Stadium experts HKS join US GP project

A leading sports stadium design company has joined forces with Tilke GmbH as plans for the US GP venue in Austin continue to take shape. HKS Inc is known in Texas as the architectural firm behind the Dallas Cowboys stadium … Continue reading

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/11/22/stadium-experts-hks-join-us-gp-project/

Johnny ServozGavin Tony Settember Hap Sharp Brian ShaweTaylor Carroll Shelby

The Stig's Caterham Superlight R500 takes its final lap


Considering Ben Collins has retired/been fired from his role as the Stig on Top Gear UK, it was only appropriate that the Caterham Superlight R500 would see its eventual end as well. Known for making its rounds at the hands of the Stig on Top Gear and as Top Gear’s 2008 Car of the Year, the R500 will be making its last public appearance at the Marks & Spencers store at the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent, UK between December 6th and 12th.

Caterham Cars? marketing manager, James Drake said: ?The white and orange R500 has already claimed its place in motoring history. It?s worked hard since the new R500 was launched in 2008 and we feel it?s now time to let it have a rest. It will still be available as a static display car, but its hard driving days are over."

Like a retired police officer volunteering as a DARE representative, the Caterham Superlight R500 will now fill its days with promotional work, including promoting the launch of the remote control versions of the real vehicle. Priced at Ł19.50, these remote controlled R500s will come in the Stig’s color scheme of white with orange stripes, as well as a red version with a white stripe. Do we smell a perfect Christmas present?

Press release after the jump.

The Stig's Caterham Superlight R500 takes its final lap originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 2 December 2010 16:00 EST.

read more




Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/the-stig-s-caterham-superlight-r500-takes-its-final-lap-ar101138.html

Fernando Alonso Giovanna Amati George Amick Red Amick Chris Amon

Three for the Show as NASCAR Hits Homestead for Grand Finale

Filed under: , , , ,


MIAMI -- Dressed in a freshly pressed, button-down shirt, cleanly shaven and appearing slightly preoccupied, Denny Hamlin was the first to arrive for NASCAR's version of a title fight weigh-in -- a formal press conference with the Sprint Cup Series championship contenders in downtown Coral Gables.

Looking a lot younger than the 30 years he turned Thursday, Hamlin politely smiled but more often stared up at the ceiling as his two bearded, 30-something challengers -- four-time defending Cup champ Jimmie Johnson and veteran Kevin Harvick -- arrived and took their seats on either side of him, then seized every opportunity to take good-natured barbs at the birthday boy and each other.

Hamlin, who holds a 15-point edge over Johnson and a 46-point cushion over Harvick entering Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, called the event "awkward'' because "there's all this s***-talking going on and we're like two feet away (from each other).''

"He definitely seems like the most nervous,'' Harvick said smiling and looking over at Hamlin.

"That's because I'm between you,'' Hamlin replied.

Actually, it's his position in front of them that has made this the most dramatic final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup since NASCAR first instituted its 10-race playoff format seven years ago.

It is the closest-ever margin between first and second place entering the final race. And Harvick, who has the best average finishing position (8.4) among the three at the 1.5-mile Homestead oval, is still a factor compared to past years when a third-place driver was merely a mathematical technicality.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/18/three-for-the-show-as-nascar-hits-homestead-for-grand-finale/

Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan Al Keller Joe Kelly

Red Bull train sights on second title

Red Bull clinched their first Formula 1 constructors' title at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday and experts have been marvelling at just how an energy drinks company came to topple the racing powerhouses of Ferrari and McLaren six short seasons after buying the ailing Jaguar team.

Driver turned BBC pundit David Coulthard, who raced for Red Bull from their debut season in 2005 until 2008, believes the success of any F1 team is built first on the strength of its technical department.

"Bringing in designer Adrian Newey was the first piece of the jigsaw puzzle of putting together a successful team," Coulthard explained.

"The technical chief is the king of the castle and Adrian had already won more grands prix than Michael Schumacher."

Coulthard was influential in persuading Newey, who had masterminded six championship-winning cars for Williams initially and then for McLaren, to join Red Bull in time to design the 2007 car.

Team principal Christian Horner says the next step was to create the "right environment" in which Newey, who had become disillusioned at McLaren, could work.

The English designer needed a nimble operation that allowed him to spend more time at the drawing board - the only literal drawing board you are likely to find in F1, where computers are king - and which was capable of responding quickly to his 'eureka' moments.


Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber celebrate a Red Bull one-two at the Brazilian Grand Prix

Relations between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have been strained this season. Photo: Getty

"Adrian is like the conductor of an orchestra and he has to have the relevant players so we had to make some key appointments early on," Horner told BBC Sport.

"Guys like our head of aerodynamics Peter Prodromou, who was also at McLaren, Rob Marshall who joined us as chief designer from Renault and Paul Monaghan and Ian Morgan on the engineering side.

"Unlike Williams and McLaren, who already had [established] structures which Adrian just fed into, with Red Bull he started with a clean sheet of paper."

After two seasons spent moulding the team's technical department, Red Bull came alive on the track in 2009.

Sebastian Vettel scored the team's first win in China ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. It was to be the first of six victories in Red Bull's breakthrough season.

When I asked Horner to put a percentage on how important Newey - who Mercedes boss Ross Brawn ruefully described in Brazil as his nemesis - was to Red Bull's success, he said it would not be fair to do so.

