Renault goes back to past for new colors (PA SportsTicker)
January 31, 2010
By PAUL LOGOTHETIS AP Auto Racing Writer
VALENCIA, Spain(AP)—Renault brought back its vintage black and yellow colors for its 2010 Formula One car, looking to shake off memories of last season’s crash scandal.
The French team had an awful 2009 that featured poor results on the track and controversy off of it when it emerged that Nelson Piquet Jr. was ordered to crash his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to help his teammate win.
“We really wanted to come back to something that was essential – that’s racing,” team owner Gerard Lopez said Sunday. “We insisted on it looking this way: back to history. That’s a very positive message we’re sending out.”
New drivers Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov – the first Russian driver to enter the sport – unveiled the R-30 car at the Cheste Circuit with a return to the distinctive look that graced its cars between 1977-1985.
“Today we clearly showed that we’ve turned a page,” said new team principal Eric Boullier, who replaced Flavio Briatore after the crash scandal. “There is a lot of work, the challenge is high. The objectives are to be fighting at the top, hopefully on the podium.”
Kubica, who arrives from BMW Sauber, will be expected to take on the brunt of the work in terms of helping develop the R30 as the Polish driver goes into his fourth full season.
“I hope they will give me a quick prospective to fight at the top – not a long one,” said Kubica, who had a disappointing season last year in a noncompetitive car with BMW Sauber. “It might take time, I don’t know how long it will take. You can never be 100 percent sure you will achieve what you are targeting.”
Renault’s suddenly all-Eastern European lineup is part of a plan to tap into the Russian market as it looks for sponsors after losing both ING and Mutua Madrilena following last season’s scandal.
“Now I think (Russians) will see us in Formula One and it will change things,” said Petrov, who finished runner-up in feeder series GP2 last year.
The team also has its sights on Asia after picking Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung to be its third driver. Belgium’s Jerome d’Ambrosio and Jan Charez of the Czech Republic were selected as reserves.
Lopez said the vintage look could change if the team finds a title sponsor. At the moment, 83 percent of its budget for the season has been secured.
“Money isn’t everything. The team is well-placed,” said Kubica, who replaced Fernando Alonso. “I think we have comfort that we have enough money to do our job. Teams that are winning don’t always have the highest budget.”
Sauber unveils F1 car for 2010 season (PA SportsTicker)
January 31, 2010
By PAUL LOGOTHETIS AP Auto Racing Writer
VALENCIA, Spain(AP)—Drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Pedro De la Rosa unveiled Sauber’s 2010 Formula One car Sunday, with the team confident of being competitive despite its late takeover of BMW Sauber.
Team principal Peter Sauber said he would have preferred not to have returned to F1 in such a prominent role but was left no choice in November but to buy back the team he started and had then sold to BMW.
“The feeling was very bad,” Sauber said from Valencia’s Cheste Circuit. “I was absolutely sure I would never stay in Formula One. I don’t have any problems with Formula One … but I preferred to stay like I was doing the last four years.”
Despite losing 140 BMW employees and having the budget cut by 40 percent, Sauber said the team’s finances are in order and the focus is now on performance to attract further investment. The lateness of the takeover left little time to covet sponsors, Sauber said.
Even though the Swiss team remains without a reserve driver, Sauber said Nick Heidfeld had to go because the team needed a “fresh start.”
Sauber is confident about the team at least matching BMW Sauber’s performance last year, when it finished a disappointing sixth. The team will still be called BMW Sauber since that was the registered name when the buyout occurred.
“The critical thing is how we develop the car,” De la Rosa said.
The changes to the new C-29 car coupled with the ban on refueling – cars will carry at least 353 pounds more weight – make it nearly impossible to know if the team’s hopes of fighting for points at every race are realistic until it gets on track.
“You never know how good the car is until you make it to first qualifying in Bahrain,” De La Rosa said. “It’s the typical answer but it is the truth. Testing will be very, very critical this year.”
How the tires respond to the changes will be one of the trickiest issues, and Sauber brought in De La Rosa just for this type of insight. The 38-year-old Spaniard spent the past seven years at McLaren as a test driver, renowned for “discovering the problems.”
