CRUZE-ING TO VICTORY?

* Chevrolet unveils new WTCC contender
* 2009 car based on new Cruze global car
* British driver Rob Huff continues Chevrolet involvement

With a new global car on the way for 2009, the World Touring Car Championship is the perfect platform for Chevrolet to put its latest model in the public eye.

This is the new Cruze WTCC car, which replaces the successful Lacetti as Chevrolet’s contender in the 2009 series.

Powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine, the WTCC Cruze has a hard act to follow, as the Lacetti won its final two outings for Chevrolet in Macau.

But Chevrolet’s drivers are confident that the new car will be a top performer in the series, which has gained global recognition as one of the most exciting tin-top series since its inception in 2005.

British driver Rob Huff (28) from Newmarket, Suffolk, who has been with Chevrolet since it debuted in World Touring Cars said: “The Cruze is a great car and feels fast straight out of the box. We are obviously still at the very early stages of development but already I can feel how much better it handles and what an advantage the car’s wider track will be in a race environment.’

Rob will be joined in 2009 by Swiss racer Alain Menu and Italian Nicola Larini. All three drivers also drove for Chevrolet in 2008.

The cars will be prepared for Chevrolet once again by RML Motorsport. The Wellingborough, Northants, based company has a history of motorsport involvement with Chevrolet’s parent company, General Motors, and has looked after Chevrolet’s WTCC involvement since 2005.

The Chevrolet Cruze, on which the 2009 WTCC car is based, will go on sale in the UK during the first half of next year, and will be sold in over 130 countries worldwide. It is one of Chevrolet’s most important new models ever, as it clearly illustrates a new level of styling and quality for the brand, both in Europe and in the USA. The car made its public debut to much acclaim at the Paris Motor Show in October.

[Source: GM]

This of course completely eliminates turbo lag from the compressed intake air routed to the main drive engine. The hybrid engine is hooked up to an even stranger contraption behind it — a Ford Sierra powertrain. The car uses the all wheel drive and transmission from a lowly Sierra, albeit beefed up quite a bit. Unfortunately this has been the weak point in the car and Nic is considering swapping out the internals on the MT75 for Borg Warner T5 bits to avoid the breaking. Currently the car makes around 400 HP at 23 PSI of pressure, but plans are to ramp that up to 43 PSI and up the insanity.

The video above shows the car in action during hill climb racing at Gurston Down in old Blighty. Also featured in this video is a positively bonkers Ford Puma with a tube chassis and carbon fiber body with a twin turbo Cosworth engine. It'll do 0-to-60 MPH in 1.8 seconds and the quarter mile in 9.45 seconds. Pick your jaw up and watch the video, make sure your speakers are turned up during the race footage.

For more details on Nic Mann's Manic Beattie Hillclimb Car head over to Race Engine Design and read up. (Hat tip goes out to Rust-MyEnemy) [youtube]

It was a bad weekend for the folks at Spoon Sports. The same people who brought you the Spoon NSX-R GT (yes, the same one we reviewed earlier this week) managed to place a JDM Honda RSX/Integra in the stands of Infineon Raceway during a NASA race. No one appears to have been hurt, but the driver had to be cut out of his Honda touring car. From reports, the Spoon Sports Honda hit the grass berm in the runoff area in turn 1 before being launched by momentum over the fence and into the grandstands. It apparently landed within a few rows of a group of people there to watch the race. A report from MadCat360 in the NASAFormus below:

Did anyone see it? I caught the tail end of it from the grand stands. What I guess happened was the car had some sort of problem (suspension? Tire?) and went spearing off at turn 1. It hit the grass berm there on the outside runoff and launched into the fence just below the score tower, didn't stop and landed in the center stands there, nearly hitting a bunch of people.

I heard the driver was all right but they had to tear apart the car to get him out. No spectators were hurt that I could see, though the car's nose hit just one row down from one person, maybe about 3 feet.

