Alex Tagliani, driver of the #98 BHA Dallara, will have Honda power for the rest of the 2012 IndyCar season. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

2011 Indianapolis 500 winner Brian Herta Autosport will be back on the grid with Honda power for the Indy 500 and the rest of 2012.

Brian Herta Autosport, which broke its lease agreement with Lotus and was without an engine for the Indy 500 and the rest of the season announced Thursday that Honda had agreed to lease the team engines in time for driver Alex Tagliani to take his place in qualifying.  

“We are very proud to be joining our friends at Honda again and renewing our successful partnership from previous IndyCar programs,” said BHA co-owner Steve Newey on the team website “Partnering with Honda makes us even more confident as we head into the month of May, and Team Barracuda—BHA is working hard to help Alex Tagliani put the No. 98 car in Victory Circle again.”

BHA risked having no motor deal, breaking its lease for the underperforming Lotus engine. The new lease is literally a lease on life for the team.

Dempsey Racing might be augmenting its PC car (seen here at Sebring) with its new P2 Lola -Judd coupe at American Le Mans Series Monterey. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

Two new prototypes should be on the starting grid for the American Le Mans Series Monterey at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this Saturday.

Dempsey Racing, which already campaigns a PC Oreca, will debut its P2 Lola-Judd at Saturday’s six-hour endurance race. The team took possession of a brand new B12/80 last weekend and is hurrying to prepare for the race. The team has announced its intent to participate but has not shown up yet on the entry list, so this one is officially up in the air, but the team hasn’t announced any changes of plan from the scheduled debut announced months ago.  

Ian Dawson’s Project Libra is back on the grid after a season away, with its Radical SR-10 powered by a Roush-Yates turbo V6, both chassis and engine making their racing debuts. Libra has been an on-again, off-again participant in ALMS, generally underfunded and undertested, but this time around the team seems to have everything worked out and ready.

Project Libra's Radical Ford will makes its debut at American Le Mans Series Montery this weekend. (Project Libra)

The Radical chassis is a 2012-spec version of the SR-9, and engine builders Roush-Yates have built winning motors for several racing series. Drivers Duarte Felix de Costa, Andrew Prendeville, and Rusty Mitchell have GT and open-wheel experience—only Mitchell has driven a prototype, a PC at Sebring in 2011.

While P2 should be gaining two cars, it is also losing one, just for Laguna Seca. Black Swan apparently decided that the cost of repairing its 2011 bodywork for just one race (its 2012 package will arrive after Laguna Seca) was prohibitive, and this team, which was involved in a nose-breaking collision with the AJR Lotus at Long Beach, should be back for the rest of the season.

P1 is also losing one of the Dyson Lola-Mazdas; the second Dyson car will only run shorter races this season.

In PC Performance Tech will be fielding an Oreca for Anthony Nicolosi and last year’s Lites champion, Ricardo Vera.

With Black Swan sidelined, driver Jeroen Bleekemolen is free to race in the second TRG Porsche at Laguna Seca. WEC Ferrari team owner Tracy Krohn will be sponsoring and co-driving one TRG car for the six-hour race with Mike Hedlund and Nick Tandy; Bleekemolen will be behind the wheel of the second, with Emilio Di Guida and a driver that peripatetic veteran TBA.

NGT will strenghten the GTC grid with a pair of 997 GT3 Cup Porsches. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

NGT Motorsports will also be back with a pair of GTC Porsches, driven by Angel Andres Benitez, Jr. and Sr., and Henrique Cisneros Sean Edwards.

The race will stream live on ESPN3 starting at 1:15 p.m. EDT Saturday, with highlights broadcast on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday.

Scott Dixon's Target-Ganassi Dallara-Honda was fastest at Tuesday's IndyCar test at Texas Motor Speedway. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

Scott Dixon set the fastest time in Tuesday’s IndyCar testing at Texas Motor Speedway, and Honda motors powered the top three cars. Dixon’s Target-Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti finished third, behind Novo Nordisk-Ganassi drive Charlie Kimball.

Penske’s Will Power was the fastest Chevy driver, .235 seconds and 2.004 mph slower per lap. Dixon was the only driver to break 212 mph; Kimball lapped at 211, while the rest did 210 mph or less.

IndyCar had some concerns about racing at TMS, a high-banked 1.5-mile oval identical to Las Vegas Motor Speedway where an accident claimed the life of Dan Wheldon last year. The new Dallara DW12 performed flawlessly.

The new car is running with less downforce and slightly less power than the old car—it turns similar lap times but is harder to drive. “Having the car in a situation where you can take a lot of downforce off, it’s pretty difficult and qualifying could actually be difficult for a change. At Texas, that’s pretty big,” Dixon told indycar.com.

“The cars have a range of options, which I was pleasantly surprised with,” Dixon explained. “Instead of coming here with a 10-degree rear flap that created more pack racing and people didn’t have the options to try to separate themselves and create different strategies or be fast for 20 laps but have to lift later on in the stint, there are options. It will be difficult to drive for a race stint, which I think is good.”

Helio Castroneves, who closed the day trading fast laps with teammate Will Power, told indycar.com, “I see three guys, two guys side by side in the race. It will be exciting, but more on the safe side. The car is much more safe.”

Ryan Briscoe, who helped test aero set-ups at TMI in February and was back for two days in May, felt that the changes were wholly positive.

“We’ll have to really pedal the cars from mid-race on.”

IndyCar hoped the new car’s aero package would end pack racing; apparently it has succeeded.

Toyota Racing driver Hiroaki Ishiura has to skip Le Mans due to a back injury. (toyotahybridracing.com)

Toyota Racing driver Hiroaki Ishiura, slated to co-drive the #8 Toyota TS030 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month, has withdrawn due to a back injury.

During testing, Ishiura experienced pain in his back at high G-loads. Following doctors’ advice, the Japanese Super GT driver decided to withdraw from Le Mans and focus on regaining full fitness for the 2013 season.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to take because racing at Le Mans is my dream, but my physical condition has to be the priority,” said Ishiura on the Toyota Racing website.

“I did not feel I was in the right condition to race an LMP1 car at Le Mans this year but I will focus on recovering as I really want to drive for TOYOTA Racing next year.

“For now I will focus my energy entirely on Super GT and the Nürburgring 24 Hours, whilst supporting TOYOTA Racing from a distance.”

Ishiura was part of the initial TS030 test team; apparently the car didn’t develop enough speed in the initial tests to aggravate Ishiura’s back.

The Super GT driver was scheduled to co-drive with ex-Peugeot pilot Anthony Davis and F1 driver Sébastien Buemi in the #8 Toyota TS030, which will run only at Le Mans and possibly the WEC round at Fuji this season. Toyota racing plans a full-season two-car team for 2013.

The #3 Audi R18 Ultra beat the new e-tron quattro hybrids and every other car on the track to win the WEC Six Hours of Spa. (Florent Gooden/FIAWEC.Com)

The final result of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s second round the Six Hours of Spa, was questionable only as to the precise details; broadly, everyone knew in advance Audi would win.

While the overall outcome was never in question, several issues remained to be resolved. Among them: how far off were the gasoline-powered privateers compared to the factory behemoth’s turbodiesel hybrids; how well would said hybrids run in their first race; would Audi’s drivers get caught up in traffic and left by the roadside waiting for wreckers; and how well would the also-rans run, considering they would be there to take over if Audi miscalculated?

The race was all Audi, all the way; there were no major miscalculations this time. Audi held the top four positions from the first practice session until the podium ceremonies were over.

André Lotterer in the #1 e-tron quattro passed Mark Bonanomi at the start and then Tom Kristensen for the lead on lap three. The #1 car led until Lôic Duval took the lead on lap 63; the #3 car led for the remaining three-and-a-half hours.

“We had a perfect race. My team-mates and our squad showed a brilliant performance. Our strategy was right on the mark and our fuel consumption was low. That paid off. That way, we increased our advantage,” said Romain Dumas, who drove the last stint in the #3 Audi. “The tires were very good, that’s why I opted not to change tires in the end. That was another reason for our success.”

“Today, we experienced a surprise,” said Lôic Duval in the same Audi press release. “This was only my second race with Audi and already my first victory. As always, there wasn’t a single problem when I’m sitting in an Audi.

“The conditions were very difficult in the beginning but the car was fantastic. We had no problems whatsoever. It’s a nice result for Audi to finish on positions one, two, three and four. I’m very happy to be on the very top of the podium.”

For Mark Bonanomi and Oliver Jarvis, this was their Audi endurance-racing debut.

