Ferrari 1-2 Finish for Bahrain GP

Race: 2010 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

GP: Bahrain Grand Prix

Race No. 1

Location: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir

Held On: 14 March 2010 (Sunday)

Race Winner: Fernando Alonso

Winning Team: Ferrari

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Telegraph.co.uk (PA)

Carl Edwards on 3-Race Probation

It was a bizarre sight, watching Brad Keselowski’s car go airborne during the Atlanta race. While we all want our NASCAR races to be exciting, nobody wants to see anyone get hurt. And with the way Keselowski’s car landed, the young driver could have been badly injured. Thankfully, he walked away from the event, albeit shakily.

One of Keselowski’s first concerns was whether any of the fans were hurt. This is one driver who can be very aggressive. And no doubt, some of the other drivers have had their moments of frustration with Keselowski. But a retaliation from good guy Carl Edwards no less, was, to put it mildly, disconcerting.

Some sport writers and NASCAR fans believe that Edwards intentionally crashed into Keselowski as a form of payback for his Lap 40 wreck, where Edwards believed Keselowski simply didn’t give him enough room to drive properly. Though that may be true, what Edwards did was reckless.

No doubt he didn’t intend to really hurt Keselowski or to damage his car too much, but a lot of the fans and even NASCAR president Mike Helton believe that Edwards deserves some sort of penalty for his actions. Hence, the three-race probation.

NASCAR.com reports that Edwards will be placed on a three-race probation starting on the March 21 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. According to Helton, this form of penalty shows NASCAR’s stand on drivers who are “self-policing themselves”. Helton said:

“We’re promoting typical NASCAR driving, side-by-side racing with our type of race cars; and that’s what we talked about back in January… A lot of that came from the conversation of NASCAR taking stock of its rules and regulations to back away from the grip we may have on drivers that caused the driver to pull up to a car and say, ‘Well, I think I can get around him, but maybe I can’t. And if I hit him, I don’t want to pay the price for what that costs.’

“So we’re telling the drivers and telling the public that we told the drivers that we’re going to back off on the grip we had. But there is a line you can cross. When you cross that line in our opinion, we’re going to get involved with you,” Helton added.

Helton’s next line made it obvious that he indeed though Edwards crossed that line.

“We made it very clear to [Edwards] that these actions were not acceptable and did go beyond what we said back in January, about putting the driving back in the hands of the drivers… I believe [Edwards] understands our position at this point.”

Brad Keselowski

It was clear on replays that Edwards’ hands did turn his steering wheel right to hit the back of the red No. 12 car Keselowski was driving. Keselowski’s car then started spinning backwards and went airborne striking the top of the fence before landing heavily on the track.

Edwards was immediately parked (after he completed another lap), and Keselowski was helped into an ambulance. After the race, Edwards was called to talk to some NASCAR officials. While the penalty may seem a bit light, (in another motorsport that could be grounds for a suspension), NASCAR is following through with its decision to let the drivers sort things out themselves with just slight interventions from the sport’s governing body.

Source: NASCAR.com

Images: NASCAR.com, ThePitStopOnline.com, CapitalFordLincoln.com

IndyCar.com reports that just 48 hours before the São Paulo Indy 300’s first practice session, Moraes was offered a seat on KV Racing Technology’s No. 32 Banco Panamericano-KV Racing Technology entry. He’s expected to stay onboard with the team throughout the rest of the season.

The Brazilian driver will be racing alongside former-F1 driver Takuma Sato, who’ll be driving the company’s No. 5 entry, and E.J. Viso who’s taking over car No. 8. The São Paulo native is very happy with the deal, saying:

“It has been a long time waiting, but I’m pleased that I have this opportunity… I want to thank (team co-owners) Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser for putting this all together. For the race in Brazil, I want to thank Banco Panamericano, the Holiday Inn Parque Anhembi, and Italia Group for their sponsorship.

“It’s great to be back working with the team. Being in the car to start the season is very important for me, especially since the race is in my hometown. I didn’t make the preseason test (Feb. 24-25 at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama), so it’s straight to the race weekend. It will be a challenge and work to get used to the new engineers and new people, but I think we’re going to have a good weekend.”

