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Honda commits to remaining motorsport programs after F1 pull out

The current economic climate has only just started to wreak havoc in the motorsports world, with last week's announcements that Honda is pulling out of F1 and Audi is leaving the American LeMans Series. Things are likely to get worse before they get better as other automakers, including those based in Detroit, will almost certainly cut racing programs and budgets. What won't be affected – at least for now – are Honda's non-F1 endeavors, including its motorcycle programs, the Indy Racing League and the American Le Mans Series. The ALMS and IRL programs are both operated by Honda Performance Development out of Torrance, CA. Unlike the F1 program, the IRL engine program generates revenue from the teams that lease these engines. The Acura ALMS program will definitely continue in 2009 as the team moves up from the LMP2 to the LMP1 class. The big bummer is that Acura won't have any competition from the Audi R10, which is leaving the ALMS next year.
posted : 12/22/2008 @2:24:20 PM
IndyCars to go Italian? IRL in talks with Alfa Romeo

IndyCar teams and fans have grown accustomed to the proliferation of Italian racing car chassis as Dallara has been supplying them for the past eleven seasons, now all but exclusively. But with Honda's engine supply contract coming to a close, series organizers have been discussing new powertrain options with a number of manufacturers. Among them is Alfa Romeo, the Italian automaker widely anticipated to make a return to the North American market in the near future. This wouldn't be the first time Alfa Romeo has provided motivation for the largely American racing series, having participated in the late 80's and early 90's with a project adopted from Ferrari. However, despite the company's deep racing heritage, Alfa Romeo does not currently compete in any major form of motorsport since the N.Technology team stopped campaigning race-prepped 156 Super Turismos in the World Touring Car Championship. The responsibility for developing the IndyCar engines – 3.5-liter V8s under the current regulations, tipped to be replaced by turbocharged fours – would presumably fall to Fiat Powertrain Technologies, headed by Paolo Martinelli, formerly head of Scuderia Ferrari's engine program. Nothing's certain, however, since IRL organizers are also rumored to be discussing a renewal with Honda as well as with Audi, Porsche and an undisclosed fifth automaker.
posted : 10/21/2008 @7:39:19 PM
Helio Castroneves indicted on tax evasion charges

Helio Castroneves has known only success in pretty much everything he's ever attempted, whether it be open-wheel racing or his fancy footwork on Dancing with the Stars. But the Brazilian-born driver is going to need more than quick feet and a knack for racing to get the Internal Revenue Service off his back. The two-time Indy 500 champ, along with his sister/business manager and lawyer, is in a world of legal hurt after being indicted by the IRS on six counts of tax evasion, which could send the talented driver to prison for up to 35 years. Castroneves was allegedly using an offshore bank account to hide millions of dollars from the U.S. government, which is a really bad idea, especially if you get caught. He received a $1 million driver agreement and $5 million licensing agreement from Penske racing for 2000-2002, and he allegedly stuffed the $5 million into an offshore account via a deferred royalty plan for which he wasn't eligible. For its part, the IRS seems intent on making an example out of Castroneves, saying "This case sends a clear message that the IRS is committed to vigorously enforcing the lax laws and stopping offshore tax evasion."
posted : 10/5/2008 @5:54:25 PM
Chevy Camaro SS unveiled at Indy Bash 2008

The crew from Camaro5 were on hand to capture the first live unveiling of the Chevrolet Camaro SS at Indy Bash 2008, and although we've seen the silver-hued coupe on numerous occasions, this is the first time we've gotten a glimpse inside. As you're undoubtedly already aware, the Camaro SS is powered by a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 putting out 422 hp and 408 lb.-ft. of torque, and in this case power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The most striking element of the SS' interior is the shiny plastic door panels and dash trim that matches the two-tone black and leather seats, with contrast stitching. It's very racy, and should tie in nicely with the SS badges fore and aft. We'll be able to see the Camaro SS up close at the Paris Motor Show next month, so stay tuned for our impressions from the floor.
posted : 10/2/2008 @2:42:51 PM
NASCAR Dads? How about Formula-D First Lady?

It won't do anything to bolster her "green" credentials, but the fact that Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, can hold her 240SX in a glorious sideways slide as long as you please strikes us not only as surprising, but, well, a little off the hook. It seems the McCain clan likes high-horsepower pastimes, be it trains, planes or automobiles, though the trains part might only be for whistlestop campaigns. A few years back, Cindy and son Jack were intrigued by drifting after catching television coverage of the sport. Rather than just look it up on Wikipedia, Cindy McCain -- who is an avowed lifelong gearhead -- headed to Japan, birthplace of drifting, to learn the practice from a sensei. Mom and son Jack dove wholeheartedly into drifting, building a 240SX drift car and competing as a team in amateur competition. Motorsports and high-performance driving also played a restorative role when McCain was temporarily felled by a stroke. In an odd choice of physical therapy facilities, McCain was at Bob Bondurant's Executive Protection course a mere six weeks after the health event, rebuilding her skill. While the plot sounds like a treatment for "The Drifting Kid" or some other kind of Hollywood dreck, it's exciting to think that a first lady might be able to out-drive her Secret Service detail.
posted : 9/23/2008 @9:59:22 PM
SPOILER ALERT - Detroit Grand Prix 2008: The IndyCars take to the track