“It was really a great race. This was my first one in an Audi sports prototype, so I can’t expect any more than this,” said Bonanomi. “Yesterday, we were second in qualifying and today we finished in third place. The pit crew did tremendous stops. Unfortunately, we struck by misfortune during the first safety car period and lost one lap at the red lights at the end of the pit lane.”

Oliver Jarvis was equally happy. “A great day. The most important thing was to not make any mistakes and to complete as many kilometers as possible. We may be inexperienced but the pace was there. Now the wish remains to finish on the podium at Le Mans as well—maybe we’ll even move up a bit more.”

Kristensen, Allan McNish, and Dindo Caprello lost time due to a tires top and stop-and-go penalty with siz laps remaining—apparently the team was worried about rear tire wear, and opted to play it safe. The stop alone might not have hurt so much, but adding the penalty—in effect, another entire pit stop—dropped the car to fourth.

Next: Racing, The New Contact Sport

The Audi e-tron quattro hybrids were excellent in the wet, but understeered in the dry. (Florent Gooden/FIAWEC.com)

Audi won the race, swept the podium, and won the Michelin Green-X Challenge—basically everything the team was eligible to win, it won. (Audi Motorsport)

In a result absolutely unsurprising to anyone, Audi took the top four spots at the World Endurance Championship Six Hours of Spa. The only part of the outcome even slightly surprising was that the winning car was not a hybrid.

Audi’s new R18 e-tron quattro hybrids ruled the race in the first half hour, when the track was wet, but with the switch to slicks came a switch in domination, and the R18 Ultras proved quickest.  

A few penalties and a few punctures shook up the finishing order; after six hours the #3 Audi Ultra of Romain Dumas, Lôic Duval and Marc Gené was 47 seconds ahead of the e-tron quattro of Marcel Fässler, Benôit Tréluyer, and André Lotterer. A lap back came the Ultra of Oliver jarvisd and Mark Bonanomi, followed after a minute-and-a-quarter by the remaining hybrid Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen, and Dindo Capello.

Audi’s nearest competitor was four laps behind.

Audi’s drivers probably could have pushed harder if someone had been chasing, but it isn’t likely they held back much, because Spa, for Audi wasn’t about championship points—Audi is going to win the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, that’s a given—and it wasn’t about race wins. For Audi the point or racing at Spa was to get good competition-conditions data to help the team win at Le Mans. If Audi only raced once more all season, and that race was a winning effort in the 24 Hours, the team would be ensured corporate financing for a couple of seasons to come.

Audi learned some important things: for instance, that they way the cars are currently set up, the hybrids system is a boon in the wet and a drawback in the dry, causing understeer—both Allan McNish and Dindo Capello (veteran Audi pilots) went off at the same corner in the same way—simple loss of front-end grip

Audi also learned that both new versions have possible issues with tire wear, particularly right rear. Three of the four Audis came in for fresh rubber in the final half-hour—the #1 Audi with a puncture, #2 and #4 for fresh rubber. Audi engineers were paying great attention to tire temps on the removed rubber—rear tire wear might be an issue with the new cars.

The #3 Audi R18 Ultra of Romain Dumas, Lôic Duval and Marc Gené won the Six Hours of Spa. (Audi Motorsport)

The e-tron quattro hybrid, with part-time all-wheel-drive, was quickest in the wet but understeered in the dry. (Audi Motorsport)

One thing must be said in Audi’s favor—they let the fastest car win. Undoubtedly the corporate overlords would have preferred a hybrid victory to fuel the promotional machine, but when it was clear that on a dry track the standard R18 Ultras were faster, Audi let an Ultra win over an e-tron quattro.

Spa was in many ways a microcosm of Le Mans. The fastest P1 class was dominated by turbodiesels, as it likely will be at Le Mans.There were intense battles back in the pack, among gas-powered P1s, P2s and GT cars, much like Le Mans is sure to offer. And as will likely happen at Le Mans, the team with the biggest budget and most experience, building a car to take full advantage of all the latest rules, performed the best. Audi triumphed unchallenged, as it is likely to do at Le Mans.

And the race was very much worth watching or attending, offering fast cars in a beautiful setting, much as will be the case at Le Mans.

The overall outcome may have been pretty clear from the start, but the process was totally worthwhile. Get your tickets for Le Mans.

On a dry track the Audi R18 Ultra was quicker than its hybrid counterpart. (Audi Motorsport)

Allan McNish set the fastest lap in the #2 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro, leading an all-Audi first two rows for the Six Hours of Spa. (Audi Motorsports)

Unsurprisingly, Audi’s R18 hybrids and Ultras qualified 1–4 for the World Endurance Championship’s second round, the Six Hours of Spa.

The turbodiesel Audis, two with electric assist, are by far the best-budgeted cars on the grid. Even if the rules id not favor diesels and hybrids, Audi would likely lead the fields through sheer spending; a factory effort can do so much more testing and development, employ so many more engineers and fabricators, and rent track time at will, where private efforts simply cannot.

This takes nothing away from Audi’s efforts. The four cars, all brand new to competition, ran flawlessly in every practice and qualifying session. Audi did its homework: the factory brought the best designs, tested and tweaked them to near perfection, put the best drivers behind the wheels and the best crews in the pits. Audi is reaping the benefits of hard work; they have earned their place at the front.

In past events Audi has sometimes beat itself. Unforeseen issues not revealed in non-competition testing (pick-up in the intercooler vents, overheating brakes;) over-enthusiastic driving leading to collisions; less than Audi-like strategy and pit work have occasionally slowed the Ingolstadt train.

Last year, of course, the Peugeots were just faster. Audi lost everything except Le Mans because Peugeot out-Audied Audi—preparation, execution, engineering, reliability all favored the French team by a small margin. The Peugeot chassis was kinder to tires, quicker in top end—the car worked better, and the crews backed it up.

This year Toyota is entering the arena, but realistically the Japanese team won’t be a credible threat until 2013. Toyota never budgeted for a full-scale campaign in 2012, and crashes in testing have set them back even further. 2012 is Audi’s year to run rampant through WEC’s LMP1 class. All the action will be among the also-rans.

Allan McNish in the #2 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro led the field with a lap of 2.01.579 at 207.4 kph, followed by Marco Bonanomi’s #4 R18 Ultra, Marcel Fässler’s #1 e-tron quattro, and Loïc Duval’s #3 R18 Ultra. The Audis achieved total domination with only two fast laps each.

The car closest to the Audis, the #12 Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota, was 2.655 seconds off the pace of the leading Audi, and 1.529 behind the slowest, with a lap of 2:04.234 at 203 kph.

Marcel Fässler qualified the #1 e-tron Quattro third. (Audi Motorsports)

McNish was pleased with the situation. “Qualifying felt absolutely thrilling,” he said in an Audi press release. “Our R18 e-tron quattro is making its debut, which is a very special moment for us drivers. Something like this happens only in the case of technological leaps like the introduction of the TDI engine six years ago or the e-tron quattro now, which is the next milestone.

“It’s great that Dindo, Tom [co-drivers Dindo Capello and Tom Kristensen] and I are all the way at the front of the grid. The engineers gave us a strong, nicely balanced car in which I drove two good laps.”

“This is my first race in a prototype, so it’s great to be able to start from the front row,” said Marco Bonanomi.

Results in P2 were a bit surprising. The brand new ADR-Delta squad scored class pole as John Martin got the team’s #25 Oreca 03 Nissan around in 2:09.302 at 1195 kph, only four-hundredths faster than another surprise, the #32 Lotus (which is really a Lola-Judd) which was itself three-tenths faster than Jota’s Zytek-Nissan.

“Very pleased. We’re a brand new team so this is an amazing result to come to Spa as a new team and put it on pole,”John Martin told fiawec.com. “The ADR-Delta boys have done an amazing job this week and pole at Spa doesn’t really get much better than that and I’m really looking forward to the race tomorrow.

“For qualifying we took a bit of aero off to try and make us a bit quicker on the straights and make Eau Rouge a bit more exciting.”

Class stalwarts Signatech, Pecom, Greaves, Boutsen Ginion and Gulf Racing were all well down the order. It is hard to imagine these teams won’t find some speed for the race, and hard to imagine the newer teams will show the same reliability. P2 will be a very interesting class to watch.

Ferrari locked out the front row in GTE-Pro, with the #59 Luxury racing 458 Italia edging AF Corse’s #51 car by .373 seconds. The Aston Martin racing Vantage took third in class with a lap of 2:20.227, only eight-hundredths behind the AF Corse Ferrari.

Luxury Racing driver Frederic Makowiecki told fiawec.com, “AF Corse is the reference of the GTE Pro category and it is really good for us to be competitive here and at Sebring. To do a pole position is good for us as we have worked really hard to be consistent and that is why I am confident for the race tomorrow.”

