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Phil Pash's World of Wheels (The World of Wheels column by Phil Pash first appeared in now-defunct Chicago TODAY in the early 1970s. It was the first year-round motor sports column in a Chicago paper). Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007 (Vol. 3, No. 49) * Foyt Remembers Ken Hendricks as Man Whose Handshake Was Good as Contract: "Ken was a terrific businessman and a hard worker but much more than that he was a great guy who meant a lot to a lot of people," said A.J. Foyt of Ken Hendricks upon learning of Hendricks' death Dec. 21, according to the IndyCar Series Web site. ABC Supply Co., Inc., of Beloit, Wis., of which Hendricks was founder, chairman and CEO, is primary sponsor of the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing car in IndyCar (since 2005) and title sponsor of the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Indy 225 at The Milwaukee Mile. Foyt added, "He was a man whose handshake was as good as a 50-page contract.  They just don't make them like that anymore. We had a lot of fun when we were together. I am so sorry for his wife Diane and all their kids. I've met them all because they were all involved in the business in one way or another." Hendricks, 66, died after suffering a massive head injury as a result of a fall at a construction site at his home Dec. 20. He died in surgery in Rockford, according to a statement from ABC Supply. "The entire racing community and Wisconsin business community have suffered a great loss with the tragic passing of Ken Hendricks," Milwaukee Mile chairman Craig Stoehr said. "Our deepest sympathies go out to Diane Hendricks and the entire ABC Supply Co. family. Ken was a dear friend and partner of The Mile. We will truly miss his enthusiasm." ABC Supply is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Hendricks, who went from high-school dropout to self-made billionaire, built ABC into the country's largest, privately-owned roofing supply business, approaching $3 billion annually in sales. It has 395 distribution centers in 46 states and the District of Columbia. He also built his personal fortune to $3.5 billion, Forbes magazine said earlier this year. He was the third-richest person in Wisconsin, 91st-richest in the country and 249th-richest in the world, Forbes reported. Hendricks Development Group (HDG) is the real estate development arm for ABC Supply and Ken and Diane Hendricks. HDG manages 590 properties, totaling 23 million-square-feet of property and with a property portfolio of $525 million. Although Hendricks' fingerprints are around the nation and world, following are some of his many projects in the Stateline Area, said the Beloit Daily News: ABC Supply National Support Center, former Fairbanks Morse building that had been vacant since 1942, overlooking the Rock River; ABC Fleet, trucking portion of the company, includes more than 2,000 delivery vehicles; ABC Catalog, in former home of American Construction Metals; Amcraft/Mulehide; ABC Training Center; Ironworks Complex, downtown Beloit, was purchased by Hendricks in 2001 after the former Beloit Corporation declared bankruptcy in 1999, now approximately 500 workers employed in the complex; Eclipse Center, formerly the Beloit Mall, Hendricks has lured more than 10 tenants back to the mall in an effort to transform the space. Several Rock County offices and school district offices have moved in. In January, Hendricks began building the 15,000-square-foot conference center and banquet hall that seats 1,000 people. The Beloit Public Library is set to move to the Eclipse Center by 2009; American Construction Metals, another former Fairbanks Morse building at 1600 Park Ave. that was vacant; Alsco Metals Corporation; Heritage View; Corporate Contractors, Inc., the construction arm of ABC; United Industries; Cotta Transmission, not a Hendricks company, moved into the building next to Amcraft/Mulehide from Rockford. The 100-year-old building belonged to Fairbanks Morse and sat empty and dilapidated for nearly 50 years; American Aluminum Extrusion; Save-a-Lot, another business Hendricks helped usher in to Beloit; Avid Pallet Services, an ABC affiliated company; Arrow Park, Janesville, the former Parker Pen plant. * Some Random Thoughts: "The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has no Christmas in his heart." -- Helen Keller. "When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things--not the great occasions--give off the greatest glow of happiness." -- Bob Hope. ... Given the recent interest boom in GPS devices, it's too bad gasoline prices are so high, otherwise road rallying might see a significant comeback. The electronic gadgets are used for navigating streets and highways, and some units are priced at under $200. Rallying used to be fairly big in the Rockford area years ago (as did a lot of other things before we became sheep). There was one whole sports car group devoted only to rallying--WIRE, Wisconsin-Illinois Rallye Enthusiasts. And a couple other groups--SCETA, Sports Car Club of Rockford and the SCCA chapter BVR--staged rallies. BVR had a couple of good ones--Midnight Madness, run at night, and a fun event, the Cheese Rally, which ended at Baumgartner's in Monroe, Wis., with prizes of cheese (I always wanted to see limburger given to the last-place entry, stinky cheese for a stinky finish). Midnight Madness was for serious rallyists, and in its heyday, drew entries from Madison, Milwaukee and the Chicago area. Donna and I borrowed her dad's BMW 1600 one year and won best BMW. Another year, I managed to hook up with a "ringer," Bob Radford, and was overall winner. Radford was/is the best rallyist to come out of this area, and somewhere has a trophy case full of SCCA national championships. If I remember correctly, "BoRad" had a deal with Toyota before such things commonly were done. An early rally device to accurately measure time-speed-distance (many purists went with rally tables, stop watch and pencil and paper for figuring) was a Speed Pilot, and I had one in my Renault Gordini. I sold it some years ago to Bill Naretta, who installed it in one of his Austin Healeys. GPS technology today is such an improvement, and there are so many from which to choose--Garmin, TomTom, Magellan and others. ... A suck-up to the out-of-work drivers opinion piece on NASCAR.com bemoans the open-wheel invasion of Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Jacques Villeneuve, Patrick Carpentier, Sam Hornish Jr., A.J. Allmendinger and even Aussie stock car driver Marcos Ambrose has left a bunch of dues-paying NASCAR boys out of work. Mentioned as not having 2008 Sprint Cup rides were David Stremme, Johnny Sauter, Tony Raines, Boris Said, Scott Wimmer, Kenny Wallace. The writer, Bill Kimm, says it's all about money. Duh. When has it not been about money in racing, any kind of racing? Bring the sponsors or the dollars, and you get the ride unless you are really, really bad. Where has this guy been living? Kimm writes, "All that matters is the bottom line, and some great drivers are being cast aside for unproven names who found success in circuits that don't necessarily compare." Yeah, so what else is new? ... I watched parts of Monday Night Football on ESPN because of the pathetic Bears ... that announcing team of Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser is so bad they should first be split up and then never allowed to work again. Jaworski, I can take because he's semi-knowledgeable (remember semi-tough?), but Tiricoi and Kornheiser, double ugh. How could they get those jobs, and why do they still have them? They're so bad they could do sports on Rockford TV (with the exception of Scott Leber, of course). ... Something else caught my eye last week--they're tearing down the old press tower at Watkins Glen in upstate New York to make way for a new state-of-the-art media center, which is expected to be completed in June of 2008. The tower was built in 1971, and I saw the start of two Formula One U.S. Grands Prix from the old tower in the 1970s. One has always stayed with me--the 1973 race, which was to be Jackie Stewart's final GP. But on Saturday, his Tyrrell teammate, the billiant young Frenchman Francois Cevert, was killed in qualifying and Ken Tyrrell withdrew his team. Stewart was on the sidelines when the race started, and he ended his career with 27 victories (then the record) in 99 GP starts. Watkins Glen would have been his 100th GP. The year before, in 1972, Stewart and Cevert were 1-2 at the Glen. The start of the '73 race also was memorable for me because I had my heart in my mouth. American Peter Revson balked on the start, and there he sat in a cloud of dust, arm in the air to signal he wasn't moving and cars dodging him on the right and left. Seventh on the grid, he felt his McLaren-Ford creeping forward as the flag was raised. Rather than hold it with the brakes, he took it out of gear just as the flag dropped. He waved his arms in the air and waited for the field to roar past, then set off in last place. Typically for Revson, he came back to finish fifth. I saw another spirited drive by him in a Can-Am race at Road America. He missed qualifying because he was qualifying the McLaren Indy car at Ontario in California and started last in the McLaren Can-Am car the next day at Road America. He won! Those two years of F1 at the Glen--'72 and '73--were historic. '72 was Mario Andretti, Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni in Ferraris; Denny Hulme, Jody Scheckter and Revson in McLarens; Ronnie Peterson and Niki Lauda in Marchs; Graham Hill in a Brabham; Stewart, Cevert and Patrick Depailler in the Tyrrells; Emerson Fittipaldi in the Lotus, a whole fleet of BRMs. '73 saw Graham Hill, George Follmer and Jackie Oliver in UOP Shadow-Fords, Ronnie Peterson at Lotus with Emo, James Hunt in a March-Ford (before the Hesketh) ... great drivers, great cars. And now Watkins Glen is a NASCAR track. ... The destruction of the Watkins Glen press tower also brought back a memory of the old press pagoda at Road America. My late friend, Harry Carlson, managed to retrieve one of the original hand-painted "working press" signs from the tear-down of the Road America pagoda and gave it to me. I've still got it on the wall of my home office. I was in that press room countless times between 1970 and when the VIP Center was built across the track near start/finish, once even in a drivers suit after a two-car debacle in the June Sprints. No, I wasn't there to be interviewed, but to be jeered by contemporaries and others who had access to the press area. ... I read an AP story by Jenna Fryer on whether Jessica Simpson really was at the Cowboys-Panthers game Dec. 22 in Charlotte to see Tony Romo play. How ridiculous. How can the media continue to perpetuate such crap about alleged "celebrities?" Who gives a rat's ass if the ditz was at the game? At least Fryer didn't manage to work Juan Pablo Montoya into the report. ... The Bears are masters of inconsistency. How can they play so well against Brett Favre and the Packers--despite the run-stumble-and-fumble offense developed by stubborn Lovie Smith and Ron Turner? Could Kyle Orton really be a better QB than rock-head Rex Grossman? Was it cold in Soldier Field? Why would the Bears even consider keeping Grossman except as insurance? The Bears sweep the Packers, and I'm finding fault. Go figure. * NASCAR Nextel (Sprint) Cup News, Notes: A security guard filed suit against Kasey Kahne seeking damages for "severe physical injuries" when the NASCAR driver allegedly shoved him to the ground at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Archibald Hutchinson is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $15,000 in the suit filed Dec. 18 in the 11th Circuit Court. Kahne is due in court Jan. 8 to answer charges of misdemeanor battery stemming from the Nov. 16 incident. The maximum sentence for misdemeanor battery is one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. He had no comment on the suit, but Rick Russell, president of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, said the team supports its driver. "The alleged action in this case is not consistent with the Kasey Kahne we know," Russell said. "It is unfortunate the issue has progressed to this point. We support our driver, Kasey Kahne, and have complete confidence in the legal process." Hutchinson and a Monroe County deputy sheriff stopped a golf cart carrying Kahne and his brother as they attempted to enter the motor home lot at Homestead, and asked for credentials. Kahne was wearing a driver suit. "One of the occupants of the vehicle wearing a bright-colored jumpsuit became belligerent and refused to produce ID," Hutchinson said in his police report. Hutchinson claimed Kahne used profane language and then pushed his brother's foot off the accelerator pedal of the golf cart, attempting to drive past. The guard claims Kahne then got out of the golf cart and "without saying another word shove(d) me with great force from which I landed on my back and left shoulder on the entrance pavement." Kahne's brother, Kale, disputed the events in his statement to police. Kale Kahne said his brother did not have a credential because he'd just finished practice. "He (Kasey) said, 'I am going to walk to my motor home then,"' Kale Kahne wrote. "One guard got in front of Kasey and grabbed him and said that you are not going anywhere. ... Kasey pushed his hands off of him. The guard lost balance and fell to the ground." Four witnesses, all law enforcement officers, gave statements that supported Hutchinson and accused Kahne of shoving the guard. Hutchinson was treated and released from the track's infield care center. ... Esteemed British racing magazine Autosport obviously doesn't think too highly of NASCAR drivers, ranking Jimmie Johnson 20th, Jeff Gordon 25th and Matt Kenseth 