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Archive | October, 2010

PEUGEOT UNVEIL NEW LE MANS CHALLENGER

30. October 2010

PEUGEOT UNVEIL NEW LE MANS CHALLENGER

Peugeot has unveiled it's new challenger for the 2011 Le Mans season. Code-named the 90X the car follows the basic principles of the Intercontinental Cup leading 908 with a number of aerodynamic refinements. The most obvious change from the current car is the large F1 style "sharks fin" at the rear which Peugeot says will help prevent the car from becoming airborne in the event of a high speed spin. Peugeot Sport Director Olivier Quesnel said that it had always been the companies plan to test the car before the end of the current season "I am pleased to report that we have now done that." he said. Along with the new fin at the rear the new car also features the "swan neck" wing mount as used by arch rival Audi and on the ALMS winning HPD car of David Brabham and Simon Pagenaud. The new car is fully compliant with the ACO's new regulations although no details have been given about the car's power plant.

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IN PIT LANE PODCAST OCT 26 Tony Thorton

27. October 2010

ANDRA CEO Tony Thorton joins In Pit Lane to discuss the push for a new drag strip for Melbourne.

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AN INDIAN GP?… LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

11. October 2010

“Be prepared” is not only the Boy Scout marching song, but is also the mantra for anybody that is preparing and running a large event who would like to get it right. Clearly, the Indian Commonwealth games organizing committee has obviously demonstrated that the above phrase is not in their “to do” list before they got started on planning the games. With such unrivalled magnitude of preparedness as a nation for staging major events, could we really bear the sight of the staging of an Indian Formula 1 Grand Prix or a First grade Grand Farce? To be fair, India is not alone in major event disasters and being unprepared. Recently, a Red Bull F1 car was driven by Karun Chandok around the Korean F1GP track to demonstrate the track to the world. However, the track’s final surface has not been applied and paved; so the car was driven around at significantly reduced speed, the facilities are well behind schedule and the F1 event in only a matter of weeks’ time. As recent as the Singapore GP weekend, statements from no other than Bernie himself and other team principals not having confidence that the Korean GP will run smoothly hit the media. They have serious doubts the track and all facilities will be tested and working perfectly. It remains to be seen whether the Koreans will deliver or not, despite their national pride. This is very much a mirror image to the situation before the 1988 summer Olympic games, where Korean national pride ruled over all else, even if not everyone and everything is quite ready in time for the games.

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In Pit Lane October 5 (Full Audio) John “Spud” Wood

9. October 2010

Michael Teychenne & Martin Dunlop take over In Pit Lane as they chat with Porsche 944 and HQ Racer John “Spud” Wood. Also news from the Paris Motor Show, Winton Trucks and all the lead up to Bathurst. In Pit Lane brought to you by Brooklands Classic Cars and Elfin Sports Cars

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RICCIARDO GOES FOR RENAULT GOLD

8. October 2010

RICCIARDO GOES FOR RENAULT GOLD

Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo is facing the biggest weekend of his relatively short racing career. While most his home nation remains firmly fixated on a two make race series on one of the world's great tracks, or the exploits of Mark Webber in Japan. Ricciardo will be locked in battle with Mikhail Aleshin and Esteban Guerrieri for the prestigious 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 Series Drivers’ Championship and the tryout with Renault F1 Team that goes with it. The final in Barcelona will deliver the long-awaited verdict. While the Russian, the Australian and the Argentinean battle it out for the Drivers' title, the Spanish contingent, lead by Epsilon Euskadi’s Albert Costa, will also be hoping to shine in front of their home-crowd. While Aleshin has the advantage of arriving at Barcelona as championship leader, the 23-year old Muscovite is currently not enjoying the form of his rivals. Winner on three occasions, and with six podium finishes since the start of the season, the last two meetings, at Hockenheim and Silverstone, have been less impressive. With his last win this the season at Magny-Cours way back in June, Aleshin will need to return to his winning ways if he is to be sure of the title.

