right direction.�

Atkinson’s second place in Argentina moves him into third overall in the Drivers’ Championship, just three points behind second-placed Hirvonen (Ford). The Subaru World Rally Team emerge from South America in third position overall in the Manufacturers’ Championship, but as a result of the electrical problems lost a potential eight points that would have put them within just three of the lead.

Kiwi Scott Dixon posted a season opening win and the first under the unified series. However the two Aussie's in field failed to make the chequered flag.

Will Power was the first to exit when he touched with Justin Wilson at the end of the first yellow. Whilst both cars were forced to the pits, Wilson was able to continue while Power was forced to exit.

Briscoe made it past the half way point and was running a strong race when he was left with no where to go when Milka Duno's spun in front of him.

Sebastien Loeb continued to lead the Rally of Argentina and Petter Solberg got past Chris Atkinson to move into second.

Atkinson admitted that he has now backed off and was focusing on securing his third podium in 4 starts this season "We've backed right off now," he said. "There's no need to take any risks. Second would be nice, but three podiums in the first four rallies of the year is still better than we would have expected."

He is nearly a minute off Solberg but has a lead of 1 minute 14 over 4th placed Dani Sordo.

Ryan Briscoe has qualified 5th fastest at the season opening Homestead Grand Prix. Fellow countrymen Will Power could only manage 21st as the Champ Car teams struggled as expected.

The highest placed Champ Car runner was 15th for Franck Perera with an average speed of 209.230, compared to the Pole Sitter kiwi Scott Dixon who averaged 213.341. Briscoe posted a average lap speed of 213.341 whilst Power could only manage 208.029.

The race will be the first run as a unified series.

Chris Atkinson during shakedown Rally Argentina, courtesy swrt.com

In a continuation of his great start to the season, Chris Atkinson has finished day one in second place behind reigning champion Sebastien Loeb.

Sadly two spins later in the day cost him time and means he will start day 2 some 1 minute 30 seconds behind the leader. Third place is held by his eammate Petter Solberg who is just 8 seconds behind Atkinson.

<p>"I have not mislead Derrick Walker and or Walker Racing in any form," Gore said. "Derrick provided me with an unacceptable budget and costings with nefarious funding schedules to continue in 2008 and he has constantly advised he was moving on with other sponsors if I didn't agree.

<p>"I have not at any time attempted to disband the company or steal drivers or staff. I have never directly or indirectly had any conversations or engagement with staff of GFW. Even during the period where the staff were employed directly by me.

<p>"In fact, Derrick signed Will Power in mid-February without my knowledge or consent to operate independently to GFW - a breach of his duty to both GFW, myself and the parties he was purporting to deal with.

<p>"This was a short term contract in which Derrick failed to fulfil certain criteria - Will was automatically released after the required deadline and then signed to race with Team Australia and KV Racing Technology.

<p>"Once this was disclosed to me I severed all ties with Derrick Walker. I did try to involve him in the new team, but he was not prepared to work for others, or with others and wanted to continue operating as Walker Racing.

<p>"He was not prepared to sell his factory, shut down his team and merge. He was insistent on operating the team from Walker Racing premises and his conditions of funding were ludicrous, fanciful and self-serving to say the least.

<p>"I did not provide Derrick Walker or Walker Racing any commitment moving forward other than to do my best to contribute towards the merging of both series as I thought this was the best outcome for all involved."

<p>"Not at any time did Derrick Walker and or Walker Racing or anyone associated with him provide any permanent funding to the team, the branding of Team Australia or any other form of funding required for the team," he said. "This amounts to more than $20 million (USD) over a three-year period.

<p>"Derrick Walker and Walker Racing used, to its sole benefit, the branding of Team Australia to develop funding for the Champ Car Atlantic programme. I received no benefit from this and I am currently owed $500,000 (USD) for cars and equipment bought by myself to establish this team the previous year. I have never called on or asked for this to be repaid.

<p>"There have been numerous anomalies in accounts over the period amounting to more than $500,000 (USD). I have never called on these to be repaid. I will now call on the funds to be repaid immediately. I will also cause for all accounts to be forensically investigated to ensure there has been no misappropriation of funds provided to the team.

<p>"After three years there is less than $300,000 (USD) owing in the accounts, save for Mr Walker himself, up to and prior to the date I advised him to cease operation. I have paid all budget over-runs including $950,000 (USD) in 2006 which were incurred without my express agreement or prior knowledge.

<p>"At present there is $1.1 million (USD) outstanding in the GFW accounts, of which I have provided Derrick several undertakings to pay. These have been obviously unacceptable and now withdrawn. However, when taking into consideration Mr Walker is the largest creditor (his contribution to our partnership) it was agreed to work harmoniously to resolve these matters in an orderly and appropriate manner."

<p>Gore added that he is not concerned about the prospect of a court case.

<p>"I look forward to any court action Derrick Walker may take," he said. "I relish the opportunity to have my day in court."

<p>Mark Webber believes Formula One wunderkind Lewis Hamilton's "novelty" value will wear off.

<p>The Red Bull racer says Hamilton has a uniqueness in the sport but it has a "shelf life."

<p>Webber has also warned that the British McLaren star, who rocked F1 last year by almost winning the championship in his rookie season, will have to get used to a downside in his career.

<p>Hamilton, 23, finished second to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen last year and leads this year's series after his recent victory in Melbourne and fifth place in last Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix.

<p>"His career has gone off like a rocket ship but it won't always be like that," Webber told The Independent newspaper.

<p>"He's young and he's black which makes him unique in this sport, but that's got a shelf life.

<p>"He won't stop being black but it will stop being a novelty.

<p>"And he'll find that some of the column inches, maybe even this season, are totally negative and totally incorrect.

