:: INSIDE: SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S PHOTO ANNUAL :: MOTORCYCLE
EDITION ON THE
FLIP SIDE F1 :: NASCAR :: NHRA :: ALMS :: SCCA
CULTURE SHOCK TOYOTA MAKES NEXTEL CUP DEBUT
inside:
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APRIL 2007
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2007 NEW CAR GUIDE
VOL. 19 ISSUE 1 DISPLAY UNTIL APRIL 15/07
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4-WHEEL NEWS
VOLUME 19.01
CULTURE SHOCK
Photo by LAT Photogrpahic
THE DEBUT OF THE TOYOTA CAMRY IN NASCAR NEXTEL CUP WAS MET WITH SOME RESISTANCE AND THE JAPANESE AUTO MAKER HAS PLAYED IT LOW KEY TO AVOID THE BREWING CONTROVERSY.
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DAYTONA 500
Photo by LAT Photogrpahic
THE BIGGEST RACE IN NORTH AMERICA KICK STARTS THE 2007 SEASON AS NASCAR FACES A YEAR OF CHANGES.
20 FORMULA ONE PREVIEW
Photo by LAT Photogrpahic
THE F1 TEAMS HAVE LAUNCHED THEIR NEW WEAPONS FOR THE 2007 SEASON, WHICH BEGINS WITHOUT MICHAEL SCHUMACHER. THE DRIVER SHUFFLE AND THE CHANCES OF FERNANDO ALONSO TO THREE-PEAT.
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DAYTONA 24 HOURS
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Photo by LAT Photogrpahic
RECORDS FELL AT THE ROLEX 24 HOURS AT DAYTONA AS THE GRANDAM SERIES UNOFFICIALLY LAUNCHES THE 2007 RACING SEASON.
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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4-WHEEL NEWS
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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
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INSIDE RACING
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VIEW FROM THE TOWER
24
ON THE CHROME HORN
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CAUTION PERIOD
40
RALLY
50
NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
56
DRIFTING
36
SCCA ROUND-UP
44
2007 NEW CAR BUYER’S GUIDE
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2006 PHOTO ANNUAL
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2007 MOTORSPORTS POINTS STANDINGS
PRN flips out in 2007 with the creation of PRN: Motorcycle Edition.
Todd Lewis wonders about James Hylton qualifying at Daytona and what the future holds for DEI.
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Jaime Maudsley profiles former CASCAR Champion Ron Beauchamp Jr.
Neal Jones examines the new DP01 chassis for the 2007 season.
Photo by McKlein/LAT
George Webster looks back at the NASCAR Media Tour and what it means for 2007.
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Photo by Auto Imagery
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Photo by Dave Pankew
The 2007 POWERade Series kicks off in Pomona.
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Photo by LAT Photogrpahic
David Hatter examines the 2007 World and Canadian Rally Championships openers.
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The best drivers from the world of drift converge on Irwindale Speedway for a special all-star event.
The latest news from grassroots to professional racing in the United States.
Auto makers descend on Detroit and Toronto to show their latest offerings for the year.
PRN reflects back on the 2006 season with our collection of the best images from around the world.
See where your favourite driver ranks. Cover Photos by LAT Photographic (track) and Toyota Motorsports (Camry) 6
Photo by LAT Photographic
VOLUME 19.01
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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from theEDITOR’S
DESK
by NEAL JONES I EXECUTIVE EDITOR
T
he 2007 season marks a new beginning for motorsport fans around the world. Major changes are happening throughout the racing community that have brought forth a new era for the sport. The Formula One season opener isn’t too far away and countless changes have re-shaped the world’s biggest series. First, F1 begins the year without one of the biggest names in history as Michael Schumacher retired at the end of 2006. But the changes at Ferrari don’t stop there. Kimi Raikkonen was brought in to wear the red colours after many years at rival McLaren. And it won’t be as simple as a driver change for the red team as the management structure from the Schuey years has also largely departed. Will Ferrari be able to continue its success of the past 10 years or will it revert back
to the outfit that went without a title in the ‘80s and ‘90s? The Ferrari squad will still contend in 2007, but the continuity that shaped much of its success in recent times is gone. Then there’s two-time defending champion Fernando Alonso, who left the Renault team to take Raikkonen’s seat at McLaren. The McLaren team can always be counted on to contend, but there still remains some mystery as to how well the Spaniard will mesh with his new squad and a new car. Champ Car enters 2007 with a new car. A year of major testing satisfied officials and teams are now testing the Panoz DP01 chassis. So far, things have gone according to plan but the question lingers of how things will shake out in an actual racing environment. With its tradition deeply rooted in the American
south, NASCAR faces an interesting season as Toyota tries to win over fans. Things didn’t start great when Toyota flag bearer Michael Waltrip was slapped with a 100-point penalty and $100,000 fine for using a fuel additive in qualifying at the 500. However, the story really revolves around whether fans and teams within the series are welcoming to a new manufacturer that isn’t “All-American.” A funny side note to this story is that the Camry is the only production car in the series actually built in the land of the free – the Fusion, Charger and Monte Carlo are all made in either Canada or Mexico.
Photo by Mike Levitt/LAT
A NEW ERA BEGINS IN 2007
PRN FLIPS OUT With all these changes happening in our sport, it should come as no surprise that Performance Racing News is also entering a new era. Last year saw a major shift in our coverage and design, and all those changes have been met with enthusiasm by our readers. However, PRN always strives to make things even better. Over the last year the calls for increased coverage of motorcycle racing have come from both readers and advertisers and we have heeded your request. As you have probably noticed already, the back cover of this issue is a “flip-cover” design that features the PRN: Motorcycle Edition. This is an exciting new venture for PRN and we look forward to bringing even better coverage to our two wheel motorsport fans. Complementing the coverage you have come to expect from this magazine is increased coverage from grassroots up to MotoGP. In the coming months you can expect feature stories on riders like Nicky Hayden, Mat Mladin and Steve Crevier, just to name a few. Of course, one aspect readers have been clamoring for is reviews on the latest production bikes on the market and each month PRN will test a new bike and give you an inside look at the best (or worst as the case may be) models being produced today.
NEW RELATIONSHIPS
“UH, BORIS, THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT WHEN I SAID YOU NEED A FIERY ATTITUDE TO WIN IN NASCAR.”
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In the past several months PRN has forged new relationships with both the Sports Car Clubs of America (SCCA) and the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). In 2007 PRN will increase its coverage of SCCA racing and all 60,000 members of the SCCA will receive a copy of PRN through the course of the year. PRN will also be at numerous SCCA events distributing the magazine to fans and racers alike. The NASA agreement brings our readers news from this 11,000 member organization and copies of PRN will be distributed at various NASA events. PRN looks forward to working with both sanctioning bodies for many years to come. These relationships will allow PRN to expand into new areas and capture the attention of racing enthusiasts across North America. See you at the races!
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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(ISSN # 0834 - 809X) is published 8 times a year by 1009678 Ontario Inc., 44 Prince Andrew Place, Toronto, ON, M3C 2H4. Canadian Postmaster: Send address corrections to: PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS 44 Prince Andrew Place, Toronto, ON, M3C 2H4 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (1 YEAR - 8 ISSUES): Canada $10 Cdn, U.S.A. $10 U.S. PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS 44 Prince Andrew Place, Toronto, ON, M3C 2H4 PRINTED IN CANADA Publications Mail Registration# 8580 Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement# 40069655
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PUBLISHERS: Perry & Blake Breslin V.P. OF OPERATIONS: Frank Spezzano MANAGING EDITOR: Tim Rutledge EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Neal Jones DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING: Charles Stancer ACCOUNTS/SYSTEMS MANAGER: Arnold Adolfo SENIOR ART DIRECTOR: Brian Pirocchi ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR: Michelle Forsyth MARKETING MANAGER: Scott Peachman ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES: Nelson Cheung, Matthew Adolfo, Shane Chattergoon, Erickson Obiacaro, Jimmy Manuel, Andrew McEwan, Mark Perrin, JP Kongas SENIOR EDITOR: George Webster DRAG RACING EDITOR: Bruce Biegler ROAD RACING EDITOR: David Hatter QUEBEC EDITOR: Eric Descarries WESTERN EDITOR: Gerry Frechette MX EDITOR: Wil de Clercq CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Mark Pereira, Paul Rachwal PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: John Paul Ramos PRODUCTION: Richard Robles GRAPHIC DESIGN: Queue Gonzalez, Jeff Maguire, Edward Shintani, Patrick Beltijar, Patrick Dinglasan SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Carol Franceschinis 1.888.564.SUBS
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INSIDERACING
Photos by LAT Photographic
WITH TODD LEWIS
MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE? A
t the Daytona 500, the most prestigious stock car race in the world, why did NASCAR allow 72-year-old James Hylton the opportunity to qualify for the race? Let me rephrase that, why did NASCAR allow Hylton to put his own life and the safety of others in harms way? Is this the same NASCAR that has been so consumed with safety issues it is introducing an ugly “Car of Tomorrow” because it’s safer? I’m all for the freedom of stock car racing that allows those who show up and pass technical inspection the right to qualify, and as a general principal I’m against mandatory retirement. But those that played this as the warm and fuzzy former racer trying to relive a dream are misguided. No matter if you are the most physically fit 72-year-old in the world, your timing and reflexes have diminished significantly. It is criminal to allow an individual into a race car to drive nearly 200mph. This should not be allowed to happen. Remember a few years ago when Michael Andretti put his father Mario into one of his cars for a shake down at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Mario’s car went airborne and flipped over. Fortunately for all of us he came away unscathed. Hylton’s ride at Daytona had the potential for the same disaster. The most prominent story in NASCAR is more like a reality series. Wait, don’t give anyone any ideas. Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants majority control of the company his father started. His widow Teresa Earnhardt currently has control and has made disparaging remarks about her stepson. So who has more to gain and who has more to lose in this family feud? Both. Teresa married Dale Sr. and helped him start and 12
run a remarkably successful business. It is one of the best examples of an athlete promoting and marketing their own name and brand. Dale Jr. was blessed with a name and some of the talent of his late father. He has attracted many fans and sponsors that earn him a very nice living. With no other stars on the roster or on the horizon Teresa needs a proven commodity in the family stable to be a successful race team. If young Earnhardt leaves the team when his contract expires after this season there won’t be a DEI much longer. If Jr. cannot find his way to the championship circle in the next couple of seasons he will be most the prolific example of an athlete that had great bloodlines, opportunity, and equipment but couldn’t realize his potential If as a member of DEI Dale Jr. cannot win a title, then he must leave. The Champ Car World Series is set to begin another season in a couple of short months. Wonder who will be driving, and where they will be racing? If you thought in previous seasons they were slow at disseminating information this year it is to the point of ridiculous. Everyone I talk with can’t believe the slow pace of confirmation for even the smallest of details for the 2007 season. This is the time we should be seeing buds on the tree starting to blossom with new sponsors, teams and events for the future. Instead, their biggest sponsors have scaled back significantly, Denver was dumped and the future of several other races is in peril. Even the top teams of the past few years are scarce on details for the new campaign. I’ve been optimistic before, but this is a critical time for Champ Car.
THE DECISION TO LET 72-YEAROLD JAMES HYLTON ATTEMPT TO QUALIFY FOR THE DAYTONA 500 PUT BOTH HYLTON AND OTHER COMPETITORS IN DANGER ACCORDING TO TODD LEWIS
THE TROUBLE BREWING BETWEEN TERESA EARNHARDT AND DALE JR. IS REACHING A BOILING POINT THAT COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT BOTH DEI AND JUNIOR’S FUTURE
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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anUPHILL
BATTLE
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TOYOTA MADE ITS LONG-AWAITED DEBUT IN NASCAR NEXTEL CUP AT THE DAYTONA 500 AND IT WAS A ROLLER COASTER 10 DAYS FOR THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK. MONTE DUTTON EXAMINES THE BIRTH OF TOYOTA’S NASCAR PROGRAM AND THE SEASON-LONG BATTLE IT FACES IN ITS FIRST YEAR.
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PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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P
reparing to enter stock car racing at NASCAR’s highest level, Toyota Racing Development executed a three-year refresher course in the Craftsman Truck Series that couldn’t have been more successful. Thus far, however — and, yes, it is still early — the Japanese manufacturer seems to have brought none of that aura of success to its fledgling Nextel Cup effort. In Truck racing, Toyota’s entry greatly enhanced the quality of competition. The three other manufacturers — Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford — all raised their own factory support in the Truck Series, yet Toyota won in its first year, did even better in its second and dominated the series in its third. The victory total expanded from four in 2004 to nine in 2005 and 12 in 2006. Curiously, Toyota largely ignored its best performers in the Truck Series when making the move to Cup. Five different Toyota drivers won races in 2006. Not one of them, including series champion Todd Bodine, rated a promotion to a full-time Cup ride. The only driver graduating to Cup from trucks, David Reutimann, finished third in the Truck standings but failed to win any races in ‘06. Only one of Toyota’s three Cup teams, Bill Davis Racing, was part of the manufacturer’s Truck Series program. BDR fields Camrys for Dave Blaney and Jeremy Mayfield. Team Red Bull hired Brian Vickers and A.J. Allmendinger. Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett and Reutimann represent Michael Waltrip Racing. Vickers is the only Toyota driver who won a Cup race last year. Jarrett, who was Winston Cup champion in 1999, and Mayfield last won in 2005. Waltrip hasn’t won since 2003.
WAKE-UP CALL AT DAYTONA One of the oft-asked questions in the weeks leading up to the Daytona 500 concerned the possibility of a Toyota driver winning it. In retrospect, the question seems absurd. Only four Toyota drivers even made the race. The highest finisher, Jarrett, crossed the line in 22nd place. Two races into the season, and Toyota had managed to lock itself into an almost inescapable position of inferiority. Only Blaney, Jarrett and, surprisingly, Reutimann, even managed to qualify for the first two races. Mayfield and Allmendinger failed at both Daytona and California. Vickers sat out the 500, while Waltrip failed to qualify the following week. Jarrett needed an ex-champion’s provisional to make both races, and during the off-season NASCAR officials limited to a maximum of six the number of times any driver could take advantage of that rule. Thirty-five spots in Nextel Cup fields are reserved for drivers representing teams based on owner standings. After five races, the current year’s standings determine those
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Photo by David M. Vaughn/LAT
BATTLE
35 spots. By failing to qualify on speed for the early races, an alarming number of the Toyota teams could be locked out of those automatic spots for the remainder of the season. It’s a hole that gets progressively harder to escape. Crew chief Doug Richert finished second in the Cup standings two years ago with driver Greg Biffle. Now he calls the shots for Vickers, and he’s been around long enough — he worked with Dale Earnhardt during his first championship season 27 years ago — to understand fully the difficulty of the task in front of Toyota. “We knew coming in that we were going to be behind the eight-ball because of points,” said Richert. “The first thing we did wrong was we didn’t go fast enough on a single-car (i.e., qualifying) run at Daytona. That left us only one real small window to get in. We had a good enough car to make the race, but we just didn’t follow through and ended up blowing the right-rear tire (during a qualifying race) and that cost us any chance of making the field. If we could’ve gotten through Daytona, we’d have been fine, but we didn’t.” “Success in this sport is all about team,” said Jeff Gordon, analyzing the Toyota prospects, “and it’s going to take some time for their teams to come together.”
JUST ANOTHER CAR MAKER Before the season started, Toyota officials, particularly TRD vice president Lee White, spent most of their time defending themselves against the notion that they were buying their way into victory lane. “We’ve done extensive research, and I don’t believe the level of expenditure is any higher than the existing manufacturers,” said White. “This is a convenient way for a lot of existing teams to manipulate their own manufacturers and attempt to increase their own level of funding. “We provide technology. We don’t own these teams. We don’t fund these teams. What we are trying to do is 16
use our expertise with what I call ‘tribal knowledge,’ or the traditional method of producing racing engines.” The most persistent critic was Ford team owner Jack Roush, who alleges that Toyota money has raised the level of expenditures necessary to field a competitive team. Roush vowed not to yield to the threat, however. He brought in a partner, Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry, renamed his team Roush Fenway Racing, and said he needed vast amounts of capital to meet the Toyota challenge. Ford Racing Technology head Dan Davis was also outspoken in his criticism of Toyota. Responding to a question about his “fear of Toyota,” Roush fired back, “Did I say I was scared? I don’t back away from a good fight.” The disappointing early performances left White with an even stickier problem: defending the wisdom of how Toyota’s Cup program had been conceived. The criticisms had shifted from how much money there was to how the money was being spent. Waltrip fielded a single Dodge in a shakedown season designed to get ready for heading up Toyota’s flagship, three-car team. He fared poorly, finishing 37th in the 2006 point standings and failing to pick up a single top-10 finish. The popular view was Toyota valued Waltrip, 43, and Jarrett, 50, more for their public-relations skills than their viability as winning drivers. Jarrett also languished in his final season with Robert Yates Racing, finishing 23rd in the 2006 standings and finishing in the top five in only one race. “I just felt like that a change like this was something that was exciting to me,” he said, “to think about the opportunity that I have to help a good friend, Michael Waltrip, start up his race team. “To help him and then to help Toyota come into the sport was a challenge I felt would give me that energy and that fire inside of me again to really want to help and make this something special. If I can look back after everything is finished and say I had a big part of
helping Toyota enter the Cup Series and be successful, then that will be pretty rewarding... We can get to victory lane, I think… I would like to be the driver who takes Toyota there first.” The closest thing to a high point for Toyota in the early weeks would’ve earlier been considered no more than an afterthought. In the Busch Series, Dave Blaney finished second in the first race and won the pole for the second. It isn’t unfair for an American fan to hope American manufacturers do well. What could be deemed unfair in a global marketplace (i.e., the Ford Fusion production car is manufactured in Mexico) would be for competition to be limited only to American manufacturers, even though it was an official NASCAR policy for decades. “Mostly, it has been positive,” said Jim Aust, motorsports vice president for Toyota Motor Sales USA. “Of course, there are those who prefer the status quo, and we understand that, especially given all the other changes NASCAR has been going through. But we’ve been working closely with NASCAR to make the sport even better. We’ve helped two new teams join the series in Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull (BDR had been in Cup since 1993). And we’ll continue to work closely with NASCAR and abide by their rules and guidelines established for all manufacturers.” Still, many long-time NASCAR fans clearly resent Toyota’s presence. “You know, as far as Toyota, sure, the parent company is foreign,” said Jarrett, a three-time Daytona 500 winner. “We could go through all that stuff and see who is right and who is wrong, but there are a lot of Toyotas that are built in the United States. They employ a lot of people. They are a great car company… but you’re not going to get that across to some people, and I’m not going to try to and that’s not my job or my plight to come out here and try to convince everybody that this is the right thing to do for Toyota to be involved.