We got lucky today. That crash could have easily killed 5 people. There really needs to be a tire wall there, which I think they put up when NASCAR race there. Why don't they put any walls up for club races? Why aren't they permanent anyway?

I'm going to send a letter to Infineon alerting them of the safety situation there and I suggest you do the same. It would just be the easiest thing to put a permanent ARMCO barrier there with some tires, and have it ready for the 2009 season start. Maybe they could start putting some gravel traps in as well. It's bothersome to haul cars out, but those traps save lots of lives and cars as well.

I'm normally pretty reserved about being frightened in motorsports, but that crash really made me shocked at how little there really is to stop the cars from going into the stands there. It's just a very shallow berm and a chain link fence, and if that couldn't stop a Honda touring car from going into the stands at highway speed, then it definitely won't stop a Grand Am car, or an Indy Car.

[Source: NASA Forums]

(Hat tip to everyone who sent this in!) [via 0-60mag]

2010 FORD FUSION HYBRID TO PACE FORD 400 FIELD; FIRST EVER HYBRID PACE CAR IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP

* The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Ford Fusion Sport have been chosen to be the official pace cars of the Ford 400, the NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale and the final race of Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. The 2010 Fusion Hybrid will be the first hybrid electric vehicle ever to lead the field to the green flag at a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.
* Both the Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Sport will be decked out in NASCAR-inspired camouflage paint schemes; the cars will be unveiled at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on Nov. 19.
* 2010 Fusion Hybrid is expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy, beating the Toyota Camry Hybrid by at least 5 mpg, and will drive more than 700 miles on a tank of gas in city driving.

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 9, 2008 – NASCAR Sprint Cup officials will leave it to a green car to lead the field to the green flag next Sunday at the season-ending Ford 400 – marking a NASCAR Sprint Cup first.

The all-new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, featuring the debut of Ford’s next-generation hybrid system, along with the all-new Fusion Sport will pace the Ford 400, which concludes Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“Miami is an international city with a flair for what’s new,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Curtis Gray. “And with the evolution of Ford Championship Weekend into one of the highest-profile events in sports, the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami is the perfect spot for a historical racing first—the Fusion Hybrid Pace Car.”

The Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Fusion Sport will both be in NASCAR-inspired camouflage for the race. Miami-area race fans and the national television audience on ABC will be the first to see the cars, since they won’t be officially unveiled until the Los Angeles International Auto Show three days later. They will be available in dealer showrooms in the spring of 2009.

After the Fusion Hybrid leads the field to the green flag, the 263-horsepower Fusion Sport will be the pace car for the remainder of the Ford 400.

“The new Ford Fusion ups the ante in the mid-size sedan segment with outstanding fuel economy but retains what made it standout from the competition from the beginning – the fun-to-drive factor,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas, who will wave the green flag at the start of Sunday’s Ford 400. “The Fusion Hybrid pacing the Ford 400 showcases exactly what our customers want, fuel economy and fun – and we’re pleased to be able to offer racing fans a glimpse of what’s to come at Sunday’s race.”

The new product teases are welcome news to Ford NASCAR star Carl Edwards, a winner of eight NASCAR Sprint Cup wins this year and currently second in the championship standings.

“It’s really appropriate that Ford is bringing the 2010 Fusion Hybrid to pace the Ford 400,” he said. “The Fusion already gets great fuel mileage. And I sure know that my NASCAR Fusion gets great fuel mileage after the way we recently won the Texas race. But for Ford to come out with a hybrid version of the Fusion, that’s best-in-class in terms of fuel economy, is really cool.”
“It makes a great car even better,” Edwards continued. “I just hope that I can be on the pole next week at Homestead, so I can be running up right behind it at the start of the race.”