<p>"That's not easy to deal with."

<p>According to Webber, only the British are obsessed with Hamilton and comparisons with seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher are more than a little premature.

<p>"Look, he's talented, we all know that," he said.

<p>"But he's been in the sport for five minutes. People compare him with Schumacher. There is no comparison.

<p>"When he wins the championship, then he's got six more to win before he can be compared to Schumacher.

<p>"Yeah, he had a great first year. It was extraordinary what he did. But great sports stars are measured by their longevity. Pele, Steffi Graf, whoever."

Mark Webber recorded his first finish of the year and in the process collected his first points with a strong seventh.

“The start wasn’t fantastic, but we knew a lot of people would be on soft tyres at that point of the race. I got a really good run through Turns one and two and came out in fourth position. The first stint went okay, but I struggled a bit during the second stint with poor grip, although we kept trying to chip away at the times. I also got stuck behind Sato at a crucial point in the race and lost around two seconds, when we should have stayed in front of Heidfeld. I’m pleased for everyone at Red Bull to get two points, it’s been a tough start to the year for us and it’s great to get the car to the finish today. A big thanks to Renault too.�

Marcos Ambrose has moved up to 16th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings after finishing 23rd in the Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway in Tennessee today.

Ambrose qualified 15th in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion at the 1.33-mile speedway and finished three laps down in the midfield.

The Australian’s car was very ‘tight’ (understeer) throughout the race, making it a difficult day. Ambrose and his crew worked hard at getting a more balanced set-up throughout the race, but changes were not able to give the car a better set-up.

With an unusually low number of cautions in today’s race, opportunities for pit stops to tune the car were few, making it a tough day for Ambrose.

Scott Wimmer won today’s Pepsi ahead of series leader Clint Bowyer and defending series champion Carl Edwards.

Ambrose and the JTG Racing team will enjoy a rare weekend off next weekend, before the NASCAR Nationwide Series gets back underway on April 5 with the O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“We’ve got two weeks now to have a think about things and make some progress,� said Ambrose.

“Today was not a great day for our team but the potential is certainly there. We’ve just got to put our heads down and work hard on finding more speed.

“We had a really, really tight race car and we just couldn’t get it good enough.

“The boys are all working hard. I’m very confident that we will be back up there very soon.�

After a somewhat troubled start to the weekend for Red Bull, Mark Webber secured eighth position in qualifying. His teammate David Coulthard will start from 12th.

Both cars made it through practice three and qualifying with no further sign of the suspension issue that earlier had cast doubts over their taking part in the event.

Pole went to Felipe Massa from Reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen. For the first time Lewis Hamilton was out qualified by his teammate Heikki Kovalainen and they will start 4th and 3rd respectively.

Following a accident involving the failure of David Coulthard's front suspension, stewards requested information from the team regarding why they should not be excluded from the rest of the event on safety grounds.

Having reviewed the information, just prior to the start of practice 3, the stewards have confirmed the cars can take part in the event but will remain under review.

In effect this means that should either of the teams cars suffer a similar or component related failure during the rest of the weekend, Stewards reserve the right to ban the team.

The enquiry follows the collapse of Coulthard's car in Melbourne in a collision wiht Massa and thoughts the front suspension may not be strong enough given this recent failure.

It seems the closure of Walker racing, following the merger with the IRL, may not have been a mutual decision. Derrick Walker has suggested that money may be owing when Craig Gore withdrew his support. The dispute follows the late decision by Gore to withdraw from the V8 Supercar series in Australia just prior to the season opening Clipsal 500.

In a statement Waker said "I was extremely disappointed by Craig Gore's announcement to take Team Australia, our driver, and sponsors to KV Racing,"

"Contrary to Gore's recent statements, I developed the concept of Team Australia in 2005. Over a three-year period, Team Australia had great success in using motor sports as a marketing tool for Australian companies, including Gore's winery, Aussie Vineyards.

"Despite the success of the team, Gore defaulted on his financial obligations to Team Australia throughout the 2007 season. Walker Racing was forced to loan the team substantial funds in order to continue competing in the Champ Car World Series.

"Walker Racing is still owed in excess of $1,500,000 by Gore and his related entities. I relied upon Gore's repeated assurances that he would fulfill his commitments to the Team Australia program and to me.

"Until Gore's recent announcement to take Team Australia to KV Racing, I was led to believe that we would be moving forward together as a team in 2008.

"I believe that Gore's actions are a serious default of his contractual commitments and fiduciary obligations as a business partner. I have given Gore ample opportunities to resolve these disputes informally. Unfortunately, it appears I will have no choice but to take legal action."

Courtesy of marcosambrose.com

Marcos Ambrose has jumped into the top 20 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings with 19th in a rain-shortened Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee today.

The finish is the best for Ambrose in his four starts at the tough half-mile race track on a day where the Australian ran with the lead pack and showed strong car speed in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion.

The Australian started from 18th in today’s event after Friday’s two practice sessions were cancelled due to rain. Qualifying this morning was replaced with a 90-minute practice session, with the starting order set by 2007 Owner’s Points for the third time this season.

Ambrose was 22nd in practice this morning, boding well for this afternoon’s race.

Ambrose ran strong at the start of the 300-lap event at the intimidating track, running well and progressing into the top 10 approaching the 100-lap mark.

Soon after, Mike Bliss checked up in front of Ambrose and the 31-year-old clipped Bliss, sustaining slight damage to the front of the Kingsford car. The damage was taped up during the second series of pit stops for the day.

After the halfway point Ambrose was making good progress and up to 19th position as the leading duo of Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne put the Australian one lap down. A few laps later rain began to fall on Bristol Motor Speedway and the race was red flagged on lap 171.

