NHRA DRIVERS FORCE, DIXON, MANZO SELECTED TO AARWBA ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM

NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. Dec. 3, 2010 Four-time Jerry Titus Award winner John Force headlines a list of six NHRA drivers named to the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association All-America Teams....

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2010/12/nhra_drivers_force_dixon.php

Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann Francois Hesnault Hans Heyer

Proton Lekir Concept


Unheralded as the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show is to people from this part of the world, there are still a number of vehicles over there that are worth keeping tabs on. This year, what looked to be a facelifted Lotus Europa made its way to the KLIMS, but upon closer inspection, we discovered that this car was no Lotus.

Well, actually, it was, except that it has been rebadged by Malaysian automaker Proton and given the designation the Lekir Concept. Given the partnership between the two companies, it figures that with the expected end of the Europa?s production run in Europe, Lotus was looking for a new market for their sports car, a market that will welcome it with open arms, even if it has been rebadged under a local brand.

That?s where Proton and Malaysia enter the picture. Unlike the European spec Europa, which came with a Vauxhall-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produced over 200 horsepower, the Lekir Concept is scheduled to be powered by a 1.6-liter Campro engine with performance numbers that should be right on par with a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter engine.

Since it?s a concept, details are being kept at a minimum for now. We?re pretty confident though that the car will eventually see the production line sometime soon. The Lotus Europa may have had a premature life span in Europe, but who?s to say that it won’t be successful in Malaysia ? and other parts of Asia for that matter ? disguised under a different brand and different name?

Proton Lekir Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 6 December 2010 21:00 EST.

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Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/proton/2011-proton-lekir-concept-ar101234.html

Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth

Could F1 2011 be even better?

The final grand prix of the season in Abu Dhabi summed up why the 2010 season will go down in Formula 1 history as a classic year.

There were super-fast Red Bulls, world champion drivers in the thick of the action, strategic errors, raw emotion and a final twist in an epic tale as Sebastian Vettel won his first world title.

Before the race was run, the sun-soaked paddock was buzzing with talk of "the greatest season ever" and debate about the highlight of the season swelled.

In fact, as the dust settles on Abu Dhabi, the teams' attentions are already turning to 2011 - all the teams and most of the race drivers get their first run on next year's new Pirelli tyres at the Yas Marina track at the weekend.

With just 118 days to go until the cars and drivers return to the desert in Bahrain to rejoin battle, expectations are already building that 2011 could be another classic year, matching events this season.

As BBC pundit Eddie Jordan exclaimed on Sunday: "We have five world champions competing next year, what are we in for?!"

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Jordan is right to be excited.

The men who defined this season remain in situ - Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button at McLaren, Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, and Vettel and Mark Webber at Red Bull.

All of them know they have things to improve in 2010 - particularly the number of errors they have made. And the long winter will give each of the 24 drivers on the grid time to analyse and agonise over crucial mistakes and frittered points that ultimately defined their seasons.

"Every one of us made too many errors and that is why we found ourselves in a position with five guys fighting it out," reflected Button, who saw his title defence end in Brazil.

Though he was the first to bow out, Button had the cleanest season of all the five contenders but found himself let down by a lack of pace - particularly in qualifying - as he got to grips with a McLaren in his first season with the team.

Alonso will rue his uncharacteristic errors in Australia and China, his crash in Monaco and, most of all, the fatal call from Ferrari to bring him in early for fresh tyres in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton will reflect on his ill-judged passing moves in Monza and Singapore, which effectively ended his hopes, while Webber will relive his frightening somersault in Valencia and his costly crash in Korea.

Vettel, too, made more than his fair share of errors. He must take the blame for crashes with his team-mate Webber in Turkey and an unwitting Button in Spa, while his attempt to go around the outside of Webber at the start in Silverstone earned him a puncture.

For Red Bull, though, one of the biggest areas of focus will be the poor early-season reliability, from spark plugs to wheel nuts, that prevented Vettel bursting into an early lead.

When Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko was asked on Sunday what his next goal was after his team captured both championships, he said they intended to cut out the errors so they could win the titles sooner.

All the top teams will be adding grease to their usually slick operations over the winter at the same time as building their cars to a set of regulations that have been tweaked again.

Gone will be the double-diffusers which caused so much controversy at the start of 2009, as well as the F-duct that McLaren pioneered at the start of 2010, forcing everyone else to follow suit.

Blown diffusers - 2010's other defining technical tweak - will stay to an extent, though.

In come those Pirelli tyres, while Kers energy storage and power-boost systems return after a year away. There will also be a new technical trick in the form of moveable rear wings, an attempt to solve F1's perennial problem even in a season as great as this - the difficulty of overtaking.

The success of the teams' research into the effects of these changes will shape next year's title chase - and it is by no means a given that this year's big three will be the ones who get it most right.

There have been concerned whispers that the efforts of waging a season-long campaign have diverted attention away from 2011 development programmes at Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.