[Source: Ford]

Reports are that automakers want to make a big show for fans in the United States and therefore want a race, but not at the Brickyard. A race somewhere on the East or West Coast is preferred. The possibility of a new US race also raises the possibility that Canada will get its Grand Prix back. We're just waiting for Tony George to somehow screw this up for us. [F1-Live, Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images]

SEMA SHOW 2008: BANKS TO SHOW 200+ MPH DIESEL DRAGSTER & MORE SEMA
Debuts: Banks Marine Engine, SpeedBrake™ & EconoMind® Tuner

Azusa, Calif. 10.24.08 - - Banks Power, the nation’s pre-eminent producer of complete aftermarket packages that not only power up, but bolster fuel mileage as well in both diesel- and gasoline-powered light trucks, motorhomes, and SUVs; will have some new attention-catching “items” on its stand at the 2008 SEMA Show.

First, foremost (and pretty darn obvious) will be the latest weapon in Gale Banks’ “arsenal” of diesel-powered record assault vehicles; his brand new Sidewinder Top Dragster. At almost 300 inches long and powered by a Banks-equipped GM Duramax 6.6 liter V-8; the dart-shaped, projectile is aimed squarely at being the first diesel dragster to make consistent, backed-up 200+ mile per hour runs in the quarter mile.

SPECIAL MEDIA INVITATION:
PLEASE JOIN US AT THE BANKS EXHIBIT
TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO SEE THE
BANKS POWER TOP DRAGSTER
The introduction of this exciting new machine is set for
10:15am on Wednesday, November 5
(Banks Exhibit - Central Hall - Space 23721)

Company President Gale Banks will be on hand to present the machine
(which boasts power readings of well over 1,000 horsepower and 1,000 pounds-feet of torque)
to the media and talk about the future racing plans
for his latest Banks Sidewinder!

Sharing space in the Banks display will be the new Banks Marine Engine that’s also based on the muscular GM Duramax. Designed to be a state-of-the-art, high performance diesel engine for use in a wide range of boat types; the 6.6 liter diesel engine will be available from Banks in multiple ratings and configurations depending on application and customer requirements. This is the engine that elicited such a positive buzz at the Miami Boat Show earlier in the year. It too will be seen by SEMA show goers for the first time at this show.

Additionally Banks will have all of its latest consumer products on hand including the new EconoMind Tuner®. Designed and produced with the words fuel efficiency foremost on everyone’s mind, this latest electronic marvel from Banks helps vehicles to get every last mile out of every drop of fuel, as well as allowing those same vehicles to “flex their muscles” on demand or when encountering steep grades.

Also on view at SEMA will be Banks’ brand-new revolutionary SpeedBrake™ for the GM Duramax LBZ & LMM engine. The patented, all-electronic unit is completely adjustable for individual preference as well as for all road and load conditions. During extensive testing this system exceeded expectations and far outperformed any other so-called “competitive products” in all braking functions. In fact, no other company offers anything like the functionality of this exclusive Banks SPEED CONTROL.

The gargantuan SEMA trade show, held annually in Las Vegas, attracts over a million members of the multi-billion dollar automotive aftermarket industry, takes place this year on November 4-7, and is anchored at the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center. Gale Banks Engineering has just begun its NEXT fifty years of design, engineering, prototyping, testing, and manufacturing excellence.

From its founding in 1958, Banks Power has been continuously involved in applying the tough lessons learned in all-out competition to improve street products for everyday users. Generally speaking, Banks customers do not actually need to go 200 or more miles an hour. But most feel that getting the best of power and mileage out of Banks’ unflinching quest for speed is a pretty good spin-off.

[Banks Engineering]

It's interesting that Mosley is promoting energy-efficient programs as the future of F1 racing, and it shows quite a bit of foresight. After all, kinetic energy recovery as developed under grueling race conditions has a good chance of resulting in improved systems for road-going cars. The question is, will race fans give a damn about how one team's KERS system is giving them an extra second per lap, or would they rather hear a tiny pneumatic-valve V8 spinning at 10,000 RPM as the driver bangs through a seven-speed sequential 'box? [Autosport.com]

The Tower is being constructed by German firm ACI Real Estate, which has a deal with the former driver; the seven towers it plans to construct each represent one of Schumacher’s championships. No other locations have yet been revealed.