36th on its list of top 50 drivers in the world for 2007 (maybe if they turned right more often; bet NASCAR loyalists will be yammering over this slight). F1 champ Kimi Raikkonen was first, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. World Rally drivers Marcus Gronholm and Sebastien Loeb follow in the top five. ... Accidents and spins soared during the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup, USA Today database research shows. Fueled by a track-record number of cautions in races at Martinsville (21) and Atlanta (14), a total of 89 incidents were recorded -- the most since NASCAR's 10-race playoff was instituted in 2004 -- and a 14.1% increase from last year's 78 crashes and spins. A total of 240 accidents/spins were recorded during the 2007 season, the most since 253 incidents in 2005. David Ragan was listed with the most at 22; then Robby Gordon with 16. Kevin Harvick had the least of the drivers running all 36 races, with three (wonder if any of that figured in the Autosport rankings?). ... Chris Carrier was named crew chief for the No. 77 Dodge to be driven by Sam Hornish Jr. in the 2008 Cup season. Carrier, 47, comes to Penske Racing from Morgan-McClure Motorsports, where he was crew chief for Ward Burton on the No. 4 Chevrolet and also directed the team's Cup and Busch programs. David Ellenz was named team engineer for Hornish, former Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion who moves full time to stock car competition next season. ... Roush Fenway Racing said the 2008 schedule for Jamie McMurray and the No. 26 Sprint Cup team (with crew chief Larry Carter) will be split between the Crown Royal and IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Fusions. Crown Royal will be primary sponsor for 27 races, IRWIN for 11. ... They have yet to turn a wheel, but in true NASCAR fashion, Old School Racing Champions Tour (OSRCT) already has launched an online store where fans of racing legends can purchase official OSRCT merchandise. Go to www.osrct.com/store.htm. The OSRCT is set to debut in May with a 10-race schedule, with Harry Gant, James Hylton, Geoff Bodine, David Pearson and others. ... Dale Earnhardt Inc. said it has signed crew chief Kevin "Bono" Manion to a three-year deal that will continue his long-term tenure at DEI. Manion, who joined DEI in 1997, helped guide Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 1 team to a berth in the Chase for the Nextel Cup in 2007. In addition, the team notched its first victory, at Dover in June. Manion helped lead Truex and his No. 8 Busch Series team to 12 victories and two championships in 2004 and 2005 before moving to Cup with the team in 2006. ... NASCAR said FreedomRoads/Camping World, the large RV and outdoor retailer, will become an official partner of NASCAR beginning in 2008. In addition to its new position as the Official Outdoor and RV Retail Partner of NASCAR, Camping World in 2008 also will entitle NASCAR's top developmental series, which encompasses the Grand National Division, East and West Series. As FreedomRoads/Camping World has grown, the company has steadily expanded its involvement in NASCAR. Camping World is extensively involved in the Nationwide Series through a primary sponsorship relationship with Kevin Harvick Inc. for 17 races as well as full season primary sponsorship for Ron Hornaday Jr., the 2007 Craftsman Truck champion. Additionally, through its relationship with Richard Childress Racing, the company will sponsor Clint Bowyer in 10 Nationwide races in 2008 and is title sponsor of Nationwide events at California, New Hampshire and Daytona, where it operates a permanent retail store in the infield. Camping World plans to forge relationships with additional tracks in 2008 and establish more retail stores at the track, including at the Camping World-branded infield at California. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr., recently voted NASCAR's Most Popular Driver for the fifth year in a row, and Juan Pablo Montoya have joined an all-star cast of drivers, team owners and country music artists participating in next month's third annual Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust, the unique, interactive fan festival at Nashville's Sommet Center featuring Grammy-winning and multi-platinum-selling recording artist Alan Jackson and special guest Taylor Swift, with Jason Michael Carroll, and a newly-announced performance by The Wrights in concert. Sound & Speed once again will bring together the stars of country music and NASCAR for autographs, storytelling and question-answer sessions at The Backstage Garage Pass festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12, followed by the Country Concert event headlined by Jackson at 8 p.m. Also just added to the lineup were Clint Bowyer and Scott Wimmer, joining Richard Petty, Kyle Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Richard Childress, Michael Waltrip, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Dave Blaney, David Stremme, Max Angelelli and Wayne Taylor. The lineup of country stars includes Josh Gracin, Bryan White, Jackson and those mentioned earlier. Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com and www.soundandspeed.org. They are $39.50 for the concert, $20 for the Backstage Garage Pass event or $54.50 for both. Once again, proceeds benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. ... Jimmie Johnson and good friend Nick Lachey (Nick Lachey for a good friend?) told the Associated Press they had partnered to form the Super Skins Celebrity Golf Classic, which will be held in Scottsdale, Ariz., in conjunction with the Super Bowl. Johnson, the two-time defending Sprint Cup champion, had been trying for some time to organize an event with pop singer Lachey. The two have been friends for years, and Lachey is a frequent guest at NASCAR races. They usually attend the Super Bowl together, and decided it was a perfect venue for their first charitable event. The event will open with an exclusive party at Scottsdale nightclub Axis Radius, and the tournament will follow on Feb. 2. Lachey and Johnson have each pledged $125,000 to the purse, which has already reached $400,000 through outside sponsorship. The two hope to fatten the purse through an e-bay auction that allows fans to bid on a chance to play the event with either Johnson or Lachey. Each hole will be worth $20,000, and the winning team will designate the earnings to the charity of their choice. The two have a three-year commitment for the tournament from Prime Cuts Production, and plan to hold it in conjunction with the next three Super Bowls. They said they have participation commitments from celebrities from their respective arenas, but declined to reveal the players. ... Wendy Venturini, whose first exposure to racing COULD have been at Rockford Speedway when her dad Bill raced there, and Jarrad Egert were married Dec. 5 in Anguilla, British West Indies. Wendy is a pit reporter for "NASCAR RaceDay" on SPEED and for "NASCAR Hot Pass" on DirecTV. Jarrad works for Joe Gibbs Racing as the engine tuner for Tony Stewart in Sprint Cup. After three years of courtship, the couple exchanged vows in a private beach ceremony witnessed by their parents and siblings at CuisinArt Resort and Spa in Rendezvous Bay. ... CHSG Partners, in partnership with Dale Jarrett and Terry Bradshaw, announced Kathleen Borgne was the $150,000 winner of its first Ten Race Chase online fantasy racing game. Borgne, 40, of Tulsa, Okla., beat out the national field with her racing expertise. Second-prize winners, Ron Tipton and Russell Panken of Maricopa, Ariz., split a $75,000 prize, and John Blowe finished third with a $50,000 prize. More: PayTheFan.com. ... Daytona International Speedway, host of NASCAR's biggest, richest and most prestigious event--the Daytona 500--has an annual overall economic impact of more than $1 billion. According to the report conducted by the Washington Economics Group, Inc., and Chuck Yaros, DIS and Daytona 500 Experience boast a total economic impact of $1.9 billion annually. The economic impact study was conducted over a several-month period utilizing the IMPLAN model, which analyzes both the direct and indirect benefits of an economic producer in a region and statewide. DIS' annual calendar features high-profile sanctioning bodies such as NASCAR, Grand American, American Motorcycle Association (AMA) and World Karting Association (WKA). From stock cars' most prestigious race--the Daytona 500--to sports cars' most prestigious road race--the Rolex 24 At Daytona--the Speedway is active with activity more than 300 days each year. The WEG study also found: DIS and Daytona 500 Experience operations create nearly 32,000 jobs, they provide more than $856 million dollars in labor income annually and generate $155.4 million dollars annually in tax revenue to state and local governments. The report also noted International Speedway Corporation, the parent company of DIS, announced its operations generate $2.3 billion in economic benefit each year. Let's hear it for Daytona, ISC and the Frances; keep them green, bring money. ... Lauth Property Group has begun erecting the steel for the 20-story NASCAR Plaza office tower next to the planned NASCAR Hall of Fame uptown on Caldwell Street, Charlotte, reported the Charlotte Observer. Company officials said construction of the first floor will take about five weeks, but after that the building will rise at the rate of a floor a week. The 390,000-square-foot "green" building is to open in March 2009, about a year ahead of the NASCAR museum. The office building is poised to be the first one occupied among more than a half-dozen new office projects under way in the center city. NASCAR Images and NASCAR Licenses will occupy about a third of the space. The rest is available for lease. ... Robby Gordon Motorsports has named Frank Kerr crew chief for Robby Gordon's No. 7 Cup team in 2008. Kerr recently left Michael Waltrip Racing. Peter Sospenzo had been crew chief and car chief Bill Henderson also parted ways, according to jayski.com. Gordon may not be the driver for his team during upcoming Daytona tests; he's making his annual trek to compete in the Dakar Rally. ... HANS Performance Products announced a new HANS Device, the Sport Series. The design is guaranteed to provide the same level of safety as existing HANS Devices, but retail at just $695. Breakthroughs in carbon-fiber molding technology allowed HANS to pass cost savings directly onto racers. ... Two-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson didn't fare well in the Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium, England, Dec. 16. He lost to Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais in the first round of individual competition. "I missed my breaking point before the tunnel, I under-steered and this mistake made me lose the race even though I was ahead," Johnson said. "Not a good day for me but maybe I'll see you next year." It wasn't a successful trip across the pond for Johnson. Earlier in the day, he lost to seven-time Formula One champ Michael Schumacher in Nations Cup (doubles), which takes two drivers from each country to see which country is fastest. The United States, featuring Johnson and eight-time X Games champion Travis Pastrana, lost to Germany in the first round. ... www.nascar.com. * NASCAR Busch (Nationwide) Series News, Notes: Sam Ard, two-time Busch champion, will be this year's benefactor of the Legends Helping Legends fundraiser on Jan. 19. The fundraiser, in its second year, will take place at Memory Lane Motorsports and Automotive Historical Museum in Mooresville, N.C., and will feature a tour of the museum, plus a chance to visit with the dozens of drivers, crew chiefs and mechanics from racing's past and present who will participate. Ard, who holds the Busch record with 10 wins in a season, only raced three seasons in the series when a life-threatening crash at Rockingham in 1984 ended his career at the age of 45. In recent years, Ard has battled Alzheimer's disease. Physicians have said it is likely Ard's crash 23 years ago accelerated the onset of the disease. With no pension plan in place for NASCAR drivers, the affliction has created both a physical and financial hardship for Ard and his wife, Jo. Last year's event for former racing announcer Bill Connell helped defray some of his medical bills because of complications from chronic diabetes. More: www.memorylaneautomuseum.com. ... GoDaddy.com, the Internet domain name registrar, will be a primary sponsor of the No. 5 Nationwide Chevrolets for six events in 2008. The cars will be fielded by JR Motorsports in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. Dale Earnhardt Jr., two-time series champ who designed the paint scheme, will pilot the No. 5 April 5 at Texas and Aug. 9 at Watkins Glen. Mark Martin, all-time leader in Nationwide wins, will drive May 9 at Darlington, Aug. 16 at Michigan and Sept. 27 at Kansas, and Canadian road-racing ace Ron Fellows will take over Aug. 2 at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Between them, they have 72 Nationwide victories: Earnhardt 22, Martin 47 and Fellows three (all road courses). GoDaddy.com also will serve as an associate-level partner on the No. 5 all season. It's Go Daddy's first NASCAR sponsorship. Go Daddy's first auto racing sponsorship was with the Indy Racing League's Danica Patrick. The IRL's most popular driver became a "Go Daddy Girl" in December 2006 and appeared in Go Daddy's 2007 Super Bowl commercial. ... Good Neighbor Pharmacy said it has joined with Diversified Racing Solutions to enter the 2008 Nationwide Series with driver Chris Bristol. The group's goal is to compete in the Sprint Cup in 2010. In the five-year agreement, GNP will lend its community pharmacy brand as the flagship sponsor, and the venture will be primarily funded by associate sponsors. DRS