Bowyer was declared the winner ahead of Kahne and David Reutimann, as the rain stoppage came after the halfway point in the 300-lap race.

Ambrose will be back in action next weekend on March 22 in the Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway, race six in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series.

WHAT HE HAD TO SAY …

“I’m pleased because I made it past lap 100 without tearing the fenders off,� said Ambrose.

“I’ve tried hard here in the past, but I haven’t done a very good job of it. We’re really excited about how we went today.

“We wanted this race to restart because we feel like we’ve got something for them. I felt really comfortable in the car today and I think our team is really moving forward.

“We’re being aggressive and racy out there and that’s what you’ve got to do at Bristol. You’ve got to grab it by the teeth and not let go.

“I’m way more in control at Bristol now than one year ago. I feel like I’ve got some rhythm here and I’m able to absorb everything that’s going on in some chronological order at least in my head to not get too spun out, and that’s really hard to do here because everything is happening so fast.

“You’ve got to really know what’s important and what’s not. You’ve got to be able to run a really loose race car and ignore it. That’s the way it works.�

Marcos Ambrose has bounced back from a run of early season bad luck to post a strong 11th place finish in the Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia today.

Ambrose ran well all day in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion, posting his best result for the season so far and his best finish in Atlanta in today’s 198-lap race.

The result lifts Ambrose up five spots in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series into 23rd position, with in 100 points of the top 10 after four of 35 races this season.

Ambrose started from 20th position for today’s race after qualifying was cancelled earlier this morning due to rain and light snowfall. Once the conditions cleared the race began, with the starting order set by 2007 Owner’s Points.

The Australian ran solidly in the first half of the race, with one long run mid-race seeing Ambrose jump up the order into the top 15. Ambrose was as high as third as he waited longer than most to pit, finally stopping for tyres and fuel on lap 104.

Ambrose was running in 14th position when a caution was called after leader Kyle Busch crashed with 20 laps to go. As the cars on the lead lap pitted for fuel and tyres, Ambrose and fellow Ford driver David Ragan both pitted for fuel only. The move meant that Ragan and Ambrose restarted first and second respectively.

With old tyres on their Ford Fusions the two were soon passed at the restart but for Ambrose the calculated gamble paid off, as he maintained a top 10 position for a considerable time and eventually greeted the flag in 11th.

Fellow Ford driver Matt Kenseth won today’s race ahead of 2006 series champion Kevin Harvick and today’s polesitter Jeff Burton.

Ambrose and the NASCAR Nationwide Series field will brave the wild banking of the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend in the Sharpie Mini 300.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“We did what we needed to do today,� said Ambrose.

“We had a competitive day out there and got the job done.

“Our car wasn’t the best piece out there today but we managed to do the best we could and come away with a really important result for us.

“This gets us back on track and we can go into Bristol next week with some more confidence and the right frame of mind, not having to worry too much about the owner’s points situation.

“Atlanta is one of the tougher places we race so this result is great.

“I couldn’t be prouder of my guys after today. They did a great job for me all weekend and at the stops during the race.

“A big part of this result has to go to Wally (Walter Giles, crew chief). He had some great strategy calls today from the pit stand and did a great job. We are working very well together and let’s hope that we can start to step it up after this result.�

Marcos Ambrose – Q&A

Q: THIS MUST BE A GREAT RESULT TO GET YOUR TEAM BACK ON TRACK? MA: Well, were out of the bad points (Top 30 Owner’s Points) deal. Today was about walking into this race where we are secure in the points going into Bristol because it it's a bit of a lottery in Bristol.

Now we're fairly safe in points and we'll be going there knowing after the fifth race were in the Top 30 in owner points, which means a lot when you get rainouts and such.

For us, it was a conservative race the whole day. We were just trying to keep out of trouble. There was a lot of give out there from us just to make sure we finished.

Q: PIT STRATEGY SEEMED IMPORTANT TODAY.

MA: Yeah, we got lucky a couple of times. We ran out of tyres and we couldn't stop where we wanted to and we did stop. We had the perfect strategy, really for that car. I don't think we could have done any better with that car today.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Ecclestone said: "The only way the race could stay in Melbourne, or anywhere else in Australia, is if it is staged during the night so that the public in Europe can watch it.

"At the moment, it is ridiculous that people are asked not to sleep in order to see it live. That can't carry on.

"The alternative is to pull the race completely from Australia. I've spoken to (new prime minister) Kevin Rudd and he's told me it would cost too much to re-stage the race, so I guess that's it. We won't be going to Australia for too much longer." It is amazing that it is to much for Europeans to be asked to stay up one night, but the rest of the world can put up with having to do it for nearly every race.

Marcos Ambrose has had a potential top 10 result slip through his fingers on a luckless day for the Australian in the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada today.

Marcos Ambrose has had a potential top 10 result slip through his fingers on a luckless day for the Australian in the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada today.

Ambrose had strong car speed in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion, but an incident in the second half of the race knocked him out of the event and he was classified in 28th place.

Ambrose was seventh fastest in qualifying and started from fifth place as third fastest qualifier Kyle Busch crashed his car on his second qualifying lap and was forced to start in his back-up car from the rear.

The 31-year-old ran as high as fourth in the opening stages of the race and after the first round of pit stops Ambrose sat just outside the top 10, where he ran during the middle stages of the race.

On lap 131 Ambrose went to pass the lapped car of Johnny Borneman while running in 18th position, but the 83 car did not see Ambrose and turned down on him entering turn one.

The two cars touched and Ambrose spun but did a commendable job in managing to avoid hitting the wall. However, the huge amount of lock that Ambrose put into the steering to keep the car from hitting the wall resulted in the steering arm knocking the oil pump belt off of an engine pulley.