The Abu Dhabi location will stand 787 feet tall, have 60 floors, 40 apartments and be constructed on its own island. While it’s far from the tallest or most ridiculous skyscraper in Dubai, its makers are hoping it’s Yacht access will give it a unique selling point. It’ll need one, as there’s already two tower’s named after F1 legend Niki Lauda in the Emirate. [via MotorAuthority]

CHEVROLET PRESENTS NEW CRUZE FOR 2009 WTCC
To Continue Chevrolet’s World Touring Car Success

ZÜRICH / WELLINGBOROUGH – Chevrolet Europe has shown the first glimpse of the marque’s 2009 World Touring Car Championship contender, today. The all-new Chevrolet Cruze, which recently premiered at the Paris Motor Show, will continue Chevrolet’s presence in the WTCC, in which the marque so far has won twelve world championship races.

Testing of the new race car – which is the first to start Chevrolet’s new design language in Europe – has already started and is on schedule, and will continue throughout the remainder of the current season and the coming winter. Developed, built, run and driven by the same team and drivers, the Cruze will be all but guaranteed the same speed, reliability and success. The Chevrolet Cruze’s first competitive outing will be in Brazil at the opening round of the 2009 WTCC in Curitiba. In 2009, the WTCC will again visit twelve tracks, in South and Central-America, Africa, Europe and the Far-East.
# QUOTES

Wayne Brannon: “Chevrolet has motorsport is deeply embedded in our DNA. With the new Cruze World Touring Car, Chevrolet continues to embrace its long tradition of winning on and off the track.. In the past four seasons, Chevrolet had distinguished itself in racing with an increasing number of victories, not so different from the record sales growth which has developed in Europe. Again this year, sales are up by 23 percent in the first six month, and we are very proud that customers are choosing us in record numbers. For our European dealers, the WTCC has been an extremely useful communications tool, and they look forward to the next season with Cruze. With Cruze, we again look to emphasize the synergy between product and motorsports, and the WTCC is the best possible platform to achieve this. The championship’s slogan is ‘Real Cars, Real Racing’, and that fits nicely with our philosophy to provide real cars for real lives, with expressive design, world class quality / reliability and an impressive list of standard features and content, all at an affordable price.”

Eric Nève: “The new Cruze will be the next milestone in Chevrolet Europe’s motorsports history. So far, we have achieved every goal we set in 2005, step by step: challenge the competition, score points, prove we can win and then become regular frontrunners against competition with an established motorsports resume. With the Cruze, we will put the bar even higher and firmly aim at winning the World Championship. Chevrolet’s unique ‘trump card’ is having worked with the same team, engineers and drivers for the past four seasons, with the success we all know. To be able to do this again with the Cruze will only help to increase our chances of achieving our goals.”

[GM Europe]

The race has been held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Quebec since 1978 (with a year off in 1987). That was back before the track was even named after the late Canadian racer, who died in 1982. It used to be known as the Circuit Île Notre-Dame. Prior to that, the Canadian Grand Prix was around since 1961 (with a year off in 1975) at Mosport Park and Mont-Tremblant. [gridcrasher, globesports] (Thanks Richard, Greg, and Jon!)

image copyright: AFP/ Getty Images

Apparently Michigan attorney Alan Miller has also represented or currently represents such racing stars as Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Ward Burton and Clint Bowyer. There's no evidence that Miller conspired with any other drivers for tax-evasion purposes, but his indictment in connection with Helio Castroneves likely has a number of famous names checking the books with their lawyers and accountants. [Miami Herald, USA Today] Thanks to everyone who tipped us!

2. Sec. 317. Seven-year cost recovery period for motorsports racing track facility. .

Track owners want to be able write off the cost of their facilities on their taxes over seven years - a depreciation timetable many of them have used for decades. But the IRS has wanted to stretch it to at least 15 years and has raised questions whether the increasingly popular tracks really belong in the same tax category as amusement parks.