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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“But we have to be accepting of change. If we don’t, then you would still be watching 12-inch TV screens, and that’s not a lot of fun whenever you’ve got everything else that’s out there… You know, check and see if that TV you’re watching was made in the United States that you’re watching our great races on… Understand that we all have to make decisions at times based on what is best for me and my situation, and that Toyota is a big part of the United States economy… Toyota is going to be very good for the sport.”
PAINFUL PENALTY
Photo by Ramesh Bayney
IT WAS NOT A STELLAR DEBUT FOR THE CAMRYS AS TOYOTA TEAMS WERE UP AND DOWN; EPITOMIZING THAT WERE JEREMY MAYFIELD (#36) WHO DIDN’T MAKE THE FIELD AND DALE JARRETT (#44) WHO NEEDED A CHAMPION’S PROVISIONAL AND WAS THE HIGHEST TOYOTA FINISHER IN 22ND
Performance was a major problem at the outset, but even more damaging was a cheating scandal that left Toyota open to further criticism. During the qualifying process at Daytona, NASCAR officials found an illegal substance in the manifold of Waltrip’s No. 55 Toyota. Three days later, on Feb. 14, NASCAR indefinitely suspended Waltrip’s team manager, Bobby Kennedy, and his crew chief, David Hyder. Hyder was fined $100,000, and 100 points were taken away in both driver and owner standings. The car was confiscated so that NASCAR’s inspectors could scrutinize its construction. Competition vice president Robin Pemberton said NASCAR wanted to “go over that car with a fine-toothed comb.” A painfully apologetic Waltrip called the scandal “perhaps the stupidest thing that has ever been attempted” after NASCAR determined that the foreign substance was a fuel additive. The issue remained shrouded in mystery, however, particularly after NASCAR declined to identify the illegal additive and Waltrip said an internal investigation had failed to identify who within his team had caused the scandal. A lack of public knowledge contributed to wild rumours from every side. Some cited the scandal as an example of Toyota deception, while others contended the Waltrip car had been tampered with by outsiders as a means of embarrassing Toyota. “This is not the action of an organization, a manufacturer or a sponsor,” said Waltrip. “This was an independent act done without consent or authorization from me or any of my executive management team. As an owner, I realize I am ultimately held responsible for the actions of my employees.
DAMAGE CONTROL STARTED EARLY FOR TOYOTA WHEN FLAG BEARER MICHAEL WALTRIP WAS CAUGHT CHEATING IN TECH AND SPENT THE REMAINING DAYS APOLOGIZING FOR THE ACTIONS OF A STILL UNKNOWN CREW MEMBER’S ACTIONS PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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FIRST-HALF TROUBLE Even though only four Toyotas made the field for NASCAR’s most prestigious race, White put the obligatory positive spin on the Camry debut. “Everyone was happy to have four cars in the race because that was pretty much what we’ve been saying all along,” he said. “Our expectations were to have four and maybe five cars in the race. We were hoping for somebody to turn up in the top 15… but, the way it worked out, we didn’t inherit a top-15 finish. But we got three in the top-35, so if they can just continue on with that for the next four races, then maybe we can get some guys that will be in those guaranteed positions. We’ll carry on, keep on working and we’ll be OK.” Waltrip’s inability to qualify in California represented yet another devastating blow, but the plight of Mayfield, a driver with five career Cup victories, and Allmendinger, who won five Champ Car races in 2006, was desperate. Toyota officials were faced with a frightening prospect. With only seven available starting spots based on qualifying speed, Toyota drivers Vickers, Allmendinger, Waltrip and Mayfield would be forced somehow to secure four of them, week after week, well into the heart of the season. Allmendinger, by far the least experienced stock car racer in the Toyota fold, strained to remain upbeat. “I know the effort that they put into it and that Toyota puts into their programs and how successful they want to be,” said Allmendinger. “I just knew for me that this was the right chance for me to take and it would be crazy for me to turn it down. I think it really comes down to that in NASCAR, whether it’s in Nextel Cup, or through the Busch ranks, or the Truck ranks, or even ARCA... there’s just a lot more opportunity for drivers to get into 18
a seat, make a living and get their name recognized. In open wheel racing, there are only 17 to 18 cars in each series, and that is tough to get in there and get your name recognized and get a ride. “It feels like, at times, my head has been spinning… It’s been something I would never have imagined… I knew this was going to be difficult. I never thought we were going to dominate or that we are going to go in and win races right away. I have confidence in my ability, definitely confidence in the team’s ability and in the manufacturer’s ability…” “A.J.’s got a big learning curve in front of him,” said Richert. “The only way someone in his position can learn is ‘to do.’ He needs seat time and laps in these kinds of cars because it’s all new to him. That’s all we can do. We can’t get him any more seat time right now than what he’s getting. He’ll get it. He’s very talented. I’ve watched him test at short tracks, he’s very smooth in the throttle. We’ve just to get him through this transition. We’ve got to get him some points and get him up there where he’s got some security.” Toyota may be learning hard lessons, but the teams aren’t going away. Paradoxically, they are in part responsible for their own problems since, by essentially adding entirely new teams to the sport, they have made the difficulty of making the starting fields more compelling. The new manufacturer brings long-term commitment and ample resources to the table. Other struggling teams — like, for instance, BAM Racing, Morgan-McClure, Haas CNC Racing and Robby Gordon Motorsports — are fighting for their very survival. “At Team Red Bull, we’ve got the combination of the driver and the crew and the resources,” said Richert. “We’ve got the tools we need and the support from Toyota to get the job done. It’s a tough time to start with a new team. With the rules the way they are, man, it’s very tough.”
Photo by Jamie Maudsley
“I respect NASCAR’s rules, its people and the sport’s integrity, which is why I am so sad and embarrassed. I am dedicated to get to the bottom of this because I will not let the independent act of an individual or individuals tarnish the incredible accomplishment my organization has made to be where we are today.” Pemberton strenuously insisted that the penalties, perhaps the stiffest in NASCAR history, were a team, not a manufacturer, issue, but the damage was done. Toyota officials quickly moved to distance themselves from the matter, even as Waltrip attempted to save face. “We are very disappointed and concerned in the events that have happened over the past few days,” said Aust. “These activities have been a distraction to our main goal this weekend — which is to compete in our first Daytona 500. Toyota certainly does not condone actions such as these by any of our NASCAR team partners.”
DAVE BLANEY (#22) WAS ONE OF ONLY THREE TOYOTA DRIVERS TO MAKE THE FIELD AT THE FIRST TWO RACES; WHILE AJ ALLMENDINGER (#84) HAD YET TO MAKE THE FIELD AS HE FINDS THE SWITCH FROM CHAMP CARS TO NASCAR TO BE A DIFFICULT ONE
“…SURE, THE PARENT COMPANY IS FOREIGN... BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF TOYOTAS THAT ARE BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY EMPLOY A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY ARE A GREAT CAR COMPANY… BUT YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET THAT ACROSS TO SOME PEOPLE, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TRY TO...” -DALE JARRETT
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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CHAOTIC DAYTONA KEVIN HARVICK TOOK HOME HIS FIRST DAYTONA 500 VICTORY IN A THRILLING START TO THE 2007 SEASON
JUAN MONTOYA HAD A GREAT LEAD-UP TO THE 500 AS HE LED PART OF HIS GATORADE DUEL AND STARTED FOURTH, BUT HANDLING ISSUES RELEGATED HIM TO 19TH AT THE FINISH
OPENER FROM CREW CHIEF SUSPENSIONS TO THE DEBUT OF TOYOTA TO A CLASSIC FINISH, THE 2007 DAYTONA 500 HAD SOMETHING FOR EVERY RACING FAN AS KEVIN HARVICK EMERGED WITH HIS FIRST VICTORY AT THE “SUPER BOWL” OF RACING.
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s the showcase event for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, the annual Daytona 500 brings big expectations from fans. After months without any racing action, interest is perked up in Florida as a new season begins. This year, the off track news threatened to overshadow the race itself. As Speedweeks began the spotlight was shining on Toyota and how it would fare in its Nextel Cup debut. When qualifying began it was apparent the Camrys were behind in speed and the question was whether any Toyota driver besides Dale Jarrett (who could use a Champion’s Provisional) would even qualify for the race. But at the end of qualifying all the talk centered around several cars that were caught cheating, among them the lead Toyota car of Michael Waltrip. In the end, Jarrett, Waltrip, Dave Blaney and David Reutimann made the field, but none finished inside the top-20. In terms of the cheating, tech inspection is now becoming an annual event unto itself. Before the Gatorade Duels, NASCAR had suspended the crew chiefs for Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Scott Riggs and Elliott Sadler, who were all docked driver points as well. Robbie Reiser and Kenny Francis, crew chiefs for Kenseth and Kahne respectively, were sent home for four races (like Chad Knaus in 2006); Rodney Childers (Riggs) and Josh Brown (Sadler) received two race suspensions. These decisions were met with some approval as it now seems NASCAR is serious about penalizing drivers, especially since all four mentioned above started the 500 with a negative point total. Hurt most by the penalties was Waltrip and his Toyota team. Although it took NASCAR a little longer to meet out punishment for an illegal fuel additive, it was not the beginning Toyota had hoped for. A $100,000 fine and 100-point penalty for Waltrip did not kick off their Nextel Cup campaign as expected. For his part, Waltrip was demoralized and contemplated pulling out of the Gatorade Duels altogether. “This is not the way you want to enter the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, by any means,” said Jim Aust, 20
ROBERT YATES WAS ECSTATIC IN DAYTONA AS HE HAD TWO CARS ON THE FRONT ROW, BUT THE #38 OF DAVID GILLILAND (POLESITTER) AND #88 OF RICKY RUDD COULDN’T HOLD STATION AS THEY FINISHED 8TH AND 26TH, RESPECTIVELY
MICHAEL WALTRIP AND TOYOTA HAD A ROUGH OPENING EVENT AS PENALTIES OVERSHADOWED THE FOUR TOYOTAS THAT MADE THE FIELD
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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Photos by Ramesh Bayney and LAT Photographic
JEFF GORDON WAS PENALIZED WITH A START AT THE BACK OF THE PACK AFTER FAILING TECH INSPECTION BUT REBOUNDED TO FINISH 10TH
THE FINAL LAP WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR YEARS TO COME AS KEVIN HARVICK (#29) EDGED PAST SENTIMENTAL FAVOURITE MARK MARTIN (#01) AT THE LINE
CLINT BOWYER WAS ON FIRE AFTER BEING CAUGHT IN THE LAST LAP MELEE THAT NEARLY GAVE MARK MARTIN THE VICTORY UNDER YELLOW
WITH 50 LAPS TO GO IT LOOKED TO BE A BATTLE BETWEEN TONY STEWART (#20) AND KURT BUSCH (#2) FOR THE WIN, BUT THIS INCIDENT TOOK THEM OUT OF CONTENTION WITH 48 LAPS TO GO
President of Toyota Racing Development. “But circumstances are what they are, and we’ll support NASCAR in any way we can to help them find a resolution to the issue.” By the following week Waltrip was still investigating who was responsible for the adding the foreign substance to the car and said there would be repercussions once the culprit was identified. The race itself had plenty of drama. Jeff Gordon had to start at the back of the pack after failing inspection after the Gatorade Duels and rookie Juan Montoya sat fourth on the grid in his Daytona debut (although he did win the Daytona 24 Hours a few weeks earlier). With 50 laps to go everyone was anticipating a fight to the finish between two-time champion Tony Stewart and 2005 champion Kurt Busch, who combined to lead 130 of the first 152 laps. Unfortunately for both, they wrecked each other with 48 laps remaining. As Busch was closing fast in Turn 4, Stewart wiggled and Busch could not avoid running into the back of the Home Depot car. “We both got taken out of the Daytona 500 on my mistake,” a rejected Busch said after trying to get Roger Penske his first win at the 500. “I made the first mistake. I apologize to (Stewart), but I know that doesn’t mean anything.”
When the cars were re-shuffled it was Mark Martin out in front and he was the sentimental favourite to win his first 500 in his 23rd start. However, his storybook finish was curtailed on what is arguably the most memorable lap in Daytona 500 history. Kevin Harvick stalked the leading Martin late in the race and with just over a mile to go he made a bold move on the outside and took the victory by less than a car length. While most eyes focused on the battle through the final turn, behind the leaders was where some major action took place. Kyle Busch spun and then Clint Bowyer ended up on his roof on fire while another five cars banged together into a smoke-filled mass of metal. “This had to be the wildest Daytona 500 I ever watched,” said Richard Childress after his driver took the checkered flag. “I kept my eyes shut there for a little while it was so wild.” “I got so excited at the end of the race, and I knew I had won,” said Harvick. “I just didn’t realize how excited I was, and I punched the dang mirror out of the car. Just over-excited, I guess. Knocked the mirror right out.” While it’s nearly impossible to read anything into what happens at Daytona in terms of the full season, if the on track action was any kind of indicator then fans can expect one hell of season from here on out. PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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Photo by HHP Images/Harold Hinson
VIEWFROMTHETOWER WITH GEORGE WEBSTER
NOTES FROM THE MEDIA TOUR Joe and JD Gibbs share a laugh during the NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte; as usual, there were few surprises during the big week of media events
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very January Lowe’s Motor Speedway hosts a four-day media tour that always attracts a huge turnout. Given the yearround hunger for ‘news’ about NASCAR, this media tour helps feed that demand and a clever journalist can get a few quotes that can be pulled out of the files for stories later in the season. The teams and their sponsors put on a pretty good show and the assembled media get to partake in some good food and some ‘down home’ food, drink a few drinks and take home a few trinkets. But the truth is that this is a pretty boring ordeal. Everyone we hear tells us how excited they are about their prospects for the coming season – in January everyone is a winner. I wish I had a quarter for every time someone spoke the ‘excited’ word. Truth is everyone looks and sounds pretty bored, reciting the obligatory optimistic drivel. Other than a lot of sponsor announcements there’s not really much news at this time of year – it’s either too late or too early. Despite the drivers feigning ‘excitement’ during the media tour, it was nothing like the genuine excitement Jeff Gordon had running in the 24 Hours of Daytona which kept him alert and awake through most of the night following the progress of his Grand-Am car. We did make the now mandatory visit to the NASCAR R&D Centre and heard about the Car of Tomorrow and the new points structure for the Chase. For reporters, there’s not much new to learn about the CoT that we hadn’t heard last year. The cars will run in their first race at Bristol in March and that’s when we will start to get some answers – Will they make for better racing? Will the teams have competitive cars ready? Will minor damage to the front splitter knock a car out of the race? Will the race fans accept these standardized, boxy cars as Chevrolets, Fords, Dodges and Toyotas? As for the Chase, NASCAR has done some minor tinkering with the formula. An additional five points will be awarded for each win – big deal! The top 12 drivers, instead of 10, will become part of the Chase. The points seeding for the Chase will give each of these 12 drivers, 5000 points plus 10 points for each win prior to the 22
Chase. The lottery of the final 10 races remains little changed – but now we will have an additional two who can hope to catch the brass ring. Toyota officials are upbeat about their entry into the Cup series but they are realistic about their chances with their three teams in the first year. Despite the mythology, with the possible exception of the IRL where the competition was not up to much, Toyota has no history of coming into a race series and dominating right away. Traditionalists may wail about how the Toyotas should not be allowed because they are not American cars but, in fact, the Toyota Camry, is the only road version namesake of the race cars built in the United States; the Monte Carlo and the Charger are built in Canada and the Fusion in Mexico. Most of the other competitors expressed acceptance, if not excitement, at the prospect of the Toyotas entry. Jack Roush replayed his belligerent anti-Toyota stance from the previous year, saying, “We’re gonna go to war with them and they should give us their best shot because we’ll be back and giving as good as we take.” Juan Montoya has become the darling of most of the media pundits who say they expect him to be successful immediately. If Montoya does break through and is able to establish a record of consistently good race finishes in his first season in this style of racing, he will be breaking the general pattern of Indy Car drivers failing to make the transition to stock car racing successfully. Given the over-hyped expectations for him, even if he has a solid, but mid-field season, there is a danger that the same guys who are expecting so much now will write him off as a failure. By contrast, the prospects for Allmendinger, who has come over to the Red Bull Toyota team from the Forsythe Champ Car team, don’t look good. He enters the season having to qualify on time against a huge number of other hopefuls – and his pre-season testing times have been poor. A bad first season in NASCAR may see him out of this game forever and also unable to find a ride back in the open wheel cars. Allmendinger looked like the all-American hero of Champ Car; instead he may turn out to be the chump who deserted Champ Car only to fail in NASCAR.
