DOES HONDA NEED SATO MORE THEM SATO NEEDS THEM?

New Formula 1 Grand Prix winners Scuderia Torro Rosso are hosting a test session at Jerez for Super Aguri F1 refugee Takuma Sato in his F1 comeback. For Sato, Scuderia Torro Rosso, or Minardi as we used to know it, is another small F1 team not dissimilar to Super Aguri. They have finally achieved their first win after over 2 decades of trying, and one really has to ask what if SAF1 was still in existence and whether their performance would be comparable to STR’s over the last few months.

TAKING TIME WITH TAKU

Taku, as we all affectionately know and call him, was initially a name, which I came across on top timesheets and scorecards in the 2000 British F3 championship when I joined In Pit Lane in that rainy September in year 2000.  I became interested in his performances when I spotted him more frequently than not in F3 related articles and the praises that everyone was giving him.  When I saw some footage of his driving in the 2000 Macau F3 GP (unfortunately eventually crashing out) and over the course of 2001, when Ant was his teammate and the pair dominated the British F3 championship, my mind was set.  I enjoyed keeping myself up to date with his performances and especially enjoyed that win at the Macau F3GP in 2001. I was therefore overjoyed when Eddie Jordan hired Taku, and Ant became BAR Honda’s test driver in 2002.

THE BIRTH OF AN OBSESSION

When a person discovers his or her interest in something, be it an object, sport, or anything, chances are that they will pursue it further and develop a certain taste for that item of interest.  But when they discover there are many more people around them that share the same passion, they will connect and bond, and they become a group.  But when there is a considerable amount of people that are dedicated to the same cause, it becomes a movement and more than likely, it’ll gain momentum and attract more likeminded people to join the movement.  That I hope, describes most of us who enjoy watching F1 racing and especially, those of us who support Takuma Sato and Super Aguri F1 team during its existence.

ALMS QUALIFYING FROM MOSPORT from SPEEDTV.COM

IDE LOSES POLE WITH ENGINE CHANGE

Despite setting the fastest time in the qualifying, the Honda NSX driven by Yuji Ide won't be on pole for round six of the 2008 Autobacs SUPER GT, the 37th International Pokka 1000Km at Suzuka. Pole position for the race has instead been awarded to the second fastest qualifier, the Nissan GT-R of Krumm/Yanagidaand D.Schwager.

INDY WINNERS TEAM FOR PETITE LE MANS

The line up for the Petite Le Mans at Road Atlanta on October 4 just keeps getting better with the news that Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar Series points leader New Zealand's Scott Dixon is to team with former Indy winner Gil de Ferran in the P2 Acura. Dixon and de Ferran will be joined by former Team Australia Champ Car driver Simon Pagenaud.