Ambrose pitted to fit new tyres immediately after the spin but when the engine problems were realised his race was over. The result scored Ambrose enough points to elevate him up one spot in the driver’s standings to 27th overall.

Mark Martin won today’s race to give JR Motorsports it’s first NASCAR victory, ahead of Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer.

The next race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Ambrose and the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion will be the Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“We got pinched down there while I was trying to lap some backmarkers,� said Ambrose.

“I saved it, but when I turned full hard right, the steering arm got into the pulley and knocked the oil pump belt off.

“I shouldn’t have got myself in a bad spot anyway and then this just compounds it.

“We had a long day. We were looking good there for a while, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“We had a car that was capable of running in the top 10 today but again we just had no luck. All we can do now is look to Atlanta and try our best there for a good result.� Ambrose had strong car speed in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion, but an incident in the second half of the race knocked him out of the event and he was classified in 28th place.

Ambrose was seventh fastest in qualifying and started from fifth place as third fastest qualifier Kyle Busch crashed his car on his second qualifying lap and was forced to start in his back-up car from the rear.

The 31-year-old ran as high as fourth in the opening stages of the race and after the first round of pit stops Ambrose sat just outside the top 10, where he ran during the middle stages of the race.

On lap 131 Ambrose went to pass the lapped car of Johnny Borneman while running in 18th position, but the 83 car did not see Ambrose and turned down on him entering turn one.

The two cars touched and Ambrose spun but did a commendable job in managing to avoid hitting the wall. However, the huge amount of lock that Ambrose put into the steering to keep the car from hitting the wall resulted in the steering arm knocking the oil pump belt off of an engine pulley.

Ambrose pitted to fit new tyres immediately after the spin but when the engine problems were realised his race was over. The result scored Ambrose enough points to elevate him up one spot in the driver’s standings to 27th overall.

Mark Martin won today’s race to give JR Motorsports it’s first NASCAR victory, ahead of Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer.

The next race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Ambrose and the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion will be the Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

Chris Atkinson and Stephane Prevot completed Rally Mexico in spectacular style, recording their highest ever finish together in a World Rally Championship event with a hard-fought second place. Meanwhile Petter Solberg and Phil Mills pushed hard to clinch the final Manufacturers’ Championship point, keeping the Subaru World Rally Team in second position in the overall standings.

Atkinson’s second podium in three rallies this season jumps him to fourth overall in the Drivers’ Championship, just six points shy of the top of the standings. It’s his best start to a WRC season, and firmly establishes the Australian as a contender for WRC victories. Solberg and Mills lie just behind in fifth in the Championship standings, as the team continue their strong start to 2008 with more solid points.

On a day when the avid local fans were out in force to support the late inclusion of this event into the WRc calendar, spectator numbers overwhelmed stage 18, the 22 kilometre Guanajuato test, and the decision was taken to abandon it. The longest of the day, its cancellation reduced the day’s competitive length by one third.

“Chris did a fantastic job and I firmly believe he can win an event before the end of the year� said Subaru World Rally Team Principal David Richards. “We’ve had a very encouraging start to the year and we’re putting ourselves in a very strong position for when we launch our new car, the WRC2008. Petter did a good job today, and from our performance here in Mexico it is clear to me that we have made some positive steps forward since Sweden, and will continue to do so as we look to Argentina in a few weeks time.�

Atkinson started the final day in second position with a comfortable buffer of over one minute behind him to third. As the Australian promised yesterday, he had a steady day to ensure he did enough to clinch his highest ever WRC finish without taking any unnecessary risks. Opting for two spare wheels as an added safety buffer along the rough and jagged gravel speed tests, the 28 year old was leaving nothing to chance, knowing how easy it is to fall foul of these conditions.

Despite the punishing routes, soaring temperatures and oxygen-thin air over the last three days, his Impreza WRC2007 suffered no significant problems. The Australian felt comfortable with the handling and balance of his car all weekend, and drove a solid rally to be awarded eight points for both himself and the team, the single largest haul of his World Rallying career. image courtesy of swrt.com

“It’s a fantastic result, my best in the WRC!� said Chris Atkinson. “All the team, the guys on my car, Subaru all did a top job. It was good fun to beat Sebastien [Loeb] on the Superspecial at the end there! It’s a great start to the year for me and also for the team, and I hope we can keep building on this. We’re making good steps forward and the car felt really good this weekend. We did some work on the dampers after Sweden and that was a big help – they were good here in the heat which is always a tough test. Now we look to Argentina and to keep this performance going. The sooner I can win the better!�

Solberg and Mills restarted this morning under Superally regulations, and left the morning’s service fighting fit. On the day’s opening stage and with a car the team worked on fervently yesterday afternoon, Solberg felt happy with the balance of his Impreza WRC2007 and was able to push hard to post the second fastest stage time, almost three seconds clear of the rest of field.

Over the final day’s 38 kilometres of stages, Solberg and Mills fought hard to climb to 12th overall, displaying their characteristic grit and determination to the very end to keep the team in second position in the Manufacturers’ Championship and keep himself close enough to fight for a top spot in the Drivers’ Championship as the season develops.

“Today we were ok in the first stage, but with big gaps between everyone at the front people were backing off� said Petter Solberg. “We scored a Manufacturer point which is important, but other than that it’s been a frustrating weekend really. But we keep working and pushing, and Argentina will be better.�

The third day of Rally Mexico brought more of the weather crews had come to expect. Temperatures rose to 28 degrees Celsius by midday, and the dry roads yielded clouds of dust with every passing car. The modified route consisted of just three stages, ended with the final running of the immensely popular Nextel spectator Superspecial stage.