Keep an eye on Australian Marcos Ambrose. He’s a two-time champion in the Australian V8 Supercar Series who seems to be making the transition to stock cars in a solid, methodical way. He ran a full season in the truck series last year with reasonable success. This year he is in the Busch Series getting more seat time. With his road racing experience in the heavy rear-wheeldrive V8 Supercars, he may well be a standout in the three road course races in the Busch Series this year. He is also set to drive the two road course Cup races as well – although he is clear that his goal is success as an oval track racer, not as a road course specialist. Canadian Pete Shepherd was introduced from the stage at Roush Racing but he disappeared before the one-on-one interviews started. Apparently, the reason was they wanted to avoid the embarrassment of him having to admit that he has nothing firm set for this season. He started last year the same way but he had a few successful rides in a Roush truck and he is hopeful that he will get some more seat time again this year – testing and races. The most bizarre affair of the week was the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated dinner held in an atmosphere of speculation about the seemingly difficult relationship between owner Teresa Earnhardt and her stepson, driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Teresa made only a few cryptic remarks before she exited stage left behind a curtain. It turns out that she did not leave but rather sat behind the curtain monitoring the comments of the drivers who were fielding questions from the floor. No wonder a very subdued Dale Jr. refused to make anything like a negative comment about his stepmother’s absentee management of the business. Afterwards we went up the street to see the new documentary movie, “Dale”, an authorized biography which – no surprise – features Teresa professing her undying love for her late husband. Dale Earnhardt fans will love this movie – but, for my money, it’s a not bad made-for-TV movie, two stars at best. No doubt this latest project will rake in the money for Teresa and DEI, while the racing side continues to muddle along without much direction.
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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SPECIAL FEATURE
BEAUCHAMP READY
FOR NASCAR CHALLENGE STORY BY JAMIE MAUDSLEY
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- RON BEAUCHAMP JR
Photo by Ramesh Bayney
“IT WAS A TOUGH CHOICE, TO SWITCH FROM A MCCOLL CHASSIS TO A DIFFERENT CAR... IT WORKED WELL WITH THE ROAD COURSE CAR LAST SEASON, SO THIS YEAR WE WENT AHEAD AND ORDERED AN OVAL TRACK CAR.”
Photo by Ramesh Bayney
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hen the first green flag drops on the 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Racing Series (NCTRS), Ron Beauchamp Jr. will be in his familiar #60 Dodge with MOPAR on the quarter-panels. The long-time CASCAR veteran will be among a number of drivers renewing acquaintances on mostly the same race tracks the series previously competed on when the first event rolls around at the end of May. Beauchamp is coming off a tremendous season, where he finished seventh in the CASCAR Super Series points. “We were fifth heading into the final race and had trouble at Kawartha,” he said. “The points were so tight that it knocked us down two spots. We were still pleased with the season. We picked up a win at Ste. Eustache, and ran very solid at a number of other races.” It’s been a long time since Beauchamp and his team won the Eastern CASCAR Championship in 1998, on the strength of back-to-back Quebec wins at Ste. Eustache and Ste. Croix. It would take seven years for Ron to visit victory lane again, as he won at Delaware in the season opener in 2005. “That was the longest wait of my life. I’ve heard people say that when you’re competing at this level, you can’t take anything for granted, and I did that a bit after we won that title. I didn’t think there would be any reason we couldn’t win a couple of more. Then we got into a drought and it was a long time until that win at Delaware.” Beauchamp continued on his roll that season, posting another win in Peterborough, but finished eighth in the championship standings when the 2005 points were tallied. It was that off-season that the Windsor-based Beauchamp Motorsports Team turned to a new chassis builder for 2006, as they purchased their first Hess car from North Carolina and used the rocket on road courses throughout last season. “It was a tough choice, to switch from a McColl chassis to a different car, that’s a big move,” explained Beauchamp. “But, it’s got to the point now where almost everyone is running a McColl car, and we thought we could move to a different manufacturer and have some success with something that no one else has. It worked well with the road course car last season, so this year we went ahead and ordered an oval track car.” Following three top-10 finishes in four road course races, not to mention leading in the other, Beauchamp was convinced that the team made the right move. “The thing was really good right out of the box and it really helped our road course results. That just sold us on getting another one this season. We’ve had it a bit now, and it’s pretty much ready to go.” The only thing that Ron and his team are waiting on is the new tire size, so they can order rims and rubber and get the bodies fitted. “We’ve been told we’re getting a new tire, but we just want to find out what it is so we’re ready to go. We don’t want to get the tires at the last minute and have to get new spindles and the likes if it doesn’t fit. We just want to be prepared.” PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series marks are used under license by Destination Motorsports LP and Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited. NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.
MOPAR DELIVERS As the dawn of the new NCTRS appears on the horizon, PRN recently spoke to one of the biggest cheerleaders of CASCAR throughout the years, a gentleman who was able to help promote not only his brand, but the entire sport as well — Rick Williams, Motorports Coordinator for MOPAR. MOPAR entered the Canadian Stock Car racing scene about 15 years ago, as it put together a marketing package based around CASCAR, and the company was extremely successful and proud of its association with CASCAR. Williams explained, “We recognized the talent in the series early on, as well as the infrastructure that CASCAR provided as it became the only National racing series in Canada. We felt like we had to support the best that Canada had to offer.” Throughout the ‘90s Ford, Chrysler and GM were all involved in CASCAR with factory support of some level, but at the turn of the century, both GM and Ford bowed out, leaving Avengers, Intrepids and Chargers as the only factory supported brands. While the increased recognition was beneficial, Williams admitted that there is nothing wrong with the auto makers mixing it up on the track, “There were other manufactures involved along with us, and I think having
TENTATIVE 2007 SCHEDULE AS WE CLOSED FOR PRESS, PRN WAS ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF THE TENTATIVE 2007 NCTRS SCHEDULE. HERE IS THE PLANNED SCHEDULE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE BEFORE ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE. MAY 26 JUNE 15-17 JULY 1 JULY 14-15 JULY 20-22 AUG. 3-4 AUG. 11 AUG. 17-19 SEPT. 1 SEPT. 8-9 SEPT. 14-16 SEPT. 22
Cayuga International Speedway Mosport International Raceway Barrie Speedway Sun Valley Speedway Grand Prix of Edmonton Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve Mosport Speedway Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres Cayuga International Speedway Barrie Speedway Riverside Speedway Kawartha Speedway
all the brands on the track really spoke to the competition. I hope the others get back in with the new series starting, because I really think that stock car racing in Canada needs more businesses involved, and hopefully that will help the entire sport.” With so many years of working inside the sport and following the tour from coast-to-coast, the memories are plentiful, but Williams was able to pin down his biggest highlight, “I think winning the Manufacturer’s Cup in 2005 was the biggest moment, because so many teams worked so hard for that over the years. Then, to top it off, we did it again in 2006.” While the new program for Team MOPAR hasn’t been unveiled yet, Williams did offer a brief preview, “It’s not finalized yet, because all the details haven’t been released from NASCAR, such as the schedule, but there will be factory support for the teams. We have some ideas and initiatives ready to go, but are still waiting.”
Photo by Jamie Maudsley
Beauchamp also explained that should they struggle with the new chassis, they have a backup plan in place, “We still have our old chassis, and if we’re having a tough time getting a handle on the new car, we can always run the old one until we get things sorted out. Kind of like an insurance policy.” Beauchamp is also thrilled that NASCAR and series title sponsor Canadian Tire have the resources to do off the track. “I really think that they can pick up the marketing of the series and get more exposure and hopefully more people out to watch us race. I have to give Tony Novotny all the credit in the world for building this up to where it is now, but even in the end of CASCAR not every race fan in Canada knew what the series was, where we raced, and just how tremendous the competition was. I was at a mall show in Windsor a few years ago and I overheard a couple of guys talking and one said, ‘Oh CASCAR, those things aren’t much more than Street Stocks.’ I corrected him and explained that we had about 500 horsepower and just how much money was involved in the sport and they just never knew. That’s what NASCAR and Canadian Tire have to overcome, but I really think they will put the programs in place to get that exposure, and educate more people to the quality of racing that our series offers.”
NCTRS ON TSN
“…EVEN IN THE END OF CASCAR NOT EVERY RACE FAN IN CANADA KNEW WHAT THE SERIES WAS... THAT’S WHAT NASCAR AND CANADIAN TIRE HAVE TO OVERCOME, BUT I REALLY THINK THEY WILL PUT THE PROGRAMS IN PLACE TO GET THAT EXPOSURE, AND EDUCATE MORE PEOPLE TO THE QUALITY OF RACING THAT OUR SERIES OFFERS.” - RON BEAUCHAMP JR
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The top motorsports series in Canada will be teaming up with “Canada’s Sports Leader” when it comes to broadcasting in 2007. The two sides announced the deal recently with TSN to air one-hour broadcasts of all 12 events throughout the season. All the details haven’t been announced yet, but NASCAR did issue this statement. “This is a very important announcement for NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Canadian racing fans will have the broadest offering of NASCAR programming including the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series,” said Robbie Weiss, Managing Director, NASCAR International. “We are excited to continue this great partnership with TSN and bring the best of Canadian racing to a broader audience.” Look for NCTRS action on TSN this summer. PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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F1 PREVIEW
aSEASON
PHOTOS BY LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
OF CHANGE THE 2007 FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS SEEING AN INFLUX OF NEW TALENT AND NEW RULES. DAN KNUTSON EXAMINES WHO TO WATCH AS THE 2007 SEASON PROGRESSES.
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PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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THE CHAMPIONSHIP IS MCLAREN’S TO LOSE. IF MCLAREN DOESN’T MESS THINGS UP AS IT DID IN 2006, ALONSO COULD WIN THREE CONSECUTIVE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
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or the first time in 16 years, Michael Schumacher will not win the Canadian Grand Prix or any other Formula One race in the upcoming season. The legendary and sometimes controversial Schumacher has, of course, retired. F1 also lost two other stars — Canadian ace Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Montoya — last season. The changing of the guard is part of the natural evolution of any sport, and F1 is no exception. Three stars are gone, but a vibrant new generation is poised to take over. Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg are four newcomers who all have massive potential to be superstars. “It is good for F1 to see some new young people come through,” said Hamilton who makes his F1 debut with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. “I have been watching F1 and been seeing the same people for the last 10 years. “I am here now and Nico is here and Robert is here. I used to race with them in karting, and I remember we all sat there thinking this (F1) is where we want to be. It is an amazing feeling that we made it, and we are all working hard to win.” However, the well-established drivers still in F1 aren’t about to just step aside for the rookies. Double World Champion Fernando Alonso, twice runner-up Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Ralf Schumacher, Felipe Massa, Giancarlo Fisichella and Mark Webber and the rest of the drivers all know that more wins are up for grabs in the post Michael Schumacher era. Not counting Ferrari’s disastrous 2005 season, Schumacher won between six and 13 races every year between 2000 and 2006. Somebody else will win those races in 2007. So who will win this season? And who will become World Champion? “Those sorts of questions are what makes a new season very interesting,” said Williams’ director of engineering Patrick Head. “If you can say you know who is going to win the World Championship and who is going to do well and who is going to disappoint, it would be pretty dull.” The teams were just beginning to test with their 2007 cars as this issue of Performance Racing News went to press. As virtually every driver and engineer and team owner in pit lane would tell you, not to mention any F1 fan, it’s too early to really get a grasp of who will be quick and who will struggle. “Wait until Melbourne,” is a phrase heard over and over. The 17-race season begins in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix on March 18. Okay, so let’s make some predictions. PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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F1 COVERAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY
F1 PREVIEW a season of change RENAULT IS ANXIOUS TO PROVE THAT THEY CAN STILL BE COMPETITIVE WITHOUT ALONSO, BUT NO MATTER WHAT RENAULT SAYS, THE TEAM WILL KEENLY FEEL THE LOSS OF ALONSO
BMW 335i
after a decade of the super team of Schumacher, boss Jean Todt, technical director Ross Brawn, engine guru Paolo Martinelli and chief designer Rory Byrne, Ferrari is a very different team this year. Each of these men has left the team or taken a new position within the company. The team was so centered around Schumacher that, despite the infrastructure now built up, it is difficult to see it dominating as it did for so many years.
CHASING THE LEADERS F1’s “second division” in 2007 will consist of the usual grouping of BMW Sauber, Honda, Panasonic Toyota, AT&T Williams, and Red Bull Racing. Like the other teams, they all claim to have made significant steps forward with their 2007 cars. And they all have. So just what order this quintet ends up in the final point standings in the Constructor’s Championship remains to be seen. The competition between them will be intense. Can any of them break into the top three? Doubtful, but BMW is looking to be the strongest of the group. BMW made excellent progress from 2005 to 2006 and it wants to do so again in 2007. The team is getting into rarified air where tiny steps are massively difficult. Kubica, now in his first full season as a F1 driver, will put in some outstanding drives this season. And don’t discount Nick Heidfeld. The team’s first win is highly likely. Honda and Button finally won a Grand Prix last year. Can they do it again? Some insiders say that the 2007 Honda may be too radical a design. Toyota is very anxious to score its first ever F1 victory. Will that happen in 2007? It may take a bit of luck because the car did not look super fast in its first tests. After a miserable 2006 season, Williams can really only go up in 2007. If it went any lower, it would be a disgrace for this famous team. The early indications are that the new car, now powered by Toyota, is considerably better than the 2006 dud. One of the biggest question marks hangs over Red Bull Racing. This is the first Red Bull designed by the highly talented Adrian Newey. His cars tend to be winners or nightmares. The first tests of the RB3 Renault did not go smoothly.
THE LITTLE GUYS F1’s smallest three teams enter the new season all saying that they are optimistic of a better year than 2006. Spyker, formerly Midland owned by the Canadian-Russian tycoon Alex Shnaider, has a new owner, more money, a new Ferrari engine and new
THE TEAMS TO BEAT The first indications from testing point to McLaren Mercedes being the team to beat this year. Its new drivers — Alonso (fresh from two championships with Renault) and Hamilton — have been pounding around various test tracks in the MP4-22 that looks to be both fast and reliable. My prediction is that the championship is McLaren’s to lose. If McLaren doesn’t mess things up as it did in 2006 when it failed to win a single race, Alonso could win three consecutive World Championships. Hamilton has shown a lot of poise and speed and may well win a Grand Prix in his rookie season. The top three teams this year should be McLaren, Ferrari and ING Renault in that order. Last year’s World Champions Renault are anxious to prove that they can still be competitive without Alonso. After two years as a F1 tester, Kovalainen is ready for F1. He has a lot of talent, but the driver combination of Fisichella/Kovalainen is not as strong as Alonso/Fisichella. No matter what Renault says, the team will keenly feel the loss of Alonso this season. Ferrari says it plans on continuity in the post Schumacher era. If the team can indeed carry on its momentum, then Massa and his new teammate Raikkonen will be regularly challenging for wins. But 28
FERRARI SAYS IT PLANS ON CONTINUITY, BUT AFTER A DECADE OF THE ‘SUPER TEAM’ FERRARI IS A VERY DIFFERENT TEAM THIS YEAR
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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F1 PREVIEW a season of change motivation. Super Aguri and Scuderia Toro Rosso have better chassis as both will use cars designed by their sister teams Honda and Red Bull Racing. This has led to controversy as some of the other teams claim that this is not legal under the rules set out by the Concorde Agreement.
RULE CHANGES
SOME INSIDERS SAY THAT THE 2007 HONDA MAY BE TOO RADICAL A DESIGN AND JENSON BUTTON’S WIN LAST YEAR WILL BE TOUGH TO REPEAT
QUESTIONS ABOUND AT RED BULL AS ADRIAN NEWEY’S (R.) NEW CAR DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY AND HIS CARS ARE GENERALLY WINNERS OR NIGHTMARES
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On the technical and sporting rules front, there are several important changes for this season. With the departure of Michelin, Bridgestone is now the sole tire supplier in F1. Bridgestone will provide only four different types of dry weather tire compounds: super soft, soft, medium and hard, and only two of these will be available on a Grand Prix weekend. In general, the new tires make the cars about two seconds per lap slower than last year. This was done for safety reasons. The teams have designed their cars with more flexibility in suspension adjustment and weight ballast distribution so that the chassis can be adjusted to suit the new tires. The engine specifications used by the teams in December 2006 are frozen in 2007 with only a limited amount of modifications and updates permitted. Engines will be limited to a maximum of 19,000 rpm. Like last year, a driver may use only one engine during the span of two Grand Prix weekends. However, the Friday practice sessions (extended to a total of three hours) no longer are considered part of that, so the teams can run as many laps as they wish on Friday with no concern about conserving engines. In addition, the number of dry weather tires a driver can use over the course of the weekend has been increased from 28 to 40, and this will also contribute to more track action on the Friday in Montreal and at the other F1 tracks. The teams may run two drivers in each of the Friday practice sessions, and they can be either the nominated race drivers or a reserve/test driver. Looking at the overall scene, F1 heads into an intriguing new season with plenty of unknowns. About the only thing I can predict for certain is that Michael Schumacher will not win a Grand Prix this year. It will be an exciting season.