will be responsible for the racing team. In addition, GNP will fund community outreach activities that compliment the racing schedule. ... The partnership between Bill Riley and former Yates Racing general manager Eddie D'Hondt is no more, reported the Frontstretch.com Newsletter. The two announced plans to form a Cup and Busch program in August 2006, aligning themselves with Toyota. But sponsorship never materialized, and the team only made one Cup race; Marc Goossens finished 38th last June at Infineon. The Busch program appeared in better shape, with veteran David Green driving a handful of races; however, he and development driver Bobby Santos never could drudge up the financial support. In a half-dozen events, their highest finish was 11th with Green at Nashville. D'Hondt plans to remain an owner, running some Nationwide and ARCA races in 2008 under the D'Hondt Motorsports banner. ... McGill Motorsports says, with no driver and no sponsor, it is in dangr of folding. Crew chief Ricky Pearson says the team would like to continue with Jeremy Clements, but needs funding. ... Marcos Ambrose was voted the Australian Driver of the Year by Australian weekly motor sport magazine Auto Action. The Australian earned the accolade in the magazine's annual Racer of the Year Awards issue. Open to any Australian-born driver racing domestically or internationally, Ambrose won for his efforts in the No. 59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford in 2007 Busch. ... Joe Gibbs Racing said Z-Line Designs has renewed its Nationwide sponsorship with the team for 2008. The import manufacturer of home office, home entertainment and home décor ready-to-assemble furniture will sponsor a total of 11 races with Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch splitting the driving duties behind the wheel of the Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry (six races with the No. 18 and five races with the No. 20). ... www.nascar.com. * NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series News, Notes: Roush Fenway Racing said Joey Clanton will be part of its Craftsman Truck Series lineup for 2008, along with sponsor Zaxby's. Clanton will pilot the No. 09 Zaxby's Ford F-150 for the entire season. Clanton, the 2002 ASA champion, joins Roush Fenway after a season in the Truck Series with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing. Clanton earned five top-10 finishes in 16 starts in 2007. Jack Roush said, "We have a strong lineup in the Truck Series for 2008 with Erik Darnell and rookie Colin Braun. Joey is a proven champion in the ASA Series and has a lot to offer young drivers like Erik and Colin as a teammate, and a competitor." The 2008 season kicks off Feb. 15 at Daytona. Roush Fenway starts the season with 48 truck wins, most of any team in the series. ... Justin Marks, 26, of Rocklin, Calif., will return to Germain Racing in 2008 to contest for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in the No. 9 Crocs/Construct Corps. Toyota. His crew chief will be Jason Overstreet. He made four starts for Germain in 2007, and collected an eighth-place finish at the season finale in Homestead as his best. Also, Germain will field an ARCA RE/MAX Series car for Marks to give him some extra Daytona experience. ... Richard Johns of Lawrenceville, Ga., was named to drive the No. 60 Toyota for the 2008 and 2009 seasons for Wyler Racing with sponsor MY HAVE FUN, America's Family Internet Portal (www.havfun.com). Johns piloted the No. 25 Team Rensi entry in 15 Busch events last season after going through go-kart, tours in the PASS and Southern All Stars Truck Series, Georgia Asphalt Series (GAS) and American Speed Association (ASA) Late Model ranks. Jack Sprague drove the No. 60 in 2007. ... Cool City Customs, a Lyons, Mich.-based motorcycle customs shop, will sponsor the Cool City Customs 200 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14. It will be the first NASCAR sponsorship of any kind for the company, and is a three-year deal through 2010. The sponsorship also makes Cool City Customs the "Official Custom Bike Builder" of MIS. ... Andy Hillenburg plans to run rookie Bryan Silas from Stuart, Fla., in the full ARCA RE/MAX Series in the No. 11 Chevy, and in seven NASCAR truck races, said the Daytona News Journal. ... Todd Bodine will return to the Craftsman Truck Series next year in the No. 30 Germain Racing Toyota, with Lumber Liquidators as sponsor. The team has no plans, for now, to run in 2008 Sprint Cup. ... Wyler Racing said veteran Craftsman Truck driver Terry Cook will drive the No. 06 Toyota Tundra as a teammate to Richard Johns. Rick Gay, who has been with Wyler since October, will move over to be crew chief for Cook. The duo worked together at ppc Racing. ... J.C. Stout said he again will compete in the Truck Series part-time in the family-operated No. 91 team at Lowe's, Milwaukee, Kentucky, Loudon and Martinsville while looking to expand his racing opportunities. Stout confirmed he has been certified by NASCAR to compete in Nationwide on half-mile to 1.5-mile tracks. ... www.nascar.com. * Champ Car World Series News, Notes: Team co-owner Carl Haas and four-time Champ Car titlist Sebastien Bourdais will be honored at next months's All-America team dinner by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA). Haas, who co-owns the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team with Paul Newman and Mike Lanigan, will receive AARWBA's Pioneer in Racing Award Jan. 12 at the Indianapolis Hyatt. The Pioneer is considered to be one of the most prestigious awards offered by AARWBA, the oldest and largest organization of motor sports media professionals in the country. Former winners include legends such as Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones. Before turning to team ownership, Haas had been successful in sports car racing as a driver. However, his impact in the sport came in running teams in various types of racing. In addition to eight national titles in Champ Car racing since 1984, Haas-owned teams also have captured three Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Formula 5000 championship, four Can-Am titles and one Super Vee crown. In addition to his winning career as a team owner and successful business pursuits, Haas also is in the SCCA Hall of Fame. Bourdais will be honored as an All-America first-team member, and is one of fiive drivers who could win the Jerry Titus Award, given in recognition of the late race driver/journalist. The winner will be the driver who amassed the most votes in balloting for the All-America team, and will be announced at the banquet, which is open to the public. ... Conquest Racing has solidified its future in the Champ Car World Series with the signing of new marketing partner, Opes Prime Group Ltd, an Australian-based financial services provider. As a direct result of this new two-year agreement, Conquest is committed to entering two cars in the 2008 series. The team ran only one car in 2007. Drivers and other marketing partner announcements will be made in early 2008, said Conquest President and CEO Eric Bachelart. The new agreement sees Opes Prime principal shareholder Anthony Blumberg acquiring an equity stake in the organization, providing the necessary capital investment to fuel the team's growth over the next two seasons. Opes Prime is an Australian unlisted public company providing a range of financial services and products for high net worth individuals, stockbrokers and financial advisors, asset managers, banks and other firms, both for themselves and their clients. The group conducts business via a number of operating subsidiaries based in Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore. In 2007, Conquest Racing scored a season-best result of second at the Champ Car Grand Prix of Assen in Holland with driver Jan Heylen. Overall, the team scored five top-10 finishes. For the past five seasons, Indianapolis-based Conquest has fielded entries in Champ Car and its driver development series, the Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. ... www.champcarworldseries.com. * Champ Car Atlantic News, Notes: Canadian Robert Wickens, 18, third in the Atlantic series as a rookie in 2007, will be competing in the World Series by Renault in 2008. The Red Bull Junior driver will be part of a two-car Red Bull effort with Carlin Motorsport based in Aldershot, England. He ran the final two Renault races of 2007 with Carlin--at Estoril, Portugal, and Barcelona, Spain. He was 12th and 10th at Estoril and seventh and 12th in Spain. Wickens also is driving in A1GP for Team Canada, with James Hinchcliffe, who was fourth in the 2007 Atlantic series. Wickens scored an Atlantic win at Portland in 2007 and had three other podiums. He won the Formula BMW USA title in 2006 and in 2005 earned the Sunoco Ron Fellows Senior Kart championship, a high honor for the native of Toronto. The Renault series will have a new chassis and new V-6 powerplant using E-85 bioethanol fuel for 2008. * IRL IndyCar Series News, Notes: A.J. Foyt Racing said Darren Manning has re-signed to drive the No. 14 ABC Supply car in the 2008 IndyCar Series. "Last year we came away most weekends wishing we could start the weekend over because we had learned so much about the car, and what I want in a car," Manning said. "With the compressed schedule, we were doing most of our development work on race weekends. We now have a baseline to work from for all of the tracks which will help tremendously. Last year was my first year working with A.J. and driving the Dallara chassis with Honda power. There was a lot that had to be learned: A.J. learning what I want, me learning how the Dallara reacts to changes and then the overall communication within the crew. We did learn but the process affected our consistency. I look for all of that to change for the better in 2008." Manning headed back to his hometown of Knaresborough, England, last week to spend the Christmas holiday with his family. When he returns to the U.S., he will get back up to speed with the Foyt team. Last month, Manning hired a personal trainer to work with him to improve his strength in preparation for the new season. Foyt's team has all of its ABC Supply (of Beloit, Wis.) cars stripped down awaiting the 2008 modification pieces from Dallara. The cars will be painted and assembled to be ready for pre-season testing. ... Wade Cunningham is the latest Indy Pro Series driver to get an opportunity to test an IndyCar Series car. The 2005 IPS champion joined Andretti Green Racing drivers Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and Hideki Mutoh at Sebring Dec. 17. The test was the fifth bonus test day earned by AGR in 2007 for their partnership with AFS Racing in fielding a team in the Indy Pro Series. "It was cool to drive an Indy car for the first time," Cunningham said. "It's something that I've looked forward to since I came over here in 2005. I'm very grateful to (AFS Racing owner) Gary (Peterson) and Andretti Green Racing for the opportunity. It was a bit difficult in the morning with the track still at 50 degrees. After 20 laps or so, it felt reasonably comfortable." ... "Twinkle Toes" Helio Castroneves, dressed in a yellow suit and hat that he performed in on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," shares the cover of ESPN the Magazine's 100 Biggest Sports Stories of the Year issue with Barry Bonds. The magazine is being mailed to 1.8 million subscribers. In the magazine's annual look at the greatest sports stories of the year, the editors, producers, writers and on-air talent at ESPN chose the Barry Bonds saga as the No. 1 entry. ... Helio Castroneves has participated in the 500 Festival Parade since 2001, but the 24th annual Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade will be his first time riding on a float. Castroneves and his "Dancing with the Stars" partner Julianne Hough joined other contestants from the top-rated ABC show in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., for the taping of the parade down Main Street. "It was a lot of fun," the IndyCar Series driver and "Dancing with the Stars" champion said. "It was great to see all the fans who voted for us and supported us." The parade from the Magic Kingdom will be broadcast in high-definition for the first time. The special, which airs 9 a.m. CT Dec. 25, will include hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa and performers such as Jessica Simpson and "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus. Additionally, Ryan Seacrest will host segments from the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. ... Though he is in Brazil visiting his family during Panther Racing's holiday break, Vitor Meira still is preparing for the IndyCar season. Meira recently tested a racing machine in his hometown of Brasilia, Brazil. He took the wheel of the No. 73 Delphi Londrina Truck Racing machine, doing eight laps on the wet surface of the Brasília track, where the truck and driver Leandro Totti were competing in the season finale. "I just can't say how impressed I am with this truck," said Meira. "Who could imagine that this 4-ton monster would do more than 130 miles per hour and still brake to do the first turn? It's awesome." ... Five IndyCar drivers, including series and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti, and Indy Pro Series champion Alex Lloyd were ranked among the top 50 drivers in the world, according to British racing magazine Autosport. Franchitti and Scott Dixon, who staged a thrilling title fight that culminated in the last turn of the last lap of the season finale at Chicagoland Speedway were ranked eighth and ninth, respectively. Lloyd, who won the IPS title with a record-setting season, was ranked 50th. Tony Kanaan (16th), Helio Castroneves (30th) and Sam Hornish Jr. (42nd) also were ranked in the poll, determined by the