Mark Johnson, KVRT’s general manager is also happy to have Moraes back in the team. According to Johnson:

“We are very pleased to have Mario back in the seat with KVRT… Mario showed last season he can be very competitive and is in the process of becoming one of the top talents in the series. He has grown and matured on and off the racetrack over the last year due in part to the support of his family and the many positive influences in his life.

“Mario finished the 2009 season with very strong results and I would expect more of the same starting this weekend,” Johnson added.

Source: IndyCar.com

Image: AutoEvolution.com

We’ve got some new names joining the Formula One drivers’ lineup this season. To help you out with who’s in what team these days, here’s a list of the 24 drivers you’ll be seeing this year.

As you can see from our list, we’ve also got three new teams joining F1. Originally, there were four teams: Hispania Racing, Virgin Racing, the US F1 Team, and Lotus Racing (who managed to enter after BMW Sauber pulled out). But the US F1 Team dropped out after it stopped working on its car.

Sauber, then decided to reenter, still bearing the “BMW” name. Because there was room for one more team, the FIA allowed Sauber to reenter.

2009 Drivers Missing from the List:

Okay, so they’re not exactly missing. But some of the 2009 drivers did fail to secure regular seats for this season. First up, we have Giancarlo Fisichella. Fisico joined Ferrari as the replacement driver for the injured Massa. Now that Massa’s back in action, Fisico takes the backseat as the team’s third driver.

Nick Heidfeld, who’s one of my personal favorites, wasn’t able to find a team on time. But he did land himself the “reserve driver” role for Mercedes GP.

Kazuki Nakajima, who had a lackluster run last year is rumored to be joining the Stefan Grand Prix. Unfortunately, the Serbian outfit didn’t make the cut this year.

Romain Grosjean, who was running with Renault last year, wasn’t able to get a contract. Siad contract was awarded to Vitaly Petrov instead.

Lastly, we have another personal favorite, Kimi Räikkönen. After not finding his idea of the right team for this coming season, Räikkönen opted to join the Citroen Junior Team for the 2010 World Rally Championship.

Source: Formula1.com, Wikipedia

Image: TopNews.In

James Key

From being one of the most overlooked teams in Formula One, Force India is now making waves in the sport. While the Silverstone-based team is yet to win a single race or championship, the team did earn its first pole and points (with a second-place finish) last year.

True, it takes more than one man to change things at the Force India camp, but it’s safe to assume that the team’s technical director, James Key, did play a pivotal role in making the team more competitive.

Key, however, feels that he has done all he can to help Force India out. Hence, his decision to leave the team. After 12 years with Force India, Key must have mulled things over before deciding to “move on to other opportunities”. Other opportunities being: replacing BMW Sauber’s long-term tech director Willy Rampf.

Willy Rampf

Yep folks, it’s official. Right at the heels of Key’s announcement that he’s leaving Force India, Formula1.com broke the news that Key will be taking Rampf’s place in the BMW Sauber team.

But don’t worry Force India fans, the team already has a solution to this issue. Stepping up, or rather (maybe) sideways to take over Key’s job temporarily is the team’s design director, Mark Smith.

And as for bad blood between Key and his former team? Well, there seems to be none. In fact, Force India team principal and chairman Dr. Vijay Mallya wishes Key all the possible success in the future. Key returns the good vibes, wishing his former team and future rival team only the best.

As for Rampf, well, the 56-year-old engineer has been planning on leaving for a while now. Sauber says goodbye to him with only the fondest memories and the best words possible. After spending 10 years with the team, Rampf will be handing over the baton to James Key in April.

Source: Formula1.com

Images: En.RedBulletin.com, UltimaCurva.com

Haiti Earthquake Leaves Most of Port-Au-Prince in Shambles

IndyCar.com reports that Penske Corporation and its affiliated companies have already donated over $1 million-worth of flatbed trucks for Haiti. The diesel-powered trucks were sent to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

According to Roger Penske, IZOD IndyCar Series team owner and Penske Corporation chairman:

“These trucks will assist in the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti by facilitating the distribution of critical supplies that will help ease the suffering of the Haitian people.”