TOYOTA IS ANXIOUS TO SCORE ITS FIRST F1 VICTORY, BUT IT MAY TAKE A BIT OF LUCK BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT LOOK SUPER FAST IN EARLY TESTS
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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FRESH START I
t was a long road to travel, but the Champ Car World Series reached its final destination in mid-December as teams took possession of 10 new Panoz DP01 Champ Cars. Built by the Panoz Group at its Elan Motorsport Technologies (EMT) facility in Georgia, the new car has received rave reviews in early testing. When Champ Car officials announced that a new car would debut for the 2007 season back in 2005, it was an exciting time as the series would receive a new car for the first time in seven years. When the car finally made its debut last summer, former driver Roberto Moreno was given the task of putting it through its paces in testing. After finishing extensive wind tunnel testing and computer modeling, Moreno took the controls and ran over 2,500 miles in the car between August and September. The successful testing program allowed Panoz to build 25 cars already with 32
some teams taking possession on Dec. 20. By late January the teams were on the track getting a feel for what the new era of racing in Champ Car will mean. “The car has performed exactly as we expected it to when we designed this test schedule,” said Champ Car Technical Director Steve Elkins back in September. “We were really hard on this car and did a lot of things to it that teams won’t do when they get it. We wanted to make sure we are giving the teams a car they can have confidence in, and I feel we have done that. “I can’t say enough about the job these guys did here,” Elkins said after the final testing was completed over three days in September at Sebring. “There were some pretty tough conditions out here and you can lose focus doing the same thing every day, but these guys were always ready to do whatever it took to get the job done, and it shows.”
Photo by Greg Aleck/LAT
WITH THE DELIVERY OF THE NEW PANOZ DP01 CHASSIS IN DECEMBER, CHAMP CAR TEAMS HAVE EMBARKED ON A VIGOROUS TESTING PROGRAM. THUS FAR, TEAMS AND DRIVERS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES AS THE SERIES ENTERS A NEW ERA.
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FRESH START
“IT HAS THE CLASSIC LINES OF A CHAMP CAR… WE’RE GOING BACK TO WHAT THESE CARS WERE ALL ABOUT IN THE LATE-‘80S AND EARLY-‘90S. I THINK IT’S GOOD.”
Photo by Phil Abbott/LAT
- PAUL TRACY
The Panoz Group entrusted the design of the car to Chief Designer Simon Marshall and Chief Aerodynamicist Nick Alcock, and thus far there have been no complaints about the job they have done. While series officials had a laundry list of points the designers had to bear in mind, they still had plenty of room to create a unique vehicle that would launch Champ Car into a new era. “When Champ Car approached us asking for our proposal for their product they gave us a three-page summary of bullet points,” Marshall said. “There was a half-page of bullet points which covered some of the toughest tests in racing we would have to put this car through. It’s given us a good chance to wipe the slate clean, break away from certain regulations which don’t make sense today, and rewrite the Champ Car rulebook.” The hard work and dedication of the EMT team was a key to teams being able to take possession of the new car before Christmas to allow for more testing. “In all my years of experience in motorsport, I have never known a situation where a manufacturer was able to deliver as many as 10 ‘all-new’ race cars of this complexity before Christmas,” said EMT CEO David Bowes. “It is a tremendous feat and everyone at Elan should be proud of what they have accomplished. In just over one year we have designed, developed and built a prototype car, undertaken over 2,000 miles of successful testing, and then built 10 production cars. The plan is to continue on and build 35 cars before the start of the 2007 season.”
FEEDBACK Drivers got their first look at the new car in San Jose last summer and right from the start they have been looking forward to getting behind the wheel. Among the most vocal (to no one’s surprise) has been Canadian Paul Tracy. “It has the classic lines of a Champ Car,” Tracy said. “But it has all the new innovations of paddle shifting, a raised nose, and big underwings. It has more downforce and it’s a hundred pounds lighter. I think it’s going to be great. “There’s also plenty of room in the cockpit,” he continued. “It feels bigger than a Grand-Am car and Justin (Wilson) fits in there, no problem. If he can fit in it, then anybody can.” One of the key components about this new car was the effort to keep costs down for teams. As Champ Car continues to struggle to regain its former lofty heights, series officials realized they needed to do something with this car to encourage more teams
to enter Champ Car. However, they also felt the car needed to be adaptable so that in a few years, if the economic health of the series grows, Champ Car can institute bigger developments. “When we do open up the doors for development, there will be huge potential for development in this car, in my opinion,” said team owner Derrick Walker. “The reason we’re doing it now (cost savings) is because we need to get the series back on track by making a cheaper entry level,” Walker continued. “The series needs to be strong enough to have 22 or more cars and be able to have people at the back of the grid come and go and still have a really strong field.” The new underwing was designed to create more downforce, allowing the car to run smaller front and rear wings. “We had that in the early ‘90s,” said Tracy. “But we went away from it by trying to slow the cars down on superspeedways by limiting the underwing at places like Michigan and Fontana and the one-mile ovals. We don’t go to those tracks anymore, but we’re affected pretty badly on road courses by the changes that were made for ovals. So we’re going back to what these cars were all about in the late-‘80s and early-‘90s. I think it’s good.” With vastly different street and road courses on the Champ Car schedule, it was important to design this car with that in mind. It was a very different situation for Marshall in comparison to the creation of their IRL chassis. “Hopefully, we’re not designing the car like we did in the IRL to do just one job aimed at a single circuit,” Marshall said. “We’re designing it to be adaptable to a lot of different situations, different drivers and team engineer requirements.” All this talk has definitely helped the series just from a PR view point. People are talking about Champ Car in the off-season, and it’s positive discussion rather than the questioning and rancor that defined the series in the past decade. While the past few seasons have seen a slew of questions regarding teams and driver lineups, those problems have floated under the radar this year as fans have focused on the new car. Testing has gone well as of mid-February and not a single negative comment has been recorded since the testing first began in late-January. With such positive reinforcement from drivers and officials, fans can expect some great racing once again. If the car helps Champ Car recapture some of the excitement it had in the early-‘90s then it will have done its job and it will be up to series officials to capitalize on this interest from motorsport fans.
Photo by Dan Boyd/LAT
THE DESIGNERS
Once Chief Designer Simon Marshall (crouched beside car) was happy with the prototype Champ Car, it was up to Roberto Moreno (in cockpit) to put the car through some 2,500 miles of
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Photo by Rick Dole/LAT
Repairs to the Turn 1 guardwall resulted in a red flag overnight
D R O R C E E R EAK R B IN UT RS SP E U R O A H T 24 -AM S PEN TH G N O ITI ND EXC E GRA ICIALLY N A AS S TH UNOFF A W A IT TON W TO ASON Y A D SHO ING SE A ON 7 RAC 200
Photo by Daniel Carter
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The winning Prototype team won the third-closest race in the event’s 45 year-history, led by drivers (starting 2nd from left) Pruett, Duran and Montoya 34
very year the North American racing season begins with the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. The grueling endurance classic always brings the racing spirit back to life and this year the Grand-Am Series drivers put on a record breaking show for the fans. Leading the way, in the third-closest finish in the 45-year history of the race, was the trio of Scott Pruett, Juan Montoya and Salavador Duran. The drivers of the No. 1 car held station in the top three for the final three hours, taking the lead for the final time with just under three hours remaining. The win marked several milestones for the drivers, especially Pruett. The win was his seventh class victory at Daytona (a new record) and tied James Weaver atop the Grand-Am all-time win chart with 13. “I’ll put that all in perspective someday down the road when I’m sitting on my porch drinking a nice glass of wine,” Pruett said. “For me, I’m not about any kind of records, I’m just about going racing.” Montoya joins the legendary Mario Andretti in the history books as they are the only two drivers to win a Daytona endurance race along with the Indianapolis 500, an American open wheel championship a Formula One race. The finish was a classic battle that saw the
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started falling just after midnight. However, things really got going by sun rise and the race was run under yellow for many laps due to the monsoon-like conditions. There was also a red flag overnight as workers needed 78 minutes to repair the guardrail heading into Turn 1 after the No. 82 of Chris Pallis had contact with the wall. Other notable finishes included: Canadians Mark Wilkins and David Empringham joining the Friselles to finish fifth overall; IRL stars Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr. joined Patterson and Negri to finish ninth; Canadian Michael Valiante was joined by Finlay, Labonte and McDowell to close out the top 10; Paul Tracy and AJ Allmendinger were teammates again, with Zogain and James, but they were 16th in class; former IRL champs Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon teamed with Memo Rojas for 21st in class; Canucks Alex Tagliani and Katherine Limoges shared a GT car with Nastasi and Cosmo for 32nd in class.
KATHERINE LEGGE HAD A BUMPY RIDE THROUGH THE GRASS IN THE NO. 84 PROTOTYPE, BUT SHE RETURNED TO THE PITS AND THE TEAM MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS; THE TEAM FINISHED 15TH IN CLASS, 25TH OVERALL.
Photo by Daniel Carter
No. 1 hounded to the checkered flag by the No. 11 car of Patrick Carpentier, Milka Duno and Ryan Dalziel. Duno’s runner-up result was the best finish for a woman ever at the Daytona 24 Hour. Finishing third were Wayne Taylor, Max Angelleli and Jan Magnussen, who were joined by NASCAR star Jeff Gordon in Florida. The No. 85 car held the lead for much of the day in GT action, but a mechanical problem put them in the pits for 90 minutes and that allowed the No. 22 Porsche GT3 of Canadian Jean-Francois Dumoulin, Carlos de Quesa, Scotter Gabel and Marc Basseng to take home the win. The GT winners were 11th overall (another record was that the Prototypes took the top 10 spots overall, a first for one class at Daytona). The 22 car finished well ahead of runner-up finishers Kelly Collins, Paul Edwards, Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim’s No. 7 Pontiac GXP-R. Rain played a factor at night as the wet stuff
Photo by Rick Dole/LAT
Canadian Jean-Francois Dumoulin joined Carlos de Quesa, Scotter Gabel and Marc Basseng to win GT
Photo by Daniel Carter
The trio of Carpentier, Duno and Dalziel chased the leaders but settled for second after 24 hours of racing
Photo by Bill Murenbeeld
Photo by Daniel Carter
Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr. teamed with Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson in Prototype action, but things did not go as planned
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SCCA Pro Racing’s Board of Directors has hired Bob Wildberger to be its next President. Wildberger comes to SCCA Pro Racing after a colourful motorsports career at DaimlerChrysler, which saw him last serve as Senior Manager of Dodge Motorsports before his retirement earlier this year. “Bob Wildberger brings a great mix of motorsports operations and marketing to SCCA Pro Racing,” SCCA Pro Racing Board Chairman Brian Holtz said. “We’ve been working with Bob as a consultant for the last several months and he is an excellent fit for the company as it moves forward.” After beginning his automotive career at American Motors Corporation in the 1970s, Wildberger joined Chrysler in 1987. In his tenure, he led Chrysler’s development of motorsports from a minor presence in the early 1990s to a major force by 2001. Wildberger developed programs in many top racing series, including SCCA Pro Racing (World Challenge), SCORE, IMSA, NHRA and led the launch of Dodge’s NASCAR program.
New SCCA Pro Racing Technical Director Shawn Passen
“Having been involved in SCCA Pro Racing and the SPEED World Challenge series both in the early 90s when I led the Eagle Talon program and recently as a consultant, I know what great potential exists with the company,” Wildberger said. “We’ve got great products and many superb partners and participants. Together, we will help SCCA Pro Racing realize its full potential and growth in the motorsports marketplace.”
Shawn Passen has been appointed Technical Director for SCCA Pro Racing. Passen has served as Technical Manager for SPEED Touring Car since 2003 and will continue this function in addition to overseeing all SPEED World Challenge and Mazda MX-5 Cup technical programs. “We’re very lucky to have someone with Shawn’s experience head our technical department,” SCCA Pro Racing President Bob Wildberger said. “His knowledge of the teams, the process and the cars Photo Courtesy SCCA/Michael Wong
ndrew Caddell won a unique competition hosted by MAZDASPEED Motorsports to score the biggest prize in amateur road racing: a new Mazda MX-5 which he’ll race in the 2007 SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Hankook. Caddell aced 10 out of 11 categories in a unique “shootout” of Mazdapowered SCCA National Champions. “This award was the result of our core belief in the club racer,” Manager of MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Steve Sanders said. “Mazda continues to develop more options for driver development than any other automaker. We are delighted that Andrew will be taking the skills he learned to win the Spec Miata race at the Runoffs to his first opportunity on the professional level.” “This is great,” Caddell said. “So many people have helped me since I started racing karts. I’m excited about winning this car against tough competition and know that the Mazda MX-5 Cup is a huge step in my driving career. We have had many calls from friends offering to help us in 2007 as we look forward to the first race in Houston this April.” “This is an excellent opportunity for Andrew,” SCCA Vice President of Marketing and Communications Eric Prill said. “It’s a great example of how racing with SCCA can become a springboard to the professional ranks. Already an SCCA Champion, Andrew is ready for the next level in his racing career and we’re proud to be a part of helping him achieve that goal.” At the end of the 2005 season of competition a casual conversation between Steve Sanders from Mazda and Eric Prill from the SCCA led to a unique competition – a way to help propel a would-be racer from the grassroots ranks to the professional category. The competition was open to anyone who won a National Championship at the 2006 SCCA Runoffs, provided they were in a Mazda car, or Mazda powered car. This meant that 169 drivers from the 700 plus entries would be eligible. After three days of racing, four of the 25 class champions were Mazda powered, more than any other brand. These four drivers were then invited to submit proposals to Mazda. The winner was given the keys to a new Mazda MX-5 to compete in the 2007 MX-5 Cup series. In addition to the car, Mazda also givesthe winner a few “optional” accessories, like a special racing suspension, cold air intake, exhaust header and system, and a very large box of MAZDASPEED parts to turn the street car into a racecar. SCCA Pro Racing offered to comp the entry fees for the entire 2007 season, and Hankook offered a set of tires for each of the eight races, bringing the total value of the prize to well over $50,000. Three drivers, six judges, and a few Mazda staffers gathered up on a cold January morning in Buttonwillow for the competition. The three drivers were Caddell, Rick Gilhart, and Jim Goughary. Caddell drove his Miata to victory in the Spec Miata class, while Gilhart drove an RX-8 to the T3 championship, and Goughrary took the checkered flag in Formula Mazda. Jesse Prather, who won the F production class in a Miata, declined to compete, preferring to stay on the grassroots side of the sport for now.
Andrew Caddell took 10 of 11 categories in a special event to win a 2007 Mazda MX-5 to race in the MX-5 Cup Series this year
Photo Courtesy MazdaSpeed
Round-Up
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The 2007 SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Hankook schedule was finalized with the addition of a round at Road Atlanta, in Braselton, GA. “Historic Sportscar Racing is pleased to host the SCCA Pro Racing MX-5 Cup series at the upcoming Mitty event at Road Atlanta,” HSR President Steve Simpson said. “The Mitty ‘07 Presented by Classic Motorsports Magazine and Sponsored by Mazda, is one of the largest historic racing events in North America. This year will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Mitty and will feature a Grand IMSA reunion. “As Japanese sports cars, and especially Mazda, have a great tradition in sportscar racing in North America and a large presence in the classic years of IMSA, we are excited to include the prominent Mazda MX-5 Cup series at this year’s Mitty. We look forward to this exciting event and greatly appreciate the support of Mazda.” April 21-22 Houston, TX (Champ Car/ALMS) April 28-29 Road Atlanta (HSR) May 19-20 Laguna Seca, CA (Grand-Am) June 9-10 Portland, OR (Champ Car) *June 23-24 Cleveland, OH (Champ Car) Aug. 18-19 Trois-Rivieres, QC (Grand-Am) Sept. 14-15 Tooele, UT (Grand-Am) * denotes doubleheader weekend
Volkswagen will operate a production- based GTI Cup spec racing series beginning in 2008, offering aspiring young racers an affordable entry into professional motorsports. “Volkswagen as an automotive manufacturer is represented around the globe, and we have a strong history in motorsports, including successful spec racing Cup programs in more than 10 countries,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “The GTI Cup in America will underscore Volkswagen’s 38
competitive spirit and the inspiration we take from racing into the building of our vehicles.” While the GTI Cup racer will be optimized for track performance and safety, the heart of the GTI remains the street version’s high-tech, 200-horsepower 2.0T fourcylinder engine that produces 207 ft.-lbs. of torque. Fitted with its automated manual DSG transmission, electro-mechanical power rack-and-pinion steering system, and advanced multi-link fully independent sports-tuned rear suspension, the production vehicle is an extremely capable car for the track.