staff of Autosport. ... IndyCar fans can recapture the 2007 season with a new limited-edition trading card set. The series has partnered with Rittenhouse Archive to produce the IndyCar Series Premiere Edition Trading Card set, which is available at hobby stores across the country. The 54-card base set features three-card spreads featuring most of the IndyCar field including Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon and 2007 champion Dario Franchitti. Each of the 3,000 boxes, which contain 24 four-card packages, contain two autograph cards from drivers featured in the set--including Franchitti, Patrick, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan. In addition to the autograph cards, fans can find randomly inserted sets such as 2007 Indy 500 Dario Franchitti's Road to Victory, A.J. Foyt 50th Anniversary Cards and Shades of Victory. ... The 2008 IndyCar season begins under the lights with the SpeedJam Indy 300 on March 29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 16-race schedule features events on 11 ovals, three permanent road courses and two temporary street circuits, all broadcast worldwide by ABC Sports/ESPN. The 2008 Indy Pro Series season also begins on March 29 at Homestead-Miami. The 16-race schedule, which features eight ovals and four road/street course doubleheader weekends, will be televised by ESPN2. ... www.indycar.com. * IRL Indy Pro Series News, Notes: Another Andretti is set to make his open-wheel season debut in the Indy Racing League. Adam Andretti, younger brother of veteran racer John Andretti and nephew of 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti, has signed to drive for the Fujion Autosport team. He passed his IPS rookie test at Chicagoland Speedway Aug. 30, and then went on to compete in the season-ending Chicagoland 100 for SpeedWorks Racing, finishing 18th out of 22 competitors. Andretti, 28, has competed in karting and Formula 3 as well as several other racing series. He last competed in 2004 in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The Fujion Autosports Team, based in Brownsburg, Ind., is headed by Dave McMillan, joined by David Hunt of Terre Haute and California businessman Preston Countryman. "I recently relocated back to Brownsburg where I was raised and attended high school," said Andretti, "so everything feels like the right fit." ... The Indy Pro Series has teamed with Loyet Motorsports to sponsor the team's entries in the 22nd annual Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals Jan. 8-12 in Tulsa, Okla. The Sunset Hills, Mo.-based team will field five Spike-Esslinger midgets in the annual indoor race. Joe Loyet-owned Loyet Motorsports, which was founded in 2000 to help the career of Brad Loyet, has fielded entries in the last four Chili Bowls. In addition to Brad Loyet, who finished ninth in USAC midget point standings and won the POWRi midget title in 2007, the team will field entries for Danny Lasoski, 2001 World of Outlaws and 2006 National Sprint Tour champion and three-time Chili Bowl runner-up; P.J. Jones, two-time Indianapolis 500 starter and 1996 Chili Bowl runner-up; and Jon Stanbrough, winner of 30 feature events in non-winged sprint car competition in 2007, the 2007 King of Indiana Sprint Series champion and 2007 non-winged sprint car driver of the year. The driver for the fifth Loyet Motorsports entry will be announced later. ... Indy Pro Series races will be telecast on ESPN2 for the seventh consecutive season in 2008, including live coverage of the season finale Sept. 7 at Chicagoland Speedway. The Freedom 100 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 23 will have same-day coverage and the six remaining races on ovals will be packaged into 30-minute shows. Races from the four doubleheader weekends on road/street courses are combined into one-hour shows. Bob Jenkins, Robbie Buhl and Mike King will return as the broadcast team. All IPS races are streamed live at www.indycar.com. ... Panther Racing wrapped up its last order of 2007 business Dec. 18 at Sebring, where the team completed an Indy Pro Series test with prospective drivers P.J. Chesson and Leilani Munter. While both drivers have displayed considerable talent on oval tracks, neither has extensive road-course racing experience. "It was positive for us to get both P.J. and Leilani on the track," Panther co-owner John Barnes said. "And, for us, it's good to get our Indy Pro Series team some time to work before the end of the year and run around a little bit. I really wanted to get our new technical director, Henri Durand, a chance to work with the IPS guys and the car to have some data to work with before we start running in 2008." Munter now knows what she has to work on in the IPS car as the Minnesota-born driver is a front-runner for the Panther ride. Chesson is in line for Panther's second IndyCar Series seat alongside veteran Vitor Meira. ... IPS team owner Brian Stewart was honored recently with the Michael S. Lowe Award by the Motorsport Club of Ottawa. The award is given annually to recognize significant contributions to motor sport. * NHRA Drag Racing News, Notes: Fans of NHRA Drag Racing who have a need for speed during this off-season can quench their thirst by tuning into ESPN Classic each weekday at 10 a.m. CT. The popular sports channel continues to offer daily airings of past NHRA POWERade Series events. More than 50 shows are planned to air Monday-Friday through the end of February. NHRA Drag Racing on ESPN Classic features one-hour shows of exclusive racing coverage that aired on ESPN and ESPN2 from as far back as the mid-90s to last year's exciting 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season. Fans can e-mail classics@nhra.com to request future vintage NHRA races on ESPN Classic, from those that aired on ESPN and ESPN2 since the mid-90s. For a complete schedule and list of upcoming races, log on to http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnGuide or nhra.com. ... Ending weeks of speculation, Pro Stock Motorcycle team owners Karl and Kim Klement announced three-time NHRA POWERade champ Angelle Sampey will pilot their Rush Racing Products Buell in 2008. Rush signed on as Klement's primary marketing partner just in time for the 2007 Countdown to the Championship. A short time later, the U.S. Army dropped its sponsorship of Sampey's team for 2008 and, eventually, one of the most popular figures in drag racing was available. Sampey is part owner of Performance Suzuki in her hometown of Houma, La., and throwing her leg over an S&S-powered Buell is going to take some getting used to. "The Buell was probably the toughest part of the decision," said Sampey. "I've been riding Suzukis since I was 6 years old. I know it's gonna be different, and I'm looking forward to taking advantage of all that power and see what I can do on one. After 11 years in the sport, that will be a big change and it should make for a very interesting year." ... POWERade Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. isn't wasting any time to return to racing in 2008 as the 51-time national event winner was chosen to be a part of Team NHRA at the third annual Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge Jan. 3-5 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Coughlin and four fellow drag racers will take on Team NASCAR in the fundraising event, which raises money for the United States Olympic Bobsledding Team. "I'm as excited as a kid on that first day of snow," said Coughlin, who lives in Delaware, Ohio. "I've done my fair share of sledding over the years, even recently with my son Jeggie III, but this is a considerable step up in equipment." Coughlin was asked to participate by defending event runner-up Morgan Lucas, a Top Fuel driver in the POWERade Drag Racing Series. Sponsored in part by Lucas Oil, the Bodine Bobsled Challenge supports Bo-Dyn Bobsleds, which has designed and built American-made bobsleds for the U.S. Olympic Bobsled team since 1992. This year's Bodine Bobsled Challenge will pit the five best NASCAR participants against Team NHRA to see which racers can collectively master the 18-turn bobsled course at the Olympic Sports Complex. Team NASCAR includes defending event champ Boris Said, Todd Bodine, Johnny Benson, Ron Hornaday Jr., Randy LaJoie, Donnie Lia, Joey Lagona and Steve Carlson. Aside from Lucas and J.R. Todd, the Team NHRA racers--Coughlin, Bob Vandergriff and Doug Herbert--are newcomers to the event. Aside from their time on the course, the NHRA and NASCAR stars will participate in several activities to raise money for the project. Visit www.bodynbobsled.com for tickets and more information. ... Jack Beckman, driver of the Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing in the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, made a special appearance at the Los Angeles Shriners Hospital for Children on Dec. 21 on behalf of the Racers Who Care program. Beckman, of North Hills, Calif., finished fifth in the 2007 NHRA Funny Car standings with back-to-back national-event victories during the season. He also has won four championships and over 50 events at the NHRA Sportsman level during his drag-racing career. But his racing accomplishments are overshadowed by the fact he is a survivor of lymphoma, a form of cancer which he successfully battled and overcame in 2004 after enduring six months of chemotherapy. The 41-year-old father and husband visited the Shriners Hospital in an effort to provide companionship, inspiration and a distraction to the children who are in the same situation he was in not long ago. Beckman has visited similar facilities in the past in an effort to show his love and caring to those who are facing the same situation and challenges that he has experienced. "There are some people out there with some serious health issues," said Beckman, "and there are people out there, for whatever reason, who tend to suffer more than the average person. I don't think I'm necessarily a better human being since the cancer. I just think it's opened my eyes up and I'm a lot more enlightened than I was before. I realize I'm never going to be Mother Teresa, but there were a lot of people who were very beneficial and inspirational to me when I was going through the cancer and to be able to be in that position for somebody else can be very humbling." This was Beckman's second L.A.-area presentation within the last month. Beckman made a Quick Tips in Winning in Life presentation at the Santa Monica YMCA on Nov. 30. The L.A. area presentations were part of a community outreach of Racers Who Care's National Child's Day Celebration planned for next summer in Santa Monica. More: www.nationalchildsday.com. ... www.nhra.com. * IHRA Drag Racing News, Notes: Veteran Top Fuel pilot Bobby Lagana Jr. will take the seat of Evan Knoll's Seelye Wright Automotive Group rail in 2008. The Michigan-based fuel and natural gas magnate, owner of Knoll Gas, Torco Racing Fuels and a number of other broad-based companies headquartered in Decatur, Mich., has sponsored a number of drag racing teams and drivers over the years, doing his part to strengthen the sport he loves by making financial commitments to teams, facilities and sanctioning bodies at every level. Lagana has been racing in the Top Fuel class for more than a decade, following in the footsteps of his father, Bobby Lagana Sr. When Scotty Cannon decided to join forces with his son to form a two-car Pro Modified team for 2008, leaving the seat in Knoll's Top Fueler open, Lagana Jr. got the call while his brother, newly-licensed Dominick, will step into the seat of the Twilight Zone entry he vacated, becoming the first two-car Top Fuel team with brothers at the helm in IHRA history. The brothers have tested at Gainesville. Bobby posted three career-best times in a row, running 4.63 seconds, 4.62 and finishing with 4.59. Dominick also topped his career best twice, ultimately running 4.85. ... IHRA and the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam will get more worldwide exposure in 2008. IHRA's television program, which is broadcast on SPEED across North America, will be seen on television in almost 50 countries all over the world. Live Nation Motor Sports' Michael Prince is spearheading the project. ... www.ihra.com. * Formula One News, Notes: The governing body of world motor sports has called off its spy scandal hearing with Formula One team McLaren. The hearing before FIA's World Motor Sport Council, to decide whether McLaren illegally used confidential Ferrari data to design its 2008 car, had been scheduled for Feb. 14. But McLaren apologized for its role in the spy scandal, with chief operating officer Martin Whitmarsh writing a letter to the WMSC to express his embarrassment the secret Ferrari documents were widely spread through his team. The general meeting already had been postponed from Dec. 8, and McLaren's public apology came five days later. If McLaren had been found guilty in the hearing, it could have faced severe sanctions for the 2008 season, which starts March 16 with the Australian Grand Prix. McLaren was fined a record $100 million in September by the WMSC for unauthorized possession of confidential Ferrari materials. The team also was kicked out of the constructors championship. McLaren has acknowledged some Ferrari information had been disclosed directly, or indirectly, to people within the company apart from test driver Pedro de la Rosa and former driver Fernando Alonso. The case broke open in July when a 780-page technical dossier on Ferrari cars was found at the home of McLaren's chief designer, Mike Coughlan, who later was suspended. Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who allegedly supplied the documents, was fired. ... McLaren's Lewis Hamilton had his driver's license suspended for a month in France after he was caught speeding by police. Hamilton was clocked going 123 mph in a Mercedes near the northern town of Laon Dec. 16, said police spokesman Arnaud Dujardin. "He recognized the infraction he had committed straight away," Dujardin said. "He was very courteous. The police officers then took him back to his hotel." Hamilton's car was taken away by police and picked up by a friend of the British racing star. Dujardin said the police officers did not recognize Hamilton, who was alone in the car, until they looked at his identification papers. "They did not know it was him. All they saw was a car going too fast," Dujardin said. "He no longer has a permit on national territory. He cannot drive in France, although I don't know whether that applies to (England)." The 22-year-old McLaren driver led the world championship standings for much of his rookie season, but finished one point behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. ... Renault escaped punishment for possessing confidential information about F1 rival McLaren because the material was of no use to the team, the sport's governing body said. The World Motor Sport Council said the unauthorized possession of four technical drawings was not serious enough to merit a penalty similar to the record $100 million fine imposed on McLaren in September for using confidential data from Ferrari. In a statement on its Web site, the sport's governing body, which found Renault guilty of breaching rules, said there was no evidence images of a fuel system schematic, gear layout and mass damper influenced any Renault design. Renault used the remaining drawing of a so-called "J-damper" only to have the system it thought McLaren was using declared illegal. "This failed because Renault had certain fundamental misunderstandings about the operation of the 'J-damper system,"' FIA president Max Mosley said. "This suggests Renault's sight of the 'J-damper' drawing did not give Renault enough information to understand how it worked. In these circumstances, an affect on the championship cannot be established." The FIA said it was lenient because Renault's senior management acted correctly when it was made aware of the drawings. Renault technical director Bob Bell carried out a preliminary investigation on Sept. 6 and sent the results to McLaren and the FIA. Phil Mackereth, a former McLaren engineer, took several CDs of data with him to Renault after he joined the team in September 2006. Of the 762 pages of information taken from McLaren by Mackereth, 111 contained McLaren information and were transferred to Renault's computers or offices. McLaren's hopes of having its rival punished seemed to diminish when it was forced to admit it had exaggerated the scale of the allegations against Mackereth and Renault. The FIA made McLaren acknowledge there were only 18 technical drawings of its cars on the 11 computer disks it said Mackereth had, not 780 outlining the entire blueprint as it had previously leaked to the press. (I'm sorry, but if you robbed a bank you still committed the crime of bank robbery. If the bank was empty, it only shows you were stupid; you still committed the crime). ... Etihad Airways has signed a three-year deal to become title sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Although the first event is not due to take place until early 2009, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was delighted Etihad had made such an early commitment. "Securing a title sponsor of this caliber two years out from the first event is further reinforcement that the region is full of excitement and anticipation for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix," said Ecclestone. The new Abu Dhabi GP will take place on a 5.6-kilometer track that is being built on the Yas Island. ... Fernando Alonso says he is not bitter about the time he had at McLaren after claiming his troubled spell at the team was not as bad as some people had made out. Alonso and McLaren parted ways shortly after the 2007 campaign finished, with the Spaniard and team boss Ron Dennis enduring a difficult relationship during their first season together. And although there were tough moments during the year, Alonso said the truth of his time at McLaren alongside Lewis Hamilton was very different from how it was portrayed in the press. "Too much was written about those things," he said in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. "I suffered only a tenth of everything that had been written. In the end, 20 laps from the end of the season (in Brazil), I had a realistic chance of winning the title for the third consecutive time. I left with a good taste in my mouth." Alonso said he had no predetermined plan for what he was going to do when the season finished, and revealed every team except Ferrari made an approach for his services once he had left McLaren. "It was a hard decision," he explained. "We opted for Renault as an optimistic decision. When the championship ended I didn't know what I was going to do, I was waiting to see. Yes, there was a possibility to continue at McLaren. When I left McLaren all teams approached me, but not Ferrari. I never visited a team's factory." ... McLaren boss Ron Dennis insists he is not going to quit as chief of the F1 team, despite the increasing fallout over the spying scandal. Speaking to the News of the World Dec. 16, the Briton made it clear he has every intention of carrying on. "I'm not going to quit. That is 100 per cent," he said. "I know there are people out there who want me to retire, but I'm not. I do not think it would be in the best interests of the team." ... David Coulthard says he would consider NASCAR as an option for his future career once he retires from F1. The Scot told ESPN.com he would prefer NASCAR over a single-seater series like the IRL if he was to commit to a move to the U.S. "I would consider something like NASCAR," Coulthard said "I don't think I would consider IRL. The only thing is, in America, you have to commit to it absolutely. Which means you move out there, take your family there. But I'd certainly consider it. This will be my 15th season in Formula One. After that, I'll do this as long as I'm having fun, as long as they keep saying 'Would you like to continue?'" ... Bridgestone has signed a contract with FIA to be Formula One's official tire supplier for the next three seasons. The Japanese company won the tender to supply tires from 2008 until 2010 in the middle of 2006, but the final paperwork only was signed recently. Bridgestone was F1's only tire supplier this year following the withdrawal of Michelin at the end of 2006. Bridgestone's deal also includes collaboration with the FIA Foundation to promote the "Think Before You Drive" road safety campaign for the next three years. ... Honda Racing will launch its 2008 car on Jan. 29. After the disappointment of 2007, the Japanese manufacturer has high hopes the RA108 will allow them to return to the front of the grid next season. The launch, which will be attended by CEO Nick Fry, team boss Ross Brawn, plus drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, will take place at Honda Racing's Brackley headquarters. ... Ferrari will launch its 2008 car at its Fiorano test track on Jan. 6. The new machine, an evolution of the car that helped Kimi Raikkonen win the world championship this year, will be unveiled to the press prior to its first test at Jerez in Spain the following week. ... The second Adrian Newey-designed Red Bull will appear at the Jerez group test Jan. 14-16, team principal Christian Horner said. The Renault-powered RB4 will have improved reliability as one of its main targets, Horner said. David Coulthard and Mark Webber will be the drivers. ... www.formula1.com
* Race of Champions Follow-Up: Dolphin Stadium in Miami executives are interested in luring the Race of Champions to the United States, reported ESPN.com. "When I went to [work for] Dolphin Stadium and the Miami Dolphins, part of my marching orders was to bring new events to the stadium," said Terry Bassett, Dolphins vice president of business development and former executive at International Speedway Corp., which owns 12 tracks on which the Sprint Cup Series competes. "We did a big renovation, about $350 million, to our building and
how are you going to fill it up? Anticipating the Marlins not being there when they get their new building, when you're dark, you need to fill it with dates. This is a perfect event: Big names, international scope. We believe because of our South Florida location, proximity to Central America and South America, we've got a location not many places in the U.S. can compete with." If this were to come to fruition, it would mark the first time ROC was held outside of Europe. Among the past locations are Paris, the Canary Islands, Madrid, Barcelona, Nurburgring and Monthlery. This was London's first time hosting the event. Organizer Fredrik Johnsson said the contract with Wembley Stadium is a one-year deal with "options in our favor for 2008 and/or 2009." He said the event is likely to return to Wembley next year. After that, it's anybody's ball game. Johnnson said there are some seven or eight renowned venues worldwide in contention to secure the event in the future, Miami being one of them. Johnnson said RoC officials chose Wembley in 2007 over other venues such as Berlin's Olympic Stadium, which hosted the FIFA World Cup soccer final in 2006, and Dolphin Stadium, home to last season's Super Bowl. Along with those two venues, Beijing's Olympic Stadium, home to the 2008 Olympic Games, and Stade de France in Paris, where the event was run from 2004 to 2006, are interested in hosting RoC in the future. Bassett has American racing ties. He once worked for NASCAR and IRL team owner Roger Penske, helping manage Penske's former ring of oval race tracks: Michigan, Rockingham, California and Nazareth (Pa.) When Penske sold those tracks to International Speedway Corp., Bassett went with them to ISC. He said he'd love to re-enter the racing realm by securing RoC for Dolphin Stadium. ... Race of Champions organizer Fredrik Johnsson thinks there is a "very good" chance the event will return to Wembley next year following its debut at the London stadium Dec. 16. Although the RoC failed to attract a sell-out audience, Johnsson thinks there were enough encouraging signs for the event to return to Wembley next year. "[It was] very positive, very, very positive," he told autosport.com. "The drivers put on a great show, they liked the track and there was a good response from the crowd that was here. We have a lot of offers in the future from big stadiums and other places around the world, but we will sit down and talk to Wembley in the new year and I think there is a very good chance that we will come back here." With RoC organizers having turned down offers from the Berlin Olympic Stadium and the Dolphin Stadium in Miami prior to choosing Wembley, Johnsson thinks there were reasons the event wasn't sold out. "We would have expected a sell-out, but I don't know if the fact they moved two big football matches from Saturday to Sunday changed something," he said. "Also, it is just before Christmas and a lot of people are out shopping, so that could have had an affect as well. We had some issues as well with the tickets; apparently they got out very late to people. But these are things we have to work on for next year." Johnsson also confirmed RoC organizers once again would try and convince Lewis Hamilton to take part next year. * A1GP Series News, Notes: A1GP is set to use biofuel on a race weekend for the first time at the next event in New Zealand in January. The series had planned to use the fuel at the start of the season, but it was delayed to ensure the performance of the Zytek engines would not be affected by the switch from regular fuel. The system was tested extensively ahead of this season, and a biofuel car even ran with the race cars during pre-season testing at Silverstone, but the decision to delay the change of fuel was made in the days running up to the start of the season at Zandvoort in September. ... Remaining 2007-08 A1GP races: Jan. 20, Taupo, New Zealand; Feb. 3, Sydney, Australia; Feb. 24, Durban, South Africa; March 16, Mexico City, Mexico; April 13, Shanghai, China; May 4, Brands Hatch, Great Britain. ... Points after Zhuhai (Dec. 16): Switzerland 79, France 60, New Zealand 59, Great Britain 48, South Africa 47, Netherlands 41, Ireland 39, Germany 37, China 28, India 27. USA 19th of 22, with 2 (ahead of racing powers Lebanon, Pakistan and Indonesia). * GP2 Series News, Notes: Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok will occupy the seats of reigning series champions iSport in 2008. The Brazilian, who brings strong sponsorship from Santander, and the Indian both will compete in the main series and in the new Asian championship. Senna and Chandhok each scored one win in 2007, and the Brazilian was the main challenger to eventual champion Timo Glock in the first half of the season before eventually finishing eighth for Arden. Chandhok ended up 15th in the standings with the struggling Durango team. ... Luca Filippi will race for former GP2 champions ART Grand Prix next year, the team said. The 22-year-old Italian, who finished fourth in his second year of GP2 in 2007, made his decision after testing with the team at the end of the season. Filippi, who took his only 2007 win at Bahrain, will partner series rookie Romain Grosjean at the French team, owned by Nicolas Todt and Fred Vasseur. ... Former Macau Grand Prix winner Mike Conway will join the Trident Racing team next year. After a challenging year with Super Nova in 2007, Conway, who won the British Formula 3 championship in 2006, has decided to change teams and will join his new outfit for the first test of the year at Paul Ricard on Feb. 28-29. ... Adrian Valles, 21, will return to GP2 with Fisichella Motor Sport in 2008 after a year away from the series. The