Auto track owners are simply trying to get out of paying more taxes - which they'd have to do if they deducted less every year. These owners have gotten plenty of tax breaks over the years from states and localities eager to get speedways. The provision would be extend 2 years till the end of 2009 and would cost 100 million. The provision encompasses all facilities including grandstands, parking lots and concession stands.

[Chicago Tribune; Photo Credit: Funnyhub.com]

Yes, F1 has been degraded to a soap opera. The only drama is the interaction between the characters, and if you haven't been watching every episode for the past few seasons, you'll be lost and bored. But even your mother would have been fascinated by the Singapore GP. The local TV ratings in Singapore were higher for the race than they were for the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony. Just looking at the track, which seemed like it'd be visible from space, you could have easily believed it was the setting for some Hollywood sci-fi movie set. It wasn't just the track either; the entire city was interwoven through it and glowing proudly. As for the race itself, we won't ruin it for you if you've still yet to watch it, but full results can found here.

[via Axis Of Oversteer] [photo: Reuters via dailymail]

The new system should definitely come in handy on the Circuit de la Sarthe for next year's 24 Hours of LeMans, as it can be used either as boost to supplement the 700 HP diesel V12, or to simply save fuel. The 908 HY can even be put in electric-only mode, perhaps for cruising down the pit lane.

It should be noted, however, that the 2009 LeMans Series regulations aren't completely set in stone yet. So while the Frenchies may have already shown off the 908 HY in public this past weekend at Silverstone, there's a very slight possibility it may not be exactly like this if it makes it onto the grid next season. Let's hope the KERS system on this doesn't decide to strike back at its mechanics like certain F1 cars have.

Just 1,100 grams between the racing driver and a blazing inferno Stuntman Lutz Duda tries out the uvex Racing Suit

Petrol is highly combustible and full of energy – when used in an engine which means that racing cars weighing hundreds of kilos can accelerate to speeds in excess of 300 km/h in a matter of seconds. However, on the flip side, the experts including the uvex carRacing team, who specialise in racing equipment, know that in the case of an accident, the same energy in petrol can unleash itself against the driver, causing a blazing inferno within a fraction of a second. A single litre of petrol is enough to generate 9.61 kilowatt-hours of energy - which is equivalent to five ovens set at maximum! Emergency rescue teams can get to a burning vehicle very quickly on the racetrack, but the driver still has to rely on the protective properties of the fireproof equipment they are wearing until the fire has been safely extinguished. The uvex Racing Suit rs 3 not only has FIA certification – it also weighs a mere 1.1 kilos, which is close to half the weight of most comparable racing suits. Even at this low weight, the Racing Suit rs 3 manufactured by the highly experienced Fürth-based company, uvex, boasts impressive protective properties, as demonstrated in the 'hot stunt' performed by uvex carRacing at the IKmedia Experience Days in June.

The fire built specifically for the purpose is blazing with meter-high flames as stuntman Lutz Duda steps out in front of the assembled journalists in his black uvex Racing Suit rs 3 and an fp 2 H.A.N.S carbon helmet. The roaring flames are reflected in the helmet's visor! "There's a huge difference between simply reading the word 'fireproof' or 'flame-retardant' somewhere and actually finding yourself confronted with a wall of fire," explains Simon Sirries, Key Account Manager with uvex carRacing. "The heat given off by a blaze is immense, even from several meters away." While people standing nearby take a step back, Lutz Duda bravely walks into the flames. In addition to the racing suit and helmet, he is protected by suitable underwear, shoes and gloves made by uvex – a perfect modular system that complies with all the latest FIA norms and, what's more, offers perfect body climate and wearer comfort. With bated breath, the onlookers start to count the seconds until Lutz Duda steps back out of the flames. Instead, he sits down in the very heart of the fire, before standing up and walking calmly from the inferno - entirely unscathed. "It was certainly fairly warm in the fire", says the stuntman afterwards in summary. Unlike the shiny, silver fireproof suits worn by firefighters, racing equipment isn't metallic and therefore does not reflect the heat as well, but the racing suit, which is coated with NOMEX® fibres, does its job brilliantly. In an emergency, it is able to protect a racing driver from burns for at least 35 seconds, even at a temperature of 850 degrees. uvex has acquired decades of experience in this field through its development of industrial safety wear, for example for blast furnaces and other dangerous scenarios.

