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.