As the first season of the reunited IndyCar series winds down, the open wheel racers took to the Belle Isle track to close out the Detroit Grand Prix weekend. Scott Dixon sat on the pole holding a slim lead over Helio Castroneves in the season standings with three races to go including this one. If the race is still sitting on your DVR and you don't want to spoil the surprise, just enjoy the gallery for now, it won't spoil your appetite. Scott Dixon grabbed the pole, and both Dixon and Castroneves pulled away strongly for the first 18 laps, leaving the rest of the field in their wake. An incident on lap 17 between Dixon's teammate Dan Wheldon and Jamie Camara triggered a full course yellow. The Ganassi team decided to bring Dixon in for an early pit stop, but no one followed. As a result, Dixon was never able to regain the lead, although he did ultimately climb back up to fifth place at the finish. Castroneves continued to lead the pack for majority of the race, but eventually Justin Wilson made his way into the lead in the Newman-Hass-Lanigan car. Through the last ten laps Castroneves tried repeatedly to reel in Wilson, but never quite managed, and over the last three laps, the rookie (at least in these cars) pulled away by a few seconds, finally taking the checkered flag in a fitting tribute to his car's co-owner Paul Newman, who's health has been in question over the past few weeks.
posted : 9/14/2008 @5:13:27 AM
Indy to go turbo by 2011

Officials have confirmed that the newly reunified IndyCar series is contemplating a move to turbocharged engines by 2011. The move could entice more automakers – aside from Honda, which is the only engine manufacturer currently participating in the series – to join on as well. In a meeting held this past June, IRL officials spoke with a dozen automakers about joining the series, and several sounded enthusiastic at the prospect of switching from the current naturally-aspirated V8s to smaller turbocharged engines. The new formula would call for either four or six cylinders and either one or two spools, producing as much as 750 horsepower instead of the current 650. Officials expect three or four manufacturers to sign on to the new formula, which could be announced as early as December to give the manufacturers enough time to develop the new engines. Turbochargers had been common in American open-wheel racing, but after the IRL and Champ Cars split, the former switched to non-boosted V8s while the latter continued with turbos. The bulk of the formula for the reunited series, however, was based on the IRL regulations. Many of the drivers competing in the series have been pushing for the switch, and responded enthusiastically to the news.
posted : 9/13/2008 @3:18:08 AM
Penske Racing transporter goes up in flames en route to Infineon

Penske's Indy racing team suffered disaster early this morning when their transporter truck – en route from the team's headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina, to Sonoma, California – caught fire at 4 a.m. on Interstate 80 outside Cheyenne, Wyoming. The two Penske personnel on board managed to escape unharmed, but could not extinguish the fire, believed to have been caused by a faulty bearing in one of the trailer's wheels. They detached the truck cab from the burning trailer and could do nothing more but watch as an estimated $2 million worth of equipment – including two Dallara-Honda race cars – went up in flames. The truck was bringing the cars and other necessary equipment to the Infineon Raceway at Sears Point for this weekend's race, where Penske's Helio Castroneves hopes to close the 78-point gap on rival Scott Dixon in the third to last race of the season. However Castroneves' car was completely destroyed by the fire, along with that of team-mate Ryan Briscoe. Fortunately the team already has two test cars at the track where they were practicing earlier this week, which will now be converted to race duty. The team has also dispatched another transporter truck from North Carolina carrying two additional cars – useable only for spare parts as they're already set up for the oval-track race in Chicago – along with additional personnel and equipment, which will pick up the two stranded staffers in Wyoming and drop off four more to sift through the wreckage. Penske has a history of turning adverse circumstances into victory, having won at Kansas Speedway in 2006 shortly after the team's headquarters were decimated in a flood. At the 1987 Indianapolis 500, the team had to replace injured driver Danny Ongais with Al Unser Sr, and ditched its own car in favor of a retired March chassis that was sitting on display in a hotel lobby, which Unser drove to victory at the Brickyard. By the end of the weekend we'll know if Penske's penchant for overcoming disaster will carry through at Sears Point.
posted : 9/2/2008 @1:52:07 PM
IndyCar Series signs new television deal with VersusIf you're keen to follow the reunited IndyCar Series, you may want to call up your cable or satellite provider and add Versus to your package. The channel has secured the rights to broadcast the series, moving the races over from ESPN.Although the lesser-known Versus reaches some 20 million fewer homes than ESPN, the network is expected to offer extended coverage, with pre- and post-race shows and the possibility of Indy-related programming in between races, as well. Meanwhile, ABC has renewed its contract with IRL officials to broadcast five races – including the Indy 500 – each season. While the deal with Versus might seem like a step backwards from ESPN, the stability of consistent and extended coverage could help put open-wheel racing in America back on the map.
posted : 8/30/2008 @4:54:40 PM

Danica Patrick scores full test with Honda F1

Danica Patrick, who races for the Honda-powered Andretti-Green IRL team, has spoken of wanting to make the jump to the world's premier form of motorsport, Formula 1. Later this year, according to Honda F1 CEO Nick Fry, the team is going to give her that chance. Danica will be put into Honda's Earth Dreams F1 car in November, probably at the Barcelona or Jerez tracks in Spain, for a full-scale test. Said Fry, "We will put her into our car after the season at the latest and see how quick she is."

The recent record of IndyCar drivers succeeding on the other side of the pond is mixed. It's still too early to tell with Sebastian Bourdais at Toro Rosso, though he appears to be handling things well enough. Jacques Villeneuve did well, but Michael Andretti did not. Scott Dixon, the 2003 IRL champ and 2008 Indy 500 winner tested with Williams-BMW in 2004, but didn't get a seat. Danica's already won a place in U.S. racing history. We'll find out in November if she's fast enough to do it in Europe, as well.

posted : 6/15/2008 @2:46:10 PM
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