Ferrari took two out of three in GTE-Am as well, but it was the second two as Nicolas Armindo’s  #67 IMSA Matmut Porsche scored the class pole by .335 seconds over the #81 AF Corse and #58 Luxury Racing Italias.

“We are hoping for rain tomorrow because for the car it is very good with the rear engine and for myself, I am very confident in the wet,” Armindo told fiawec.com. “It will be a long race, six hours, and you can make many mistakes in that time in the wet on this track. The most important thing for us is for myself, my teammates and the team to learn the most for Le Mans.”

For those who can make the trip to Belgium for the weekend, tickets can be purchased online through the Spa-Francorchamps website.

In the U.S. the race might be available live on Audi-TV starting at 8:15 a.m. EDT. It might be available through various other Internet sources as well, possibly the FIA_WEC feed, depending on the viewer’s locale. Visit Le Mans.org for more information.

Romain Grosjean of Lotus was quickest in Day Three of Formula One testing at the Mugello Circuit. (Andrew Hone/Getty Images)

Romain Grosjean’s Lotus topped the timesheets at the final day of Formula One testing at Italy’s Mugello circuit, lapping two-tenths faster than Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was a surprising third; possibly La Scuderia has found some answers

Grosjean was fastest Wednesday as well.

Lotus only ran 66 laps; they changed the E-20’s suspension three times throughout the two sessions, and made some aero changes as well.

“We also trialed some aerodynamic parts which had already been looked at over the last two days to confirm the findings we had attained previously which produced some promising results,” said race engineer Simon Rennie on the Lotus website. “We had another long intermission while a third variation of the suspension was fitted, which again looked positive. It’s been an extremely useful session with a lot of quality mileage preferred to a huge quantity.”

Grosjean finished third in the Bahrain Grand Prix. After being fastest in testing two days in a row he and the team are surely eager for the next race, the Spanish Grand Prix on May 13.

The #1 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro was quickest in Thursday’s second practice session. (audi-motorsport.info)

The second round of the World Endurance Championship, the Six Hours of Spa, starts Sunday, and the winner is—Audi, by half-a-million euros. Audi, with its corporate budget, top-rank drivers, fleet of four brand-new cars built to take advantage of rules favoring diesels and hybrids, has practically won the race before qualifying.

With Peugeot out of endurance racing and Toyota at Spa for a photo shoot only (still recovering from a tub-destroying testing crash,) the four Audis will likely sweep the podium. There is perhaps a one-in-a-trillion chance all four Audis will break/crash/forget to show up/get kidnapped by aliens—but here in reality, the podium belongs to Audi.

Audi is bringing four never-raced cars, which some might think would give the opposition some hope. Well, think what you want; Audi’s rigorous testing schedule virtually ensures that the cars will be able to last six hours. Yes. Audi has had some unpleasant surprises at races when problems arose that didn’t show up in testing—but this time, there is no Peugeot team snapping at their heels if Audi misses a beat.

The next-fastest cars on the track are likely to be the rebodied Rebellions, perhaps the Straka or JRM Hondas—gasoline-powered all, and likely, judging from their performances at Sebring in March, far enough off the pace that Audi will have time to fix anything that breaks and still control the front of the fields.

Dome is bringing its updated S102.5, but this is a mostly untested car designed to run fast, not to last, according to the team.

In the first free practice session, the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro hybrids set first and third fastest times, with the R18 Ultras second and fourth—what a surprise. The #13 Rebellion Lola-Toyota was fifth—nearly two-and-a-half-seconds off the pace. The Dome managed seventh, 2.86 seconds slower than the Audis.

In the second practice session it was hybrids leading diesels leading everyone else. Rebellion again ran second, this time 3.23 seconds arears.

[Editor's Note: the #30 Status GP P2 Lola B12/80 Judd crashed in the final minutes of practice and will not make the race.]

Sunday’s Six Hours of Spa should still be an exciting race—just waiting to see if one of the Audis breaks or gets taken out in traffic will add some tension, and throughout the rest of the field there should be some excellent racing. P1-bis, the gasoline portion, should be very competitive, P2 is packed with quality entries, GTE-Pro offers a Porsche-Ferrari-Aston Martin battle, and GTE-Am a Porsche-Ferrari fight with a couple Corvettes added in.

For those who can make the trip to Belgium for the weekend, tickets can be purchased online through the Spa-Francorchamps website.

In the U.S. the race might be available live on Audi-TV starting at 8:15 a.m. EDT. It might be available through various other Internet sources as well, possibly the FIA_WEC feed, depending on the viewer’s locale. Visit Le Mans.org for more information.

The No. 77 Doran Racing Dallara Ford of Paul Tracy, Jim Lowe, Brian and Burt Frisselle, finished seventh in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway on January 29. (John Harrelson/Getty Images)

After successfully finishing seventh in the Grand Am Rolex 24 at Daytona, IndyCar star Paul Tracy has signed up for three more Rolex races with Kevin Doran’s Doran Racing team.

Tracy will drive at the series’ next event the Global Barter 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park on May 13, as well as the final two races of the North American Endurance Championship: Sahlen’s Six Hours at Watkins Glenn on July 1 and the inaugural “Super Weekend at the Brickyard” on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on July 27.

“I’m really excited to get back behind the wheel with Doran,” said Tracy in a team press release “We had a good run at the 24 hours at Daytona and the team has had a chance to prepare for the upcoming races. I’m pleased to get back together with Jim [co-driver Dr. Jim Lowe] for his hometown race at New Jersey. I’m looking forward to a great weekend with Jim and Kevin and the rest of the Doran crew.”

The New Jersey Motorsports Park course, called Thunderbolt Raceway, is a new one to Tracy, probably one of very few he has never raced on in his multi-decade career. His co-driver says the track is challenging.

“This is a track I have not yet driven, so I’m eager to learn the course on Thursday during the opening practice session,” Tracy said.  

Tickets for the Global Barter 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park on May 13 are available through the NJMP website.

Romain Grosjean set Wednesday’s fastest time during Formula One Testing at the Mugello Circuit, tied by Kamui Kobayashi in the closing minutes. (Andrew Hone/Getty Images)

After two days of Formula One test at Italy’s Mugello circuit, teams are finally getting a chance to work on improvements.

The first day was interrupted by frequent rain showers and frequent red flags; teams couldn’t compare laps because track conditions would change each time around.

“It’s a shame about the rain, which complicated the running of this first day of testing,” Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso told Formula1.com. “We had a pretty busy work program, but we only managed to get through a part of it.”

Day Two was dry and sunny, letting the teams get on with their test schedules. Romain Grosjean turned in the fastest time on the day in his Lotus E20, only to be tied by Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber in the closing seconds.

The two Red Bulls ran third and fourth.

Thursday will be the final day of testing at Mugello. The teams will prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix on May 13.

MSR Indy has to release driver Jay Howard as it seems the team will not find an engine supplier in time for the May 27 Indy 500. (Michael Shank Racing)

Michael Shank Racing has a car to enter in the 2012 Indianapolis 500 race, but no engine in the car, and now, no driver.

IndyCar driver Jay Howard had contracted to drive for MSR, but with no engine contract in the offing, he has been released to seek a ride with other teams.

“We are working every possible opportunity to make this happen and continue to hold our entry for the Indianapolis 500,” said team owner Michael Shank in a press statement. “But at this point, we’ve not made the progress that we need to in terms of having our package finalized and having an agreement with a motor manufacturer.

“I know firsthand how hard it is to have the opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500, and the last thing in the world I want to do is to hold Jay back from getting the chance to do that.”

Michael Shank Racing announced its intent to contest the 2012 IndyCar season at the 2011 season finale in Las Vegas. The team purchased a new Dallara DW12 chassis in mid-January, and put together a sponsorship package.

However, with Chevrolet and Honda determined to produce only a limited number of engines and Lotus unable to produce enough engines for the teams it had signed, MSR got left out.

MSR will continue to seek an engine supplier for the May 27 race.

“This is what I do, and there isn’t an ounce of give up in me,” said Shank of his IndyCar ambitions. “But we also have to be realistic about the calendar and what it takes to properly prepare for a race like the Indianapolis 500. I’m not done trying to make something happen, but I don’t want to keep Jay from realizing his dream, either.

MSR Indy is a partnership between Michael Shank, AJ Allmendinger, and Ohio businessman Brian Bailey; it is a separate entity from Shank’s successful Grand Am Rolex team.

