PRE SEASON TESTING: SUPER GT 2010

THE SUN SETS ON JAPAN

With the unsurprising announcement of the withdrawal of Toyota from Formula 1 effective immediately, along with the confirmation of Bridgestone of their withdrawal from 2010 onwards, it seems the bleak picture I painted towards the end 2008 of a mass withdrawal of Japanese interest in worldwide top flight motor sports has been finally realized. Japanese motor racing fans currently have very little to cheer about on an international scale.  Toyota has now followed Honda’s lead in withdrawing from Formula 1, Subaru and Suzuki no longer grace the World Rally Championship, and Kawasaki took its own hibernation from Moto GP also, save for providing a bike for Marco Melandri.  Kazuki Nakajima and Kamui Kobayashi have now joined the jobless Japanese Formula 1 driver’s queue, which already has claimed the popular Sakon Yamamoto and Japan’s most successful F1 driver Takuma Sato.

BUTTON WINS, MELBOURNE MEDIA LOSES

The sensational win by Jenson Button of the Australian Grand Prix has reinvigorated the sport. The team formally known as Honda faced extinction only six weeks ago and yesterday in front of over 105'000 people the new Brawn GP team dominated as Button led team-mate Rubens Barrichello home in a Brawn Mercedes 1-2. Toyota's Timo Glock crossed the line in third but was later penalised for passing under a yellow flag giving reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton the final podium spot. Local hero Mark Webber again had a dire home GP after tangling with Barrichello into turn one forcing him into the pits and well out of contention. After the race an emotional Webber couldn't hide his intense disappointment. "For all the fans to come and watch today, I wanted a good result for many reasons today." Drivers were critical of the race's new start time with glare from the setting sun causing problems for several drivers including the winner.  It was really difficult, you know a few of the corners, it's strange for such an open circuit you could not see the exit of the corners at all," he said. "I used a visor that was slightly tinted and that was the correct thing to do, but with the glare from the sun and the change in light from the trees it was so, so difficult - so easy to put a wheel wrong." Toro Roso driver Sebastian Bourdais was one of the most vocal critics "We do half of a lap with the sun in your eyes," he said. "It's not the most enjoyable racing. Visibility is quite poor. Turn one is difficult, turn three is difficult. The shade from the trees makes it tough to get your eyes accustomed." Despite the current economic crisis and a clash with the local AFL football ( a regional curiosity much loved by the simple folk) crowds were down only about 16'000 overall. The race day crowd of 105'000 was only 3000 down on last year yet the Melbourne mainstream media have seized upon the downturn as a clear sign that the GP has passed it's use by date and that it should be shut down. Led by the taxpayer funded ABC, who launched into a tirade of the evils of taxpayer funding, and the inner-city broadsheet The Age, the football dominated Melbourne media spent most of the weekend trying to find any reason real or imagined to attack the race. Well known and respected football journalist Caroline Wilson was totally dismissive of the event when it came to discussion on the myopic ABC gabfest "The Outsiders"

WHY I WONT BE AT THIS YEARS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

Every year since 1996 when the Australian Grand Prix first came to Melbourne, I’ve always looked forward to it as the highlight of the year.  The opportunity to watch my favorite sport live in person without exuberant travel expenses is always a good opportunity. To live that “chasing the dream” lifestyle if only for one week of the year.  However, 2009 will set another precedent for me as I chose to shun the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park and Formula 1 as a whole.       To my friends that I have made over the years at Albert Park especially wonderful fellow fans and former members of the Super Aguri F1 team who have found employment elsewhere and are traveling to Melbourne, I apologize for not being able to see you at the AGP this year.     For those of you who know me well, your first reaction to my statement above would be: “Is it only because Takuma Sato lost his ride?” That is partially correct.  Amongst other arguments, for a sport to encourage and changing rules to suit overtaking then deny a competitor who doesn’t need rule changes to be able to overtake on track is well beyond me.  However, that is not the entire story.   I estimated I’ve spent over AUD$10,000 over the last 13 AGPs I’ve attended, and that is not including the souvenirs that I have purchased.  However, I’ve found other than making friends at autograph alley and being given some very special privileges by Takuma Sato and his management as well as my friends at SAF1; my memories of the AGP are almost always of working like a slave for meager student wages to save up to fund my one big splurge each year at the AGP.  However, for where the money has gone, I’ve learnt the hard way that trackside F1 fans are still very much being given a raw deal by F1, the  FIA, race organizers and certain local businesses.