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is grateful for the help extended by Penske Corporation. According to the former president:

“I’m pleased the Penske Corporation has stepped up to donate more than $1 million worth of trucks, which will be instrumental in mobilizing food and lifesaving supplies in Haiti…Their generous contribution is an example of what the private sector can do to help Haiti rebuild and recover from the massive earthquake, and I’m grateful for their leadership.”

You too can do your part to help our Haitian brothers and sisters. You can send your donations through the following organizations: Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, World Vision, UNICEF, Direct Relief, Partners in Health, Red Cross, Yele Haiti, Mercy Corps, World Food Program, Doctors Without Borders, Care, Habitat for Humanity, and Care. For a complete list of reliable disaster relief groups, please visit the Google Crisis Response page for the Haiti Earthquake.

Let’s do what we can to help Haitians rebuild their lives.

Source: IndyCar.com, Google.com

Images: Businessweek.com, NYDailyNews.com

Paul di Resta

Force India Signs Paul di Resta

Looks like Force India has found its reserve driver for this season. According to reports, the team signed DTM star Paul di Resta. The 23-year-old Scot was introduced as Force India’s test driver in a conference held at Glasgow, Scotland. The conference took place in the headquarters of one of the team’s main sponsors, Whyte & Mackay.

Di Resta is delighted to be a part of the team, saying:

“I am ecstatic to finally get the chance to move into F1 at last… I’m pleased I can start my F1 career with Force India, a team that has a lot of potential. I see this move as taking me one step closer to achieving my dream of racing in F1 but I know I have a lot to learn in terms of the car and the tracks right now.

I think this program is a perfect way to prepare fully and be ready to go if and when the chance of a race seat comes. I hope this will be the start of a long-term future with Force India. With the support of all of the team, including Whyte & Mackay, I’m sure we will grow together.”

Just a quick breeze-through of di Resta’s stats. Di Resta is no stranger to racing. In fact, the young Scot is an accomplished racer in the DTM championship. Last year, di Resta finished third at the 2009 DTM Championship with one win. He has also won the 2006 Formula Three Euroseries, and was awarded the Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award back in ’04. This year, di Resta will be juggling the reserve driver position in Force India and a drive at the German Touring Car Series.

Felipe Massa

Massa

Still Quickest in Spain Practice

Felipe Massa may have been out of the series for half of the season last year due to his injury, but Massa is showing everyone that he’s in top form. After the second day of practice in Valencia, Massa once again finishes with the fastest time for the practice session.

Unofficial Test Times for Valencia (Tuesday)

Source: Formula1.com

Images: FlagWorld.com, Topnews.in

Tony George

Vision Racing Operations Suspended

Sad news for Vision Racing fans. IndyCar.com reports that the IndyCar team has suspended operations. This is right before the March 14 start of the IZOD IndyCar Series season to be held in Brazil. According to the team’s co-owner Tony George, the reason behind the operation suspension? Lack of sponsorship.

Pat Caporali, the team’s spokeswoman, speaks up about how George talked to the team’s staff. According to Caporali:

“He had a meeting with all of his staff this morning and he was fairly emotional.”

According to IndyCar.com, some of the team’s staff members will continue to look for sponsors in hopes of reopening the Indianapolis-based shop. The team also hopes that they’ll be back on the racetrack with their driver, Ed Carpenter soon.

Milka Duno

Milka Duno Welcomed Into Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame

On a lighter and more positive note, IndyCar driver Milka Duno is going to be a member of the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame soon. On the 30^th of January, the female driver is set to become the first Venezuelan athlete to be included in the Latin American HoF.

Pitin Guajardo, the founder of the Hall of Fame, talks about the coming induction. According to Guajardo:

“The Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame is proud and honored to have selected Milka Duno as a 2010 inductee. Milka was selected for her racing achievements, her personal excellence in education, and her passion in stressing the importance of education to students of all ages.”

With 27 starts in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Duno is actually the first Hispanic woman to race in the IZOD IndyCar Series—including the Indianapolis 500. Apart from her racing achievements, Duno is also renowned for her work in the Milka Way Program.

A qualified naval engineer with four master’s degrees under her belt, Duno is definitely one remarkable woman.