There will be 19 dates that make up the 2007 Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour and ProSolo schedules. Composed of 10 events, the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour will kick off Feb. 24 with the Dixie National Tour in Cecil, GA, at the South Georgia Motorsports Park, a new venue in 2007. Also new to the National Tour is a stop at Milton Frank Stadium in Huntsville,AL, for the Huntsville National Tour, June 2. The Tire Rack ProSolo program has undergone several changes for 2007. This season will not include a points championship, instead opting for a series of stand-alone events, with the ProSolo Finale, at Heartland Park Topeka, in Topeka, KS, Sept. 21-22, being the sole criteria for crowning the 2007 ProSolo Champions. NATIONAL SCHEDULE Feb. 24 South Georgia Motorsports Park, Cecil, GA; March 17 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA; April 14 Castle Airport, Atwater, CA; April 28 Walnut Ridge
Airport, Walnut Ridge, AR; May 19 Gulf Greyhound Park, Houston, TX; June 2 Milton Frank Stadium, Huntsville, AL; June 9 Moore Airfield, Devens, MA; June 30 Grissom Aeroplex, Miami, FL; July 7 Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI; Aug. 18 Hampton Hills, Packwood, WA; Sept. 25 Heartland Park, Topeka, KS
Photo Courtesy SCCA/Juha Lievonen
The 2007 MX-5 Cup schedule has been released with a new round round at Road Atlanta
Photos Courtesy SCCA/Mark Puryear
from both an official’s and a competitor’s perspective is invaluable to our technical program.” “I expect 2007 to be an exciting SCCA Pro Racing season full of close racing,” Passen said. “I am well aware of the challenges that lie ahead and I’m ready to meet them head on.” Since becoming a Technical Manager for SPEED Touring Car, Passen has played an important role in re-writing the Pro Racing Regulations, designing computer engine modeling programs and initiating the homologation process for new car entries.
PROSOLO SCHEDULE March 24 El Toro Airfield, El Toro, CA; May 5 Walnut Ridge Airport, Walnut Ridge, AR; May 26 Mineral Wells Airport, Mineral Wells, TX; June 23 FedEx Field, Washington, DC; June 30 2007 Atlanta ProSolo, Atlanta, GA; July 21 Seneca Army Airport, Romulus, NY; July 28 Toledo Airport, Toledo, OH; Aug. 11 Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, UT; Aug. 25 Hampton Hills, Packwood, WA; Sept. 21 Heartland Park, Topeka, KS
Volkswagen will support the 2007 SCCA racing season with a contingency awards program offering a total estimated payout of up to $300,000 to Volkswagen-registered SCCA competitors. “The timing is right to support the Volkswagen SCCA competitors because it brings together our performance-inspired product offerings and the legions of SCCA members who have been driving, competing, racing and winning in Volkswagens for years. With the recent launch of racing-inspired vehicles like the GTI and R32, Volkswagen is making a return to our roots in racing,” said Clark Campbell, motorsports manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. Details on Volkswagen’s contingency fund will be available soon on www.vw.com and www.scca.com.
The National tour and ProSolo series schedules were released, featuring 19 events for the two series
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NIAL N E R E P UNDS O R E OEB IS E E L R N H T E I H AFTER ION SEBAST IVALS IN T ALLY R R P CHAM G HIS FORD PIONSHIP. M T N CHASI RALLY CHA R LOOKS A . D TE 07 WORL DAVID HAT ECT IN 20 XP R EDITO ANS CAN E F WHAT
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he 2007 World Rally Championship is off to a great start. The first three rounds have produced three different winners and, perhaps most surprising of all, the driver atop the points table is not named Sebastien Loeb. The Frenchman, who has dominated the sport the past three seasons for Citroen, is not even second. He currently ranks third behind Ford’s Finnish pairing of Marcus Gronholm and Mikko Hirvonen, winners of the two most recent events in Scandinavia. Loeb had won 24 of his last 44 starts coming into this year and his season began as expected with another easy victory on the Monte Carlo. But after finishing second to Gronholm in Sweden, he failed to score points for the first time in more than a year when he stuffed his car into the snowbanks of Norway.
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At Monte Carlo, Loeb led all the way to finish 38 seconds ahead of Citroen teammate Dani Sordo, with Gronholm a distant third. The 32-year-old Frenchman practically owns this event — it was his fourth win here in five years — but in certain ways, this was still a true challenge for both himself and his car. This was his first WRC start since breaking his right arm in a biking accident last September. He missed the last four rounds of 2006, allowing Gronholm to close to within a single point in the championship. He did, however, make a successful comeback in the Race of Champions stadium event in Paris just before Christmas, finishing second there to Mattias Ekstrom. More importantly, perhaps, this was also the first test of Citroen’s new WRC contender, the C4, which replaces the Xsara. The Citroen factory sat
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Mikko Hirvonen has Ford flying through three events as he sits second behind Ford teammate Gronholm after winning in Norway
Sebastien Loeb is looking for title number four and started the season with a win in Monte Carlo, but he sits third in points after failing to score a point in Sweden
Two-time World Champion Marcus Gronholm is off to quick start in 2007, he won in Sweden and leads the points after three rallies
Henning Solberg (l.) gave Ford three drivers on the podium in Norway as he edged his Subaru rival and brother Petter (r.) for the spot out last season to develop this car, while Loeb took his third title driving an Xsara for a private Belgian team, Kronos Racing. At Monte Carlo, the new C4s ran flawlessly throughout, as evidenced by the onetwo finish. “There were quite a few unknowns and I was a little stressed before the start,” said Loeb. “We knew the car was good in tests, but racing’s different. I also wondered about my arm because I had not done a rally in four months. So it’s a great relief to win.”
SCANDAVIANS RULE But then the WRC headed north to Sweden and Norway and history tells us that Scandinavian drivers are awfully tough to beat on home turf. Loeb won in Sweden in 2004, but is the only non-Scandinavian ever to have taken that event in its 56-year history
(while three non-Scandinavians have won in Finland in that same time period). This year’s Swedish event followed tradition as Gronholm took the lead midway through the first leg and stayed there to the end, setting fastest time on 11 of 20 stages. He finished 53 seconds ahead of Loeb, while Hirvonen — who had power steering problems — was third, ahead of a private Ford Focus from the Stobart M-Sport team, driven by Henning Solberg. Henning’s better-known younger brother, Subaru team leader and 2003 world champion Petter Solberg, led the early stages in Sweden and was still a respectable third on day two when he got stuck in a snowbank and lost 15 minutes. With no chance of a points-paying finish, the team withdrew his entry to save the car for the following week’s Norwegian event.
Norway was making its first appearance on the WRC calendar and the inaugural was dominated by Ford and, specifically, Hirvonen. The 26-year-old Finn led from start to finish, although he eased up slightly at the end, allowing teammate Gronholm to close to within 10 seconds. Henning Solberg was third, narrowly beating brother Petter, to complete a Ford sweep of the podium, its first since the Rally New Zealand in 1979. This was the second WRC win for Hirvonen, who first triumphed in Australia last October. But he said: “It’s my first true victory because in Australia, Sebastien was convalescing and Marcus went off the road.” For Loeb, Norway was a disaster. He was running third on day two when he crashed into snowbanks on two consecutive stages, losing more than 15 minutes and dropping to 18th place. He was only able to recover to 14th. It was the first time in 15 starts, going back to the Australian finale in 2005, that he finished outside the points. So 39-year-old veteran Gronholm, who previously won titles with Peugeot in 2000 and 2002, now leads the driver standings with 24 points, followed by Hirvonen (20), Loeb (18) and the surprising Henning Solberg (11). The 16-round season is still young and those who predicted another Loeb/Citroen runaway may yet be proven right, but the start of the year has been more interesting than expected. And young Hirvonen — whose career almost collapsed following an abysmal season with Subaru in 2004 — has clearly marked himself as a driver to watch. PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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e l t t a b s n i e g
Th
LY N RAL A I D A AN IN 007 C PENED ND O P THE 2 I H A PIONS WAKI CHAM EIGE MANI D -N -PICAR E I R PERCE M EW CO ORY. HIS ANDR ICT ILL BE THE V W , S R E TOOK WEV ANY A T O M H , S D A BY LEA WHA NGED RS IN E E L L V I A R CH HER D AT SEASON T O E GRE THRE E. BE A D E TITL L H U T O R H S FO FIGHT LONG DITOR ALLY E
be
Andrew Comrie-Picard’s conservative approach in Maniwaki was a key to his victory
TER I R WNE ID HAT BY DAV BY EVAN BRO S PHOTO
A
ndrew Comrie-Picard is the early leader in the chase for the 2007 Canadian Rally Championship after taking victory in the season-opening Rallye Perce-Neige at Maniwaki, QC. But the tight competition there suggested that it will be a hard-fought series with at least three, possibly four drivers vying for the crown. Perennial Quebec rivals Antoine L’Estage, the defending CRC titlist, and Sylvain Erickson swapped the lead back and forth through the early stages, but each eventually had a costly off-road excursion. They recovered to finish third and fourth, respectively. Comrie-Picard then inherited the lead and, despite mishaps of his own on the final two stages, the 35-year-old from Toronto held on to win by just 14 seconds from regular American visitor Matt Iorio. ACP and Erickson plan to contest all six rounds of the Canadian series and L’Estage hopes to do so as well, although the reigning champion admits his budget is a little tight due to the loss of a couple of his smaller sponsors. Iorio, overall runner-up last year, could also be in the mix, although the New Hampshire driver is not sure if he will run the two Western events (the next round, the Rocky Mountain in Alberta in May, and the Pacific Forest in BC). Two of the top four contenders were showing off new cars at Perce-Neige. Comrie-Picard has a brandnew Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution-9, prepared by Slow Boy Racing in Pennsylvania, replacing his old Evo-4. And Erickson has bought the 2002 Subaru Impreza STi that Peter Thomson drove to the 2005 Canadian title. He has largely rebuilt the car, transforming it from a Group N (limited-modification) vehicle to an “open” class thoroughbred. Meanwhile, L’Estage remains in the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon that took him to last year’s title, while Iorio continues to drive a 2001 Impreza. Comrie-Picard has the most ambitious program of all. The co-host of the Canadian rally television shows, he has given up his law practice in New York to concentrate full-time on the sport. He will be doing all 10 rounds of the Rally America series, plus the X-Games (assuming he qualifies), as well as the six Canadian events. 42
If not for a timing error by 18-year-old daughter and co-driver Chloe, Sylvain Erickson would have taken the final spot on the podium Defending champion Antoine L’Estage was third at the opener but is unsure if he will run the full schedule as he lost some sponsors this season
ACP finished fifth in the Rally America opener, the SnoDrift in Michigan, although in a close contest he was only 50 seconds behind the winner, 2006 US champion Travis Pastrana in his factory Subaru. Comrie-Picard had won this event in 2006, his first major victory. His Perce-Neige triumph was his firstever overall win in a Canadian national event. “The first win (at SnoDrift) was elation; this win at Perce-Neige was more just satisfaction, a relief,” he said. It was also rather unexpected as early on, he had been content to run third behind the pace-setting duo of L’Estage and local favorite Erickson, a twotime winner of his home event. “I just want to get on the podium and collect points,” he said after four stages (of 12), noting that his car had to be on display at the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame banquet a few days later.
CANADIAN RALLY NOTES US champion Pastrana was supposed to make his Canadian debut at Perce-Neige, but he withdrew at the last minute due to insurance complications. The 23-year-old former motocross champion is still expected to make at least one Canadian appearance
this season — most likely at the Baie-des-Chaleurs — as he tries to get as much experience as possible in preparation for his expected entry into the World Rally Championship in 2008. Perce-Neige marked the start of the 51st season of the Canadian Rally Championship, which began in 1957. The Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) held a 50th-anniversary celebration in conjunction with its annual meeting at Toronto in January. One notable absentee was the original 1957 and 1958 champion, Les Chelminski. He was wintering in Florida and was not well enough to travel. Sadly, he died about two weeks later at the age of 91. He was buried in his native Montreal. In other developments, CARS elected a new president, long-time Calgary-based competitor Jorge Dascollas, who succeeds Paul Westwick. CARS also announced the signing of Castrol as a major new sponsor for its national series. Among other things, Castrol will be offering a prize-fund for competitors. A few Canadian rallies currently offer a little prize money — usually just a few hundred dollars — but others pay nothing at all.
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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2007 R A C NEW PREVIEW CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE (2008)
1
ENGINE: 2.4-LITRE DOHC, DUAL VVT I-4 WORLD ENGINE HORSEPOWER: 172 MILES PER GALLON: 24 (CITY) / 32 (HIGHWAY) WHEELBASE: 108.9 INCHES TRANSMISSION: FOUR-SPEED AUTOMOATIC MSRP: $18.995US
2 HONDA CIVIC SI SEDAN ENGINE: 1,998CC IN-LINE 4-CYLINDER, 16-VALVE DOHC I-VTEC HORSEPOWER: 197 MILES PER GALLON: 23 (CITY) / 32 (HIGHWAY) WHEELBASE: 106.3 INCHES TRANSMISSION: CLOSE RATIO 6-SPEED MANUAL WITH HELICAL LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL MSRP: $21,290US
1
3 CADILLAC CTS (2008) ENGINE: 3.6-LITRE DIRECT INJECTION V6 VVT HORSEPOWER: 300 MILES PER GALLON: TBD TRANSMISSION: AISIN 6-SPEED MANUAL / HYDRA-MATIC 6L50 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC MSRP: TBD
2
4 FORD TAURUS ENGINE: 3.0-LITRE 4V DURATEC 30 V6 HORSEPOWER: 203 MILES PER GALLON: 21 (CITY) / 29 (HIGHWAY) WHEELBASE: 112.9 INCHES TRANSMISSION: SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC MSRP: $23,785US
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PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
New Car Buyers Guide 19.01 v2.in2 2
2/23/07 4:03:56 PM
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2 ACURA TL TYPE S ENGINE: 3.5-LITRE SOHC VTEC V6 HORSEPOWER: 286 MILES PER GALLON: 17 (CITY) / 20 (HIGHWAY) WHEELBASE: 107.9 INCHES TRANSMISSION: FIVE-SPEED AUTOMATIC WITH SEQUENTIAL SPORTSHIFT, GRADE LOGIC CONTROL AND HOLD CONTROL / 6-SPEED CLOSE-RATIO MANUAL WITH LIMTIED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL MSRP: $38,125US
2 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE DIESEL ENGINE: MERCEDES-BENZ 3.0-LITRE COMMONRAIL TURBO DIESEL / 3.0-LITRE V6 HORSEPOWER: 215 MILES PER GALLON: 24 (CITY) / 34 (HIGHWAY) TRANSMISSION: FIVE-SPEED AUTOMATIC WITH MANUAL MODE MSRP: $48,750CDN
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2/23/07 4:05:10 PM
2007
1 MERCEDES CL550 COUPE ENGINE: DOHC, 32-VALVE V8 HORSEPOWER: 382 MILES PER GALLON: 15 (CITY) / 22 (HIGHWAY) WHEELBASE: 116.3 INCHES TRANSMISSION: SEVEN-SPEED AUTOMATIC MSRP: $100,675US
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2 BMW X5 4.8I ENGINE: 4.8-LITRE V8 HORSEPOWER: 350 MILES PER GALLON: TBD TRANSMISSION: SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC MSRP: $54,500US
3 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R / SPEC-V ENGINE: 2.5-LITRE, 4-CYLINDER HORSEPOWER: 177 / 200 MILES PER GALLON: 28 (CITY) / 34 (HIGHWAY) WHEELBASE: 105.7 INCHES TRANSMISSION: SIX-SPEED MANUAL MSRP: $18,400US
2
4 AUDI TT ROADSTER (2008) ENGINE: IN-LINE FOUR 2.0 T FSI HORSEPOWER: 200 MILES PER GALLON: TBD WHEELBASE: 97.2 INCHES TRANSMISSION: SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC MSRP: TBD
3 4 46
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
New Car Buyers Guide 19.01 v2.in4 4
2/23/07 4:05:49 PM
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7 CRG F1-K Racing Karts (shown above in logo) are provided in a controlled, professional racing environment. This series is for beginner - rookie drivers of all ages starting at 8 years of age to our Adult series with an average age of 39. The Goodwood Facility has different track configurations and speeds up to 50 MPH. Everything provided including the Racing Kart, Damages, Mechanic, Licensing, Training and approved Helmet. Racing and practice is scheduled March through October (Pick your schedule - Race bi-weekly) track open daily for practice. Racing fee: Pit Pass $50 per event (3 Practice Sessions + Qualifying + 15 Lap Final Points Race - approximately 2 hrs.) All members are required to purchase a Racing Neck Support for $39 and a 2007 Photo Racing License for $10 The 2007 Rules and Regulations including schedules are posted on our website - sorry no refunds. Please call or visit Goodwood Kartways in Stouffvile to register or for more information. Please enclose payment payable to Goodwood Kartways in the amount of $99.99 + GST ($105.99) Drop off or mail to:
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Goodwood KARTWAYS 19.01.indd 1
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2007 R A C NEW PREVIEW 1 SALEEN S331 ENGINE: SUPERCHARGED 5.4-LITRE, SOHC V8 HORSEPOWER: 450 MILES PER GALLON: TBD WHEELBASE: 144.5 INCHES TRANSMISSION: FOUR-SPEED AUTOMATIC MSRP: $43,999US
2 TOYOTA TUNDRA
1
ENGINE: 4.0-LITRE DOHC EFI V6 (BASE) HORSEPOWER: 236 MILES PER GALLON: 17 (CITY) / 20 (HIGHWAY) WHEELBASE: 145.7 INCHES TRANSMISSION: FIVE-SPEED AUTOMATIC MSRP: $26,105US
3 MAZDA SPEED3 ENGINE: 2.3-LITRE, TURBOCHARGED I4 HORSEPOWER: 263 MILES PER GALLON: 20 (CITY) / 28 (HIGHWAY) TRANSMISSION: SIX-SPEED MANUAL MSRP: $22,835US
2
4 PONTIAC G6 GXP ENGINE: 3.6-LITRE, V6 HORSEPOWER: 252 MILES PER GALLON: TBD WHEELBASE: 112.5 INCHES TRANSMISSION: SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC, WITH MANUAL SHIFT MODE MSRP: TBD
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PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
New Car Buyers Guide 19.01 v2.in6 6
2/23/07 4:06:33 PM
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Endurance. Performance. Intensity. Those are the hallmarks of Gatorz Extreme Sunglasses — as well as the people who choose them. Specially designed to provide the sharpest, clearest vision possible, Gatorz eyewear are a must for riders, racers, or extreme sports enthusiasts who demand the best. Gatorz frames are carved from 7075 billet aircraft aluminum. They are then molded around 1.8mm polycarbonate lenses that offer 100% UV protection while remaining completely distortion free. With Gatorz eyewear there is never a compromise of quality, comfort or design. Gatorz has revolutionized the world of sunglass eyewear. And as it continues to grow and expand Gatorz will deliver on its promise to exceed customer expectations in both products and service. Because Gatorz focuses on eyewear alone, you can be sure they deliver the best products out there. Nothing defines you like Gatorz eyewear. It’s more than just a symbol of strength, precision and freedom of expression – it takes you well beyond the limits of your imagination. A technological dream. Gatorz revolutionizes the world of eyewear. Stronger than steel and lighter than plastic, Gatorz’ trend setting designs will carry out through life in comfort and style. It’s eyewear with an attitude and a perfect fit for your lifestyle. For more visit WWW.GATORZ.COM.
