NEW TTA SERIES GETS UNDERWAY

QUIET START FOR EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES

A new era for European endurance racing kicks off this weekend as the European Le Mans Series gets underway at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. The new series will feature LMP2 as it's premier category leaving the faster (and more expensive) LMP 1 machines to the new World Championship which got underway last month at Sebring. Five separate chassis will be represented including Lola, Oreca and the revived Morgan brand. There are at this stage only two engines being used. Nissan and well know endurance race engine specialists Judd. Attracting the most attention will be the new team of eight time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb. The last minute deal to put the team together has left then short of testing time but there's plenty of driving experience to overcome any shortfall.

PEUGEOT ON TOP AGAIN IN ZHUHAI LE MANS FINAL

<strong>Peugeot have kept their recent edge on Audi alaive with a one, two in qulifying for tomorrow's 6 hour race at Zuhai in China.</strong> Anthony Davidson set a fast lap of 1:22;038 to edge out team-mate Stephane Sarrazin and the Audi pair of Tom Kristensen and Macel Fassler. Neel Jarni in the rebellion Toyota was the quickest of the petrol cars in fourth place just ahead of the Oak Pescarolo Judd of Neel Jarni. Stefan Mucke had a dissapointing run in the Aston Martin and will start back in seventh place.

FIA GT1 2011 Round One from Abu Dhabi

GT1 Abu Dhabi Championship Race by GT1

BMW WINS SIXTH DUBAI 24 HOURS

DUBAI (January 15th, 2011) The Need for Speed-Schubert team from Oschersleben, Germany has won the sixth running of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai, the first international endurance race of the year for GTs, touring cars and 24H specials. After 24 hours of racing at the 5.390 kilometres long Dubai Autodrome, Claudia Hürtgen drove the car across the finish line. The team had with Hürtgen, Augusto Farfus, Edward Sandström and Tommy Milner racked up a total of 594 laps with the BMW Z4 GT3. This success makes BMW the most successful car brand in history of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai with a total of three race wins following earlier successes in 2006 and 2007. Second place in this year’s race was taken by the Italian AF Corse team with Eppe Perazzini, Michal Broniszewski, Lorenzo Case and Marco Cioci driving the Ferrari F430 GT2. The Black Falcon team with Thomas Jäger, Kenneth Heyer, Jan Seyffarth and Sean Paul Breslin ended up third with their Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

AUSSIE ICONS BACK IN PIT LANE

Classic Car Specialists Brooklands Classic Cars and iconic Australian Sports and Racing Car manufacturer Elfin have joined forces to bring C31's popular live motorsport tonight show In Pit Lane back to Melbourne's TV screens. The new series of In Pit Lane will commence 9.30pm Tuesday night September 7th, live from the studios of RMITV in the heart of Grand Prix City, Melbourne. Special guest will be popular V8 Supercar star Jason Bright driver of the Trading Post Commodore for Brad Jones Racing. Paul Sabine of Brooklands Classic Cars said that the sponsorship of In Pit Lane was a great choice for the company. “In Pit Lane has developed to be an icon in Australian motor sport and Brooklands Classic Cars are delighted to assist in fostering IPL’s ongoing success." he said. Mr Sabine said that Brooklands had been catering to car enthusiasts and owners of interesting and sporting cars for many years and clients could rely on that experience when searching for that special car. "The sort of hard core enthusiast and classic car lover that buys our cars and uses our services are the very same people who regularly tune into In Pit Lane." he said. In Pit Lane host Brett Ramsey said he was delighted to be able to continue with the show which is now in it's 15th straight year of production. The show finished it's last season in May and looked set to disappear forever due to a lack of sponsorship. Now thanks to Brooklands Classic Cars and Elfin, the show returns for a new 13 week series to cover a busy three months of local and international motorsport.

DTM-SUPERGT REGS MERGER FRAUGHT WITH RISKS

Two of the world's top GT and Touring Car series look set to join under common rules for 2012. And the US based Grand-Am series may join them. Regulations for the popular Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) and the Japanese based Super GT series are set to merge opening up the possibility of an exchange of cars and drivers for the future. The new regulations were announced earlier this year and feature: - Common carbon monocoque with roll cage - A standard wheelbase of 2850 mm - Common front and rear overhang - Common front spoiler and rear diffuser - V8 engine of yet to be announced size - Limited number of engines during season - Introduction of "design line" where on one side all cars are common The main aim of the new regulations is a 51% cost reduction in costs, but it's the last item on the list that is concerning the purists most.

FERRARI CHALLENGE HEADING DOWN UNDER ?

Ferrari's new 458 Challenge series has been announced and it could be heading to Australia. The unveiling of the new series took place in Maranello during the Annual Dealer Meeting, a traditional event that brings together the representatives of Ferrari’s international sales network. Speaking at the launch the company said that the series, would be expanded to include a new Asia Pacific series. Coming just  months after the Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling of the 458 Italia on which it is based, the 458 Challenge introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use. The direct injection 4497 cc V8 remains strictly in production tune, with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm. That said, modifications have been made to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to guarantee higher torque at lower revs. The 458 Challenge is also equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferrari’s track-only cars.

PRUETT/ROJAS TAKES DAYTONA GRAND-AM

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.

FERRARI 458 ITALIA ARRIVES DOWN UNDER: Get yours now!

The first Australian-specification Ferrari 458 Italia has arrived in Australia, with the 325 kmh super car making its debut in Brisbane this week (10 June 2010) after being flown direct from Italy to Australia. “Australian deliveries have started a little earlier than planned because the interest in this remarkable car has been so great that the car has been air freighted to Australia,” explains Kevin Wall, General Manager for Ferrari in Australia and New Zealand. “Even before it was announced we have had Australian clients expressing interest in the 458 Italia and, once its specification was announced, revealing it to be, even by Ferrari standards, a technical tour de force, interest has climbed dramatically and shows no sign of slowing.” Launched in the same year as the legendary car maker celebrates 60 years in Formula One and has competed in its 800th Grand Prix, the Ferrari 458 Italia uses a remarkable amount of Formula One technology in every aspect of its design. This enables it to be the fastest production Ferrari the company has produced and, to place this position in perspective, the launch version of the 458 Italia is faster in all areas than the ultimate, race track orientated, version of the car it replaces.