Spaniard was a test driver for the Spyker F1 team this year. Valles took one podium finish during his 2006 campaign. He only scored one more point through the rest of the season with Campos Racing, but in 2005 he was runner-up in the World Series by Renault to Robert Kubica. ... BCN Competicion has signed Paolo Maria Nocera, 22, for the 2008 GP2 Series season. The Roman driver won the Italian Formula 3 Championship with the Team Lucidi Motors, scoring six victories and five poles. Nocera also has experience in Euroseries 3000 and Formula 3 Euro Series. ... ART Grand Prix signed Stephen Jelley to partner Romain Grosjean in the new GP2 Asia Championship. Jelley ran the British F3 Championship in 2007 for Raikkoenen Robertson. * MotoGP, World Superbike News, Notes: The schedule of events for the 2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 18-20 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca features round 11 of 18 in the MotoGp World Championship, while support races include AMA Superbike and Supersport championships as well as a pair of races for the new Red Bull Rookies Cup. Laguna Seca celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007. The raceway has been operated since its inception by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), a not-for-profit 501C(4) corporation. Each race season, SCRAMP donates its net proceeds to the volunteer groups that help put on the races. Last season, SCRAMP donated over $400,000 to those local charities and civic organizations. More: www.laguna-seca.com. ... Motorcycle racing's governing body has ratified a number of tweaks to MotoGP's regulations that should help prevent an escalation of costs in the series, said autosport.com. With the manufacturers and tire companies keen to prevent a big rise in the finances needed to compete, two rules ratified by the Grand Prix Commission should help the situation. A new testing regulation states tire companies now will be limited in the amount of running they are able to do prior to events. Previously, they could in theory run at Grand Prix tracks with a road bike on MotoGP tires--a potentially expensive exercise. Now they will be limited to running at only one nominated testing venue for four days per year, and without regular team riders. Furthermore, tire manufacturers will be able to request a two-day test at any new circuit, or at one that has been substantially resurfaced. This should allow the tire companies to better prepare their range of tires for a race weekend, so therefore not need to take such a wide variety of rubber. New rules also will outlaw the possibility of a manufacturer exploiting the area of oval pistons--which could have led to a big rise in costs if this avenue was followed. Other changes state a rider will be deemed to have retired if he enters his bike into the pit garage during a race. * Motorcycle Racing News, Notes: Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc., announced the opening round of the 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, from Anaheim's Angel Stadium will be broadcast live on SPEED Saturday, Jan. 5. The returning television team from last year, including pit reporter Erin Bates, color analyst Jeff Emig and play-by-play host Ralph Sheheen, will cover the action. Last year, en route to his first AMA Supercross class title, Kawasaki's James Stewart led all 20 laps of the opening round in Anaheim. ... After having contested the World Supersport Championship for the last two years, the Yamaha GMT94 team will move up to the World Superbike Championship in 2008 with riders David Checa, 27, and Sebastien Gimbert, 30. Yamaha GMT94 also will enter the world's two most demanding endurance races--the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Bol d'Or 24 Hours--with British rider Steve Plater joining Checa and Gimbert. The Guyot Motorcycling Team was founded in 1992 by Christophe Guyot. In 2003, the team linked up with Yamaha Motors France, and now is Yamaha GMT94. ... www.amaproracing.com. * Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series News, Notes: For the second consecutive year, fans will be able to catch Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 stars battle on SPEED and FOX Sports as the networks combine to offer 17 hours of television coverage from the 46th Rolex 24 At Daytona Jan. 26-27. At noon CT Jan. 26, the event will hit the national FOX Sports airwaves for 90 minutes of coverage from the "World Center of Racing." Bob Varsha will host coverage for both FOX and SPEED, joined in the booth by David Hobbs and Dorsey Schroeder, who will provide analysis, and Leigh Diffey, who will deliver play-by-play. Brian Till, Calvin Fish, Chris Neville and Andrew Marriott will be reporting from Daytona International Speedway pit lane. In addition to the network coverage, the first 90 minutes will be simulcast on the 1,400-square-foot News Astrovision by Panasonic Screen prominently located at One Times Square in New York. SPEED's coverage will encompass two parts totaling 15.5 hours. Part 1 airs from 1:30 to 9:30 p.m. CT Jan. 26, with programming returning to SPEED on the morning of Jan. 27 beginning at 5 a.m. CT and continuing through the checkered flag and post-race interviews. The 17 hours of coverage is a two-hour increase from last season. ... Team Sahlen said it will campaign two Corvette ZO6 racers for a second straight season in all 13 Rolex GT events. HRPWorld.com will be the sponsor and drivers will be the father-son duo of Joe and Wayne Nonnamaker in the No. 43, and Joe Sahlen and Will Nonnamaker in the No. 42. Beyond the Rolex campaign, Team Sahlen also will campaign one to two Mazdas in the KONI Challenge Series Street Tuner class. ... Stephan Gregoire, a four-time veteran of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, will return to Daytona Prototype competition with Fortune Market Racing. Gregoire was hired to co-drive the No. 7 BMW Dinan Riley with Gene Sigal and Matt Plumb at the 2008 race. ... Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson announced the addition of a pair of industry veterans to help the series maintain continued growth--Tom Bledsoe as Chief Operating Officer and Kevin Hindson Vice President of Marketing and Communications. They have experience at NASCAR and International Speedway Corp., respectively. ... Bill Auberlen will chase at least two championships in 2008, aiming for the top in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and KONI Challenge Series. The Redondo Beach, Calif., driver has won two of his six professional auto-racing championships in Grand-Am competition, with 30 victories, 46 podiums, 11 pole positions and 26 records in the two series to date. As announced previously, Auberlen will drive the No. 23 Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team Porsche-powered Crawford in the Rolex Daytona Prototype class. The car will be prepared by Alex Job Racing for Auberlen and Joey Hand of Sacramento, Calif. Auberlen also will return to the KONI GS class, driving the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 with Matthew Alhadeff of Los Angeles. The team won its third consecutive KONI driver and team championships this year. Turner and Auberlen's results gave BMW its first KONI manufacturer title. "I almost won two championships in the [2003 SPEED] World Challenge series, when I won in Touring Car and I missed in GT by just a few points. This year I want to go one better and try to win both Grand-Am championships," Auberlen said. ... After piloting the No. 23 Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team Porsche-powered Crawford Daytona Prototype for two seasons, driver Patrick Long of Belleair, Fla., returns to the Alex Job Racing stable as its third driver for the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona Jan. 26-27. Long joins co-drivers Bill Auberlen of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Joey Hand of Sacramento, Calif., in search of the team's first Rolex 24 win. ... Autohaus Motorsports will compete for the 2008 GT championship in Grand Am with driver duo Lawson Aschenbach and Tim Lewis Jr. For the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Craig Stanton and Max Papis will join the team, said team owner Bob Kirland. The team will field the No. 72 Pontiac GXP.R. Autohaus Motorsports is new to Grand Am, but not to GT racing. In 2006 and 2007 Autohaus fielded the No. 5 Viper driven by Tommy Archer in Speed World Challenge. ... www.grand-am.com. * American LeMans Series News, Notes: Dodge has been forced to revise its anticipated support of potential American Le Mans GT2 entrants for 2008. Citing workforce reductions in the wake of budgetary constraints after the Cerberus takeover, SPEEDtv.com has learned factory engineering and financial support of the projected 3-5 Dodge Viper Competition Coupes anticipated for 2008 has been tabled for a possible green light in 2009. Those entries, all privateer, had been waiting on confirmation from Dodge as to the level of support they would receive in the manufacturer-driven ALMS. The majority of those privateers are expected to pass on a GT2 program without manufacturer support akin to what their Porsche and Ferrari rivals enjoy. Primetime Race Group owner/driver Joel Feinberg, having previously announced his entry for the 2008 ALMS season, remains unaffected. Feinberg and co-driver Chapman Ducote made their series debut in Detroit in 2007, with Feinberg preparing in both the SPEED World Challenge GT series and the IMSA Lites category before making the leap to ALMS GT2. ... After a gradual return to prototype racing, Mazda entered 2007 with its most serious effort to date in the American Le Mans Series, a Lola chassis and a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine for LMP2. Mazda will be back in 2008, said John Doonan, Mazda's Manager of Motorsports Team Development, with the B-K Motorsports Lola-Mazda program. The Mazda MZR-R powerplant was built by endurance racing engine builder, Advanced Engine Research (AER) from the UK. ... Horag Racing and its two primary drivers, Fredy Lienhard and Didier Theys, shook down their Lista Office-sponsored Porsche RS Spyder at the Catalunya circuit north of Barcelona, Spain. Veteran Jan Lammers was selected by the Swiss team to be its third driver for the 2008 Le Mans Series (LMS) as well as the one or possibly two American Le Mans Series (ALMS) races on its 2008 schedule. Horag Racing again will focus on LMS in Europe next year, but plans to debut its new LMP2 car at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring ALMS season opener at Sebring March 15. The team also may compete in Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta Oct. 4. ... Racing for Holland will not enter the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours, the team said. The Dutch squad competed in the event for the past seven years, but team boss Jan Lammers believes the financial risk of competing in the race next year is too great. "I did not want to compete at Le Mans again with a big chance that we would lose money as a business because of this," he said. "It is not unthinkable that in the future Racing for Holland will return to Le Mans again, but only if the right win-win conditions are there." Lammers, who will continue to race next year in a Porsche RS Spyder with Horag Racing, added his outfit was fully focused on its A1GP duties at the moment. "A1GP is going really well," he said. "The sponsor budget is complete and already for next year we are well underway." ... www.americanlemans.com. * Rallying News, Notes: Ford's factory World Rally Championship team will continue to pair two Finns. Jari-Matti Latvala has been confirmed to replace the retiring Marcus Gronholm alongside Mikko Hirvonen next year, said Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson. Latvala, only 22, raced in a privateer Stobart Ford this year. Gronholm, a double world champion with Peugeot earlier, retired after finishing as runner-up to Citroen's Sebastien Loeb this season. Latvala finished eighth in the 2007 drivers standings. ... Gigi Galli will replace Jari-Matti Latvala at the Stobart Ford team in next year's WRC, the team said. The Italian made a handful of appearances in the 2007 championship, but he will complete a full season in 2008. Galli will be nominated for manufacturer points at every event, while the team will decide through the year which of his two teammates--Henning Solberg or Matthew Wilson--also is nominated. The team's three regular drivers will be joined by Francois Duval for the season-opening Monte Carlo rally. Latvala was promoted to the BP Ford team. ... Ford of Europe confirmed plans to deliver an all-new, high-performance Focus RS model for launch in 2009. The new Focus RS will be based on the new Focus ST. It will be developed by Ford Team RS, a specialist team led by Jost Capito who, as previously announced, is being appointed to the new role as Vehicle Line Director for Ford of Europe Performance Vehicles on Jan. 1. "With two consecutive manufacturers' World Rally Championship titles under our belt, the time is right to create a new Focus RS," said John Fleming, Ford of Europe's President and CEO. "With the Fiesta and Focus ST models, Jost and his team have proved already they can deliver exciting and practical performance road cars. The success of these models, combined with Jost's experience in motor sport and Ford of Europe's positive business results, mean that we now have a credible business case for a no-compromise Focus RS road car for more enthusiastic drivers." The basic concept for a new Focus RS has been under development within Ford Team RS under Capito's leadership for some months already. Ford of Europe would not reveal any of the technical details of the new Focus RS until closer to launch in 2009. The company plans to show a concept version of the car publicly for the first time in mid-2008. ... Finland's Toni Gardemeister and Sweden's Per-Gunnar Andersson will lead Suzuki's challenge in the team's first full WRC season next year, the Japanese manufacturer announced. Gardemeister, 32, has driven for a variety of teams including Ford, Seat and Skoda in previous years. He raced a privately-entered Mitsubishi in some rallies this season. Andersson, 27, is the junior world rally champion and has been with Suzuki for the past four years. Suzuki competed in selected rallies this year to prepare for the full debut. The season starts in Monte Carlo on Jan. 24. ... 