“With the new regulations, there’s no point in being a test driver anymore,” De la Rosa said about the ban on in-season testing. “It was very clear to me from the beginning that I had to go back to racing or I would never get back to racing. It’s what I was born to do.”
If De la Rosa brings speed and experience, then Kobayashi showed as Timo Glock’s fill-in at Toyota at the end of last season that is he also quick and aggressive. Signing for Sauner meant he didn’t have to go back to Tokyo to work in his father’s sushi restaurant.
“I don’t want to change,” Kobayashi said. “Twelve years after starting in karting and I’m in Formula One – it’s amazing,” the 23-year-old Kobayashi said. “It’s important to score points and I believe we can do that.”
In 24 Hours, Action Express Racing a quick winner
January 31, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP)—Joao Barbosa powered Action Express Racing to the24 Hours of Daytona title Sunday, finishing an improbable victory in theorganization’s first appearance in the sports car endurance race.
The newly formed team avoided major mechanical problems and benefited from alate blunder by star-studded Chip Ganassi Racing to win by 50 seconds. No othercar was within four laps of the winner.
Ganassi’s Justin Wilson was leading before he made an ill-advised stop intothe garage late, believing something was wrong with the No. 01 BMW Riley. Thecrew didn’t find anything, and the difference was too much for teammate ScottPruett to make up in the final two hours.
The group that has dominated the race recently could only watch as it lostto a team with few sponsors that, weeks ago, didn’t exist.
“What can I say? I’m out of words,” Barbosa said. “The teammates, thecrew, they did a great job. Action Express rocks and it’s going to keep goingthrough the year.”
The group was formed in the offseason after Brumos Racing cut back to aone-car team. That prompted longtime Brumos affiliate Bob Johnson to assembleAction Express Racing, bringing some crew and drivers over.
“This is amazing,” Johnson said minutes before the finish. “I can’t evenbegin to describe it.”
The move paid off quicker than anyone expected.
Barbosa, Ryan Dalziel, Terry Borcheller and Mike Rockenfeller deftly guidedthe No. 9 Porsche Riley through a rain-soaked start Saturday that causedcautions and spin outs for much of the field. They avoided accidents and poorpit stops that pushed so many others behind, and they didn’t succumb to thepressure in the final hours.
“I think as a new team to come here, I think it’s a huge accomplishment toour crew,” Dalziel said. “A lot of these guys only came together at the startof January.”
Ganassi had three straight wins in the prestigious endurance race untilfinishing second the last two years. The biggest blow it took in this one wasself-inflicted.
Wilson pulled the car into the garage with about three hours remaining afterhe said he heard a popping noise. Crew members scurried to find a problem,losing the lead and falling behind by a lap.
“I heard a loud clank and the car kind of whacked,” Wilson said. “Ithought I’d blown a front tire or something like that, and being so close to thegarage, I figured I’d pull it in.”
That was the second disappointment of the race for the favored Ganassi team.
Ganassi’s No. 02 car retired in the early morning hours because of enginefailure. Drivers Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and JamieMcMurray had led a combined 139 of the opening 247 laps.
Then suddenly, stunningly, they were out.
“I did well at times and I struggled at times,” said McMurray, who lostsome ground before Montoya took the wheel back and the engine failed. “I didn’twant to be the guy who runs the car off and messes it up for everybody else.”
Holding off Ganassi’s made the victory even sweeter for Action ExpressRacing.
To beat the best so fast in a race that’s so long, there was no room formistakes. From weaving through the 3.56-mile road course that encompasses aboutthree-fourths of Daytona International Speedway’s NASCAR track, to fast pitstops and accelerating on the straightaways, Action Express did it better forlonger than anybody.
Playing spoilers was fun, too.
As Dalziel deadpanned moments after passing off the driver’s seat for thefinal time, “Nobody wants to see Ganassi win again. Somebody different needs towin.”
Schumacher returns as F1 testing starts new season (PA SportsTicker)
January 31, 2010
By PAUL LOGOTHETIS AP Auto Racing Writer
VALENCIA, Spain(AP)—The new Formula One campaign gets under way on Monday with the start of preseason testing that will also bring the return of Michael Schumacher at Mercedes GP after three years out of motor racing’s premier sport.