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JOE ROCKET RIDING GEAR SUZUKI FUEL JACKET This jacket from Joe Rocket features a Rock Tex 600 outer shell with CE rated protectors in the shoulders and elbows. Comes with a removable spine pad with pocket for optional CE spine protector. Has a Variable Flow ventilation system and removable insulated vest liner. Sleeves are adjustable and removable and the jacket has a Sure-Fit adjustable waistband. An officially licensed Suzuki product. Available in small to extra large in Black/Red, Gray/Black and Suzuki Blue/Black.
MENS ROCKET NATION GLOVE The Joe Rocket glove features a Free-air poly/mesh shell with a hinged knuckle and Clarino Synthetic palm. Comes in sizes small to extra large and four colour options: Black/Black, Blue/Black, Red/Black and Yellow/Black. For more contact Outer Space Sports at 519-737-7288 or visit WWW.JOEROCKET.COM. PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
BG-GatorzJoeRocket V2.indd 2
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2/26/07 2:26:29 PM
POST TIME AT POMONA!
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STORY AND PHOTOS BY BRUCE BIEGLER
NHRA OPENED ITS 2007 SEASON WITH A SPECTACULAR CARQUEST WINTERNATIONALS THAT SET NEW RECORDS AND LAUNCHED THE NEW YEAR IN STYLE
T
he NHRA’s ultra-powerful thoroughbreds vaulted out of the gate at California’s Auto Club Raceway as the chase for 2007 POWERadeChampionship glory began. The season opening Carquest Winternationals did not disappoint as it featured record setting quick fields in both marquee Professional nitro categories. Gary Scelzi, who won the title back in 2005, drew first blood in what is expected to be a ferocious season battle in Funny Car. The California-based driver was highly impressive while winning in the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger. Scelzi defeated the quickest 16-car field of all-time (4.795 secs bump) from the pole, using an uncanny show of consistency and 330+ mph speeds. In the final, Scelzi fell behind John Force team driver Robert Hight (.068 to .084 RT), but when Hight’s AAA Auto Club Ford Mustang crossed the centerline near the top end, Scelzi’s 4.716 secs at 332.26 mph was the winner. “This is the beginning of my fifth season with Schumacher Racing and I really feel that more than ever before we have a complete team,” said Scelzi. “It seemed we got down the track whenever we wanted to. I think we have something very serious for the competition this season.” Scelzi’s victory was the 34th of his Pro career but only his ninth in FC. During his victory romp he also achieved a career fast 333.49 mph (top speed). Hight’s runner-up finish included some additional highlight reel action. Hight recorded an outstanding run of 4.646 secs during the semi-final round, which while not an official new NHRA elapsed time record was the quickest time yet in class history. FC featured an abundance of news items including a strong “final four” finish for Canada’s Jeff Arend during his first driving assignment for the C.S.K. team, and the much anticipated return to competition by Kenny Bernstein, driving his Monster Energy Dodge Charger. Perhaps no racer grabbed as much attention as John Force’s daughter Ashley, who made her professional racing debut driving a fourth John Force team Funny Car, sponsored by Castrol. Ashley was able to meander through hoards of media and managed to qualify in her first start with a strong 4.790 secs effort before being eliminated in round one by teammate Hight. 50
SOPHOMORE JINX? I THINK NOT! 2006 NHRA ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR J.R. TODD WON OUT OF THE GATE AT POMONA
“ IT SEEMED WE GOT DOWN THE TRACK WHENEVER WE WANTED TO. I THINK WE HAVE SOMETHING VERY SERIOUS FOR THE COMPETITION THIS SEASON. ” - GARY SCELZI 2005 POWERADE CHAMPION GARY SCELZI WAS WICKED FAST AND CONSISTENT WHILE WINNING IN FUNNY CAR
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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Angel Wings 19.01.indd 1
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FAST IS GOOD.
POST TIME AT POMONA! GREG ANDERSON WAS A DECIDED EVENT PERFORMANCE LEADER WHILE WINNING BIG IN PRO STOCK
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Top Fuel proved that last year’s NHRA Pro Rookieof-the-Year (Auto Club Road to the Future Winner) J.R. Todd is certainly for real. With Jimmy Walsh tuning his Dexter Tuttle owned and Skull Shine-sponsored dragster, Todd produced his fourth career win since starting his Pro career only 12 races ago. Like Scelzi in FC, Todd used wicked consistency while winning including a final round thrashing of Brandon Bernstein whose troubled effort was no match for Todd’s 4.482/324.98. After qualifying fifth, J.R. beat Melanie Troxel, Doug Kalitta and David Grubnic to make the final. His wins over Kalitta and Grubnic came on the basis of back-toback runs of 4.479 secs and 4.473 secs (career best) time slips. “This is pretty exciting,” said Todd, “I never expected things to happen as quickly as they have. Last year was kind of a Cinderella year for us and we surprised a bunch of people, but it wasn’t really all that surprising to ourselves. This year I really think we can contend with any of these guys out here.” TF drew 21 entries and ended up being the quickest assembly in history with its bump spot of 4.575 secs bump eclipsing the previous all-time quick mark of 4.585 secs mark set during last years Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Class racing was paced by defending World Champ Tony Schumacher, who ripped a 4.472 secs driving the US Army car during time trials. Schumacher fell in a monster round one upset when the car unexpectedly smoked its tires while racing against #16 qualifier Joe Hartley. TF featured the class debut for former FC driver Whit Bazemore who ran very well driving the Matco Tools sponsored dragster from David Power’s racing camp. Bazemore served up a 4.507 secs to qualify seventh and then won his first round over Cory McClenathan.
ASHLEY FORCE’S PROFESSIONAL RACING DEBUT IN FUNNY CAR DREW A LOT OF ATTENTION
PRO STOCK MESSAGE Three-time Pro Stock Champion Greg Anderson sent a strong message as he dominated action driving the fearsome Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO. Anderson ran the table while winning as he qualified #1 and set both low ET and top speed (6.634 secs and 209.04 mph, both track records). Anderson won a final round battle between
ROBERT HIGHT FLEW TO THE QUICKEST FUNNY CAR TIME EVER (4.646 SECS!) AND PLACED RUNNER-UP
PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
NHRA Pamona 19.01.indd 4
1/23/2007 5:13:21 PM
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POST TIME AT POMONA!
IN TAFC, JAY PAYNE ADDED TO HIS IMPRESSIVE EVENT WINS TOTAL, WINNING FOR THE 30TH TIME IN HIS NHRA CAREER
Pontiac GTOs as his 6.651 secs at 207.05 mph easily handled Louisiana’s Greg Stanfield, whose PiranaZsponsored machine shook the tires. Class racing included a highly impressive debut for former Competition eliminator driver Roger Brogdon (from Texas) running his new Dodge Stratus. In what truly is a very rare development for PS, Brogdon qualified in his first ever event (6.672 secs) and then won his first round of competition over Kenny Koretsky. Top Alcohol Dragster racing featured fierce competition with second generation driver Brandon Johnson winning for the first time. Johnson won an all nitroinjected final round over Mark Niver. Morgan Lucas, using the newly acquired tuning abilities of Ron Boggs, was the performance star in TAD, driving his Lucas Oil-sponsored machine to both low ET and top speed at 5.124 secs and 277.09 mph during qualifying. Lucas was upset in round two by Larry Miersh, whose quicker RT won a match that saw both drivers run 5.307 secs.
CANADIAN JEFF AREND LOOKED CALM AND COOL DURING HIS REMARKABLE C.S.K. TEAM DRIVING DEBUT
California’s Jay Payne scored in TAFC driving his Valvoline-sponsored Chevy Camaro. Payne won the final at 5.779/249.67 ending a valiant effort by opponent Sean Bellemeur. TAFC was paced by defending Lucas Oil World Champion Frank Manzo, who was deadly quick and fast during qualifying, including low ET at 5.501 secs and an astounding 264.23 mph (fastest TAFC speed ever). In a shocking semi-final round development however, Manzo went -.002 red while racing Bellemeur. Sportsman titles went to Jody Lang (Super Stock), Clark Holroyd (Stock), Tom Yancer (Super Comp 8.90) and Randy Fabbro (Super Gas 9.90). The Carquest Winternationals marked the first NHRA event of a new era as the sanctioning body has shifted its POWERade points format beginning this season. NHRA season champions will now be determined within more of a playoff format in three distinct sections known as the “Countdown to the Championship.”
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PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
NHRA Pamona 19.01.indd 6
1/23/2007 5:16:26 PM
Fastco 9.01.indd 1
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It took a ‘Sudden Death Battle’ between Ken Nomura (#2) and Masao Suenaga (#10) to determine the winner at irwindale and it was Nomoura taking home the big prize
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PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
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2006
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD championship
down to
the wire
alonso holds off charging schumacher for second F1 crown
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2006
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD championship
COVERAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY
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he 2006 Formula One World Champion ship boiled down to two drivers — defending World Champion Fernando Alonso and seventime World Champion Michael Schumacher. And in the end, the young Spaniard used patience to secure his second consecutive title. But the headlines for Alonso and Schumacher weren’t just about the championship chase. Alonso stunned many by announcing his signing with McLaren for 2007 and there were questions about his ability to defend the title with Renault. Schumacher, though, was the king of the headlines in 2007. Speculation about his retirement began in 2005 and lasted through September. From week-to-week, the German was either signing a new two-year deal with Ferrari or he was calling it quits. Finally, after working his way into contention after Alonso’s quick start, Schumacher announced in Monza that 2007 was his final season. With the title chase still up for grabs, attention on F1 went up a notch as everyone looked for the Hollywood ending to the career of one of the sport’s all-time greats. In fact, the Renault and Ferrari were tied in points with two rounds remaining and the anticipation was growing. Then, with 15 laps left in the Japanese GP, with Alonso on his tail, Schumacher’s Ferrari blew an engine and Alonso moved 10 points ahead. By the time they reached Brazil, Alonso was virtually assured the title, but Schumacher wanted a 92nd victory. Unfortunately that was derailed early when he ran over debris and cut a tire. A remarkable run to fourth, however, once again showed the world how talented the seven-time champ is and, possibly, was a more impressive close to his career than if he had one the race itself.
Photos by LAT Photographic
ARGUABLY THE GREATEST DRIVER IN HISTORY, MICHAEL SCHUMACHER WAVED GOODBYE TO F1 WITH A SEVEN WIN, CHAMPIONSHIP RUNNER-UP CAMPAIGN
SEVEN WINS HELPED FERNANDO ALONSO CLOSE OUT HIS RENAULT CAREER WITH A SECOND STRAIGHT F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 60
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DOWN TO THE wire
PLAGUED BY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AGAIN IN 2006, KIMI RAIKKONEN ANNOUNCED A MOVE TO FERRARI FOR THE 2007 SEASON
THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER FOR HONDA’S JENSON BUTTON, AS THE BRIT FINALLY WON HIS MAIDEN GP WITH A RESOUNDING VICTORY IN HUNGARY
FANS MAY HAVE SEEN THE LAST OF 1997 WORLD CHAMPION JACQUES VILLENEUVE AFTER THE CANADIAN AND SAUBER CHOSE TO PART WAYS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON
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2006
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD championship
DOWN TO THE wire
But Alonso and Schumacher weren’t the only stories in 2006. North American fans had an up-anddown year as the season started with two drivers from our soil on the grid for the first time in many years. Jacques Villeneuve didn’t last the season at Sauber as the team changed its plans at mid-season in an effort to secure the 2007 line-up. American Scott Speed showed flashes of brilliance through the full schedule, but was disappointed by a pile-up not of his making that took him out on the first lap of the United States GP. Villeneuve wasn’t the only driver not to finish the season as Juan Montoya announced his signing with Ganassi Racing for NASCAR in 2007 and was summarily dumped by McLaren after the US Grand Prix. This left a big hole at McLaren as it now searches for a teammate to newcomer Alonso in 2007. In the least surprising announcement of the year, Ferrari confirmed Kimi Raikkonen as its replacement for Schumacher at the Prancing Horse next year. Throw in Jenson Button’s long-awaited first GP victory and the 2006 F1 season was one for the record books. In fact, it was one of the most intriguing F1 seaosns of all-time.
Photos by LAT Photographic
SCOTT SPEED WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN TO RUN F1 SINCE THE ABYSMAL 1993 SEASON FOR MICHAEL ANDRETTI
JUAN MONTOYA MADE THE SHOCKING TO DECISION TO VENTURE INTO STOCK CARS IN 2007 AFTER FAILING IN HIS QUEST TO BRING MCLAREN A TITLE DURING HIS F1 CAREER
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2006
CHAMP CAR WORLD series
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Photos by LAT Photographic
Sebastien Bourdais rules with an iron fist en route to third straight championship
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2006
CHAMP CAR WORLD series
CHAMP CAR’S ‘Napoleon Complex’
AFTER A SLOW START, AJ ALLMENDINGER SWITCHED TO FORSYTHE RACING AND PROMPTLY WON THREE STRAIGHT RACES
T
he 2006 Champ Car World Series was all about streaking at the beginning of the season. First, Sebastien Bourdais entered the record books by winning the first four races and then AJ Allmendinger followed with three of his own. Coming into the season Bourdais was the twotime defending champion and the expectation was that rival Paul Tracy and RuSPORT teammates Allmendinegr and Justin Wilson would be his closest pursuers. But things didn’t go exactly as planned. Tracy never found his form in 2006 and made more headlines for his unruly behaviour than for his results on the track. Wilson was consistently good, but always seemed a step behind the Frenchman. As for Allmendinger, he started slowly at RuSPORT and was summarily dumped four races into the season for Cristiano da Matta. However, he was quickly snatched up by Forsythe Racing and he won his first three races with the new squad. But, it was the man from Le Mans, France that had the field covered. He won twice more on the season and was never really challenged atop the points. Sure, things got dicey at times, but no driver was ever able to overtake him in the points based on one race result. Tracy was the big man on campus when it came to headlines as he Thrill From West Hill was at his bad boy best in 2006. An altercation on the track with Alex Tagliani resulted in a pit lane fight between the two at San Jose and a week later, he and Bourdais had a shoving match on the track in Denver when they came together late in the race. A comment about French drivers wearing helmets to fights brought a big backlash in Montreal, but the charming Tracy won those fans over with his antics on race weekend. But in the big scope of things, it was a poor campaign for Tracy as he barely finished inside the top five in points and had his first winless season since 2001.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR CANADIAN FANS, THE BIGGEST NEWS FOR CANUCK DRIVERS CENTERED AROUND THIS PIT LANE ALTERCATION BETWEEN PAUL TRACY AND ALEX TAGLIANI
The hype for Wilson never panned out as he was consistently in the top five all season, but he only took home one victory — a win at Edmonton that made up for his throwing the same race away in 2005 on a late race restart. Allmendinger was all over the map in 2006. He started poorly and eventually parted ways with RuSPORT, with whom he had raced since winning the Atlantic Championship in 2003. But the move to Forsythe paid immediate dividends as he won in his first three races (Portland, Cleveland and Toronto) and followed with two more victories to solidify second in the championship. But, the future turned
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CANADIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP JUNE 1-2-3, 2007
LE CIRCUIT FERRARI FESTIVAL JUNE 15-16-17, 2007
CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES JUNE 29-30-JULY 1, 2007
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2006
CHAMP CAR WORLD series
CONSISTENCY WAS THE KEY TO JUSTIN WILSON’S SEASON, HE PUT UP ONE WIN (AT EDMONTON) ALONG WITH REGULAR TOP FIVE FINISHES
CHAMP CAR’S ‘Napoleon Complex’
quickly near season end as he and Forsythe could not agree on compensation for a new contract and the young American decided to switch over to the more lucrative NASCAR circuit. For Canadian fans, it was a tough season for favourites Andrew Ranger and Alex Tagliani as both raced with sponsorship questions always looming over head. Ranger started strong and was in the top five in points for much of the early season. The biggest news for Tagliani came after his dust-up with Tracy in San Jose. The saddest news came during a mid-week test at Road America. RuSPORT’s da Matta struck a deer that was crossing the track and needed emergency brain surgery to save his life. After several weeks in intensive care, da Matta was finally sent home with his family and the hope he is he will make a complete recovery. The outpouring of support from fellow drivers and fans was inspirational as the Brazilian is one of the most liked drivers on the circuit. There I still no word on whether da Matta will ever get behind the wheel again, but the fact that he is walking and talking is all that really matters after a harrowing incident like that. Enigmatic Nelson Philippe showed flashes of brilliance in 2006, leading much of the race in Toronto before going for it all on the back straight ended his day. However, the other native of France broke through for his maiden victory with a great run at Surfers Paradise and firmly planted himself in the top five in points. Champ Car did make some significant strides in 2006 and the future looks bright in 2007 as the series welcomes a new chassis and engine program. But, once again, all championship dreams will still have to go through the three-time champion Bourdais.