The new Libra Radical's Ford-based 3.2-liter Roush Yates turbocharged V6 has yet to run in competition. (Blackngold.com)

While not yet on the official entry list, Ian Dawson’s Project Libra Racing has announced that it will debut its P2 SR-10 Radical powered by a 3.2-liter Roush Yates turbocharged V6 at the Monterey round of the American Le Mans Series at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 12.

“After four days of testing covering 2,000 miles of trouble-free running following a joint development program with Roush Yates, I am happy to be going racing,” Dawson told Speed.com.

The team had originally announced a Sebring debut with a second car to be entered at Laguna Seca, but was delayed. Speed.com reports that Andrew Prendeville and Rusty Mitchell, plus a third as yet unnamed driver, will be behind the wheel for this six-hour event.

Andrew Prendeville told Speed.com, “The Radical has a significantly updated aero package, and although this is the first time this engine will be running in competition it was strong and put out a lot of power at our tests. It’s quicker than anything we’ve had in the car yet.”

The American Le Mans Monterey Presented by Patrón starts at 4:15 p.m. EDT (1:15 local time) on May 12. Tickets are available through the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway website.

The race will be streamed live on ESPN3 stating at 4:15 pm EDT on ESPN 3, and highlights will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. EDT on ESPN2.

Qualifying will be streamed on ESPN3 at 7:40 pm EDT on May 11.

Rebellion braced its 2011-spec Lolas at Sebring, the first round of the World Endurance Championship. The team will have two new cars for Spa. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

Rebellion won the 2011 Le Mans Series LMP1 title. Stepping up to WEC for 2012, Rebellion will have to beat Audi—and later, Toyota—for a place on the podium. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

Rebellion Racing is bringing two new Lola B12/60s to the second round of the World Endurance Championship, the Six Hours of Spa.

After testing at Valencia for two days, the team is ready to bring its Lola-Toyotas, with revised bodywork offering lower weight and improved aerodynamic efficiency, plus better breathing for the motor.

Drivers will be Neel Jani, Nicolas Prost, and Nick Heidfeld in the #12 car and Andrea Bellichi and Harold Primat on the #13.

“We are very eager to see how our cars behave with new aerodynamic and technical developments,” said team manger Bart Hayden on the LeMans.org website. “We are confident because of the significant progress we have made with the development carried out in Valencia.

“The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is always a challenge. It is a real pleasure to run there. It is technical and demanding, and drivers love it.

Audi brought its 2011-spec R18s to Sebring. Audi will have four cars at Spa, two R18 Ultra diesels and two R18 Ultra Hybrids—all making their competition debuts. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

“We want a good result in the race to earn the maximum championship points … ideally in amongst the factory Audi diesels and diesel-hybrids.

With Peugeot having withdrawn from endurance racing and Toyota postponing its debut until the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rebellion, the 2011 Le Mans Series P1 champions, are perfectly situated to challenge Audi for podium position

The Six hours of Spa starts at 8:15 a.m. EDT (2:15 local time) on May 5.

Tristan Nunez has three wins, three speed records, and leads the IMSA Prototypes Lites championship—at age 16. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

Tristan Nunez continued his domination of the IMSA Prototypes Lites series with a pole, a win, and a new track record at the series’ third and fourth rounds at Miller Motorsport Park Sunday. He would have swept the weekend save for a mechanical failure.

Nunez had never raced at the Toole, Utah facility but said before the race he thought the high-speed, high-downforce track would suit his abilities. He proved to be right. He led 12 of 15 laps of the first race before being sidelined by engine failure, setting a new track race lap record, and won the second race by nearly half-a-minute after leading every lap.

This gives the 16-year-old South Florida phenomenon a record of three wins in four races with one DNF for his first full season in IMSA Lites.  

Nunez qualified on the pole for the first race and was leading by 13 seconds when Lamont Harris in the #65 Acadia Racing car spun off track. While lapping under caution, the engine of Nunez’s #16 Performance Tech Elan stalled and wouldn’t restart.

“It seems that in low RPMs the engine would just shut off,” Nunez said in a press statement. “We tried to get it fired back up again, but it just wouldn’t catch. It’s okay though, because we proved to the field we had a car that could win; we broke the track record.”

The second race gave Performance Tech’s teenage star a chance to make up for the first, and he used it to the fullest. Nunez started from the pole and simply drove away from the field, gaining five seconds on the first lap and adding to his lead with every circuit. His car ran perfectly—there were no cautions, luckily—and he took the checkered flag unchallenged.

“Words can’t describe how happy I am over this finish, especially given this morning’s results and the fact that I have never been to this track before,” Nunez told Prototypelites.com. “Performance Tech gave me one hell of a car and I think we showed that during the race. Now I am just excited and looking forward to the next race.”

Lites will qualify on Thursday and race on Friday and Saturday. Also at Laguna Seca that weekend are the American Le mans Series and the IMSA GT3 Cup series. Tickets are available through the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway website.

Will Power celebrates at the podium with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 trophy. (Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images)

Penske’s Will Power won his third race of 2012 and his third Sao Paulo 300 Sunday, stretching his points lead and raising the question, will this be the year when he finally wins the IndyCar championship?

“Very happy to get that third win here and third in a row. We need to make it four in a row at the most important race next,” Power said after the race, referring to the upcoming Indianapolis 500.

Power dominated in his first year with Penske, but some strategy and pit errors cost him the championship. In his second year, he won the most races, but his bad finishes pulled him down. He might have won the championship had he won the final race, but that race was cut short by the death of Dan Wheldon.

As for winning the championship this year, he told the post-race press conference that he and Team Penske aren’t really thinking about it.

“We’ve had some great starts to the season the last two years and fell short both times. So keep the head down, just try to enjoy it, enjoy my race.

“After Vegas last year, I’ve really changed my outlook on things. I try to just enjoy each race, and you know, just have fun with it rather than be so intense about it.”

Power came to Brazil knowing how to win in the wet or dry on the 2.536-mile, 11-turn course laid out on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Sunday’s race stayed dry, thought there was some moisture in the first corner at the start of the race. Regardless, the start was clean, and Power led 65 of the 75 laps of the race. He didn’t drive away from the field, but he was quick enough that no one ever had a shot at passing him.

Ryan Hunter-Reay finished second; he did his best to make Power’s race difficult, but even on Hunter-Reay’s best opportunity, the final restart with five laps to go, he could pull alongside Power but couldn’t get by.

That restart was the key to the race, power said. “Ryan [Hunter-Reay] got a really good jump. I knew I just had to go like you wouldn’t believe through the first complex of corners because I knew he could get a run on me. Ryan is one of the hardest guys you will ever race; he never gives up.”

Will Power drives the #12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet during the Sao Paulo Indy 300 with Ryan Hunter-Reay in hot pursuit. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

“I was certainly going hard, giving Will Power every bit of fight that I had in me going into turn one,” Hunter-Reay explained. “I tried to get him around the outside, but everything was clean. We all raced clean, and it was a good race. It was a lot of fun, but we came up just a little bit short. We’re happy to take the points, though.”

Takuma Satto, who would have finished third at Long Beach had Ryan hunter-Reay not punted him on the final lap, got his first IndyCar podium finish at Sao Paulo with a very aggressive two-car pass on the second-to-last restart.

“I’m very excited to be here because we had a few problems in the start of the season,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve seen a checkered flag, The first time this season, and to be in third place is fantastic.”

After clean restarts at the season’s first three races, IndyCar drivers reverted to their old ways, making hash of three of the five double-file restarts. In defense of the drivers, Turn One at Sao Paulo is very narrow and the slightest error can lead to an accordion.

Hyperaggression is also part of the problem; even though Sao Paulo offers ample passing zones, some drivers could not resist making bold moves. Some, as with Sato’s paid off. Most lead to collisions, and once an eight-car pileup.

Next Up: The Indianapolis 500

IndyCar heads to the Brickyard next: the biggest race on the schedule, the Greatest Spectacle in Motor Racing, the series’ centerpiece—the Indianapolis 500. Helio Castroneves wants to join the ranks of four-time winners; Dario Franchitti wants his first win of 2012 to be his third Indy 500 win. Tony Kanaan wants to win his first, and Will Power wants the same.

This will be the first oval race of the season and the first with the new Dallara DW-12. Many teams will be scrambling to find the right set-up both for qualifying and for race day.

Practice for the Indy 500 starts Sunday, May 13; tickets for these sessions (a steal at $10) are available online from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website. Qualifying begins Saturday, May 19, with Bump Day Sunday the 20th. Tickets are $15 for each day.

Thursday the Firestone Indy Lights cars practice and qualify—admission is free.

Saturday May 26 offers autograph sessions, vintage racing, and a drivers’ meeting (open to the public) all for $10.