Nationwide Series new car debuts at Richmond test

Walking through the garage on Monday at Richmond International Raceway prior to the start of the first official test session for the Nationwide Series' new car, series director Joe Balash was told he looked like a "proud papa."

"This is a new project for the Nationwide Series so there's an unknown until you get [the car] to the racetrack," Balash said. "Now we have it at the track and it's been very well-received."

The four series manufacturers — Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Toyota — were represented by five teams. Bryan Clauson was the first driver to take a lap for Dodge and Chip Ganassi Racing.

David Ragan and reigning series champion Carl Edwards for Ford and Roush Fenway Racing; David Reutimann for Toyota; Scott Wimmer for Chevrolet and Richard Childress Racing, the defending series owner champion; and Morgan Shepherd for Davis Motorsports also turned laps throughout the day.

"Going through the garage area and speaking to some of the drivers, the input I got was the car was very good," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition. "A couple actually said they wished they could race this new car tomorrow."

Differentiation and uniqueness are the name of the game going forward with the introduction of the new car in the Nationwide Series. The main difference between the current car and the new car will be the chassis and the body. The current chassis has a 105 inch wheel base. The new car will be a 110 inch NASCAR-certified chassis, which is the same as the current Sprint Cup car. This also will allow current Nationwide Series components to be brought forward in an effort to contain costs.

The new car will provide the same safety enhancements that are in place on the current Cup car and will also make more bolt-on parts interchangeable (for example, rear end housing), creating cost savings for the teams. Additionally, the new car will continue to use the rear spoiler whereas the Cup car has a wing.

"We're still walking down the path of certifying the bodies for the cars in the Nationwide Series," Balash said. "The manufacturers haven't made their official announcements yet on what body styles they'll have once we get to the race track."

Cost containment and competitive balance also are keys for the introduction of the new car in the Nationwide Series.

"As we build cars, we want to make sure we don't draw something up on the drawing board that's hard to manufacture," said Brett Bodine, NASCAR's director of cost research. "If that's the case, the cost goes up to produce these cars. As they build these cars — these are the first ones built — we're listening to what they've got to say from their fab shops. This is the kind of interaction from a small group of people like we have here today that helps makes the process a lot more efficient."

"So far we've been pleased," team owner Johnny Davis said. "With more testing, we can be pretty close [to the multi-car teams]. I think a smaller, single-car team under these circumstances can be a better top-10 car than what we have today with our current cars."

The drivers at the test also gave the new car a thumbs-up.

"I'm excited about the car," Wimmer said. "[There are] a lot of real positive things right now. We've been running through the normal things we do at a test and it's responding well."

"The car's been good and it looks pretty cool, too," Edwards said. "I was impressed. I hadn't seen the car before it was sitting on the ground. It drives really well; it feels a lot like the cars we're driving right now. Compared to when we first ran the new car in the Cup Series this is a lot smaller change for us. I'm happy with it."

Tuesday's second day of testing has been re-scheduled for a morning-only session since the data gathered Monday by the manufacturers and teams was sufficient. The threat of rain in the afternoon also was a factor.

The Nationwide Series new car is also set to test Oct. 13-14 at Charlotte.

[via jayski]
Photo Credit: Harrelson Photography, Mike Paz, someone else

First, he’s bought himself one of the fastest trackday toys in the world for a relatively low price. For just $150,000 (plus significant running costs) he’s guaranteed to be the fastest driver at any track. At least he’d better be. Purchasing just three laps in an F1 car can cost in excess of $5,000.