2008 WRC schedule: Jan. 24-27, Monte Carlo; Feb. 8-10, Sweden; Feb. 29-March 2, Mexico; March 28-30, Argentina; April 24-27, Jordan; May 16-18, Italy; May 29-June 1, Acropolis; June 13-15, Turkey, July 31-Aug. 3, Finland; Aug. 15-17, Germany; Aug. 28-31, New Zealand; Oct. 2-5, Spain; Oct. 10-12, France; Oct. 24-26, Japan; Nov. 28-30, Wales Rally GB. ... Winners of 2007 WRC previous events: Jan. 19-21, Monte Carlo, Sebastien Loeb, Citroen; Feb. 9-11, Sweden, Marcus Gronholm, Ford; Feb. 16-18, Norway, Mikko Hirvonen, Ford; March 9-11, Mexico, Loeb, Citroen; March 30-April 1, Portugal, Loeb, Citroen; May 4-6, Argentina, Loeb, Citroen; May 18-20, Italia-Sardinia, Gronholm, Ford; June 1-3, Acropolis Rally of Greece, Gronholm, Ford; Aug. 3-5, Finland, Gronholm, Ford; Aug. 17-19, Rallye Deutschland, Loeb, Citroen; Aug. 31-Sept. 2, New Zealand, Gronholm, Ford; Oct. 5-7, Rallye de Espana Catalunya (Spain), Loeb, Citroen; Oct. 12-14, Rallye de France-Tour de Corse, Loeb, Citroen; Oct. 26-28, Japan, Hirvonen, Ford; Nov. 16-18, Rally Ireland, Loeb, Citroen; Nov. 30-Dec. 2, Rally Wales, Great Britain, Hirvonen, Ford. ... Final 2007 driver point leaders: Sebastien Loeb 116, Marcus Gronholm 112, Mikko Hirvonen 99, Daniel Sordo 65, Petter Solberg 47, Henning Solberg 34, Chris Atkinson 31, Jari-Matti Latvala 30, Manfred Stohl 13, Francois Duval 12. ... Final 2007 manufacturers points: BP Ford World Rally Team 212, Citroen Total WRT 183, Subaru WRT 87, Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team 81, OMV Kronos Citroen WRT 45, Munchi's Ford WRT 14. * Road Racing News, Notes: Andersen Racing has been chosen as Van Diemen's factory team for the 2008 F2000 Championship Series presented by Hoosier Racing Tire. The arrangement was announced by David Bowes, CEO of Elan Motorsports Technologies (EMT), which owns Van Diemen, and Dan Andersen, co-owner of Andersen Racing, which fields multiple entries in three different series: F2000, Star Mazda and Indy Pro Series. It is the official development team of Rahal Letterman Racing, and is headquartered at Andersen RacePark, an 18-acre facility in Palmetto, Fla., that includes a one-mile test track. More: andersenracingteam.com, elanmotorsports.com or f2000championshipseries.com. ... Formula BMW Americas announced winners of the four 2008 BMW Junior scholarships: Colombian-born Juan Arenas, 18, of Miami, Fla.; Mikael Grenier, 15, of Quebec, Canada; Alexandre Ruiz, 16, of Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Ricardo Favoretto, 19, of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The first three were selected from the 23 participants from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Peru and the United States who competed in two scholarship shoot-outs at the Formula BMW Racing Center at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Favoretto finished as runner-up to 2007 Formula BMW USA rookie champion Esteban Gutierrez, who will compete in the Formula BMW Europe Championship in 2008. Each Americas Junior will receive $80,000 towards participation in the championship and automatic complimentary enrollment in the education and coaching program. Formula BMW Americas will have a 14-race schedule, yet to be finalized, but two will be in support of Formula One Grands Prix: Canadian GP June 6-8 and Brazilian GP Oct. 31-Nov. 2. There are Formula BMW series worldwide. Germany and UK have combined championships to form Formula BMW Europe, along with Formula BMW Americas and newly-announced Formula BMW Pacific. ... The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, one of the top open-wheel racing and driver development series in North America, will use standing starts for all 12 races in 2008. "We are making this change to keep our series in line with other top open-wheel racing series, including Formula One, Champ Car and Champ Car Atlantic and others who utilize standing starts," said Star Mazda President Gary Rodrigues. "In keeping with our mission to provide the best possible training for young drivers on their way up the open-wheel racing ladder, we have made the decision that a well-rounded education must include experience with the same starting format used by the series into which our drivers will graduate." The technology to be used is unique and currently undergoing final testing and development at the Star Mazda Championship headquarters complex in Pacoima, Calif. A series of 18 x 18-inch mobile LED panels, all wirelessly connected to the starting computer, will be placed at intervals alongside the starting grid, so that all drivers in the typically large Star Mazda starting field of 30+ cars have a clear view. Horizontal rows of super-bright red LEDs will begin to glow, moving up the screen like a thermometer. When the final row of lights comes on and the screen is full red, the starting computer will randomly select a delay of between .5 and 2.5 seconds, after which all the red LEDs will go out simultaneously and the entire screen will turn green, signaling the official start of the race. Star Mazda open-wheel cars are a single-spec, high-tech machine with a carbon-fiber chassis, push-rod suspension, Goodyear radial racing tires and a 6-speed sequential gearbox mated to a race-prepared 250-horsepower Mazda Renesis rotary engine. ... Andersen Racing has signed Juliana Gonzalez to compete in the 2008 Star Mazda Championship, which is carried on a tape-delayed basis on SPEED. The 16-year-old driver from Mexico City, a native of Columbia, competed in six of 12 U.S. F2000 Championship Series races with Andersen Racing this year. Her best showing came at Road Atlanta when she started and finished second. By advancing from F2000 to Star Mazda, Gonzalez is the latest driver moving through open-wheel racing's ranks via Andersen Racing's three-step ladder system utilizing F2000, Star Mazda and Indy Pro series. Its lead Indy Pro driver, Andrew Prendeville, finished second in the F2000 series just three years ago in one of the team's cars. ... Lime Rock Park and Skip Barber Racing School, L.L.C., announced a new agreement which extends and expands their relationship through the 2021 season. Under the agreement terms, the Skip Barber Racing School will continue as the exclusive racing and driving school of Lime Rock Park. The School now also becomes the exclusive provider for automotive manufacturer events at Lime Rock, and by 2010 will be the exclusive provider of karting events. Skip Barber will have the opportunity to improve the Sunoco Paddock to accommodate a karting track layout and auto-exercise facilities without diminishing that paddock's existing functions. It is further anticipated the School will be able to provide Lime Rock with programs for its exclusive new club for motor sports enthusiasts, The Club at Lime Rock Park. Lime Rock (www.limerock.com) is one of the busiest racing facilities in North America with more than 225 track days in 2007. Skip Barber Racing School, headquartered in Lakeville, Conn., and operating out of five base locations (Lime Rock in Connecticut; Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California; Road America in Wisconsin; Road Atlanta in Georgia; and Sebring International Raceway in Florida), is the world's largest racing and driving school, available at more than 20 race tracks across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to its racing schools, the company also operates six separate open-wheel and sedan racing championships, the Skip Barber Driving Schools, and its new High Performance Driving Schools, as well as OEM events, corporate events, and other programs and services. Skip Barber Racing School recently signed a long-term agreement with Mazda North American Operations; Mazda sports cars are used in the Driving School programs and beginning in 2008, Mazda engines will power the Skip Barber fleet of more than 100 formula race cars, strengthening the North American motor sports ladder system of Skip Barber Race Series, Star Mazda Championship and Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. More: www.skipbarber.com or call (860) 435-1300. * Permit Issued for New Building at Blackhawk Farms: A Winnebago County building permit for Rockton Township was issued Nov. 14 to Old Dog Motorsports LLC for $300,000 for an office and business storage unit at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, 15538 Prairie Road. Blackhawk Farms, a Stateline racing fixture for 30 years, changed ownership on Aug. 31. Paul Musschoot, owner of General Kinematics Corp. of Crystal Lake, purchased the facility from Raymond Irwin. Blackhawk Farms was built in 1967 by Tito and Marcia Nappi on a 219-acre farm just south of the Illinois-Wisconsin line. Mike and Raymond Irwin bought the facility from the Nappis in 1986. In 2005, Mike retired and Raymond assumed operations. Raymond Irwin owns and operates Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas. Since being built, Blackhawk has hosted events for sports cars, motorcycles, go-karts and others. Musschoot has been involved in racing since the late 1970s. Starting as a technical inspector for SCCA, Musschoot campaigned cars in SCCA GT-1 and Trans-Am racing into the early 1980s. Taking a break from racing, Musschoot helped build his current business into a global player in the materials handling industry. He is General Kinematics President and CEO. Returning to racing in the GT-1 class in the late 1990s, Musschoot has spent a significant amount of time racing at Blackhawk Farms. He said he plans to continue the family-friendly atmosphere the track provides, while taking a fresh look at facilities and the overall track experience. * World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series News, Notes: Joey Saldana and Craig Dollansky both overcame adversity Dec. 22 to register strong runs at Palmerston North Speedway in New Zealand as part of the International Sprint Car season. After having trouble in their respective heat races, which required extensive repairs by their Salter Motorsports crew, the pair of Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series stars charged through the field in the 30-lap A-Feature. Saldana lined up 14th and weaved his way through the field to come home third. Dollansky lined up 17th and powered his way to a fourth. The final lap saw Dollansky, who was running third try to take the second position from Greg Pickerill, opening the door for Saldana to take third exiting the fourth turn as the checkered flag waved. Peter Huijs won. The WoO drivers return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 26, at Springs Speedway in Western Springs New Zealand for twin $20,000-to-win features. The first one was rained out Dec. 9, and will see Dollansky start on pole for the 30-lapper. ... Shane Stewart ran an outlaw schedule in 2007, competing from coast-to-coast in a couple of different cars, winning a career-high number of races along the way. In 2008, he will be a true Outlaw as he will team up with Roth Motorsports to contest the entire Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series schedule and contend for the championship. Stewart, the 2005 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year in WoO, won 17 races in '07. The car will sport the Roth No. 83 with Dave Whitworth as crew chief and Dean "Bonzai" Bruns joining the team as car chief. Roth Motorsports finished third in WoO points in 2007 on the strength of six A-Feature wins with former series champion Danny Lasoski behind the wheel. ... Jeremy Campbell Motorsports said that, after 12 years of competition at various racing levels, 2007 marked the final year for the WoO team. The Monroe, Mich., native started in go-karts and moved up through shifter karts into mini-sprints, 360s and finally into 410 ci sprint cars for the last six years. "Our sport is just way too expensive to do without major sponsors, or a lot of money to back you," said Campbell. "The race team is putting too much strain on the other businesses for me to continue." Campbell is selling much of his equipment and is looking to secure a ride for the 2008 season. ... After completing the most successful campaign of his career with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in 2007, Joey Saldana returned to action Dec. 15 in New Zealand and picked up a $20,000 win. Saldana was teamed with fellow WoO driver Craig Dollansky for the Salter Motorsports at TeMarua Speedway in Wellington for part of the International Sprint Car season. Saldana, who won 13 times with WoO in 2007, lined up fifth for the 30-lap A-Feature aboard the No. USA63 machine. He moved into third on lap eight with a pass of Greg Pickerill, and then tracked down multi-time New Zealand champion Allan Wakeling and leader Kerry Jones by the 20th lap. Dollansky lined up sixth and came home sixth after engine trouble. He won his first race of the International season at Western Springs Speedway two weeks ago. Saldana also won the first heat and Dollansky won two heats. They were slated to return to action Dec. 22 at Palmerston North Speedway in Palmerston, New Zealand, for Salter Motorsports. ... The 30th anniversary Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season opens Feb. 8 with the 37th annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. ... www.worldofoutlaws.com. * ARCA RE/MAX Series News, Notes: Canadian Pierre Bourque is slated to drive a car fielded by Eddie Sharp Racing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series opening race at Daytona. Bourque participated in the open ARCA test at the track, and was able to place himself 12th overall on the speed charts. Bourque did race on the Daytona road course last January, driving a Porsche 997 for The Racers' Group to a 12th-place finish and earning a hard-charger award for making the most passes during the event. He is scheduled to compete in the 2008 edition of the 24-hour race with TRG at the end of January. ... www.arcaracing.com. * ASA Midwest Tour News, Notes: ASA Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by Echo Outdoor Power Equipment will hold its championship banquet Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Visit www.asamidwesttour.com for more information. ... More info, call (608) 884-0388, e-mail Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@asamidwesttour.com, or go to www.asamidwesttour.com. To learn more about Daytona Beach, Fla.