Sunday, May 27 is the big day: the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, an event even casual fans will want to attend at least once in a lifetime. Tickets start at just $30, again available online through the Speedway website.

The No. 10 SunTrust Dallara-Corvette kicks up a wave as it passes through puddles on Homestead-Miami Speedway during the Rolex Grand Prix of Miami. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—It didn’t rain steadily throughout the entire Grand Am Rolex Grand Prix of Miami—sometimes it rained very hard. The track was so wet the race had to start under yellow, and soaked when the green flag waved and got wetter with every passing minute. After two hours, the last 37 minutes run under caution, Grand Am officials had to call the race.

The race win went to the series’ odd couple—45-year-old veteran Max Angelelli and 21-year-old rising star Ricky Taylor, driving the #10 SunTrust Dallara-Corvette. Angelelli started ninth and worked his way up to third before handing off to Taylor, who inherited the lead when the second-place car rammed the leader. Taylor dodged the spinning cars and stayed in the lead until the race was stopped.

“Every year we come here, we’re not really looking forward to it because our car doesn’t normally suit this track,” Taylor told the post-race press conference. “Our guys did a great job. Even in the dry we had a winning car.

“I was hoping Max wouldn’t do such a good job so I could get in the car without a lot of pressure and start in the middle of the pack but he did an unbelievable job as always, getting up to third,” Taylor joked. “All I had to do pretty much was avoid the crash in Turn Two and then not crash myself.”

The rain didn’t prevent a full race’s worth of competition. Despite the difficult conditions, the drivers were there to race and they went all out between the frequent caution periods caused by storm cells blowing through.

Enzo Potolicchio in the #8 Starworks Riley Ford started from the pole by dint of having the most championship points, since qualifying was cancelled due to rain. Richard Westbrook in the #90 Spirit of Daytona Coyote Corvette pressed Potolicchio from the green flag, finally pushing past on lap ten.

Potolicchio kept hard after Westbrook, and on lap 28 tried too hard, nudging the SDR Coyote off the track in Turn Two. Ricky Taylor in the #10 SunTrust Dallara-Corvette swept past the two spinning cars to seize the lead. Potoloicchio overtook Taylor on the next lap, but the Starworks driver was handed a stop-and-hold penalty for punting Westbrook. This gave the race lead back to Taylor.

Eight drivers spun off the track in the next ten minutes as the rain intensified and ponds and rivers formed on the course. At 2:23 p.m., after 45 minutes of racing and 30 minutes of caution, the yellow flag waved for the final time.

The final irony? Half an hour after the race ended, the rain stopped and the sun came out for the first time all weekend.

The Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series heads northeast for its next race, the Global Barter 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park on May 13. Tickets are available through the New Jersey Motorsports Park website.

Scott Pruett was fastest in the thoroughly soaked and shortened morning practice session. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Hard rain soaked Homestead-Miami Speedway so heavily that morning practice for the Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Prix of Miami was cut in half. Puddles—almost ponds—formed at Turns Five and Six and some of the straightaways could have hosted boat races.

Several cars hit the track at the 10 a.m. start time, but before they could turn two laps a storm cell blew in and the session was suspended. Racing resumed when the rain slackened, but the session was called a few minutes early when another severe cloudburst blew in.

Fastest in Class:
Daytona Prototype:
Scott Pruett—#01 Telmex Ganassi Riley BMW—1:27.929 (94.167 mph)
Ricky Taylor—#10 SunTrust Dallara Corvette DP—1:29.736 (92.271 mph)
Joao Barbosa—#9 Action Express Racing Coyote Corvette DP—1:29.841 (92.163 mph)
 

Robin Liddell in the #57 Stevenson Camaro was quickest in GT. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

GT
Robin Liddell—#57 Stevenson Chevrolet Camaro GT.R—1:31.018 (90.971 mph)
Jeroen Bleekemolen—#68 TRG Porsche GT3—1:33.025 (89.008 mph)
Spencer Pumpelly—#67 TRG Porsche GT3—1:34.423 (87.690 mph)

Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb won the Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Kia 200 despite rain and a grid penalty. It was their second in a row. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Rum Bum Racing’s Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb started in last place in Saturday’s Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Kia 200; two-and-a-half hours later, they were taking their second checkered flag in as many races in the #13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche, having come through the 67-car field with focused driving, amazing pit work, smart set-up, and great luck with the weather.

This was Rum Bum’s second win in their new Porsche 911, which replaced the BMW the team had been using . The first came at the Barber 200 in March—the first race with the new car. The second win at Homestead came in front of many friends and sponsors of the Miami-based team, including team owner Luis Bacardi.

Nick Longhi qualified the #13 Rum Bum Porsche on the pole, setting a new lap record while doing it. Unfortunately during tech inspection it turned out that the car’s rear wing was minutely outside the rules; Plumb and Longhi were relegated to last place for the start of the race. This meant that thirty-six GS-class cars stood be between the Rum Bum team and victory.

As Matt Plumb put it, “The good news is that the Speedway has a lot of passing zones—and we were blessed with a lot o f rain to start with.”

Nick Longhi did a masterful job of driving through the rain and through the field to get to fourth by lap 18. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

The race started in hard rain, meaning Nick Longhi had to peer through the spray of the entire GS field—but not for long. By lap 2, Longhi had advanced to 16th; by lap 15 he was fourth.

Longhi pitted on Lap 18 under caution, and amazingly quick pit work got the Rum Bum Porsche out ahead of everyone else, with Nick Plumb at the wheel. Plumb needed only one lap to pass all the car which hadn’t pitted to take the lead of the race; in an hour and ten minutes, Longhi and Plumb had gone from last to first.

“Starting at the back at certain racetracks, it’s very difficult to pass, but this is such a fantastic racetrack—the oval is so wide,” Longhi said.

“Coming into the pits and seeing those guys make that pit stop and shooting out in the lead, beating everybody else out of the pits I felt … that was fantastic.”

Next: Plumb Takes Over

The weather isn’t bad enough to stop tomorrow’s race, nr this afternoon’s Continental Tire Sports Car Series Kia 200; the track is too wet for a meaningful qualifying competition, but fine for racing.

The TRG Porsches were the first cars to test the wet conditions, followed by the Shank Riley-Ford. Eventually more cars ventured out, possibly worried that if the race was rainy, their cars wouldn’t be competitive. Still fewer than a dozen teams sent their cars out.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Kia 200 starts at 2:45 p.m. EDT. The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 29.

The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami will be televised live on Speed TV starting at 1 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 29. The CTSCC Kia 200 will air on Speed on May 12 at 12 noon EDT.

The Shank Racing Riley-Ford leaves a waterty vortex as it speeds along the banking. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Gainsco, SunTrust, Sahlen, and Magnus Racing came out after seeing if the TRG and Shank cars could negotiate the track safely. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

The SunTrust Dallara-Corvette turned a few wet laps, preparing in case Sunday’s race was rainy. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Rain hit the morning practice session for the Rolex Miami Grand Prix. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

HOMESTEAD, Fla.— Rain came down hard halfway through morning practice session for the Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Prix of Miami, leaving large puddles around the track and making driving treacherous.

The drivers pressed on regardless, gaining valuable information about how their cars worked in the wet, in case it rains for tomorrow’s race.

The showers blew through shortly after practice ended, letting the sun start to evaporate some of the puddles before the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge cars took the track for their pre-race practice. With a strong chance of rain for their afternoon race, the Continental Tire teams needed the wet-weather data as much as the Rolex teams.

Ozz Negri in the #60 Ford/Riley was quickest in DP with a lap 0f 1:20.848. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Luckily for the spectators, the temperature remained comfortably close to 80 degrees, so they could stay in the stands in their ponchos and watch all the action. With the sun returning, a slight breeze served to keep the heat from growing uncomfortable.

The rain returned shortly before Rolex qualifying, soaking the track all over again

Ozz Negri in the #60 Shank Riley Ford Daytona Prototype was the fastest in the session, ahead of Memo Rojas in the #01 Telmex-Ganassi Riley-BMW and Alex Gurney in the #99 Gainsco Riley-Corvette.

Guy Cosmo in the #03 Extreme Speed Motorsport Ferrari 458 led the GT class with a lap of 1:23.120. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Guy Cosmo, who was fastest in the dry in the #03 Extreme Speed Motorsport Ferrari 458 led the GT class in the wet as well. Andrew Davis in the #59 Brumos Companies Porsche GT3 was second in class, followed by Dion von Moltke in the #51 APR Audi R8 Grand Am.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Kia 200 starts at 2:45 p.m. EDT. With 67 cars taking the green flag, the action will be non-stop and intense; if the track is wet, it will be even more exciting.

Qualifying for the Rolex Series race starts at 12:45 p.m. The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 29.