After a day off to have treatment for a trapped nerve, David was back in action and was evidently fit and well, as he was second quickest today. Today was his turn to try the latest aerodynamic updates on RB4 that Mark ran for the first time yesterday.

As for the Australian he concentrated on fine tuning the package and set-up work prior to Melbourne.

“This was the last test session until after the Bahrain GP and in many ways, for those of us on the test team, it feels like the end of a season that has run pretty much non-stop since the end of last year,� commented Chief Test Engineer, Ian Morgan. “The result of all the hard work is that the cars go to Australia having completed a high mileage, showing good reliability and what seems like an encouraging level of performance. Now it’s a case of getting to Melbourne to see where we really are.�

Marcos Ambrose has toughed it out on a trying day to finish 22nd in the Stater Bros 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California today.

Ambrose was never able to get the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion handling well around the 2.0-mile oval but pressed on to record an all important finish and add 97 points to his championship tally.

The Australian driver started the race, which was delayed for two-straight days due to rain, from 18th position after the starting order was set by 2007 owner’s points due to qualifying also being rained out.

In the first half of the race Ambrose went down one lap but soon regained his position on the lead lap when he was the ‘Lucky Dog’ – the first driver one lap down – during a caution period.

From there Ambrose tried his best to tune his race car but the 31-year-old was unable to gain any significant improvements in the handling and he pushed on to finish in 22nd position out of 42 starters. Ambrose allowed race leader Tony Stewart passed on the penultimate lap to give Stewart a clear run to the finish and make Ambrose the first car to finish the race one lap down.

The finish lifted Ambrose nine spots in the points standings to 29th place after two events, with prizemoney of US$79,921 (A$86,120) so far this season.

Stewart won his second-consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series race today at Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) ahead of Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.

Ambrose will be back in action in four days time when practice begins for the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

"We had a testing day,� said Ambrose.

“We didn't have the practice that we would have liked, but that's the same with everybody. We missed a day and just struggled and struggled.

“We finished and the car is in one piece. It wasn't a great day for us, but we'll take it.

“Now we have a finish on the board and a few more points to our name. This is not the kind of result that we were looking for but I am sure we will do better at Las Vegas in a few days time.�

Image:Chris Atkinson during the Mexico shakedown (courtesy of swrt.com)

The Subaru World Rally Team entries of Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot and Petter Solberg/Phil Mills finished the first day of the season’s first gravel rally in third and fourth positions overall after tackling the harsh and unforgiving routes and oxygen-thin air of the Mexican mountains.

The rally on which Subaru has traditionally been strong started in characteristic form as Solberg and Atkinson held the top two spots after Thursday’s shakedown stage. On the first day of gravel-based competition of the season, Atkinson and Prevot held a consistent third position overall. Solberg and Mills experienced early brake troubles that slipped them to sixth, but the duo had a solid afternoon to climb to fourth with two stage wins.

“We’ve again shown that we have the pace to win stages on this event, and despite some problems this morning Chris is on the podium and Petter is close enough to have his sights set on the top three� said Subaru World Rally Team Principal David Richards. “It has been a hard day for the cars and drivers, and it is encouraging to see that Pirelli’s new gravel tyre has worked very well in what have been very tough conditions.�

Today’s roads were a combination of high-altitude dusty gravel stages that reached over 2700 metres above sea level and fast downhill sections, littered with large and jagged rocks. Road cleaning was a big factor in sweeping a lot of the loose material from the surface, leading to smoother roads and more grip for those further down the running order, but the risk of punctures in the sternest test yet for Pirelli’s new Scorpion gravel tyre was ever-present.

Solberg started the day fifth on the road and had a promising start being fastest in the opening section of the first stage. In the last five kilometres however he struck an obstacle in the road, damaging the front end of his car, and, in an unrelated incident, experienced problems with his rear left brakes. This resulted in a loss of braking efficiency for the remainder of the morning until the problem could be rectified at the midday service.

The Norwegian lost a total of 50 seconds over the course of the morning’s three stages and dropped to sixth position overall. Having sorted the problem during the half-hour service interval, Solberg and Mills mimicked their early performance by recording the fastest time on the afternoon’s first speed test. As Ford’s Gigi Galli and Mikko Hirvonen suffered troubles of their own, the SWRT duo climbed to fourth by the end of the day, beating Hirvonen and recording their second stage win in the penultimate head-to-head spectator stage that brought the day to a close.

The afternoon was not without added difficulty as all crews had to avoid the surprise of large rocks in the middle of the road. Solberg chose to go off the road twice to avoid such rocks, losing time as opposed damaging the car, as did Atkinson, who survived with all four tyres intact despite running over one of the rocks with the front right wheel whilst in sixth gear.

“Considering we lost a minute this morning, fourth today is not bad� said Petter Solberg. “We have won two stages, and we are pushing so hard but it will not be easy. We have two tough days left. The rocks in the stages this afternoon were incredible, just right in the middle of the road. They were so big, I don’t know how they got there. If I didn’t go off the road to avoid them, that would have been it. When you’re going flat out, it’s hard to avoid things like that but you still just have to commit.�

Atkinson meanwhile started just behind his team-mate in sixth on the road. The Australian had a consistent day in third position overall, despite driving one of day’s tricky and rocky stages with a malfunctioning intercom, meaning that he couldn’t hear Stephane Prevot’s pace notes and had to drive from memory. He didn’t feel quite as comfortable with the car as he did during yesterday’s shakedown route, but nevertheless recorded five top-three times from today’s eight stages. On the final back-to-back spectator stage, Atkinson beat rival Henning Solberg after the first lap but suffered a spin and a stall on the second lap, losing a few seconds.