ACURA ON POLE IN SEBRING THRILLER

New Zealand driver Scott Dixon gave Acura/Honda a dream LMP1 debut with a stunning final-lap dash to take pole position for Saturday’s 57th annual 12 Hours of Sebring.   Dixon, the defending Indy 500 and IndyCar Series champion, made his first Sebring race appearance quite notable by driving the all-new No. 66 de Ferran XM Radio Acura ARX-02a prototype sports car to the top position in Saturday’s grid over European challengers Audi and Peugeot.  It was a big day for the Japanese manufacturer with veteran Adrian Fernandez taking his Acura to the pole in the LMP2 class.  It is the first time since 2005 that a manufacturer has captured both the LMP1 and LMP2 pole positions in the same event.  This weekend marks Acura’s debut in the LMP1 class in the American Le Mans Series, after two years of competition in the LMP2 category.  Acura won the LMP2 division in its initial Sebring event in 2007.  Audi's new diesel powered challenger the R15 also made an impressive debut with multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in the No. 2 Audi taking second place on the grid to edge out arch rival Peugeot. Nicolas Minnasian was the fastest of the Peugeot coupes just ahead of Mike Rockenfeller's Audi and David Brabham in another of the new Acuras.

MEXICAN BILLIONAIRE BUYS HONDA F1 ?

  A report in the Italian newspaper La Stampa has claimed that Carlos Slim, a Mexican Billionaire - and there's a phrase you don't hear much these days - has brought the Honda Formula One team. According to the story Jenson Button will continue with the team but veteran Rubens Barichello will be replaced by Bruno Senna. Despite the story there has been no official conformation at this stage.  

HONDA KILLS NSX PROJECT

Only a week after pulling out of Formula One, Honda has now announced that it's cancelled its plan to build the new NSX Supercar. The successor to the famous mid-engined V6 machine that still successfully competes in Japan's high tech Super GT series, the new era NSX was to have been a front engined all wheel drive V10. Prototypes of the car were seen testing at the famous Nurburgring circuit. The move comes after Honda president Takeo Fukui told Japanese media that the company had slashed its 2009 profit forecast by 62%. Mr Fukui said that in this rapidly changing environment, the company needed to review investment and development plans and make choices to keep the impact on profit as small as possible. “We need to concentrate limited resources on the right places,“ he said. The original NSX ceased production in 2005.

AND ALL THAT (HONDA) JAZZ

It is common practice for any person who has an idol of any kind to ask for their idol’s autographs. Sports fans especially would do that all the time; asking their favorite sportspeople to sign items of interest such as caps, programs, photos or similar memorabilia.  Motor racing fans in particular may even ask their favorite  drivers to sign some unusual items such as car parts… or if you’re like THIS “mad bastard”… ask them to sign a whole car… Perhaps one may wonder… what drove me to ask Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson to sign my 2006 Honda Jazz?

AUDI FINISH ON A HIGH AT LAGUNA SECA

Another stunning come from behind win has given Audi its seventh win in the 2008 American Le Mans Series.  Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner celebrated a narrow victory in front of their team mates Christijan Albers and Emanuele Pirro. It was Pirro's final race for the team. Starting from row five of the grid, the Audi drivers were able to take advantage from the enormous torque of their TDI engine  at the many  restarts brought about after the Safety Car was deployed no less than twelve times – the most occasions all season.    Werner crossed the finish line the eventual winner only 1.941 seconds ahead of an emotional Pirro who had tears in eyes following his last race in the Audi R10 TDI.  It was the seventh outright victory for Audi in the eleven-round American Le Mans Series. Acura/Honda and Porsche each scored two victories. Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner celebrated their eighth win of the season in the LM P1 class. The two Germans had already secured the title in the LM P1 Drivers Championship. Pirro finished third in the Championship while Christijan Albers finished his first sportscar race on the podium.

BIG DAY FOR NISSAN AT AUTOPOLIS SUPER-GT

The Nissan GT-R of Satoshi Motoyama and Benoit Treluyer, won Kyushu 300, Round 8 of the Autobacs SUPER GT series at the Autopolis in Japan.  Starting from pole position lead driver Benoit Treluyer, made a great start to open up a significant lead. Co-driver Motoyama took over for the second half of the race and from then on was never threatened. The win was the team's third of the season but their first since way back in round two. They now lead the series outright with one round remaining.