The strain of winning the 2009 championships certainly drained Brawn Grand Prix, which had a debilitating effect on them this season in their new guise as Mercedes.

However, with no championship to fight for, teams such as Mercedes and Renault, who stopped developing their 2010 car in September so they concentrate on next season, could make it a five-way battle for honours next year.

"It has been a special year," mused McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh. "Can there be more?

"We have to keep the focus on brave, fantastic drivers in great machinery; an even-handed regulator, stability and clear rules that are administered properly.

"We can't guarantee it but there is no reason the championship next year can't be as good - or even better."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2010/11/could_f1_2011_be_even_better.html

Alex Ribeiro Ken Richardson Fritz Riess Jim Rigsby Jochen Rindt

Hendrick Celebration Begins

Jimmie Johnson (left) and Chad Knaus posing with the Sprint Cup trophy earlier this week. (NASCAR photo). LAS VEGAS ? Hendrick Motorsports?s celebration of a fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship got off to a fast start Thursday afternoon at the Bellagio located on The Strip in Sin City.

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/nascar-news/nascar/hendrick-celebration-begins/

Emerson Fittipaldi Wilson Fittipaldi Theo Fitzau Pat Flaherty Jan Flinterman

Pagani Zonda Absolute


Sure, the Pagani Zonda went out of production a few months ago, but apparently, that hasn?t stopped the rich and mighty from ordering their own one-off version of the Italian supercar.

The newest one-off Zonda is going to be called the Absolute and is being built for a customer from Hong Kong. Maybe we should order one too ? if we had the money that is.

Anyway, the newest Zonda follows a growing list of one-off supercars Pagani has made for a select group of customers. We?ve seen the 750, the HH, the Rak, and the Uno and now, we have the Absolute.

Details on the car are still limited, but from what we?ve heard and seen about it through photos, the Zonda Absolute looks to have been built using a bare carbon fiber body with a striped pattern similar to the Zonda R. You?ll also notice the Italian red, white, and green ?Tricolore? running from the car?s hood all the way to the rear end. The Zonda Absolute will also come with a carbo-titanium chassis that can also be found in the Zonda Cinque. As for the engine, nothing has been confirmed yet, although there?s word that it?s going to be powered by an AMG-sourced V12 engine with an output of somewhere north of 700 horsepower.

That?s about all we know of the newest one-off Zonda to be commissioned for a wealthy and lucky customer. Something tells us that this won?t be the last special edition Zonda to be made.

Pagani Zonda Absolute originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 6 December 2010 19:00 EST.

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Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/pagani/2011-pagani-zonda-absolute-ar101250.html

Geoff Lees Gijs van Lennep Arthur Legat JJ Lehto Lamberto Leoni

Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove Marangoni debuts in Bologna

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove Marangoni - Click above for high-res image gallery

Think of Alfa Romeo and the color you'll likely be picturing is red. But a custom version of the Giulietta unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show has gone a decidedly greener route.

Outfitted by Italian rubber company Marangoni and fashion house Conte of Florence, the Giulietta G430 iMove is based on the Giuletta 1750 Quadrifoglio Verde and distinguished by special green tires riding on 19-inch Barracuda Karizzma alloys. But that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to the modifications carried out on the special Giulietta.

A Ragazzon stainless steel exhaust system boosts output up to 232 horsepower, while a Tarox braking system, KW suspension and custom aero kit also factor in to the program, along with a golf-themed leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber interior by Conte of Florence. There's even a Segway scooter mounted in the back, and you can get all the details about the show car in the press release after the jump and view it in detail in the high-resolution image mega-gallery below.



[Source: Maragoni]

Continue reading Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove Marangoni debuts in Bologna

Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove Marangoni debuts in Bologna originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/06/alfa-romeo-giulietta-g430-imove-marangoni-debuts-in-bologna/

Piero Taruffi Dennis Taylor Henry Taylor John Taylor Mike Taylor

Back Home Again in Indiana

In the midst of celebrating the centennial era of  its namesake circuit, the iRacing.com IZOD IndyCar Series came back to the unique 2.5 mile oval that is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.   Built in 1909, the track hosted the first 500 mile event (the so called ?Sweepstakes Race?) in 1911 and has since lured the world’s [...]

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/iracing-news/back-home-again-in-indiana/

David Brabham Gary Brabham Jack Brabham† Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla

Vettel eyes more success at Awards

World champion Sebastian Vettel will be hoping for one more victory over his Formula 1 title rivals at tonight's AUTOSPORT Awards in London. Vettel is among the leading contenders in the International Racing Driver of the Year category, where he is sure to face opposition from season-long challengers Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Last year Button took an AUTOSPORT Awards double - winning both the International Racing Driver and British Competition of the Year awards.

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/3rdparty/vettel-eyes-more-success-at-awards/

Bruno Senna Dorino Serafini Chico Serra Doug Serrurier Johnny ServozGavin