“Today has not been bad for us and we’re in a good position to push hard tomorrow. We’ll have to see whether we can close the gap to Sebastien and Jari-Matti as it won’t be easy� said Chris Atkinson. “It was my mistake to spin in the final stage, and giving a few seconds away to these guys isn’t the smartest, but that’s how it goes. It won’t be easy for sure, and I have Petter and Hirvonen behind so we will push hard as always and see.�

The day started at 15 degrees Celsius and rose to a high of 28 degrees. The crews tackled three stages before the midday service, followed by repeat passes of each in the afternoon and two back-to-back passes of the spectator Superspecial stage between Leon and Silao.

picture courtesy of Mark Horsburgh

The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) confirmed V8 Supercar driver Ashley Cooper passed away in Royal Adelaide hospital today.

Cooper, 27, of Ulladulla in NSW, died following a crash in last Saturday's Fujitsu development series race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

An experienced motor racing competitor, Cooper was critically injured when his vehicle impacted with a safety barrier at the exit of a corner at speeds of more than 200kph.

A spokeswoman from Royal Adelaide Hospital said Mr Cooper had died about 1pm surrounded by family members.

Cooper was quickly attended to trackside by the event's senior medical personnel and subsequently transported to the Royal Adelaide Hospital by ambulance.

CAMS President, Colin Osborne, said that Cooper's passing was something that would be felt by the entire Australian motor sport community.

"Firstly our thoughts and sympathies go to Ashley's family and friends, particularly his wife Casey and two children and parents Alan and Maree," said Osborne.

"It is always a very sad day when any member of the motor sport community is taken from us.

"The motor racing community involves a close knit group of competitors and officials and I know that everyone will be feeling the loss of Ashley.

"CAMS will conduct its own full independent investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the incident.

"In the mean time, CAMS and event officials are working with the relevant civil authorities to assist with their investigations."

CAMS chief executive Graham Fountain said the family had been offered counselling and support services.

V8 Supercars Australia chief executive Wayne Cattach is due to hold a press conference on the Gold Coast.

CAMS will provide further details on Cooper's funeral arrangements when they become available.

Media statement on Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series driver Ashley Cooper : -

Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series driver Ashley Cooper was critically injured after an accident at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide today.

Cooper’s vehicle left the racing line on lap 11 of the second and final race of the weekend and impacted a safety barrier on the left hand side. He was attended to trackside by the Chief Medical Officer of the event Dr Roger Capps and V8 Supercars Australia medical officer Dr Carl Lee.

Cooper was immediately transported to Royal Adelaide Hospital by ambulance. His father Alan and mother Marie (spelling not certain) mother were in attendance at the hospital. V8 Supercar chaplain Garry Coleman was with members of the family.

His injuries are believed to be severe internal injuries and severe head trauma. He is undergoing continued treatment at the Royal Adelaide hospital.

As a group we will do absolutely everything we can to support them at this time.

We ask that all members of the media respect the privacy of the family and do not contact them at this time.

We will advise the media of any change to this situation as it becomes known.

Regardless of the outcome of this unfortunate incident a full and thorough inquiry into the accident will be conducted and led by CAMS.

A statement was issued on Friday night confirming that an agreement had been reached between Champ Car chiefs and the IRL.

The short statement said: "Owners of Champ Car and the Indy Racing League completed an agreement in principle Friday that will unify the sport for 2008.

"Gerald Forsythe, co-owner of Champ Car, signed an agreement in principle in Chicago, joining his partner Kevin Kalkhoven and Indy Racing League founder and CEO Tony George who had signed late Thursday in Indianapolis.

"Details of a press conference about the agreement will be forthcoming."

There has been no confirmation of the final teams that will take part and therefore the status of the seats of Will Power and Ryan Briscoe. Though both are expected to retain their drives. Of the two Power is likely to end up worse off, as his team will need to switch to the IRL car and therefore will be strarting from scratch.

image courtesy of WilliamsF1

Barcelona Test Livery

Revealing the fifth in a series of six anniversarial racing liveries today at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, two Williams FW30s will take to the track carrying the handwritten best wishes of the team’s seven World Champion drivers.

Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve all sent the team personal congratulations as it embarks on its fourth decade of Formula One and at the Italian Grand Prix later this year, will record its 500th Grand Prix start.

With comments as suitably Australian as “I was the first� from Alan Jones to Nigel Mansell’s “Fabulous 28 wins, Red Five�, the livery is a celebration of some of the most evocative and talented names to have graced the sport in the past thirty years.

The 1982 World Champion, Keke Rosberg, for his part commented, “Thanks….for 4 great years� and Alain Prost, Williams’ 1993 Champion added, “Many thanks to all the team – I was proud to win my last World Championship with you.� The team’s most recent title winners, Damon Hill (1996) and Jacques Villeneuve (1997) said in turn “Thanks Frank� and “Thanks for 3 amazing years and the Championship.�

In addition to the good wishes from the seven World Champions, the thirty one drivers who have raced for the team in nearly as many years will grace the monocoque top, including names such as Ayrton Senna, Mario Andretti, Carlos Reutemann and Clay Regazzoni to current racers including Jenson Button, Juan Pablo Montoya and David Coulthard.

Conducted and provided by the Australian Grand Prix press office.

Q. I read some stuff in relation to your driving style suiting the new regulations without traction control and the engine brake, is it true; how are you finding the loss of these systems?

Mark Webber: Yeah, it's certainly more challenging for the driver, there's more work for us to do. I think most of the guys at this level are reasonably handy so it would be very foolish to say that one has got an advantage because of the new regulations but some people have a few opinions out there that it's going to benefit other drivers more than others and we'll see once we get into the race weekend as such.

I mean, to see how people adapt to different venues and we don't have much time when we go to Grand Prix tracks, we've got to get into it pretty quick and when qualifying comes around we've really got to step up to the plate and deliver.