The three-day session at Valencia’s Cheste Circuit will be the first of four in February before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14.
It will offer the first glimpse of F1’s offseason shake-up, with defending champion Jenson Button’s move to McLaren to join 2008 winner Lewis Hamilton one of many driver changes. Also notably, two-time champ Fernando Alonso shifted to Ferrari.
Polish driver Robert Kubica has joined Renault, while Rubens Barrichello left Mercedes to sign for Williams and partner GP2 champion Niko Hulkenberg – but it’s Schumacher’s return that is the most anticipated.
The 41-year-old Schumacher, who hasn’t raced since retiring from Ferrari in 2006, has taken Button’s place at Mercedes. The team also signed fellow German Nico Rosberg from Williams as it embarks on its first campaign in more than 50 years since buying out constructors’ champion Brawn GP.
Schumacher and Rosberg will both drive on the opening day of testing as it begins its chase for the championship.
“That is what we aim for but we have to deliver and that is our job,” Schumacher said in December when his comeback was confirmed. “Honestly, I can’t wait until the 1st of February when we will officially run the car.”
Schumacher won five of his record seven F1 titles at Ferrari – all in a row, from 2000-04 – but former rival Alonso will now be the main man at the Italian team following a disappointing 2009 season for both Ferrari and the Spaniard at Renault.
Monday’s testing will provide a first clue over whether the iconic red car will rebound. It will also provide Felipe Massa with his first official drive since a life-threatening crash in July before the Hungarian GP forced him to sit out the rest of last season.
Of the front-runners, only Red Bull is missing from the first testing session, with Renault and Williams unveiling their new cars on Sunday and Toro Rosso doing so on Monday.
Button won’t get his first spin in a McLaren until Wednesday, a day after Hamilton takes control.
“Testing is going to be very, very important for the start of the year,” Button said.
Some of the changes to the cars from last year include heavier fuel tanks, with refueling banned this season.
The KERS system – introduced to boost overtaking – is gone, while engineers will be able to employ the double diffuser despite it being questioned in court before the start of last season.
Renault’s Petrov becomes 1st Russian driver in F1 (PA SportsTicker)
January 31, 2010
By PAUL LOGOTHETIS AP Auto Racing Writer
VALENCIA, Spain(AP)—Formula One has its first Russian driver with Renault’s announcement that Vitaly Petrov will partner with Robert Kubica.
The announcement came Sunday at Valencia’s Cheste Circuit where the French team was unveiling its 2010 car.
Petrov replaces French driver Romain Grosjean to drive alongside Polish teammate Kubica, who joined from BMW Sauber in place of Fernando Alonso, who left for Ferrari.
The 25-year-old Petrov has been driving in GP2 since 2006 and finished second to Williams driver Nico Hulkenberg in last season’s standings of the F1 feeder series.
Petrov began his racing career in 2003 in Formula Renault.
Only 2 cars on lead lap in 24 Hours of Daytona
January 31, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)—Engine problems gave the 24 Hours of Daytona a twistSunday, with the Chip Ganassi Racing car that dominated the first day fallingout and the organization’s second entry one of two cars on the lead lap morethan 18 hours into the sports car endurance race.
Scott Pruett was guiding Ganassi’s No. 01 BMW Riley about 10 seconds behindMike Rockenfeller of Action Express Racing.
But some of the biggest names were far out of contention come sunrise.
The most startling development came shortly after midnight, when Ganassi’sNo. 02 car had a piston failure in the engine. Drivers Juan Pablo Montoya, DarioFranchitti, Scott Dixon and Jamie McMurray had led a combined 132 of the opening247 laps.
Then suddenly, stunningly, they were out.
Ganassi had three straight wins in the prestigious endurance race untilfinishing second last year in the closest finish in the event’s history. Theorganization might still recapture the top spot this time around.
Just not with the car everybody expected.
Pruett, Max Papis, Justin Wilson and Memo Rojas were powering ahead towardthe lead. But the wear-and-tear of the twice-around-the-clock race offers noguarantees of a strong finish.