Tickets to the race weekend can be purchased through the Miami-Homestead Speedway website.

The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami will be televised live on Speed TV starting at 1 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 29. The CTSCC Kia 200 will air on Speed on May 12 at 12 noon EDT.

David Donohue was quickest in the Daytona Prototype class, but the team was really doing some pre-race tire-testing. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Action Express driver David Donohue was quickest in Friday’s two practice sessions for the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Prix of Miami.

Donohue lapped the 2.3 mile, 11-turn combination road/oval course in 1:14.163 at 111.646 mph in the #5 Action Express Racing Coyote-Corvette Daytona Prototype. For comparison, John Fogarty took the 2011 pole with a lap of 1:13.655 at 112.416 mph.

Friday’s practice times don’t say much about Sunday’s race, but the strategies developed from what is learned on Friday could dramatically affect both Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race.

“We tried to go quick today,” Donohue told Grand-Am.com. “Our main goal was to see how the tire plays out. Having a good car on old tires is going to be the key here, although having fresh tires—if there’s a late-race caution—could be a game changer.”

Homestead is notoriously hard on tires, with the combination of Florida heat, high banking, and an abrasive track. Teams might try to save a set for late in Sunday’s race by qualifying on older tires, hoping that lost grid spots will come back when the competition starts sliding (teams are allowed a limited supply of tires for the whole weekend.)

Action Express has played this game before—saving tires for the late laps. It could pay off for them Sunday.

Richard Westbrook turned in the second-fastest time of the day in the #90 SDR Coyote-Corvette. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

John Fogarty was third quickest in the #99 Gainsco Riley-Corvette. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Second fastest was the #90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Coyote-Corvette driven by Richard Westbrook at 1:14.414 (111.269 mph.) Westbrook and co-driver Antonio Garcia are coming off their first Daytona Prototype win at Barber Motorsport Park March 31 and will be eager to stretch that string.

Jon Fogarty in the #99 Gainsco Riley-Corvette finished third with a lap of 1:14.474 at 111.180 mph, giving the new Corvette Daytona bodywork a clean sweep of the top three.

All the fast laps were set during the cooler morning session. As the track heated up, the grip went away, exhibited by the fishtails several cars waved exiting Turn Six.

Comso, ESM Top GT Class

Guy Cosmo’s ESM Ferrari was fastest in the GT class. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

In GT, it was series newcomer Guy Cosmo in the #03 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferrari 458 Grand Am. Running only their second Rolex race with this new car, Cosmo and the ESM crew turned in a very respectable 1:19.885 at 103.649 mph, edging veteran Bill Auberlen in the #94 Turner Motorsport BMW.

Defending double-champion Bill Auberlen was not far off the pace in the #94 Turner BMW. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Jeroen Bleekemolen was third quickest in the #68 TRG Porsche. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Auberlen won both the Rolex GT class and the Continental Tire GS class in 2011, he plainly knows his way around Homestead very well, besting him, even just in practice, must have been a boost for the ESM garage. Auberlen posted a time of 1:20.412 at 102.970 mph.

Third fastest in GT was Jeroen Bleekemolen in the #68 TRG Porsche 911 GT3 at 1:20.527 (102.823.) The rear-engined Porsches used to have problems at Homestead due to rear tire wear, but Porsches have also won here Dirk Werner and Leh Keen, driving the #87 Farnsbacher Loles 911 GT3 proved that the German cars could handle the heat if handled properly by winning here in 2009.

Qualifying for the 2012 Grand Am Rolex Grand Prix of Miami starts at 12:45 p.m. EDT after a 9 a.m. practice session. Qualifying will be followed immediately by the 2012 Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Chalnege Kia 200, where 69 cars will do battle for two-and-a-half hours around Homestead’s tight twists and high-speed banking.

The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 29.

The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami will be televised live on Speed TV starting at 1 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 29. The CTSCC Kia 200 will air on Speed on May 12 at 12 noon EDT.

Nick Longhi broke his own lap record to capture the pole fpr the Continental Tire Kia 200 at Homestead-Miami Speeedway. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Rum Bum Racing’s switch from BMW to Porsche for the 2012 Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season is paying off: the team won in its first outing, at Barber Motorsports Park on March 31, and the team will be starting the pole for Saturday’s Kia 200 from Florida’s Homestead-Miami-Speedway.

Driver Nick Longhi set a new track record in the new GS-class Porsche Carrera with a lap of 1:25.811at 96.491 mph, beating the mark of 1:25.994 at 96.286 mph he set here last year. He and co-driver Matt Plumb could not be in better shape for the 2.5-hour timed event tomorrow.

“I have to thank the crew, Rum Bum Racing and of course [team owner] Luis Bacardi for putting all this together,” Longhi said in a team press statement. “It’s all his idea—he’s the one who makes it happen for all of us. The crew and [crew chief] Joe Varde especially—and everybody who has been working on this car night and day since we got it.

“Obviously this is a track that I love. I’ve had a lot of success here—this is our second pole. Everybody has tracks they drive well at and this is one of them for me for sure,: Longhi continued. “I feel really at home here. I love the track. I love the banking of the oval. I love the challenge of it, you know—scaring yourself. For whatever reason I like that more than thinking, so it’s better for me!”

Bret Spaude qualified the all-wheel-drive #35 Subaru Road Racing Team Subaru WRX-STI just 0.116 second behind the Rum Bum car. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Jade Buford’s #51 Roush Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302R starts third in the GS class. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Longhi and Plumb won’t have an easy day at the track on race day: Bret Spaude qualified the all-wheel-drive #35 Subaru Road Racing Team Subaru WRX-STI right behind the Rum Bum car with a time of 1:25.927 at 96.361 mph—also good enough to beat Longhi’s old mark.

Not much further back is the #51 51 Roush Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302R of Jade Buford at 1:26.296 (95.949 mph.)        

Longhi recognized how tough the competition might be, but wasn’t letting that spoil his day. “It’s qualifying and that’s good, but the race is a different story. There are a couple of very strong cars that are behind us. With [the Subaru’s] four-wheel drive and the weather down here when it gets hot, I’d say right now they have a hell of a shot at the race so we’re just going to try to keep it together, score some points, and keep the car in one piece.

“This could not be a better scenario for Rum Bum Racing with it being the team’s home race down here in Miami. We love Miami. We love Florida. I’m just happy to be here. It’s a fantastic day.”

Kia Captures Third Consecutive ST Pole

Matt Pombo won Kinetic/Kia Racing its third consecutive pole in the #12 Kia Forte Koup. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Kinetic/Kia Racing continues its success in the ST class, with its third pole in three events, though this time it was Matt Pombo in the #12 Kia Forte Koup, not teammate Andy Lally in the #10 car, who took the honors. No stress for the team, though—Lally qualified second. Pombo turned a lap of 1:31.171 at 90.818 mph, bettering Lally’s effort of 1:31.355 at 90.635 mph.

Teammate Andy Lally was right behind in the #10 Kinetic/Kia car. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

Second place was a near thing: James Gue in the #15 Multimatic Ford Focus was only six-hundredths of a second behind Lally at 1:31.415 (90.576 mph.)

James Gue in the #15 Multimatic Ford Focus qualified only six-hundredths of a second behind Andy Lally’s Kia. (Chris Jasurek/The Epoch Times)

“This is a whole team effort, and being the monkey behind the wheel is the fun part,” Pombo told Grand-Am.com. “We rolled off the truck fast, and I’ve got to thank Andy for an awesome draft. It’s going to be good to start up front with a clear view for the start.”

A clear view might be hard to find: with 69 cars—30 in Grand Sport and 39 in Street Tuner—entered for Saturday’s event, it is guaranteed that every inch of real estate will be vigorously contested.

The Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Kia 200 is part of the Miami Grand Prix race weekend, featuring the Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Prix of Miami Sunday. The Kia 200 kicks off at 2: 45 p.m. EDT, Saturday April 28, right after Rolex Series qualifying. The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 29.

The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami will be televised live on Speed TV starting at 1 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 29. The CTSCC Kia 200 will air on Speed on May 12 at 12 noon EDT.

Tristan Nunez set several records, including youngest IMSA Lites winner, at Sebring. He hopes to continue his success in Utah. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

16-year-old Tristan Nunez hopes to continue winning when he races Sunday in the IMSA Prototypes Lites series races at Miller raceway in Toole, Utah.

Nunez won the first two races in his first full season as a Lites driver, setting the series’ record as the youngest race winner. He thinks Miller Motorsport Park is the perfect venue to continue that streak.

“I am looking forward to racing at Miller Motorsports Park because it’s a high speed course with a lot of aero grip which I feel really suits my driving style,” said Nunez in a press statement.