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ASTON MARTIN ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

8. October 2010

Tony Quinn in an Aston Martin DBRS9 has claimed pole position for Race 1 of the Vodka O Australian GT Championship Round 5 to be held at the Mount Panorama Bathurst circuit tomorrow. Quinn pitted the Aston late in Friday's 20 minute qualifying session to put on new tyres and returned to the circuit to post a lap time of 2:11.6688 putting him on pole ahead of the second fastest man David Wall in a Porsche Cup S. Third on the grid went to the second of the VIP Petfoods cars - the Mosler of Klark Quinn with a best time of 2:12.4392. The Cup S Porsches of James Koundouris (2:12.5467) and Max Twigg (2:12.7413) filled slots four and five with the sixth fastest time in the qualifying session being claimed by the Lamborghini Gallardo of Peter Hackett (2:12.7911) ahead of the Dodge Viper of Greg Crick (2:14.6662).

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BRIGHT START AT BATHURST AS LOWNDES BEATS THE PERFECT LAP

8. October 2010

It was the stuff of which motor racing legends are made, Greg Murphy's perfect lap at Bathurst in 2003. Despite all the so-called advances in race car preparation, technology and tyres no one could top that remarkable lap. Until Today. Craig Lowndes propelled himself into the ranks of Mountain legends with a stunning two minutes, 06.8012 seconds lap to beat Murphy's time of 2:06.8594. "Everyone's been talking about it for a long time and finally now we've eclipsed it," Lowndes said. "It's great. Is there any more? You always say yes, but to actually go and do it is another thing." Murphy said he was surprised it had taken this long for his record to be broken but he was also quick to point out that it takes nothing away from his pole winning lap. "I did it seven years ago and I did it when I was 1.1 seconds quicker than the next guy when we'd done 2:07s for the first time on the Friday, that's why that's special.

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FRANCHITTI CLOSES ON POWER IN INDYCAR FINALE

2. October 2010

FRANCHITTI CLOSES ON POWER IN INDYCAR FINALE

Will Power's quest to win the 2010 Indycar series championship just got that little bit harder today as arch rival Dario Franchitti won pole - and an all-important bonus point - at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Franchitti will start one row ahead of Power, whose points lead has now been cut to just 11 points. Franchitti was clocked at 50.1532 - 213.187 mph - in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Dallara for two laps around Homestead's 1.5-mile oval. That was 0.15 ahead of Power, who averaged 212.580 mph in the No. 12 Team Penske Honda/Dallara. "When they showed me the $10,000 cheque for winning the pole, I told them I'd gladly give up the $10,000 for another bonus point," Franchitti said. Power, who has never raced at Homestead said "This is the moment of truth. My car was pretty good. I don't know what else we could have done." Franchitti will have another bonus Saturday with teammate Scott Dixon lining up alongside him on the front row. The Queensland born New Zealand driver had the second-best qualifying run at 212.908 mph in the No. 9 Ganassi entry. That, along with Franchitti's experience, have Ganassi's team in a confident mood heading into the finale. "The pressure is off us," Ganassi said. "It's very hard to do what our competitors have to do, which is maintain." Following Franchitti, Dixon and Power on the grid are Power's teammate and fellow Aussie, Ryan Briscoe, in fourth, Dan Wheldon in fifth and Justin Wilson in sixth. Power's other Penske teammate, Helio Castroneves, had a tough day and will start back in an uncharacteristic 10th place.

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HERBIE GOES TO NEW HAMPSHIRE ? VW COMING TO NASCAR ?

1. October 2010

HERBIE GOES TO NEW HAMPSHIRE ? VW COMING TO NASCAR ?

Having barely recovered from the culture shock of Toyota joining the NASCAR scene, them good ol' boys may have to prepare themselves for an even bigger shock. Volkswagen could be coming to NASCAR. That's right Volkswagen, "Why weren't them that folks what made that funny lookin' Bug shaped thingy that all them long haired hippies from California used to drive?" Yep, the one and the same. According to Motor Trend magazine newly appointed Porsche CEO Matthias Müller told them that VW is "seriously considering" a NASCAR entry. Just what model car the auto maker would use for the campaign is not yet known, although the company is building a new mid sized sedan at it's US Chattanooga assembly plant designed with the American market in mind.

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