We'll see who is capable of doing that and, you know, testing is reasonably straightforward for most guys because you just drive around the same sort of tracks but when we go to different, more challenging circuits with different conditions then it's something I'm very excited about to see how we go with these new regulations.

There's going to be a few more mistakes, guys are going to have a few more .... but it's certainly interesting, it's a bit of a talking point with the drivers and we'll see how we go in the Grands Prix. Until we've done it it's very hard to say how it's going to feel.

Q. Do you think it will have an effect on the actual racing, obviously you're not going to be sliding around like back in the day but will there be more opportunities to overtake or will it affect the racing in any way for the spectators?

MW: Yeah, I think there will be a little bit more of an opportunity to create pressures, yeah, because there could be some slight errors, very subtle errors, so probably not to the uneducated eye probably won't see them, but to the educated and to obviously fellow drivers around the track there could be some little mistakes which could create more pressure and opportunities to make overtaking a little bit more viable.

There's the usual suspects in terms of the teams in the pecking order, I think, but in terms of the actual racing I think it can only sort of help that little bit, yeah.

Q. Red Bull came out with a radical engine cover last week. While it wasn't the day that you went fastest, do you think you guys are willing to step out of the box to try and bridge that gap or does it need to be a little bit more conservative to try and stick in that mid pack and improve?

MW: Adrian has never really been conservative in his whole life in terms of designing cars so we're trying to - I mean, the engine cover looks very, very different but in terms of actually the effects of the car are very subtle in terms of the aerodynamic tuning device that we're trying to play with and we know what it does to the car in certain situations on the track but we're just trying to work out, it's always a compromise in our industry of where you want the car to be, not strong or weak but in terms of just how you set the car up for different venues.

That particular thing you're talking about is the engine cover so we've been, I'd say, not too adventurous on the sort of the weight saving, all those sort of things have been done very well without a huge amount of risk involved because we need to obviously prove that we can design a reliable car.

So if you come from an aerodynamic point of view to design and conceptually do something totally extreme and off the wall obviously the risks are incredibly high, you could end up really towards the back of the grid very, very quickly if it doesn't work and you don't have much time to recover if you're in the shit so in a way, yes, we do have to sort of tiptoe our way from last year's car and that's the great benefit that Ferrari and McLaren have obviously is tremendous continuity from a very good baseline of cars in the past.

So tricky sort of position to be in and how aggressive we be but Adrian has never really been that conservative. With all that taken into account, what does it mean? It means that Adrian is being as aggressive as he can be within reason, without being ridiculous.

Q. You know Fernando quite well, last year's situation, do you think that showed a weakness in his armour and conversely do you think being back in the Renault fold will actually help bring him back up to the fold this year?

MW: The second part, unquestionably he's going to be in a happier environment so he should perform better and the first part I think all great sportsmen and women do have chinks and we've seen that last year Fernando was disappointed with the way things were, I suppose, operating within the team that he was in.

Now whether that's him getting flustered, whether that's him being fairly ripped off or what, not many people know really the ins and outs of it all but his team mate was performing very well and Fernando wanted to - he normally, like most drivers, like to be in a position that they can still control, hard enough with his race and everyone else let alone having to have your team mate all over you like a rash and normally have him covered but he didn't have that luxury last year and that was something that was probably frustrating for him.

Incredibly driven and competitive and, as I say, most of the guys - you don't last long at this level unless you are so you've got to be, he'll be back very strong next year and don't forget the guy that he beat for two world championships before he even launched the .... was pretty handy so I think he's got pretty thick skin, Fernando, so he should be all right.

Q. What about Lewis this year, obviously now the weight of a great nation is on his shoulders do you reckon he'll be able to hack it?

MW: Yes, he will. I think whether McLaren can produce a car that was as fast as last year in relation to Ferrari remains to the seen. Great team and Heikki looks like he's doing well in testing as well so he'd be more balanced .... this year and that could help Lewis again in terms of not having to worry about some of the internal stuff but also it's his second year and inevitably there's a bit more pressure on.

Q. Bernie obviously has ruffled a few feathers. Should the national government, I guess, be stepping in to ensure the survival of the Albert Park event?

MW: Well, it is a national event. I mean, it is held in Victoria and Melbourne but obviously it's something which the whole of Australia can be proud of. I mean, the amount of people switching on to watch that first Grand Prix of the year, we're so lucky to have the first Grand Prix, it's such a coup that we've actually got that and there's other countries obviously fighting like hell to hold an F1 Grand Prix.

It would be nice if we can find a way to continue to hold the event there. As I say, it's been a tremendous event for us for several decades now in South Australia and in Victoria and it would be brilliant for generations to come to be able to see not just the F1 cars - obviously that's the main event - but in terms of all other things that go on there as an event it's a fantastic weekend out.

Yes, it's expensive, yes, it's all those sort of things, but like you say maybe there's a way we can find that nationally it's an event that we should continue, and sporting event and an event that we should continue to be proud of.

Q. With testing, I guess there is so many variables. How much attention do you pay to other teams and how do you measure your performances?

MW: Yeah, I mean we look at the long run times basically which means any teams that are doing a run over sort of 15 laps or more in one stint then we obviously can get an idea of what sort of fuel loads they're running and then we get an idea of what the weight of the car is.

We have guys analysing and dissecting every inch of the track, it's our industry but, yes, we've got an idea of who is where and the lap times that everyone gets at the end of the day are not a real true reflection of the lap times that people are doing consistently.

Q. Obviously Ferrari and McLaren are leading the way. Can the gap to them be closed this year, do you think?

MW: It's going to be a tough ride for the teams - I mean, BMW are looking very keen to do that; obviously they shut development down very early for the last year's car to focus on this year's one because they were comfortably third in the constructors' and were in a position to do that and they've bought a car out which doesn't seem to be on the level they would have hoped for.