“I am excited for the challenge of racing at a track that I am not familiar with. I think there will be less pressure this weekend because I won’t overthink the course and how to drive it. I will be able to get into the car and just do what feels right and utilize the track notes and on-board footage to learn from and make adjustments throughout the weekend.”

Nunez drove the #16 Performance Tech Élan DP02 to two poles, two wins, and two track records at the season’s first two races at Sebring in March—his first wins in IMSA Lites.

“Having my name go down in the record books as the youngest driver in history to win an IMSA Lites race is a true honor,” said Nunez. “Starting the season off like we did gives me a boost of confidence going into the rest of the year. We were very strong at Sebring and now we hope to continue this momentum and results into this weekend’s event at Utah.

“My team has been doing a great job finding the speed we need to stay ahead of the pack. I am trying to stay focused though and keep my attention on posting strong finishes to work toward a championship victory in 2012.

“If I do win the championship in Lites this year, there is talk of me moving up to the LMPC car which races in the American Le Mans Series,” Nunez said after his Sebring wins. “That attracted me to the team—Performance Tech has a really well-developed in-house ladder system.”

Tickets for the event can be purchased through the Miller Motorsports Park website.

The revolutionary DeltaWing lapped Snetterton as fast as cars with twice the engine capacity. (Highcroftracing.com)

Japanese Super GT champ Satoshi Motoyama has been named as the third driver for the experimental Nissan DeltaWing Le Mans prototype, joining Marino Franchitti and Michael Krumm.

Motoyama started racing Nissans in 1996. He has won four Formula Nippon championships and three Super-GT titles. He currently co-drives the #23 Nissan GT-R with his DeltaWing copilot Michael Krumm. This pair won the JGTC (then called Super GT) championship in 2003.

Motoyama has endurance-racing experience. He drove for Nissan and at TRW Le Mans in 1998 and 1999, finishing tenth overall in 1998

“I am very excited about joining the Nissan DeltaWing project for this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours and would like to thank Nissan, NISMO, Ben Bowlby, Don Panoz, All-American Racers, the Highcroft Racing team and other partners involved in the project for giving me this great opportunity,” Motoyama said in a press statement.

”Nissan DeltaWing is very innovative and beyond any racing technical regulations; we will run in the discretionary “Garage 56″ class at Le Mans, where no classification will be given. But there will be no disappointment and compromise, since our aim for this project is to prove this innovative racing technology and demonstrate the future of motorsports. It will be a truly challenging and exciting experience for me and the team.

“Along with Michael Krumm, my fellow partner in Super GT, and Marino Franchitti, I am really looking forward to driving the car at Le Mans, and showing everyone what Nissan DeltaWing can do.”

“I am even more excited about the Nissan DeltaWing program now that Satoshi Motoyama and Michael Krumm, the two best racers from the current Nissan NISMO SUPER GT squad, will drive the most innovative and exciting car at the French classic,” said Shoichi Miyatani, President of Nissan Motorsports International Co. Ltd (NISMO.)
 

The revolutionary DeltaWing, with no rear wing, tiny front tires, and a 1.6-liter turbocharged motor, was turning laps approximately on par with P2 cars powered by motors twice as large in testing at England’s Snetterton Track Wednesday. The crew will continue testing and fine-tuning the car at tracks in France and Spain preparing for the car’s June racing debut in the Le Mans 24.

With tiny front wheels, no rear wing, and half the weight and drag of a conventional car, the DeltaWing can achieve equivalent performance with a much smaller engine using less fuel. (Highcroft Racing)

The short life of former Formula One champion Ayrton Senna, chronicled in the movie "Senna," is one of the more popular sports documentaries. (Pavani/Perry/AFP/Getty Images)

Ayrton Senna won the Drivers World Championship three times in a row; and the movie “Senna” has grossed higher box office receipts than any other British made documentary—ever. It is a testament to the Formula One driver’s popularity and in response, and in an unusual move for ESPN the global organization has also bought the rights to distribute “Senna” across U.S. markets. Not only is it an acknowledgment of the universal appeal and quality of the film but it may also prove influential in the future role the United States plays in Formula 1 racing.

While NASCAR rules in the United States when it comes to motor sports ESPN has a broader remit when it comes to sports movies. Just a few years ago they sponsored a series “The 30 for 30 documentaries” that are still being aired on ESPN’s channels.

The collection included among others “Straight Outta L.A.,” directed by Ice Cube that tells the story of the Raiders 12-year sojourn in Los Angeles before their return to Oakland in 1995. This marriage examined the links between the team and the birth of gangster rap. The documentary “Jordan Rides the Bus” relating how Michael Jordan honored a promise to his father by playing minor league baseball after he retired from basketball. Another details how BMX rider Mat Hoffman in “The Birth of Big Air” strove to perform ever more spectacular stunts despite injuries that almost killed him. And finally how “No Crossover” is as much about racial tensions as it is about the trial and jailing of Allen Iverson—one of basketball’s all-time greats.

While the emphasis of “30 for 30” was to unwrap some of the American sporting greats it was the film “The Two Escobars” that perhaps resonated the most. Colombian drug cartels funded their country’s soccer teams but it was the tragic murder of team member Andres Escobar who scored an own goal in the 1994 World Cup that is best remembered and followed Colombia’s loss to the United States.

ESPN’s “30 for 30” series of sports documentaries took the view that if you took the lid off the sports industry you could expand the broader understanding of not only what makes an athlete tick but also what drives them to succeed and in some cases fail.

The partnership—which has thrived over a number of years—helps bring sports documentaries to a broader market. Each year ESPN plans original programming that will be aired on their channels, while at the same time a selection of them will try out on the film festival circuit.

The very recent success of “Senna” has opened another door for ESPN. Following their ongoing partnership with the annual Tribeca Film Festival sponsoring the festival’s sports strand, ESPN has picked up the rights to distribute “Senna” across the country. The movie’s success has provided the latest high-profile platform for filmmakers to take a closer look into the world of sport and engage not only the sports fan but also a wider audience.

The somewhat fickle on-off relationship between the United States and F 1 goes some way to explain ESPN’s interest in the documentary—as once again it is planning to join the very international circuit that is F 1 racing. And while top F1 drivers are truly international stars and well known even in the United States, according to VP of ESPN Films, Connor Schell, ESPN is treated as an equal and its movies compete for a spot (at Tribeca) just like any other production; Schell is keen to point out that ESPN doesn’t submit films to festivals for financial reasons, more for exposure and press. Schell sees documentaries as an important part of the overall mix of content that includes live events, news and information. Several times a year the broadcaster presents a non-fiction sports story with a view to constant innovation in their content.

While live action…

Oriol Servia will drive the #22 Dreyer & Reinbold Dallara with Lotus power at Sao Paulo but will need a different engine for the rest of the season.(James Fish/The Epoch Times)

Group Lotus has announced that it has released two IndyCar teams from their engine lease contracts, and will focus its efforts on its three remaining teams.

Brian Herta Autosport and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing have been released from their Lotus contracts and are free to seek other engine suppliers. At this time no contracts with either Chevrolet or Hondas—the only other approved suppliers—have been announced.

BHA had already announced that iot would not be traveling to Brazil for the Sao Paulo 300. DDR will race in Sao Paulo with a Lotus engine, then switch to another powerplant.

In a press statement, Lotus admitted that its late start and funding problems had led to underperforming, unreliable engines in too short supply for the contracted teams.

Lotus, in the statement, proclaimed its ongoing commitment to IndyCar as an engine supplier. The company will continue to supply engines to Lotus Dragon Racing, HVM Racing, and Newman/Haas Racing.

“Lotus in IndyCar is like David versus Goliath. We are and always will be a niche British sports car company built for the few not the many,” said Claudio Berro, Director of Motorsport Group Lotus.

“IndyCar is committed to ensuring that our teams and manufacturers have a platform to remain competitive,” said IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard. “We support Lotus’ decision and will assist Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Bryan Herta Autosport in securing engine support for the remainder of the season.”

Michael Valiante will drive the #90 Spirit of Daytona Coyote-Corvette at select Rolex events. (grand-ammediacom)

Grand-Am and ALMS veteran Michael Valiante will co-drive the Spirit of Daytona Racing Coyote-Corvette Daytona Prototype when regular driver Antonio Garcia has schedule conflicts, according to Grand-Am.com.

Valiante will drive with Richard Westbrook at Rolex Sports car Series events at New Jersey, Detroit, Mid-Ohio, and Montreal

Valiante drove with SunTrust/Wayne Taylor Racing in 2008 and Michael Shank Racing in 2009–2011, and has driven the JDX GTC Porsche in the American Le Mans Series this season, scoring numerous poles, podiums and fastest laps.