A.J. Allmendinger was in the lead to begin the 18th hour until the No. 6Ford Riley punctured a tire after contact with a slower GT class car, losing alap. Ryan Hunter-Reay of NPN Racing was also a lap back, and the rest of thefield was at least five behind the leader.
For others, time to catch up was running out.
Four-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and the Gainsco/Bob StallingsRacing team were off to a fast start after the first day. But they lost aboutseven laps in the 13th hour with engine problems, and remained about seven lapsbehind after 18 hours.
Conditions were much better than the rain-soaked start.
There were 16 cautions, including at the beginning Saturday with rain stillfalling, before the green flag was waved five laps into the race. DaytonaInternational Speedway was slick Saturday and kept the track even cooler overnight.
Overcast and cool Sunday, the limited sun was expected to change the tracktemperature slightly.
But most of the 44-car field that began—that included 29 of the slower GTclass cars—were out of contention. Still, the 3.56-mile road course thatencompasses about three-fourths of the NASCAR oval would get warmer with the sunrising, perhaps giving others more traction and time to catch up.
Logano wins NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown
January 31, 2010
IRWINDALE, California (AP)—Joey Logano raced to his second NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown victory Saturday, holding off 16-year-old Sergio Pena.
Logano, the 19-year-old star preparing for his second Sprint Cup season, also won the 2007 race on the half-mile oval at Toyota Speedway.
Two-time winner Matt Kobyluck was third, followed by Matt DiBenedetto, Andrew Myers, Eric Holmes, David Mayhew, Eddie MacDonald, Paulie Harraka and Steve Park.
Pena, driving for Revolution Racing and Drive For Diversity, edged three teammates Thursday in a race-off for a chance to qualify for the Showdown. He easily did that, earning the pole Friday for the 225-lap race.
Montoya, Ganassi lead early in 24 Hours of Daytona
January 30, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP)—Chip Ganassi Racing was on its way to reclaimingthe 24 Hours of Daytona title, with Juan Pablo Montoya leading more than sixhours into the sports car endurance race on Saturday.
Montoya powered past Lucas Luhr on the outside of the slippery track after arestart on the 169th lap. He deftly guided the No. 02 BMW Riley with clean andcrisp moves on Daytona International Speedway’s infield twists that had beenpelted with rain early, causing cautions and skid outs.
Montoya’s teammates and fellow Indianapolis 500 champions Dario Franchittiand Scott Dixon held the top spot for a combined 91 laps when he regained thetop spot. They considered the early lead a big accomplishment under theconditions.
“The track is quite tricky, especially getting up to speed with coldtires,” Franchitti said. “And then once you do get up to speed, you have to bereally careful because it’s only one lane out there in a lot of parts. But thecar seems pretty quick. I’m quite happy right now.”
There were nine other cars on the lead lap.
Alex Gurney was in second when he handed off to teammate and four-timeNASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson for Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing after aboutthree hours. Johnson kept them in contention, and Jimmy Vasser pushed them inthe lead for three laps before pitting. Vasser was in seventh after six hours.
Even being so close, so early was a big move for the No. 99 car, whichstarted last among the Daytona Prototypes after Johnson crashed the car inpractice and the team missed qualifying. The telemetry wasn’t working for mostof Johnson’s ride—it was later fixed—so he drove conservatively under thelights on the damp track.
“I wasn’t going to wreck the car on my watch,” Johnson said. “I’ve donethat once this week.”
But it was Ganassi making all the noise again.
The organization had three straight wins in the prestigious endurance raceuntil finishing second last year in the closest race in the event’s history.Ganassi drivers weren’t wasting any time coming back this year.
Dixon broke away from the pack with some tight zigging and zagging on thenarrow infield road course. He avoided spinouts—unlike some drivers—when thetrack was still soaked early, and he and his teammates didn’t lose ground on thestraightaways to other Daytona Prototypes as Ganassi did a year ago.
“In my opinion it’s a better car than we had last year, and probably betterthan when we won it in ’08,” Franchitti said. “It’s more competitive.”
Other drivers tested the wet track too early.
There were 10 cautions, including at the start with rain still falling,before the green flag was waved five laps into the race. Ricardo Zonta held abrief lead until he hit a turn too fast, braked too hard trying to recover andspun out into the tire wall like so many others in the back.
