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ELECTRIFYING GULLWING FROM MERCEDES AMG

5. July 2010

The push towards high performance all electric vehicles takes another step forward as Mercedes Benz announces the SLS AMG E-CELL. With 392 kW and 880 Nm of torque, the car offers exceptional performance. The gullwing with electric drive is part of the company strategy entitled "AMG Performance 2015" which aims to continually reduce fuel consumption and emissions. With the SLS AMG E-CELL, Mercedes-AMG is providing a glimpse of its latest development project – a powerful and locally emission-free super sports car. Finished in fluorescent "AMG lumilectric magno" paint, the gullwing offers the prospect of a possible small series production run and at the same time reflects the innovative strength and development competence of the AMG performance brand. "We take social responsibility very seriously and with the SLS AMG E-CELL we are demonstrating a further milestone in our "AMG Performance 2015" strategy. It is our goal to continually reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of new models in the coming years, while at the same time enhancing the core brand value of performance", explains Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

AUSSIES POWER TO 1 - 2 FINISH AT THE GLEN

5. July 2010

It may have been July 4th but at Watkins Glen it was Australia Day as Will Power led home fellow Aussie Ryan Briscoe to win the latest round of the 2010 Indycar series. Power passed Briscoe with six laps to go to take out his third IZOD IndyCar Series victory of 2010. Briscoe passed Dario Franchitti on the final lap to help Team Penske record its first 1-2 finish since Edmonton in 2009. Brazilians Raphael Matos of de Ferran Dragon Racing and Mario Moraes of KV Racing Technology completed the top five.

RICCIARDO RUNS HOT IN HUNGARY

4. July 2010

Western Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo has won his second race in the 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 Series taking the chequered flag at the Hungaroring. Starting from pole Ricciardo led from start to finish. The victory now moves the young Aussie to within six points of Mikhail Aleshin who was second. Sten Pentus finished third, despite the best efforts of New Zealand's Brendon Hartley. With a track temperature of 46°C, the hot conditions suited the young Aussie perfectly. "It was very hot, but having grown up in Australia certainly helped me today. Coming two days after my 21st birthday this is an important win. I had the support of my family who are here today." he said. Ricciardo started on pole for the fifth time this season, ahead of Mikhail Aleshin and Brendon Hartley . The Australian took command of the race from the start, leading his Russian rival into the first turn. Sten Pentus made a successful getaway, ousting Brendon Hartley from 3rd place in the first metres of the race.

PRUETT/ROJAS TAKES DAYTONA GRAND-AM

4. July 2010

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas of the TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team celebrated the 100th race for the Daytona Prototype class by scoring an impressive victory in Saturday's Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway, adding to their record win totals in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series' leading division. Pruett took the lead with one hour remaining and led all but one of the remaining laps in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley started by Rojas. Pruett beat Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Ryan Dalziel to the checkered flag by 24.304 seconds, extending his DP-leading total to 28 victories; it was the 29th triumph for the Ganassi team. "It's great for our team to win the 100th DP race - that's incredible," Pruett said. "That says a lot for GRAND-AM for what they've achieved and where it's going. It's a special mark for our team. Today we didn't have the fastest race car, but we raced smart and we raced clean and we did what we had to do. Good things happen to good people." The victory came only four days after a penalty resulting from post-race inspection at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course cost the team 25 points, cutting their lead to seven points in the battle for the DP championship title. Pruett and Rojas now lead Ryan Dalziel by 13 points.

POWER ON POLE AT “THE GLEN”

4. July 2010

Australian driver Will Power continued Team Penske's domination of qualifying by earning the pole for the Camping World Grand Prix at the famous Watkins Glen circuit in New York. Power, who currently leads the points score set a top lap of 1 minute, 29.3164 seconds, 135.832 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske machine to keep Team Penske's perfect pole record over the six years of this race at Watkins Glen. Team Penske drivers swept the top three spots in the Firestone Fast Six shootout. Helio Castroneves qualified second at 1:29.4609, 135.612 in the No. 3 entry, while Power's Aussie compatriot Ryan Briscoe was third at 1:29.9346, 134.898 in the No. 6 entry. It was the first time this season one team has swept the front row in qualifying. The top three rows were separated by less than a second. Six different teams are represented in the first six rows.

