http://inpitlane.com In Pit Lane Fri, 18 May 2012 15:37:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en http://inpitlane.com/archives/13291 http://inpitlane.com/archives/13291#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:05:17 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=3291 http://inpitlane.com/archives/13291/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/13159 http://inpitlane.com/archives/13159#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:42:05 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=3159 British sportscar drivers Richard Westbrook and Oliver Gavin will pay tribute to countryman Dan Wheldon at this weekend’s Armor All Gold Coast 600. Wheldon tragically passed away following an IndyCar accident in Las Vegas last weekend. He was scheduled to race alongside James Courtney at the Surfers Paradise street circuit this weekend. Both Westbrook and Gavin are life long friends and rivals of their countryman Wheldon, with all three members of the exclusive British Racing Drivers Club. Westbrook and Gavin will unveil special visor stickers in memory of Wheldon in pit lane at the Surfers Paradise street circuit at 9.30am local Queensland time. All BRDC members present at this weekend’s event will carry the special visor stripe stickers as a tribute to Wheldon. They are Westbrook, Gavin, Andy Priaulx, Emanuele Pirro, Gil de Ferran, Marino Franchitti, Ryan Briscoe, Richard Lyons and Darren Turner. Westbrook will partner Todd Kelly in the #7 Jack Daniel’s Commodore at the Armor All Gold Coast 600, while Gavin will drive alongside Greg Murphy in the #11 Pepsi Max Commodore. Source: Kelly Racing Media Release]]> http://inpitlane.com/archives/13159/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/13135 http://inpitlane.com/archives/13135#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:16:27 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=3135 It not exactly new technology, in fact it's been around for years, but the Seven Network's use of "Virtual Signage" at Mount Panorama is a worrying situation for Australian Sport and one that the circuits and CAMS need to get a grip on quickly. Viewers of last weekends "Great Race" were treated to a number of CGI created virtual bridges and signs across the famous circuit, mostly for major V8 supercar sponsors Telstra and Norton, a company that has made billions protecting people from the inadequacies of Mr Gate's Windows operating system. The problem with virtual signage is that while these signs pump dollars into the host broadcaster and perhaps even V8 Supercars Australia, do the circuits see any of this money? You see real signage, of the old fashioned type, was a substantial earner for circuits and sporting venues, this money, could, in theory, be used by these circuits to improve facilities for spectators and competitors across the board, not just at the elite level.]]> http://inpitlane.com/archives/13135/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/13088 http://inpitlane.com/archives/13088#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:42:26 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=3088 Thursday's practice session at a wet Mount Panorama has been cancelled due to a dispute over wet weather tyres. Two different batches of the control Dunlop tyres are present at the track, leading to concerns by some teams that one batch could be better than another, giving the teams that use them an unfair advantage. According to the website Speedcafe.com, unattributed "Paddock speculation" is suggesting that the newer of the two batches could prove up to four seconds per lap faster than the older tyres. Teams have now agreed to new regulations that will see them restricted to using just five sets of wet weather tyres in the race. The original supplementary race regulations stated that an unlimited amount of wet tyres could be used. Weather Reports for the weekend indicate wet and cold conditions will continue with heavy overnight fog and the chance of afternoon storms over the weekend.]]> http://inpitlane.com/archives/13088/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/12913 http://inpitlane.com/archives/12913#comments Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:17:50 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=2913 Subaru Australia will display it's wicked Liberty GT300 race car at the Australian International Motorshow starting this Friday at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The car which runs in the Japanese based SUPER GT series is powered by a 300BHP version of the company's two litre turbocharged boxer engine. For Subaru the car represents one of the few remaining motorsport projects for a company that made it's International reputation on high performance rallying. But the decision to bring the car Liberty GT300 to Australia indicates that like Toyota the company may once again be getting serious about racing and high performance. Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia, said: “Visitors to our stand in Melbourne will see we’ve got a ‘performance corner’, which will include this amazing sleek Liberty race car, which is a highlight of the GT300 series in Japan. “We’ll also have a WRX STI racing car simulator, where visitors can try and set a lap record against some fierce competition at the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany.” So far the Subaru looks to be the highlight for racing fans at the show but there's plenty of other interesting performance machines on display.]]> http://inpitlane.com/archives/12913/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/12900 http://inpitlane.com/archives/12900#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:37:15 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=2900 The Tasmanian Government has denied that it was withdrawing it's support for a V8 Supercar event at Symmons Plains. Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings accused VESA officials of "sabre rattling" over the future of the race. V8 Supercars Australia claimed that the State Government had scrapped its three-year deal to run the event and with no commitment beyond this year, the event from November 11-13 would be the last. Premier Gidding's however has denied that any final decision had been made and that the State was keen to see the event continue. "We know it is a very popular sport for many Tasmanians, but we have to go through a negotiation process and that is what is happening right now," she told the Hobart Mercury . "I think it might be a bit of sabre rattling by the V8s because we are still in discussions with them around a negotiation. The Tasmanian Minister for Tourism Scott Bacon also denies the event has been officially scrapped. "The suggestion that we have abandoned our commitment to events in 2012 and 2013 is incorrect," he said.]]> http://inpitlane.com/archives/12900/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/12653 http://inpitlane.com/archives/12653#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:03:12 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=2653 http://inpitlane.com/archives/12653/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/12590 http://inpitlane.com/archives/12590#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:29:29 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=2590 NASCAR star Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in the Sprint Cup Series, has announced that he will be making his NHRA Full Throttle Series debut at the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 11-13, at historic Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway. The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion will be competing for one of the 16 qualifying spots in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class in the Shell Dodge Avenger for Allen Johnson and J & J Racing. “Pro Stock is the tightest pro category as far as the elapsed time is concerned and it’s not going to be an easy task,’ Busch said.  “I feel me teaming up with Allen Johnson and the Mopar folks, we’ve given ourselves the best opportunity to make the show.” Busch spent a good part of his busy off-season testing with Allen Johnson and he earned his NHRA Pro Stock license with an impressive best-pass of 6.576 seconds at 210.43 mph at Bradenton, Fla.]]> http://inpitlane.com/archives/12590/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/12524 http://inpitlane.com/archives/12524#comments Sun, 02 Jan 2011 13:09:48 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=2524 http://inpitlane.com/archives/12524/feed http://inpitlane.com/archives/12492 http://inpitlane.com/archives/12492#comments Sun, 19 Dec 2010 09:16:51 +0000 Brett Ramsey http://inpitlane.com/?p=2492 Australia's richest Pro-Stock Drag Race and the return of the Top Doorslammers will be just two of the major announcements to come this Wednesday at Melbourne's Calder Park. Track owner Bob Jane and manager Ian Macarthur will also announce details of a rich new "Triple Crown" series to be held at the track across all major classes. The new series will kick off with the "True Blue" Nationals which will once again feature the countries Top Doorslammer stars in their 1/8th mile challenge series. As well fans of hi-tech turbos and rotaries will get to see a special match race series featuring the turbocharged Toyota Aurion of Tony Wedlock, against Rocky Rehayem in his wild rotary turbocharged Mazda 6, in a Pro FX challenge.]]> http://inpitlane.com/archives/12492/feed