Also, as a collector’s vehicle, the SA06 represents an interesting footnote in F1 history. It was the team’s first development of the Arrows A23 chassis that they purchased from ex-Minardi boss Paul Stoddart. At the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, Sato took it to an impressive 10th place, setting the race’s seventh fastest lap. Power was provided by a Honda RA806E 2.4 V8.

Super Aguri was founded by former F1 driver Aguri Suzuki and competed from 2006 until earlier this year. [Autosport]

"I'm very sorry, this is something not in my character. Driving fast should only be done on a track"

Not in his character? What about racing a taxi to the airport? Or is it different because he was driving an Audi convertible this time? [Bild via AxisOfOversteer]

LeMans Prototype 2 (LMP2) saw great success for Andretti Green Racing and the Acura racing program as the AGR team finished first and Acura took all three podium spots. The one, two, three finish also catapulted Acura past Porsche in the manufacturers championship as well. We're betting there was a fair bit of off-colored language amongst the Porsche teams following that result.

This year's race provided a little post-race drama to go along with the action on the track. The first car to cross the line in the LeMans Prototype 1 class (LMP1) was, no surprise, the diesel-powered Audi R10, the beastly dominator of the class since it's debut. However after the post race weigh in, the car was disqualified after it was discovered to be 2 pounds under weight.

No surprise in the results in the GT1 races; with the only four entries being two Corvette C6Rs and two Aston Martin DBR9s, the result was almost over before it began. One of the Astons nosed into the wall on the first lap and for the remainder the C6R's dominated. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta bested teammates Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen for the first time since late March, and the DBR9 of Terry Borcheller finished third.

GT2 saw a one-two finish this year from Flying Lizard racing, the guys who ended up with a Porsche 911-flambe last year. Their win comes as the third one-two finish of the year and pushed them further ahead into the season points lead. A couple Ford GT40's are in the pack this year and while they sounded great, one nailed the wall and the other finished slow.

Belle Isle Grand Prix Results
1. (5) James Rossiter, England; Franck Montagny, Brignoles France; Acura ARX-01B (1, P2), 104.
2. (1) Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL; David Brabham, Australia; Acura ARX-01B (2, P2), 104.
3. Simon Pagenaud, France; Gil de Ferran, Brazil; Acura ARX-01B (3, P2), 104.
4. (6) Romain Dumas, France; Timo Bernhard, Germany; Porsche RS Spyder (4, P2), 104.
5. (7) Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA; Ryan Briscoe, Australia; Porsche RS Spyder (5, P2), 104.
6. (3) Guy Smith, England; Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Porsche RS Spyder (6, P2), 103.
7. (11) Ben Devlin, England; Gerardo Bonilla, Orlando, FL; Lola B07 46 Mazda (7, P2), 103.
8. (10) Marino Franchitti, Scotland; Butch Leitzinger, State College, PA; Porsche RS Spyder (8, P2), 102.
9. (17) Oliver Gavin, England; Olivier Beretta, Monaco; Corvette C6.R (1, GT1), 100.
10. (13) Jan Magnussen, Denmark; Johnny O'Connell, Flowery Branch, GA; Corvette C6.R (2, GT1), 100.
11. (14) Wolf Henzler, Germany; Jörg Bergmeister, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (1, GT2), 98.
12. (18) Patrick Pilet, France; Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (2, GT2), 98.
13. (15) Jaime Melo, Brazil; Mika Salo, Finland; Ferrari F430 GT (3, GT2), 98.
14. (22) Lonnie Pechnik, Pacific Grove, CA; Martin Ragginger, Austria; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (4, GT2), 98.
15. (19) Robert Bell, UK; Harrison Brix, San Jose, CA; Ferrari F430 GT (5, GT2), 98.
16. (26) Jim Tafel, Alpharetta, GA; Alex Figge, Hollywood, CA; Ferrari F430 GT (6, GT2), 95.
17. (28) Joel Feinberg, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Chris Hall, Daytona, FL; Dodge Viper Comp Coupe (7, GT2), 94.
18. (20) Terry Borcheller, Vero Beach, FL; Chapman Ducote, Miami, FL; Aston Martin DBR9 (3, GT1), 93.
19. (16) Dominik Farnbacher, Germany; Dirk Mueller, Germany; Ferrari F430 GT (8, GT2), 92.
20. (27) David Murry, Cumming, GA; Andrea Robertson, Ray, MI; David Robertson, Ray, MI; Doran Ford GT-R (9, GT2), 89.
21. (21) Tom Milner, Leesburg, VA; Tom Sutherland, Los Gatos, CA; Panoz Esperante Ford (10, GT2), 87, Accident.
22. (12) Jon Field, Dublin, OH; Clint Field, Dublin, OH; Richard Berry, Evergreen, CO; Lola B06/10 AER (1, P1), 83.
23. (4) Luis Diaz, Mexico; Adrian Fernandez, Mexico; Acura ARX-01B (9, P2), 83.
24. (25) Tim Pappas, Boston, MA; Anthony Lazzaro, Acworth, GA; Doran Ford GT-R (11, GT2), 49, Accident.
25. (24) Marc Basseng, Germany; Nicky Pastorelli, Netherlands; Francisco Pastorelli, Netherlands; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (12, GT2), 38, Mechanical.
26. (8) Lucas Luhr, Germany; Marco Werner, Germany; Audi AG R10/TDI (2, P1), 21, Accident.
27. (23) Paul Drayson, London, UK; Jonny Cocker, UK; Aston Martin Vantage (13, GT2), 1, Accident.
28. (9) Emanuele Pirro, Italy; Marcel Fässler, Switzerland; Audi AG R10/TDI (3, P1), 104, DQ.