But most F1 insiders believe Newey's design genius is Red Bull's main weapon.

Red Bull also helped their 2010 championship charge by retaining both stability and momentum in the team.

While rivals Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes bedded in new drivers, Red Bull stuck with Webber and Vettel.

Between them they have captured pole position 14 times and won eight races for Red Bull on their way to the constructors' crown.

"Mark and Sebastian are both vitally important because they had to deliver their part on the track," Horner added.

"They are different personalities and characters but they share a common determination and drive, which is winning.

"Mark and Sebastian are not superstars in the factory, they are two drivers and they show great camaraderie with their team.

"Mark lives near the Milton Keynes factory and so you often find him out riding his mountain bike with members of the team up in the hills.

"I vividly remember Sebastian's first visit to Red Bull when he was 17. He had only just got his driving licence and so he drove over to the factory just because he could. He turned up in reception and said, 'Hi, I'm Sebastian Vettel.'


Adrian Newey celebrates with Red Bull at the Brazil Grand Prix

Adrian Newey gets front and centre in Red Bull's Brazilian celebrations Photo: Reuters

"Sebastian injects a lot of enthusiasm because of his infectious personality and sense of humour."

The relationship between Red Bull's two drivers has, at times, threatened to undermine the team's title ambitions and Horner has played a crucial role in defusing a powder-keg of internal team tensions.

First, Horner had to smooth over relations after Vettel took Webber out when trying to pass him for the lead at the Turkish Grand Prix.

At Silverstone accusations of favouritism towards Vettel blew up after a new version of the front wing was taken off Webber's car and bolted on to Vettel's.

In Brazil the pride in winning the constructors' title came only three days after Webber had cast a shadow over the team by publicly claiming they were not supporting him emotionally.

Though reluctant to talk about his own role, Horner said: "Inevitably when you have two fiercely competitive animals, who are both competing for the same target, there will be times when tensions bubble over.

"Yes, we've had blips this year where tensions have run high between the drivers but we've always recovered from those very quickly - and that's about not being afraid to deal with issues head on and being as transparent and open and straightforward with the drivers as possible.

"Red Bull are probably the least political team in the pit-lane. It is all about racing, it is all about the sport."

What Red Bull are not, however, is a privateer racing team such as Williams, or a manufacturer team like Mercedes or the Fiat-owned Ferrari.

They are a marketing arm for Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz's energy drink company and that brings no guarantees that Red Bull Racing are in F1 to stay.

The team are understood to run on a similar budget to McLaren - around 200m euros - with Ferrari's coffers stacked a little higher.

But Horner sees no reason for Mateschitz to cut off the F1 team saying: "There has never been any timeframe on Red Bull's commitment.

"They have been in F1 for the last 15 years as a sponsor, a shareholder [in Sauber] and now as a team owner, so they are as committed, if not more so, as any other team in F1.

"Dietrich always had a clear vision for Red Bull to run at the front and to become a winning race team. It been a lot of hard work but I'm very proud of what's been achieved."

Red Bull are famous for throwing parties but the celebrations will not have lasted long in Sao Paulo as there is still one more prize to be won.

Red Bull go two-handed to Abu Dhabi where the desert will decide if Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, Webber, Vettel or McLaren's Lewis Hamilton will be crowned champion.

"It's nice to get the constructors' championship out of the way," smiled Horner among the confetti strewn outside Red Bull's garage.

"Now we can focus on the drivers."

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

Johnny Boyd David Brabham Gary Brabham Jack Brabham† Bill Brack

MasterCraft Safety Buys Impact! Racing

INDIANAPOLIS ? Impact! Racing has been sold to MasterCraft Safety. The announcement was made today at the International Motorsports Industry Show in Indianapolis. Founded by safety pioneer Bill Simpson, the brand will now be known as Impact! Racing by MasterCraft Safety.

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/nascar-news/nascar/mastercraft-safety-buys-impact-racing/

Franco Rol Alan Rollinson Tony Rolt Bertil Roos Pedro de la Rosa

Sauber still focused on team stability

Peter Sauber says he is keen not to remain in the team principal role for more than another three years, but that he will not step down until he has secured the Sauber squad's long-term future. Sauber reclaimed ownership of his team from BMW at the start of this season, after the German manufacturer - which had taken over the outfit in 2006 - pulled out of Formula 1 and its initial deal to sell the team fell through.

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/sauber-still-focused-on-team-stability/

George Amick Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson

RCR Adds Coulter To Truck Operation

Joey Coulter (Adam Fenwick Photo) WELCOME, N.C. ? Richard Childress Racing has signed Joey Coulter to drive a second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry for the team in 2011. Coulter, 20, recently finished eighth in the ARCA Racing Series standings, his second full season of competition.

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/nascar-news/nascar/rcr-adds-coulter-to-truck-operation/

Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton

Meeke warns Mini will need time

Mini World Rally Championship driver Kris Meeke has called for patience as the team gears up for its first WRC outings next season. Meeke said the Banbury-based team will not be rushed as it prepares for a limited programme of WRC events, before embarking on full seasons in 2012 and '13

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/world-rally-championship-news/wrc/meeke-warns-mini-will-need-time/

Sam Tingle Desmond Titterington Johnnie Tolan Alejandro de Tomaso Charles de Tornaco