JUNIOR WINS AT DAYTONA: “This one’s for Daddy”

3. July 2010

Dale Earnhardt Jnr. has taken an emotional victory at the Nationwide Cup round at Dayton Speedway. Driving the Number 3 made famous by his late father, who died in an accident at the same track, Earnhardt gave Chevrolet the perfect debut for their next generation Impala. Wearing the original blue & yellow livery of his fathers car, “Junior” held his nerve and his twitchy car to just edge out the Toyota of Joey Logano. Rookie driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was third in the new Ford Mustang. “A win was the only acceptable result.” said an emotional Earnhardt after the race. “if we hadn't of won then everybody would have been saying 'what's the point'.

NASCAR: BRINGING THE STOCK BACK INTO STOCK CAR RACING

1. July 2010

It's ironic that the National Association of Stock Car Racing race a brand of car that is anything but stock. Yet there was once a time when at least the cars had some passing resemblance to the sort of machine that US buyers could find in their showrooms on Monday morning. That all changed when NASCAR adopted it's new regulations rather amusingly dubbed "The Car of Tomorrow". Apart from the fact that anything powered by a six litre carburettor fed pushrod V8 could hardly be looking towards the future, the fact is that they were just plain ugly. It was as if, inspired by their cousins at the Grand-Am, they set out to create a car even less aesthetically pleasant than the awful looking Daytona Prototypes. But this weekend at Daytona all that changes.

INDYCAR READY TO REVEAL THE FUTURE, JULY 14

1. July 2010

The future direction of the US based IndyCar Series will be made clearer when the series announces its future car strategy on July 14, in Indianapolis. The media announcent will unveil details of the new chassis as well as further details of the new engine configurations. "The ICONIC Advisory Committee continues to work diligently to finalize our future car strategy and a decision is imminent," said Randy Bernard, chief executive officer, IndyCar. "We look forward to unveiling our plans to our teams, drivers, partners, fans and the media during a special event on July 14." IZOD IndyCar Series officials and ICONIC (Innovative, Competitive, Open-Wheel, New, Industry-Relevant, Cost-Effective) Advisory Committee members will not comment about the next generation of chassis until the July 14 news conference.

AUSSIE FORMULA FORD GETS NZ TV DEAL

1. July 2010

The Australian Formula Ford Championship has secured a deal that will see the series broadcast on New Zealand free to air channel TV3. TV3 will broadcast rounds two through to seven of the championship beginning on Sunday July 18 with the combined Round 2 and 3 show. The deal comes on the back of an increased presence of New Zealand drivers in the Championship, with no fewer than four Kiwis competing over the past two years. “We’re incredibly pleased to be able to announce that the Australian Formula Ford Championship will be broadcast in New Zealand thanks to TV3,” Margaret Hardy, Category Manager said.

PIKES PEAK: MONSTER MAULS THE MOUNTAIN

30. June 2010

It was to be the heavyweight title fight of international hillclimbing. In the red corner from Japan The Monster Nobuhiro Tajima and in the blue corner from New Zealand "Son of a Gun" Red Bull Rhys Millen. On paper it looked like a battle for the ages, the defending champion in his wild looking Suzuki based special up against Millen's even more extreme off road prototype powered by Hyundai. In the end though it became a no contest. Mechanical problems plagued the challenger leaving the 'Monster' as King of the Hill once again. The win to the Japanese driver was his 5th consecutive at the peak with a fastest time of 10:11.490. Both Tajima and Millen had hoped to break the magic 10 minute mark but neither really got close.