“The first three laps were extremely difficult. It was very hard to put thepower down and have any kind of hope to keep the grip,” said actor PatrickDempsey, who had the No. 40 car in the pack of the other GTs. “It was certainlygreat television and fun to watch.”
But there still was plenty of time to catch up.
That alone was enough for the 44-car field—that included 29 of the slowerGT class cars—to keep hope alive. The 3.5-mile (5.7-kilometer) road coursethat encompasses about three-fourths of the NASCAR oval was starting to dry,then a quick shower sprinkled the track again about five hours into the race.
The flat infield course still had a few puddles and was perhaps the mostdifficult to navigate, especially with Daytona Prototypes trying to weave aroundthe GT cars.
“On some of those restarts,” Gurney said, “guys weren’t starting like itwas 24 hours.”
Dixon takes early lead in 24 Hours of Daytona
January 30, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP)—Chip Ganassi Racing was on its way to reclaimingthe 24 Hours of Daytona title, with Scott Dixon in the lead after three hours inthe sports car endurance race on Saturday.
Dixon was ahead by almost a full lap, deftly guiding the No. 02 BMW Riley ona slick Daytona International Speedway that had been pelted with rain, causingcautions and skid outs. Ganassi’s No. 01 car had the top spot two hours into therace with Scott Pruett behind the wheel, but dropped back after a slow pit stop.
Alex Gurney was in second and looking to hand off to teammate and four-timeNASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson for Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing. That was a bigmove for the No. 99 car, which started last among the Daytona Prototypes afterJohnson crashed the car in practice and the team missed qualifying.
“We’re actually in great shape,” Gurney said. “We started last and endedup in second.”
Several others weren’t far behind. But it was Ganassi making all the noiseagain.
Chip Ganassi Racing had three straight wins in the prestigious endurancerace until finishing second last year in the closest race in the event’shistory. It wasn’t taking any chances early.
Dixon broke away from the pack with some tight zigging and zagging on thenarrow infield of the road course. He avoided spinouts—unlike some drivers—when the track was still soaked, and he wasn’t losing ground on thestraightaways to other Daytona Prototypes like Ganassi did a year ago.
Fellow Indianapolis 500 winners Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti, andNASCAR’s Jamie McMurray were getting set to take over for Dixon. While stillearly in the race, the star-studded lineup was only getting stronger as the rainsubsided.
Other drivers tested the track too early.
There were four cautions, including at the start with rain still falling,before the green flag was waved five laps into the race. Ricardo Zonta held abrief lead until he hit a turn too fast, braked too hard trying to recover andspun out into the tire wall like so many others in the back.
“The first three laps were extremely difficult. It was very hard to put thepower down and have any kind of hope to keep the grip,” said actor PatrickDempsey, who had the No. 40 car in the pack of the other GTs. “It was certainlygreat television and fun to watch.”
But there still was plenty of time to catch up.
That alone was enough for the 44-car field—that included 29 of the slowerGT class cars—to keep hope alive. The 3.5-mile (5.7-kilometer) road coursethat encompasses about three-fourths of the NASCAR oval was drying but somewater hadn’t receded.
The flat infield course had a few puddles and was perhaps the most difficultto navigate at the start, especially with Daytona Prototypes trying to weavearound the GT cars.
“On some of those restarts,” Gurney said, “guys weren’t starting like itwas 24 hours.”
24 Hours at Daytona begins under a steady rain
January 30, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP)—A rain-soaked 24 Hours of Daytona is under way.
The first five laps were under caution on a slick Daytona InternationalSpeedway on Saturday before the rain began to subside. The race was thengreen-flagged, but conditions for the annual sports car endurance race wereexpected to be wet for the first few hours of the twice-around-the-clock event.
Max Angelelli was on the pole and Ozz Negri started outside of him on rowone when the race began. Scott Dixon began fourth for a star-studded ChipGanassi Racing team that includes fellow Indianapolis 500 winners Juan PabloMontoya and Dario Franchitti, and NASCAR’s Jamie McMurray.
The 44-car field included 29 of the slower GT class cars competing alongsidethe Daytona Prototypes.