“I’ve had my eye on Valiante for a while now. When we began our search for drivers at the beginning of the season Michael’s name always came up,” said Spirit of Daytona team owner Troy Flis on Grand-Am.com. “I’m excited that we have an opportunity to work together now and feel confident that Michael will be a great fit with our team and will love racing in our Corvette DP.”

“I’m really looking forward to joining Spirit of Daytona for these events. I have had the opportunity to do a little testing with SDR and feel very comfortable with the new Corvette DP and with the team,” added Valiante. “They are fresh off a win at Barber and have a lot of momentum. It’s a very exciting time to be joining the Spirit of Daytona team and Grand Am.

Flex-Box first partnered with Magnus Racing at the 2011 Sebring 12 Hours. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)

Grand Am GT regular Magnus Racing has renewed its partnership with Hong Kong-based Flex-Box, a worldwide leader in shipping containers, for the Grand Am Rolex Grand Prix of Miami.

Flex-Box first teamed up with Magnus Racing for the American Le Mans Series 2011 Sebring 12 Hours. The company was apparently pleased with the exposure; it will be back with Magnus Racing for Sunday’s Rolex race, with the Flex-Box logos adorning the flanks of the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, driven by team owner John Potter and Andy Lally.

“It’s great to have Flex-Box back with us this weekend,” said Potter in a team press statement. “Everyone at the organization is great to work with, and more importantly we look forward to putting on a great event for them. From our hospitality to our performance on track, I’m confident our program will prove invaluable for everyone.”

The Rolex Grand Prix of Miami will be televised live on Speed TV starting at 1 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 29. The CTSCC Kia 200 will air on Speed on May 12 at 12 noon EDT.

The two class winners do battle at Barber Motorsports Park: the #90 Spirit of Daytona Coyote Corvette DP (R) fights past the #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8. (Grandam.com)

Nine Daytona Prototypes and 18 GT cars are entered for Sunday’s Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Prix of Miami at Miami Homestead Speedway.

The Daytona Prototype field hasn’t changed since the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in March, where Antonio Garcia and Richard Westbrook earned Spirit of Daytona its first DP win, and third place in the team championship. Garcia and Westbrook are tied for second in drivers’ points.

The #8 Starworks Riley-Ford leads the Daytona Prototype points race. (Grandam.com)

Starworks Motorsport will be back with two Riley-Fords including the series-leading #8 driven by Ryan Dalziel and Enzo Potolichio, who also lead the drivers’ standings.

Lucas Luhr and Alex Popow, third in the drivers’ standings, will drive the #2 Starworks machine.

Michael Shank Racing is bringing its Rolex 24-winning #60 Riley Ford, which sits second in the standings after two races. Oz Negri and John Pew, tied for second in drivers’ points, will be back behind the wheel.

The rest of the regulars: Telmex-Ganassi, SunTrust, Gainsco-Stallings will all be back to try to reclaim their places at the top of the pack. These once-dominant teams have had some hard luck so far this season, and will be eager to change that.

GT: Some New, Some Out

GT will lose one car overall for the Homestead-Miami round, but will gain two teams.

Oryx racing has decided not to enter because team owner and co-driver Humaid Al-Masaood has business in his native Saudi Arabia and won’t be back in time for the race. The team’s bright yellow Audi R8 Grand Am will be back for later rounds.

Rick Ware Racing and its Ford Mustang, co-driven by Jeff Earnhardt and Chris Cook, will also skip this round, and Team Sahlen will be bringing two rather than three Mazda RX-8s.

Extreme Speed Motorsports has entered its #03 Ferrari 458 Grand Am, piloted by ALMS regulars Ed Brown and Guy Cosmo. ESM contested the Rolex 24 but sat out Barber. ESM has two seasons of experience racing the Ferrari 458 in the American Le Mans Series; they have never raced at Miami-Homestead but that shouldn’t slow them down.

Next: Full Weekend of Racing

Mike Parisy and Matt Halliday drove the No. 9 Exim Bank Team China Porsche to victory in the FIA GT1 World Championship Zolder round. (gt1world.com)

Mike Parisy and Matt Halliday in the # 9 Exim Bank Team China Porsche won the FIA GT1 championship race at Zolder, Belgium Sunday, overcoming tough weather conditions and tough competition.

“It was one of the best days of my life,” Parisy told GT1world.com. “It was an incredible race. There was a lot of pressure at the end but I just had to keep it tight and not make any mistakes.”

Co-driver Halliday added, ‘We had to manage our tires, stop at the right time and make all the right choices, and that’s what we did. We are a young team but this result is a tremendous boost.”

The race started with a damp track and rain hit in the opening laps, forcing many teams to pit to change tires. Contact was common on the slick course; the most telling incident was probably Stephane Ortelli in the #32 WRT Audi spinning teammate Oliver Jarvis in the #33 car on lap 27. Jarvis fell from sixth to tenth, ending any hope of a podium. Jarvis and Ortelli won both the Nogarro races and did poorly and both Zolder races.

Yelmer Buurman in the No. 18 Vita4One BMW, winner of Saturday’s qualifying race made a huge charge in the final laps but couldn’t catch Parisy. This team had a rough time at Nogarro but came back strong at Zolder.

Co-driver and team boss Michael Bartels said, ““We are now heading in the right direction following the disappointment at Nogaro,” he said. “We are back in business in the championship but we have a lot of homework to do for the next race.

“We have a break now between GT1 events before Navarra and we will concentrate on making less mistakes and improving the set-up of the car.”

Round Three of the FIA GT1 World Championship will run at Spain’s Circuito de Navarra on May 26–27.

Sebastian Vettel looks with satisfaction at the trophy he received for winning the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix, his first of the 2012 season. (Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing returned to their winning ways with a powerful performance in the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The two-time world champion led flag-to-flag; though he was pressed hard for a few laps by 2007 world champion Kimi Raikonnen, the Red Bull driver didn’t make the slightest error, finishing 3.3 seconds ahead of Raikonnen’s Renault.

Renault took the third podium spot as well, the first for Romain Grosjean. Mark Webber brought his Red Bull Home fourth.

Sebastian Vettel looked like the Vettel of old (odd as that is to say about a 24-year-old;) He exploded off the line and opened a gap of 2.2 seconds by the end of the first lap. He stretched that to 10.8 seconds before he pitted on lap 12; even though he was pushing that hard, he kept his ties alive for 12 laps.

Later in the race the two Lotus cars trailed him closely, but only once was Kimi Raikonnen in a position to try a pass, and Vettel shut the door. The rest of the race was typical Vettel: quick laps, no errors.

“I think it was an incredible race. Extremely tough. Sometimes we had a decent gap but still … “ Vettel said in the press conference on Speed TV. “We had a very good start, which was crucial. I was able to pull away immediately and pull away from the pack. That turned out to be a big advantage because we always had to go on a used set of tires as we used nearly all of them yesterday in qualifying.

“I can only say a big thanks to the boys in the garage. I said it yesterday: incredible job they’ve done over the first four races.

“The amount of work they had and that we gave them  because we weren’t happy with the car and we asked for little tweaks here and there and they came back with new parts, old parts, back with the new parts, back with the old parts, back and forth—extremely tough and they spent a lot of hours in the garage trying to get the car to our liking.

“I think we got it this weekend together for the first time and I was very happy in qualifying and throughout the whole race.”

Kimi Raikonnen had saved tires in qualifying, accepting a poorer grid position in exchange for better race pace. Despite having new tires for every stint, and about seven miles per hour top-end advantage, the flying Finn couldn’t get around Vettel.

Apparently the Lotus bought speed with downforce—the Lotus lacked grip, particularly when under the red Bull’s wing. Vettel was quicker out of corners even as the Lotus was faster approaching; in the end, the red Bull had the better balance.

Kimi Raikkonen scored second in only his fourth race back in F1. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Raikonnen, in his typically laconic style, explained the race from his perspective:

“I think we gave ourselves a chance at least. It’s a bit disappointing that I didn’t manage to do it. But I made a small mistake at the beginning and lost one place to Ferrari. I had to re-overtake him and it took a little time.

“I got past the people quite easily but if you look in the end I think we still took too long and we couldn’t win the race. But at least we got the podium with both cars.

“I think the team deserves what we have achieved now. We have been working hard. We’ve not been 100 per cent happy with how the weekends have run so far but finally we’ve got some proper results for the team, so it’s an important step.
 

“It’s disappointing to finish second but after the last race we have to take it and be pretty happy.”

Next: Horrible Day for McLaren