Yes, they've improved it in the last few weeks but it's, I don't think, anywhere really near in a position to challenge a Ferrari or McLaren yet so that's the team that I think a lot of people expected to be able to launch into them but it hasn't happened. And once you're in season, I mean, to design bigger bullets it's very hard to out develop those sort of teams unless you start with a total lemon from somewhere but you're not going to get near it.

Q. Reliability, obviously, was the sticking point last year. How has that been so far in testing and have you been doing race simulations and how have they gone?

MW: The reliability has been really encouraging for us, especially from the Red Bull for the Milton Keynes side, we've had a few Renault issues which have stopped us on track but as far as gearbox and a lot of the Achilles Heels that we had last year, a lot of that equipment has been pulled down very well at the end of each night so we're very encouraged by how those components are running at this early stage and all things being equal we should have at least the most reliable car that we've had for a long time coming into the season, which is good.

Q. The FIA has plans to introduce a cap on team spending, as I understand it. Is there any way in the world this could happen and if they do manage to get it through what effect do you think it will have on the competition?

MW: Well, I think it's way off yet. Obviously I know Max has given some vibes out that it's not far away but for the sport to have ceilings put on different areas of the team financially would be quite a challenge, in my personal opinion, to be able to sort of control how that would happen. Would it help the racing, or how would it affect the sport? God only knows.

I mean, I don't know mate, I really don't know what it would do for the sport. Obviously the clever guys will still be competitive and the guys who aren't quite as clever would be still sitting just away from that but obviously, having said that, funding does make a big difference to the performance.

I know Ferrari have just come out and said, I think, they've got an extra 100 million Euro this year and they're in good shape so it's nice to be in that position if you could be, yeah

After a fantastic third in Monte Carlo, Chris Atkinson (pictured during the Rally of Sweeden) has been bought back to earth with a thud. A spin on stage 3 of the Rally of Sweden saw the Australian drop 15 minutes.

"We had a spin, but I wasn't entirely sure why," said Atkinson. "We'll have to look at some data. I was actually driving quite cautiously, not pushing too hard, and I just lost it. My mistake, I guess, but we're going to have to look at it."

It is unlikely he will be able to score points from here, but will still compete in the rest of the Rally.

He was joined by some very good company when World Champion Sebastien Loeb rolled his Citroen. Loeb subsequently withdrew from the remainder of the day, and under super rally rules will rejoin with w 20 minute penalty tomorrow.

"I just touched the snow bank and it threw the car really sideways," Loeb told reporters at the end of the stage. "It dug in and rolled once. We have no clutch now, and it's not so good. But we will try to reach the service."

Image courtesy of SWRT.com

Rallycorp has confirmed that the previously announced calendar for 2008, has now been changed.

Where the original calendar had a 2 month gap, the new calendar has moved the previously season opening Rally Queensland to Round 3 on 21-22 June 2008.

The full amended calendar is below

Rd 1 QUIT Forest Rally 5-6 April

Rd 2 Rally of Canberra 10-11 May

Rd 3 Coates Rally Queensland 21-22 June

Rd 4 Toyota Rally SA 26-27 July

Rd 5 Great Lakes Rally 20-21 September

Rd 6 NGK Rally of Melbourne 18-19 October

image courtesy Joel Strickland

The Age has reported that Supercar boss Tony Cochrane has forecast a reduction in the number of cars in the V8 championship.

Cochrane believes the regular season fields should be cut by up to six cars.

But he says more vehicles could be added to the grid for the two endurance races, at Bathurst and Phillip Island.

"I think the time has come for us to once again seriously review trying to maintain 32 cars," Cochrane said.

"I don't know the magic number but I think probably 26, 28 cars should be in the main game.

"Then what we should do is have a system for the enduros where we can add the top six or top eight or top 10 development series cars and give them a financial incentive to be involved in those two events."

He said he had no preference for team composition.

"I don't mind how it's made up.

"From my personal point of view I don't care whether it's 14 two-car teams or whether it's 28 on-car teams.

"I have no issue with single car teams, I think some of them do a very good job."

However Cochrane believes teams should be limited to no more than four cars.

"I don't actually have a problem with somebody owning four cars, to be honest," he said.

"I wouldn't want any more than that - six or eight cars in 32 cars and you're starting to monopolise the business.

"The board may have a different opinion. I know some team owners have a very different opinion to me on that, some are like me, they really wouldn't mind."

The issue will be discussed at the Supercar board meeting in Adelaide on February 20.

Cochrane's position within the organisation is also likely to be clarified then.

There was speculation last year that Cochrane's job as chairman was under threat.

He was last month re-appointed as interim chairman until this month's meeting in Adelaide as the organisation has plans to streamline its structure, combining two bodies running the sport into one.

"We didn't want to make a permanent appointment - it doesn't matter who it was ... because we'll have a brand new structure in place by February 20," Cochrane said.

He said he would stand for the position of chairman of the new organisation but added: "I would doubt that I'd want to take it on for more than two or three years."

Chris Atkinson has driven his Subaru into third place at the season opening Monaco Rally.

With a contract extension signed late last year, Chris is under pressure this year to deliver on Subaru's faith. Whilst known to be fast, and with many fastest stages under his belt, he is also sadly known for his offs. In fact he currently has the highest crashes to starts in WRC history.

Clearly Subaru feel that given time he will reduce the offs and then the wins will start coming.

Certainly in Monaco he drove a great race and was under constant pressure on the final day to hold his position.

Lets hope he can build on the start and who knows join Casey Stoner as a World Champion.

Image courtesy of swrt.com