NELSON PHILIPPE FINALLY BROKE THROUGH FOR HIS FIRST CAREER WIN AT SURFERS PARADISE
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2006
IRL INDYCAR series
HORNISH AND PENSKE
stand tall
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IRL INDYCAR series
HORNISH AND PENSKE stand tall stand tall
Photos by LAT Photographic
2006
T
he 2006 IRL IndyCar Championship was a two-horse race almost from the beginning. It became clear early in the season that the champion would come from either the Marlboro Team Penske or Target Chip Ganassi camp. Of the 14 races on the 2006 calendar, the two teams took 12 victories (Andretti-Green drivers Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti were the only drivers to quell the tide). In the 12 other races, Penske took eight wins (four apiece for Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves), while Ganassi won four (two each for Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon). Even with that distribution, the champion was still undecided heading into the season finale, with all four drivers in contention. Castroneves, the only driver without a title amongst the contenders, was hoping to get that monkey off his back, but a great surge by teammate Hornish netted the American his third IRL championship. It was a slow start for Hornish in 2006, but when he finally broke through for his first Indy 500 victory, his season got rolling. After
IT WAS TIGHT BATTLE ALL SEASON AS THE GANASSI BOYS CHASED THE PENSKE CREW; WHILE THEY COME UP SHORT AT THE END, DEFENDING CHAMPION DAN WHELDON (#10) TOOK TWO VICTORIES, AS DID HIS TEAMMATE SCOTT DIXON (#9)
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2006
IRL INDYCAR series
HORNISH AND PENSKE stand tall stand tall
Photos by LAT Photographic
Indy, he won three of the next six races (Richmond, Kansas and Kentucky). Those checkered flags proved to be the deciding factor as he and Wheldon were tied in points at season end, but Hornish got the decision as his four wins topped Wheldon’s two in the tiebreaker. Lost in the hoopla of the tie atop the points was that Castroneves finished just two points back of the front pair. Still, it was another season without a title for the likable Brazilian who must be starting to question if he’ll ever get that elusive first crown. Media darling Danica Patrick had a rollercoaster season that saw her finish ninth in points,
DANICA-MANIA DIED DOWN A BIT IN 2006, BUT THE POSTER GIRL FOR THE IRL RETURNED TO THE FRONT PAGE WITH SPECULATION ABOUT HER FUTURE; SHE EVENTUALLY ANSWERED THAT BY SIGNING FOR THREE YEARS WITH ANDRETTI-GREEN RACING 76
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2006
IRL INDYCAR series
CLASS CLOWN TONY KANAAN WAS HIS USUAL SELF IN 2006, BUT ONLY ONE VICTORY KEPT THE TEAM 7-ELEVEN DRIVER FROM SERIOUS TITLE CONTENTION
Photos by LAT Photographic
up three spots from 2005. The big news revolved around her future, as it appeared she was heading to NASCAR until a blockbuster announcement confirmed she would remain in the IRL with Andretti-Green Racing for the next three years. Losing the emerging superstar would have been a bad omen for the IRL, but locking up a driver with mainstream exposure will surely help the series moving forward. Marco Andretti became the latest in the family line to join the professional ranks as he wrapped up the rookie crown driving for his father’s team. Andretti nearly knocked over the establishment as he led the Indy 500 (just his fourth career start) late until a yellow allowed Hornish to close the gap and make the winning pass. Marco will have to wait until next year to try and end the family curse at the Brockyard. However, the young driver did break through later in the year as he took his maiden victory on the storied road course at Infineon Raceway. It was great year in 206 and the IRL couldn’t have asked for a better championship fight. Sit back and enjoy some of the best images from the 2006 season.
HORNISH AND PENSKE stand tall stand tall
HELIO CASTRONEVES’ FOUR WINS TIED SAM HORNISH JR. FOR MOST WINS IN 2006, BUT THE BRAZILIAN CAME UP JUST SHORT AGAIN IN HIS PURSUIT OF HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 78
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2006
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP series
finally wins the Cup
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AFTER BEING CLOSE TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP DURING EACH CHASE FOR THE CUP SEASON, JIMMIE JOHNSON PUT IT ALL TOGETHER IN 2006 AND CAME AWAY WITH HIS FIRST NEXTEL CUP TITLE.
2/25/07 7:42:29 PM
2006
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP series
JOHNSON finally wins the cup
I
t was definitely worth the wait for Jimmie Johnson. Since NASCAR instituted the Chase for the Cup playoff-style system, the Lowe’s Chevrolet driver has been in the hunt for the season title. After a disaster at the opening race of this year’s Chase, things looked bleak, but the young driver out his head down and never gave up and he took home the top prize in North American racing. It was a strange start to 2006 for Johnson. Prior to the season opener his crew chief Chad Knaus was suspended for the first four races for technical infractions discovered prior to the Daytona 500. Undeterred, Johnson went out and won the biggest race on the continent. He followed that up with another big win at Indianapolis in August. In total, he recorded five victories on the season (adding wins at Las Vegas and the spring Talladega race, while also winning at Martinsville during the Chase). The win at Martinsville was a key moment for Johnson as it helped erase the deficit created by his poor showing at the Chase opener and out him back in contention. From there he simply had solid results and kept his challengers at bay right through the final checkered flag in Homestead. It was not an easy ride though as former champion Matt Kenseth put the pressure on down the stretch. Taking four wins this year (the spring races at Fontana and Dover, and the summer races at Michigan and Bristol), Kenseth was a among a handful of drivers who never had to worry about their position in the Chase.
KASEY KAHNE HAD THE MOST WINS (6) BUT HAD TO BE CONTENT WITH FOURTH IN THE TITLE CHASE
FORMER CHAMPION MATT KENSETH WON FOUR TIMES IN 2006 EN ROUTE TO THE RUNNER-UP SPOT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
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The surprise of 2006 had to be rookie driver Denny Hamlin. A third-place finish in the Chase caught most pundits off guard and there’s no doubt he loves to race at Pocono, as both his wins came at the Pennsylvania circuit. NASCAR has found another new star for the future and Hamlin now has the confidence of a great season to push him even further in future years. The final results are not what Kasey Kahne was hoping for, but he proved he was worth the wait for Ray Evernham as he led the series in wins this year (Atlanta and Texas in the spring, the Coca-Cola 600, the first Michigan race, the second Fontana event and swept Charlotte with his win during the Chase). Still, all those victories weren’t enough to overcome a couple of bad outings during the Chase and he had to be content with eighth in the standings. Richard Childress Racing had a resurgent year in 2006 as both Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton made their way into the top seven in points. Questions abounded in the off season about Harvick as Dale Earnhardt’s replacement hadn’t lived up to the hype he created during his first season in the No. 29. But 2006 was different. He won five times on the season (sweeping both Phoenix races, Watkins Glen and the second races at both Richmond and New Hampshire). He was seemed poised to be a double champ in 2006 as he was on the cusp of the Cup title at Homestead after already clinching the Busch Series title. Still, a Busch title and fourth in the Cup Chase showed the embattled driver is ready to stake his claim as a perennial Cup contender.
JOHNSON finally wins the cup
ROOKIE DENNY HAMLIN OPENED A LOT OF EYES WITH A PAIR OF WINS AND THIRD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
DEFENDING AND TWO-TIME CHAMPION TONY STEWART WAS CAUGHT ON THE OUTSIDE WHEN THE CHASE BEGAN
CHEVROLET GOT STRONG TITLE BIDS FROM JEFF GORDON, KEVIN HARVICK AND DALE EARNHARDT JR. 84
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2006
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP series
JOHNSON finally wins the cup
JEFF BURTON TURNED THINGS AROUND IN 2006 AND LED THE POINTS EARLY IN THE CHASE FOR THE CUP IT WAS NO SURPRISE TO SEE MARK MARTIN FINISH IN THE CHASE AGAIN THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS A FITTING END TO THE VETERAN’S LAST FULL-TIME SEASON OF CUP COMPETITION His teammate Burton had become a forgotten man in NASCAR circles in recent years. After being acclaimed as a championship favourite in 2001, Burton had seen his stock drop in subsequent years. But, once he was in the Chase, he made a big push and led the title chase after winning his only race of the year Dover. But, a few problems over the final eight races left him in the seventh spot. All in all, it was a big comeback year for the No. 31 Chevrolet driver. During last year’s Chase two drivers were noticeably absent — Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. While neither driver lit the world on fire in 2006, they did return to the Chase and made their presence felt. Earnhardt was fourth at season end even though he won just once on the season (Richmond in the spring). Five-time champion Gordon shut some of his critics up as he continued his success on road courses by winning at Infineon Raceway and followed with a win at Chicago. A sixth-place result in the final standings was not his ultimate goal, but it was a return to glory for a driver many thought might be done. Veteran Mark Martin had thought 2005 was his last season, but the perennial bridesmaid was lured back to run the No. 6 full-time this year. As usual, he was solid top-10 driver and once again made the Chase in his final season despite never tasting the spoils of victory lane. As Martin rides off into a parttime schedule next year, he can look back fondly on a solid ninth-place finish in the points. The biggest story when the Chase began was the fact that defending champion Tony Stewart was on the outside looking in. A poor finish at the final race before the Chase left him in 11th and out of contention. This despite the fact he tied for the second most wins on the season (5 – Martinsville in the spring, Daytona in July, Kansas and the fall races at Atlanta and Texas. The Home Depot driver had to be satisfied with his finish as the best of the rest in 11th-place. In total, 13 different drivers won races in 2006 and once again shows that NASCAR has the most competitive series in the world. Other drivers taking wins this year included: Kyle Busch (1 – first New Hampshire race, also 10th in the Chase); Kurt Busch (1 – spring Bristol); Greg Biffle (2 – Darlington and Homestead); and Brian Vickers (1 – fall Talladega). 86
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2006
CASCAR Super Series
COVERAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Photos by Ramesh Bayney
“DON” OF CASCAR
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2006
CASCAR Super Series
JR KNOCKS OFF THE “DON” OF CASCAR Photos by Ramesh Bayney
I
n the final season of the CASCAR Super Series, officials had to be pleased with the results. Before it was announced that NASCAR had purchased the series and was changing the name to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, CASCAR drivers put on a season for the ages. In 11 races in 2006, the series produced nine different winners, with only David Whitlock and Kerry Micks taking home more than one checkered flag (two each). But, as in years past, the championship went through Fitzpatrick Motorsports. After five years dominating the series, CASCAR officials must have been thinking it would be easier just to leave the trophy with Don Thomson Jr. until further notice. However, when the dust settled, CASCAR was indeed sending the trophy to the home of Fitzpatrick Motorsports, only this time the placard read JR Fitzpatrick instead of Thomson. In just his second season of CASCAR racing, young Fitzpatrick laid claim to being the future of Canadian stock cars. He was consistently strong all year and took his maiden win at Barrie on Canada Day weekend. After three races he was atop the points and he remained there the rest of the season, holding off determined challenges from Thomson and former champions Whitlock and Micks. Thomson, was his usual steady self and was in the thick of the title hunt right up until then, but some poor finishes to open the season (22nd at Mosport Raceway, 10th at Barrie on Canada Day) had him chasing his teammate, an unfamiliar role for the driver of the #4 Home Hardware Chevrolet. Still, he rebounded to win at CASCAR’s return to Trois-Rivieres
BRAD GRAHAM AND HIS FAMILIAR #19 FINALLY BROKE THROUGH FOR HIS MAIDEN CASCAR VICTORY AT VERNON, BC
KERRY MICKS WAS A FORCE ON ROAD COURSES IN 2006 AS WINS AT MOSPORT AND MONTREAL LIFTED HIM TO THIRD IN THE TITLE HUNT
FIVE-TIME DEFENDING CASCAR CHAMPION DON THOMSON CEDED HIS TITLE TO HIS YOUNG TEAMMATE JR FITZPATRICK IN 2006
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CASCAR Super Series
JR KNOCKS OFF THE “DON” OF CASCAR Photos by Ramesh Bayney
2006
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS ON THE CUSP OF WINNING THE TITLE, DJ KENNINGTON TOOK A STEP BACK IN 2006 AS HE FINISHED EIGHTH IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE
WHITLOCK MOTORSPORTS HAD A GREAT SEASON FOR DODGE AS DAVID WHITLOCK (L.) WAS FOURTH IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH WINS AT MOSPORT AND CAYUGA WHILE TEAMMATE MARK DILLEY WON THE SEASON FINALE AT KAWARTHA AND WAS FIFTH IN POINTS
TO NO ONE’S SURPRISE, JEFF LAPCEVICH ONCE AGAIN FOUND HIMSELF IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE AFTER WINNING THE CASCAR DEBUT AT THE EDMONTON GRAND PRIX
(he made up for losing CASCAR’s first appearance at the event when his engine expired mere corners from the end of the race while leading back in 2001). In the end, the five-time champ had to settle for second in the title hunt. Behind him came former champs Micks and Whitlock, respectively. Micks was unsure of the full campaign to open the season, but after a win at Mosport Raceway in Round 2, the funding arrived and the driver of the No. 02 Ford took another win at CASCAR’s debut on le Circuti Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. That gave him the title of best on road courses for 2006 as he won two of the three events. Whitlock also returned to championship form as he tried valiantly to catch Fitzpatrick down the stretch. He won two of the final five races (Mosport Speedway and Cayuga), but couldn’t make up for a few poor outings early in the campaign. The other four race wins were distributed in an interesting fashion. Scott Steckly stunned the series by winning the season opener at Barrie for his maiden CASCAR victory. Then Brad Graham stepped up when the series moved West to Vernon and the veteran took his first career win. Then the veterans returned to the winner’s circle as Jeff Lapcevich lived up to his road course legend by winning CASCAR’s inaugural visit to the Edmonton Grand Prix weekend. And finally, former Eastern Series champion Ron Beauchamp Jr. was able to snare another victory for his career resume as he took the honours at St. Eustache in September. It was yet another great campaign by Canada’s best stock car racers and was fitting end to the CASCAR era. Hopefully, 2007’s switch to a new name won’t change the excitement the series once again provided on the track.
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2006
NHRA POWERade
COVERAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Drag Racing Championship
SCHUMACHER
Story and photos by Bruce Biegler • Drag Racing Editor
leads the way
TITLE BATTLES COME DOWN TO FINAL RACES IN TORRID FINISH TO 2006 SEASON 94
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2006
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Championship
SCHUMACHER LEADS THE WAY
R
acing within NHRA POWERade’s Top Fuel category will be most remembered for a spectacular come-from-behind World Championship title win. The U.S. Army-sponsored team with talented two-time defending champ Tony Schumacher appeared destined to surrender their crown after going winless until mid-season. But, in a testament to determination, the team combined a flurry of pole qualifying efforts with some very timely second half wins to afford themselves an opportunity to surpass season-long points leader Doug Kalitta. That could happen only at the final race of the season at Pomona if the stars aligned properly. As fate and strategy would have it, that is exactly what happened during the season-ending AAA Auto Club Finals. After Kalitta’s Mac Tools dragster was taken out by Schumacher’s teammate Melanie Troxel in the semi final, Schumacher entered the final Top Fuel pairing knowing that a win light in his lane and new national ET record meant a third consecutive title. In what will go down in history as one of the single most electrifying moments in history he ran an electrifying 4.428 secs to cap off the greatest comeback in NHRA history. Schumacher prevailed over Kalitta by a scant 14 points — less then one round of racing. Drag racing’s best known driver and modern day icon John Force reclaimed his World Championship crown, the 14th title of his illustrious career. After spotting class rival and Brut Dodge Funny Car driver Ron Capps the points lead for nearly two thirds of the season, Force’s powerful three-car
J JOHN FORCE’S UNDERSTUDY/SON-IN-LAW ROBERT HIGHT FINISHED A CLOSE SECOND R IIN FC POINTS
23-YEAR OLD ANDREW HINES EARNED HIS THIRD STRAIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE 96
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2006
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Championship JOHN FORCE RE-ASSUMED HIS FAMILIAR POSITION ATOP FUNNY CAR, WINNING HIS 14TH POWERADE TITLE
RON CAPPS BLAZED HIS WAY TO FIVE EVENT WINS DURING THE FIRST HALF BUT ULTIMATELY COULD NOT HOLD OFF JOHN FORCE FOR THE FC CROWN
team assault that includes “blockers” Eric Medlen and Robert Hight, chipped away at Capps’ margin. Force rattled off only three wins during the season but complemented that with solid qualifying and frequent “final four” consistency. Deservingly, he clinched the title in front of his partisan hometown crowd at Pomona. There, driving his familiar Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, Force finally ended Capps’ season bid in a decisive head-to-head second round match and then put frosting on the cake with the overall win – the 122nd of his career. Greg Anderson’s three-year reign atop Pro Stock ended at the hands of his teammate Jason Line. The duo, driving a pair of nearly identically prepared Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTOs under the ownership of Ken Black, were awesome all season with both Line and Anderson collecting four tour victories. Line clinched his first POWERade championship during the second to last race of the season (Las Vegas). Line’s championship season had many high points but it will probably be best remembered for his numbing performances while racing at the Torco Race Fuel Nationals in Virginia in mid-October. At that race he recorded the quickest and fastest marks in Pro Stock history at 6.558 secs and 209.75 mph.