-based Racing Speed Associates or ASA Member Track program, call (386) 258-2221 or e-mail info@asa-racing.com, or visit www.asa-racing.com. * Other Stock Car Racing News, Notes: Matt Kenseth will return to race at the Milwaukee Mile in a super late model on Sunday, Aug. 24, to defend his victory in the Wisconsin All-Star 100 with Matt Kenseth race during the Governor's Cup weekend. Last August, the Cambridge, Wis., native won his first Milwaukee Mile checkered flag in a 50-lap super late model race promoted by RK Race Promotions in conjunction with the Mile. Kenseth bested an all-star field of 36 drivers from Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest. The 2008 race will be 100 miles, with upwards of 50 super late-model entries. Once again, RK Race Promotions, operated by Roy Kenseth, Matt's father, is offering a special hospitality package, which includes a 400-level race-day ticket and a private hospitality area. More: www.mattkenseth.com. Tickets for the Aug. 22-24 Governor's Cup weekend: Call (414) 453-8277 or visit www.milwaukeemile.com. ... Madison (Wis.) International Speedway General Manager Dave Grueneberg said Area Sportsman will return as a weekly division on the half-mile in 2008. The class last raced weekly in 2006 on the quarter-mile. Also, Madison Late Models, Limited Late Models and Bandits all will return in 2008. Several super late-model events, along with some never before seen events, are slated for 2008 as well. The track's 2007 banquet will take place Saturday, Jan. 19, at The Heights in Verona, Wis. The track's Web site has been redesigned; look at madisoninternationalspeedway.com. ... Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Ind., has decided to drop the Mid-American Sportsman division because of low car counts the past few years and add two new divisions for 2008. INEX Legends and Bandoleros will race Saturday nights on the quarter-mile with Turbo Stox and 4-Cylinder Pure Stocks, while Super Late Models and Limited Late Models will race on the half-mile. For 2008, Illiana is adding metal bleachers, partially graveling the parking lot and possibly paving the midway where the concession stands and bathrooms are located. More at www.illianaspeedway.homestead.com or (219) 322-5311. ... The 2007 ASA Late Model Series awards dinner is scheduled Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18-19, at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Louisville, Ky. It will be the fifth annual, featuring the inaugural ASALMS How to Clinics on technical issues, marketing, budgeting, product awareness and safety mandates, as well as what is new and what is coming. ... Sprint Speed and Sound 2008 is set Jan. 11-12 in Nashville, Tenn. The fan festival includes autograph sessions with Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Kyle Petty, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli and many more. There will be Q&A sessions, story-telling sessions with the legends of music and racing, show cars, sponsor displays, fan auction and a country concert featuring Alan Jackson with Taylor Swift and Jason Michael Carroll. More details, including ticket info: http://www.soundandspeed.org. * Rockford Area News, Notes: Jerry Lemke's JAMR Racing Engines & Dyno Service held its annual Open House/Christmas Party Dec. 22 at its shop at 5628 Industrial Ave. in Loves Park. Recognized were champs who used JAMR power in 2007: Jon Reynolds Jr., Limited Late Models, Slinger (Wis.) Super Speedway; Ricky Bilderback, NASCAR Late Models, Rockford Speedway; Bobby Wilberg, Limited Late Models, Madison (Wis.) International Speedway; and David Gough, UMARA National Midgets. JAMR also found victory lane in other divisions and events with Mike Lloyd, Matt Berger and Scott Lawver in stock cars, Jason Dull in midgets and Garth Morgan in drag racing. * Chili Bowl Entries at 274, More Expected: As of Dec. 23, entries for the 22nd annual Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals--with the Jan. 12 final night live on HBO Pay-Per-View for the first time--were at 274, up over last year's record of 267. Officials said more entries are expected before the Jan. 8-12 event fires off at the QuikTrip Center (formerly the Tulsa Expo Center) in Tulsa, Okla. Two-time and defending Chili Bowl champion Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, J.J. Yeley and four-time race winner Sammy Swindell head the entry list, which can be seen at www.chilibowl.com, with links for all drivers. 2006 Chili Bowl champ Tim McCreadie's entry was filed last week, bringing to six the number of past winners entered. Others, in addition to Stewart and Swindell, are Cory Kruseman, Tracy Hines and Johnny Heydenreich (no entry yet from 1988 champ Scott Hatton of Roscoe). But four other Rockford-area drivers had filed entries--Kevin Olson, Machesney Park, No. 4ko Jerry Hardy Buzzard/Hawk Chevy; David Gough, Machesney Park, No. 75x Speedquip Motorsports Phanton/Chevy; Davey Ray, Loves Park, No. 33 Dan Mecum Spike/Chevy; and Dan Mecum, Marengo, Mecum Racing Spike/Chevy. Olson has competed in 15 Chili Bowls and made the championship race 10 times. Ray has made the title race three times, Gough once. The field so far has drivers from 27 states and Australia and Canada. California leads the way with 60 entries, followed by Indiana 32, Illinois 30, Oklahoma 28 and Missouri 16. Notables: After a long Chili Bowl absence, car owner Steve Lewis returns with Dave Darland piloting his Toyota-powered No. 9x entry. It is believed to be the first time for Lewis to field a Chili Bowl entry since 1999, when Jason Leffler finished 16th. Lewis competed in the inaugural Chili Bowl in 1987 as a driver. Not donning a helmet since the end of the 1997 season, Ron Shuman has been named the driver of the A.J. Felker Racing No. 37T entry. Shuman was dominant in the initial decade of Chili Bowl history, making the main event nine out of nine times with seven top-10 finishes and a pair of runner-up showings. The addition of Shuman brings the number of father-son combinations to three. Ron joins son Casey Shuman on the Felker team. Other father-son combos include Sammy and Kevin Swindell and John and C.J. Sarna. Keith Kunz Motorsports will field eight entries, including cars for Travis Rilat, Bryan Clauson, Leffler, Matt Sherrell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Cole Whitt, Chris Windom and 15-year-old Caleb Armstrong. Since signing with Roush Fenway Racing, Stenhouse now finds himself aboard a Kunz entry rather than the Chevrolet-sponsored Tony Stewart Motorsports team. "Smoke" still fields a formidable team led by himself, with Hines, Levi Jones and Josh Richards. Wilke-PAK Motorsports has Jerry Coons Jr., Terry McCarl, Kurt Davis and a seat to be filled. Loyet Motorsports has five cars--for Danny Lasoski, Jon Stanbrough, P.J. Jones, Brad Loyet and one TBA. Felker Racing has five, Lehmann Racing five, Cruz Pedregon four and Scooter Ellis four. At least 30 drivers earned a series or track championship during 2007, 11 midget titles. Seven women are in the field. * USAC News, Notes: Cameron Dodson of Greenfield, Ind., and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Olive Branch, Miss., were named 2007 USAC National Rookies of the Year Jan. 19 at USAC's Night of Champions National Awards Dinner at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Dodson earned the K & N Silver Crown Series rookie accolades piloting a car entered by NASCAR star and USAC vet Carl Edwards and RE Technologies of Bartlett, Tenn. Stenhouse earned dual honors in USAC's Lucas Oil National Sprint Car and National Midget Car Series, driving team cars fielded by two-time NASCAR champion and former USAC Triple Crown champion Tony Stewart. Dodson finished sixth in the final Silver Crown standings after winning the Copper World Classic finale at Phoenix. He also won a pole at New Hampshire. Stenhouse ranked sixth in Sprint Car points, winning once. He was third in final National Midget points on the strength of five feature victories. Stenhouse becomes only the second driver in history to claim both the Sprint and Midget Rookie honors in a single season, duplicating Darren Hagen's 2005 feat. Michael Lewis also won Sprint (2003) and Midget (1998) honors, while Ryan Newman remains the only driver ever to win all three USAC National rookie honors, Midget in 1995, Silver Crown in 1996 and Sprint in 1999. Rookies of the Year also were named in USAC's 2007 Ford Focus racing series: Jordan Pennington of Mishawaka, Ind. (Midwest), Robby Josett of Santa Clarita, Calif. (California), Tanner Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. (Carolina) and Steven Intravaia of Saylorsburg, Pa. (Northeast). James Robertson of Indianapolis is USAC's 2007 Regional Midget Rookie of the Year. ... Race organizer Tony Barhorst's 10th annual Rumble in Fort Wayne is slated Dec. 28-29 at the Memorial Coliseum Expo Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. The only indoor event on the USAC calendar features USAC midgets in a pair of 60-lap features on the 1/6-mile concrete oval. The event also features winged 600cc midgets, go-karts, slingshots, quarter-midgets and junior sprints, with prelims at 1:30 p.m., quarter-midget features starting at 5:15 p.m., followed by an autograph session 6-6:45 and midget racing at 7 pm. Tony Stewart, one of only four USAC Triple Crown champions in the club's 52-year history, won both Fort Wayne features last year. Other midget winners at Fort Wayne since USAC began sanction in 2004 have been Dave Darland and Rich Corson. More: E-mail tbracefest@aol.com, visit rumbleseries.com or call (317)418-3216. * Go-Kart Racing News, Notes: First Kart North America, First Kart USA along with the FirstKart.com race team have signed 2007 Robopong 200-Mile TaG Endurance co-driving champion Chris Larson for 2008 with support from PKP Yellowfin. Larson will contest the World Karting Association (WKA) Manufacturers Cup in several different classes, said FirstKart.com Team Principal Tony Ventresca. Larson, a multi-time Manufacturers Cup title holder with championships in Yamaha Junior Super Can, TaG and Yamaha Lite, will contest full time at least three classes throughout the '08 WKA season. Larson will try his hand in TaG, Can Lite and Yamaha Lite and in select events in the HPV divisions and Heavy classes. More: www.firstkart.com. ... FirstKart.com race team also re-signed SunTrust Junior driver and Snap-on Stars of Karting Junior Intercontinental A (JICA) front runner Spencer Pigot to compete in the Florida Winter Tour, the Snap-on Stars of Karting Championship presented by IndyCar and the World Karting Association Manufacturers Cup in his second junior season. ... Formula Kart Productions, Inc., said two-time and reigning ICC national champion Gary Carlton, along with three-time ICC national champion Alex Speed and two-time SuperNationals champion Scott Speed, all have been confirmed as entries in the 2008 Florida Winter Tour Rotax DD2 class. Carlton and the Speed brothers will face a considerable challenge if they wish to knock off the current North American aces in the DD2 category. They'll face the likes of SRA Karting's Pier-Luc Ouelette, who recently captured the DD2 World Championship at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. Also entered are United States DD2 champion Stuart Marsell and U.S. runner-up Brandon Marsell. Pre-registration for the first event of 2008 has smashed all previous FWT records as 180 drivers already are signed up for the Jan. 11-13 Rotax Max weekend dedicated to the six Rotax classes (DD2, Senior, Masters, Junior, Mini Max, Micro Max). ... The 15th annual Mid-America Kart Club's swap meet is set Sunday, March 9, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at Harlem Community Center, 900 Roosevelt Road, Machesney Park. Swap tables are $10 each, admission a $2 donation. Call Matt Whitledge at (815) 636-1957 to reserve a swap table. Swap meet set-up will be at 8 a.m. * Midwest Motorsports Auctions Slated: Midwest Motorsports will stage the following events--Illinois Racer's Auction and Trade Show Jan. 4-5 at the Sportscore Indoor Sports Center, about a mile east of I-39/90, Loves Park; and Michigan Racer's Auction and Trade Show Jan. 12 at Kalamazoo Fairgrounds. Each auction is an opportunity for race teams to buy and sell parts/equipment on consignment, with a trade show featuring the latest in new equipment or getting information from the many different race series and tracks for the upcoming 2008 season. For selling cars and/or parts, call the auction hotline at (815) 316-7841 or e-mail racersauction@yahoo.com. For the trade shows, contact Dave Noelke at (608) 786-3959 or e-mail auctiontrade@charter.net. There also is a Web site, www.racersauctionnews.com. --30--
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