Source: IndyCar.com

Images: AutoWeek.com, AllLeftTurns.com

Jose Maria Lopez

The US F1 Team based in North Carolina has big news for F1 fans. Formula1.com reports that the new Formula One team is starting out its debut season with Argentine driver, Jose Maria Lopez. Lopez has already tested for Renault, and after starting the season with the US team, he’s going to be the 24^th Argentine driver in the series.

Peter Windsor, the team’s vice president, has high praise for the Argentine driver, saying:

“Securing ‘Pechito’ Lopez for our debut season has been a goal of ours for a long time…We’ve been following his career since he dominated the Renault V6 Championship in 2003 and we’re thrilled to have him on board as we return America to Formula One. Lopez is a consummate professional and a born leader.

Peter Windsor

“The most revealing thing about his character was how he handled the disappointment of not racing for Renault after three years of testing with them in F1. Instead of moping around and feeling sorry for himself, he returned to Argentina and totally dominated the local scene, winning 38 races and three championships. He became a major star as a result and, in turn, the Argentine nation – a country where F1 is only second to soccer – has got behind him.”

Lopez is also very happy with the deal. According to Lopez:

“This is a truly memorable day for me, my family and the people of Argentina…I have been working towards this day for much of my life and I can’t thank Peter and Ken (Anderson) enough for this opportunity. Of course a new F1 team faces many challenges but our goal is to improve with each race and build a foundation that will eventually see this team competing for wins and championships.”

Ken Anderson

The other big boss of the US F1 team, team principal Ken Anderson, is very confident about Lopez’s skills.

“So many things go into starting a Formula One team for scratch,” added Anderson. “You can nail every step along the way but if you don’t have the right guys in the seats, everything else is for naught. With Jose Maria Lopez we have further positioned ourselves for a successful 2010 debut campaign.”

Source: Formula1.com

Images: ESPNF1.com, Sidepodcast.com, SkySports.com

Casey Mears

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Sprint Cup Series new team, Keyed-Up Motorsports, just signed Casey Mears. Mears is set to drive the team’s No. 90 Chevy Impala. Keyed-Up Motorsports founder Raymond Key is definitely “keyed up” to have an experienced driver like Mears in their team.

“Keyed-Up Motorsports is very excited to have Casey Mears driving our No. 90 Chevy Impala. With Casey’s proven ability as a top driver and Doug’s [Doug Richert] vast experience as a winning crew chief, we think 2010 is going to be a great year. We’re now focused on securing full-season funding,” Key said.

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Johnny Benson

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

2008 Truck Series champ Johnny Benson found himself a ride with Team Gill Racing. Benson is set to debut the team’s No. 95 Ford F-150 at the Daytona International Speedway. (You can catch the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on February 12.)

Team Gill Racing will be competing at all 25 events for the truck series. According to team owner Danny Gill:

“We really need to start this year out right. We wanted to show up and let everyone know that Team Gill Racing is bringing a lot to the table every weekend.

We have a lot of really good things working in our favor right now. We feel like we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with all season and well into the following years.”

Benson will be sharing the seat with rookie Lance Fenton this season.

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Danica Patrick

NASCAR Nationwide Series

IndyCar star Danica Patrick is yet to confirm whether or not she will be racing at the Nationwide Series season opener to be held at the Daytona International Speedway. According to JRM general manager Kelley Earnhardt, it’s all up to Patrick if she wants to participate in the Daytona race. As Earnhardt puts it:

“It’s going to be her [Patrick] decision after the ARCA race. She just finished the ARCA test. The thing that we’ve all discussed is that the Daytona Nationwide Race is basically a Cup race, and so for someone like her, that might not be the best situation to put her in with the experienced level. She’s got to have those people count on her, and she needs that confidence that they’re going to be wrapped around that. I think with the limited interaction she’s had on track with cars, I think that’s a decision she’ll have to make. I think all those things will play into that.”

Patrick recently signed a 2-year deal with JR Motorsports. In the next few seasons, Patrick will be racing 12-13 races.

Source: NASCAR.com

Images: ESPN.Com, Blog.Al.com, NYDailyNews.com