SCHUMACHER LEADS THE WAY
Indiana’s Andrew Hines made Harley-Davidson devotees proud again by winning his third straight championship aboard the Screamin’ Eagle-sponsored V-Rod. Benefiting from the vast knowledge of his co-owners Byron Hines (his father) and Terry Vance, 23-yearold Andrew earned three circuit wins and ultimately won by a close points margin over the U.S. Army sponsored Suzuki of Antron Brown. Hines passed Brown for the points lead at Las Vegas. Then after qualifying #1 for the final event, he fouled out in round one, forcing him to hold his breath until Brown was eliminated. With the ’06 POWERade championship, Matt Hines has now duplicated the accomplishments of his older brother Matt Hines, who also earned three consecutive Pro Stock Motorcycle championships between 1997-99. The 2006 Lucas Oil Sportsman Champions were: Bill Reichert (Top Alcohol Dragster); Frank Manzo (Top Alcohol Funny Car); Bo Butner (Competition); Peter Biondo (Super Stock); Randy Wilkes (Stock); Super Comp (Ron Erks); Iggie Boicesco (Super Gas).
FRANK MANZO WON HIS 10TH CAREER TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR TITLE IN 2006 IN RECORD SMASHING STYLE
JASON LINE WON HIS FIRST POWERADE TITLE IN PRO STOCK, UNSEATING TEAMMATE GREG ANDERSON
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2006
IHRA EMAX Drag Racing Series
Clay Millican once again reigned in Top Fuel, for the sixth straight year
Six-Pack! story and photos by BRUCE BIEGLER DRAG RACING EDITOR
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2006
IHRA EMAX Drag Racing Series
MILLICAN SIX-PACK!
T
IN A TIGHT SEASON-LONG BATTLE FOR IHRA TOP FUEL POINTS SUPREMACY CLAY MILLICAN (NEAR LANE) EDGED OUT DOUG FOLEY
he IHRA’s most prolific driver, Tennessee’s Clay Millican, once again claimed top honours in 2006. For the immensely popular racer it was the sixth consecutive season which he prevailed to win the World Championship title for Werner Enterprises. Millican’s 2006 title run was, however, nowhere near as dominant as it has been in previous seasons. He received a serious challenge all season from New Jersey’s Doug Foley, driver of the Torco Mach Series Accelerator dragster. But when Foley suffered injury in a horrific final round wreck at Toronto Motorsports Park, his season was over and Millican’s title was assured. Millican’s 2006 campaign included four event wins in six final rounds and he capped his championship with a career milestone 50th victory during the season ending U.T.I. World Finals. For the first time in 14 seasons IHRA’s fans were treated to the “nitro beat” of fuel-burning Funny Cars. That eliminator was rekindled thanks to the vision of Torco Race Fuels owner Evan Knoll, whose financial commitment to the class was instrumental. It was probably most appropriate then that the overall Championship winner was a Torco-sponsored machine as likeable Dale Creasy Jr. prevailed driving his Illinois-based Chevy Monte Carlo. “Peanut” (as he is affectionately known) clinched the title during
CLASS PIONEER QUAIN STOTT PREVAILED TO WIN HIS FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE IN PRO MODIFIED MARK THOMAS ENDED THE REIGN OF ROBBIE ATCHISON IN ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR - HIS 6TH CAREER IHRA CHAMPIONSHIP
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2006
IHRA EMAX Drag Racing Series
at Rockingham, holding off Iowa’s Jack Wyatt by a small margin in the final tally (five points). Creasy’s championship was highlighted by a clean sweep of all three Canadian events. The IHRA’s first year back for the class had mixed reviews. While the class was certainly exciting at times, the event car counts were inconsistent and the envisioned crossover participation by NHRA regulars did not materialize. Quain Stott claimed the IHRA World Championship in Pro Modified driving his South Carolina-based Lee Boy-sponsored ’63 Corvette. For Stott, who in fact can trace his racing back to the original class inception, the title was his first after coming close in previous seasons. Stott won two races in 2006, at Edmonton and at Budds Creek, and was assured the title when his closest points rivals bowed out earlier than he did during a tense edition of the World Finals. The Pro Mod class saw Canadian Glen Kerunsky lead the points for most of the year before a late season letdown. The year ended on a major “high” with the first ever “five” being notched in the class, a historic 5.990 secs by Josh Hernandez during the Rockingham event that included an unreal all-time quick bump spot of 6.106 seconds. Mountain motor Pro Stock racing was arguably the most competitive and impressive Pro class last season. The 11-race series featured eight different winners and a ferocious title chase that was not decided until the season-ending World Finals. Pete Berner, who switched from Ford to Pontiac for the ’06, was glad he did as he prevailed to win his first World title. Berner’s independent GTO held off the Fords of Tony Gillig and Frank Gugliotta in the final tally. Berner’s championship march included two season victories, at Grand Bend and then at the marquee World Nationals. The Pro Stock class saw its official national records annihilated in 2006. Virginia’s Robert Patrick ended the season holding both ends of the class standard at a truly remarkable 6.315 secs and 221.27 mph. Mark Thomas ended the two-year reign of Canadian Robbie Atchison in Alcohol Funny Car. Driving his Ohio-based Ethanol Performs-sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo, Thomas parlayed a very good season start (winning two of the first three events) into the sixth IHRA World Championship of his career. The fan favourite driver ended his season with some great momentum, appearing in the final round at the last two events of the year and clinching the title and winning the race at Rockingham. The AFC class featured swift and competitive eight-car fields all season and that helped defer and potentially squelch rampant rumours that the 2006 season might have been the last for the class in IHRA. The 2006 IHRA Sportsman World Champions are: Marco Abruzzi (Top Sportsman); Bryan Bennett (Top Dragster); Bo Kenny (Top Stock); Scotty Stillings (Super Stock); Myron Piatek (Stock); Forrest Lipke (Quick Rod 8.90); Steve Furr (Super Rod 9.90); and Kenny Underwood (Hot Rod 10.90).
MILLICAN SIX-PACK!
FLORIDA’S MYRON PIATEK WAS ONE OF EIGHT IHRA SPORTSMAN WORLD CHAMPIONS, SCORING IN STOCK ELIMINATOR.
JOSH HERNANDEZ MADE HISTORY DURING THE IHRA SEASON WITH A BARRIER BREAKING FIRST EVER “FIVE” IN PRO MODIFIED
ROBERT PATRICK WAS A PERFORMANCE STAR ALL SEASON IN IHRA PRO STOCK WITH RIDICULOUSLY FAST RUNS IN HIS 2007 COBRA GT
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2006
FIA WORLD RALLY championship
oming into the 2006 season the big question was whether Sebastien Loeb could win a third title without factory backing. With Citroen taking a oneyear sabbatical from World Rally, Loeb was forced to drive as a privateer in 2006. Unfortunately for the competition, not much changed in the overall outlook. Sure, Marcus Gronholm opened the year with a pair of victories, but after that Loeb took the next five rallies and never looked back. It was a spectacular season for Loeb, one that showed he is already a legendary driver. His eight wins on the season (Mexico, Spain, France, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Japan and Cyprus) was the most of any driver and his win at Japan put him atop the alltime WRC win list after just four years in the series. His control was such that even though he broke his wrist while relaxing at home, he still clinched the title at Australia when Gronholm encountered his own problems.
C
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In his
Photos by McKlein/LAT
Sebastien Loeb once again took control of the World Rally Championship and came away with his third straight championship.
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2006
FIA WORLD RALLY championship
IN HIS DUST
Gronholm was expected to be Loeb’s main rival this year and the Finnish driver did not disappoint. He opened the year by taking top honours at both Monte Carlo and Sweden (where he continued the domination of Scandinavian drivers), but then sat back as his French rival swept the next five. He finally got back on track at Greece and came away with another win a few weeks later at his home event in Finland. He also came through with wins at Turkey and New Zealand, but it at Australia that his title aspirations were ultimately derailed. Heading into the final four rounds, with Loeb at home convalescing over his broken right arm from a mountain bike accident, Gronholm needed a minimum of two wins and another pair of podium finishes to take the crown. Things started well with his victory at Turkey, but then came the trip “Down Under.” While running at the front, Gronholm rolled his Ford and by the time he got back going he was too far down in the running order. He soldiered his way to a fifth-place finish, but that result gave the title to Loeb who was sitting at home in France. The only other driver to take a victory in 2006
MIKKO HIRVONEN WAS A STEP BEHIND THE LEADERS IN 2006, BUT HE WAS JOHNNY ON THE SPOT IN AUSTRALIA AS HE TOOK TOP HONOURS DOWN UNDER 25 108
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2006
FIA WORLD RALLY championship
IN HIS DUST
MARCUS GRONHOLM HAD A SHOT AT THE TITLE WITH THREE ROUNDS TO GO, BUT A MISHAP IN AUSTRALIA LEFT HIM WITH SIX WINS ON THE SEASON AND THE RUNNER-UP SPOT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
THE 2006 CAMPAIGN WAS ONE OF DISAPPOINTMENT FOR FORMER CHAMPION PETTER SOLBERG AND SUBARU
was Mikko Hirvonen, who won at Australia with Loeb out and Gronholm playing catchup. Still, Hirvonen showed he is one of the top runners in the series and is a legitimate threat to win wherever he races. Former champion Petter Solberg had a season to forget. The lead driver at Subaru never got on track in 2006 and was stuck watching the leaders at most events. In the end he squeezed into the top five in points, but there is little doubt he will look back on this season as a disappointment. So, heading into 2007 the question that lingers is whether anyone in the world can stop Loeb. Back with factory support from Citroen, the Frenchman should run away with another crown unless something untoward happens to open the door to his fellow competitors – who, while strong drivers themselves, have proven they are just a notch below the all-time win record holder. 110
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2007 MOTORSPORTS POINTS STANDINGS The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series marks are used under license by Destination Motorsports LP and Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited. NASCARÂŽ is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.
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Marcus Gronholm ...................... Mikko Hirvonen.......................... Sebastien Loeb........................... Henning Solberg ......................... Dani Sordo ................................... Petter Solberg............................... Daniel Carlsson............................. Chris Atkinson .............................. Toni Gardemesiter......................... Jari-Matti Latvala..........................
,&0 "0 % 0 !',% 1#0'#1 " $2#0 -$ #4#,21 \ 2-. $3#* JR Todd.................................... Brandon Bernstein ..................... Rod Fuller.................................. David Grubnic............................ Doug Kalitta............................... Whit Bazemore .......................... Bob Vandergriff.......................... Joe Hartley ................................. Tony Schumacher ...................... Larry Dixon................................
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\ .0- 12-!) Pete Berner ............................. Tony Gillig................................ Frank Gugliotta ........................ Robert Patrick.......................... Robert MansďŹ eld...................... John Nobile ............................. Jeff Dobbins ............................ Steve Spiess............................. John Montecalvo...................... Brian Gahm ............................. $'+ +-2-%. !& +.'-,1&'. " $', * Nicky Hayden........................... Valentino Rossi ........................ Loris Capirossi......................... Marco Melandri ....................... Dani Pedrosa............................ Kenny Roberts Jr...................... Colin Edwards.......................... Casey Stoner ............................ Toni Elias.................................. John Hopkins............................
5-0*" 13.#0 ')# !& +.'-,1&'. " $', * Troy Bayliss ............................. James Toseland ....................... Noriyuki Haga .......................... Troy Corser.............................. Andrew Pitt.............................. Alex Barros.............................. Yukio Kagayama ....................... Lorenzo Lanzi .......................... Chris Walker ............................ Fonsi Nieto ..............................
, 1! 0 31!& 1#0'#1 " $2#0 -$ #4#,21
'&0 "0 % 0 !',% 1#0'#1 " $', * \ 2-. $3#*
+ 13.#0 ')# !& +.'-,1&'. " $', *
Kevin Harvick........................... Dave Blaney ............................. Carl Edwards ............................ Clint Bowyer ............................ Mark Martin............................. Martin Truex Jr......................... Dale Earnhardt Jr. ..................... Tony Stewart............................ Denny Hamlin .......................... Greg Bife ...............................
Clay Millican .......................... Rick Cooper.............................. Bobby Lagana Jr. ..................... Doug Foley .............................. Bruce Litton............................. TJ Zizzo................................... Chris Karamesines................... Andrew Cowin ......................... Louie Allison ............................ Jack M. King ...........................
Ben Spies................................ Mat Mladin .............................. Miguel Duhamel........................ Aaron Yates ............................. Neil Hodgson ........................... Tommy Hayden........................ Jake Zemke............................. Jason Pridmore ....................... Ben Bostrom............................ Larry Pegram...........................
, 1! 0 ! , "' , 2'0# 1#0'#1 " $', *
JR Fitzpatrick......................... Don Thomson Jr..................... Kerry Micks ............................ Dave Whitlock........................ Mark Dilley ............................
\ .0- +-"'$'#" Quain Stott .............................. Danny Rowe ............................ Mike Janis............................... Glen Kerunsky ......................... Tommy D’Aprile ....................... Scotty Cannon .........................
Francis Martin ......................... Andrew Nelson ......................... Frank Trombino......................... Clint McBain............................ Erick Beausejour...................... Jean-Paul Tache ......................
+ 13.#01.-02 1#0'#1 " $', *
Jamie Hacking......................... Geoff May................................ Michael Barnes........................ Ben Attard ............................... Roger Lee Hayden....................
+ 13.#012-!) 1#0'#1 " $', *
Jamie Hacking......................... Aaron Yates ............................. Jason DiSalvo........................... Geoff May................................ Josh Hayes..............................
+ $-0+3* 620#+# 1#0'#1 " $', *
Josh Hayes.............................. Eric Bostrom............................ Jason DiSalvo.......................... Aaron Gobert ........................... Ryan Andrews..........................
! , "' , .0- 1.-02 ')# 1#0'#1 " $', *
Jordan Szoke........................... Kevin Lacombe ........................ Tom Kipp................................. Clint McBain............................ Pascal Picotte..........................
!+0! +-2-!0-11 1#0'#1 " $', * \ +6 Dusty Klatt............................... Jean-Sebastien Roy ................. Blair Morgan............................ Simon Homans ........................ Marco Dube............................. Ryan Lockhart.......................... Keith Johnson........................... Darcy Lange ............................ Chuck Mesley.......................... Colton Facciotti........................
\ +6 5#12
\ +6 # 12 Kyle Chisholm.......................... Michael Willard ........................ Matt Barnes............................. Tyler Medaglia .......................... Nick Evennou...........................
Jimmy Nelson........................... Teddy Maeir............................. Gray Davenport........................ Michael Sleeter........................ Jeff Northrop ...........................
12 ,"',%1 1 -$ $# 03 07
! , "' , 13.#0 ')# !& +.'-,1&'. " $', *
Jordan szoke ............................ Kevin Lacombe ........................ Pascal Picotte.......................... Tom Kipp..................................
112 PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
Points-v2.indd 2
2/28/2007 11:53:23 AM
Via Trailers 19.01.indd 1
2/21/2007 4:56:46 PM
ARK Performance ...............................75 Beyond Digital Imaging ......................87 Bully Clutch .......................................91 Chag Autosport ..................................54
4-WHEEL NEWS
Angel Wings Trading Inc. ....................51
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adINDEX:
Circuit Mont-Tremblant ......................69 CRC ...................................................79 DMS North America Shock Absorbers 109 Eagle One ..........................................53 Emcea Transport ................................83 Energy Suspension ............................97 Fast Co. .............................................55 Gatorz Glasses ...................................73 Goodwood Kartways ..........................47 Grand Prix Imports .............................39 Hankook ............................................13 IAC ..................................................101 Jiffy Tite .............................................52 Jones Brown Motorsports ..................45 JRP ....................................................62 JRP Sparco ........................................65 JRP Spax ...........................................49 JVC ....................................................29 Lincoln Electric ..................................85 Lucas Oil ...........................................17 Maxell ................................................23 Meadowvale Ford ..............................77 Mechanix Wear ....................................3 Mopac Auto Supply ............................99 Mopar ...............................................IFC Nasa Pro Racing ................................57 NGK ...................................................43 NHRA .................................................95 Nitto Tire ............................................89 Perforance World Car Shows ............105 Redline Synthetic Oil ..........................93 SCCA .................................................37 Shift ...................................................11 SH Karting .......................................111 Toyo Tire ............................................31 Via Trailers .......................................113 VP Fuels ..........................................103 Wakefield Castrol .................................5 Yokohama ............................................7 Valvoline ..............................................8 114 PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS
On the Flip Side.indd 2
Photos by LAT Photographic and YamahaMotoGP.com
Safety FX ...........................................71
2/28/2007 2:39:51 PM