[ALMS]
Partial photo credit to Alex Conley

Indeed, on the victory lap, Wilson decided he'd do a victory donut right in front of the Corvette Racing chalet, but humorously stalled it. We missed the stall, but we caught tail end of the resulting drunken tirade from a nameless Castroneves fan as Wilson was pushed to the corner for a start. We have no idea why she was screaming about transvestites and McDonalds — she's probably got a problem with their refusal to discriminate against them, but whatever.

In any case, the sentiment was shared as there were strong boos on the awards stand from the crowd in one of the saddest displays of fan assholery we've seen in a long time. We're fine with the sentiment that it was a questionable call, but Helio had 17 laps to get ahead of Wilson and couldn't manage. Too bad, that's racing. Booing the winner is just bad form.

In any case, here are the full results, and we'd like you to chime in on this controversy: Tell us what you think about the blocking, the penalty, and the fans' reaction.

[IndyCar] Partial photo credit to Alex Conley

Audi factory driver Frank Biela has already been putting the R8 GT3 through its paces. The cars are scheduled to enter production at Hungary's Györ plant, with expected delivery to customers starting some time next year. No word on how many will be built, or what they'll cost, but we're sure it's more than a road-going R8. [via MotorAuthority]

Being a self-proclaimed car nut, she's obsessed with the 1989-93 Fox-body Mustangs, which seems like an appropriately NASCAR choice. Her favorite driver isn't actually her ex, but rather Jimmie Johnson. Ouch. It looks like Elisabetta Gregoraci has some competition in the "motorsports-associated significant others not quite as hot as Ingrid Vandebosch" contest. [FHM Online]

Erik Berkman, president of Honda Performance Development, said:

"(the debate) is over four (cylinders) or six... But both of them include turbos,” Barnhart said... One of them includes twin turbos."

We're assuming that means the decision is between either a twin-turbo four-banger or a single-turbo V6. But who knows? Maybe they're considering a twin-turbo V6. Allegedly, the reason for all the change is to stay relevant with fans and to increase fuel economy. We think Honda is just fishing for some competition. [GreenCarCongress]