Alonso, Renault Ready for 2008 Season

By VOA Sports

The French Formula One team Renault has rolled out its new car in Paris, with two-time world driving champion Fernando Alonso of Spain looking to help the team regain the driving title in 2008.

Alonso won the driving title with Renault in 2005 and 2006, but spent a turbulent year last season with McLaren. The Spaniard left the British-based team after being released from his three-year contract and returned to Renault.

Team boss Flavio Briatore said having Alonso back is fantastic. The 26-year-old Spaniard will team with Brazilian Nelson Piquet, Junior. The 22-year-old Piquet is a former test driver for the French manufacturer.

Team president Carlos Ghosn said his team wants to win the title this year after a disappointing 2007. Renault failed to win a race in 2007, and scored only 51 points in the manufacturer's standings.

The French squad would have been fourth in the standings if McLaren had not been stripped of its points for spying on Ferrari. The Italian team won the manufacturer's title and its driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland won the driving crown.

Ferrari Says Raikkonen, Massa Equals in 2008

VOA Sports

The new head of Ferrari's Formula One team, sporting director Stefano Domenicali, says reigning driving champion Kimi Raikkonen of Finland will not be given preferential treatment in this year's competition.

Domenicali says Raikkonen and teammate Felipe Massa of Brazil will start the season "on an equal footing." Domenicali says his priority is the good of the team.

The new sporting director says Formula One must put last year's spy scandal involving rival McLaren behind it. McLaren was fined $100 million and stripped of its points in the constructors' standings after a former Ferrari employee allegedly leaked sensitive data to the British-based team.

Domenicali, who replaced Jean Todt, says that for the good of the sport, teams need to look forward. However, he acknowledged that forgetting the spy scandal will be difficult. Raikkonen won the driving championship at the last race of the season, edging British McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton by one point.

Fernandez Racing Prepares For The Winter Test

By Anthony Fontanelle

For those looking forward to another season of the American Le Mans Series, the waiting is almost over. This weekend, Lowe’s Fernandez Racing will drive at Sebring International Raceway to go through the second phase of the American Le Mans Series. Armed with a new chassis, the team is entertaining positive aspirations as it prepares for the fourth annual Winter Test at Sebring.

The three LMP2 entries, powered by Acura, are part of a strong protype contingent entered for the Winter Test.

Aside from the shift in chassis of the team sponsored by the maker of Acura catalytic converters, highlights of the Winter Test also include Peugeot's North American launch with its diesel-powered factory prototype as well as first public running of the modified Ferrari F430 GT.

Fifteen teams that represent eight manufacturers will compete for the three-day test. The manufacturers include Acura, Audi, Ferrari, Lola, Mazda, Panoz, Peugeot and Porsche.

Fernandez Racing has shifted to the next generation ARX- 01b chassis with the hope of improving the already striking race performance. The said engine will be showcased as the Acura team prepares for its second appearance in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The efforts will continue Monday through Wednesday at the ALMS' Winter Test.

"We took delivery on December 28th," said Tom Anderson, co-owner with Adrian Fernandez. "We are quite excited about the changes that have been made between last year's 01a-specification ARX versus the 01b which we received. The computer numbers look very impressive and hopefully this will translate to the quicker estimated lap times that the computer shows. We are really looking forward to getting to Sebring and our first on-track adventure with it."

"What Acura accomplished in their first season is remarkable," Fernandez said. "They were strong out of the box with not only a brand-new engine but the chassis as well. Expectations are even higher for next year."

It can be recalled that last year at Sebring, Fernandez and Luis Diaz finished second in LMP2 and third overall in the team's Acura-powered Lola. Lowe's Fernandez served as the engine development team for Acura last year, and the 3.4- liter V8 never suffered from a reliability standpoint, according to Motorsport.com.

ALMS Corvettes Goes Green In 2008

By Evander Klum

The American Le Mans Series is now greener than ever. As regards Corvette Racing, the green factor will be triggered by the use of E85 - a high-octane, renewable alternative fuel.

As part of the 2008 “green racing” espoused by the endurance series, Corvettes entertained the use of a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petrol. The decision was made after the team won its seventh consecutive GT1 manufacturers and team championships last year having E10 as fuel. E10 is only composed of ten percent ethanol.

On Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, ALMS announced its partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and SAE International to incorporate "green racing" principles into its 2008 season, according to USA Today.

"The auto manufacturers competing in the American Le Mans Series have made it very clear that this is a direction and an overall initiative that is important to them," said ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton.

"The opportunity to formally align with the EPA, Department of Energy and SAE International makes our platform very special and unique - to auto manufacturers and ultimately to consumers," Atherton added. "At a time when nearly all of motor sports have lost its relevance regarding progressive technology or any connection from the racetrack to the showroom floor, the American Le Mans Series stands alone in providing a platform of solutions to our nation's automotive, transportation and energy needs."

Anita Lienert of Edmunds.com has this to say: "This creative partnership promotes the use of alt fuels and new technologies that may find their way into your next car or truck."

This season, all race cars in ALMS will compete on alternative fuels. But it can be noted that Audi has already started the use of its revolutionary diesel fuel.

"There's evidence (that) series like the American Le Mans Series influences automakers, as well as everyday drivers: Audi, which has raced a diesel car in the American Le Mans Series for the last two years... unveiled a diesel-powered R8 concept road car at the Detroit show," said Jennifer Kho of greentechmedia.com

Aside from Audi and Corvette, other manufacturers which will also comply with the new requirement of running on green fuel include Acura, Aston Martin, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Mazda, Panoz, Porsche and Saleen.

The maker of the Acura CV boot as well as other automakers in the ALMS is expected to perform well using the green technology.

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NASCAR's Clint Bowyer - From boy to Superstar

By Chris DiCicco

Clint Bowyer, the 26 year old savvy racer from Emporia, Kansas, started racing in motocross at the young age of five. He was a good on two wheels but soon discovered that he was even better on four wheels after his grandfather brought him to a dirt track in Humboldt, Kansas. His father, Chris Bowyer, wasn’t very happy with his second son’s decision at first because the family had already invested a lot of time and money into motorcycles and the young Clint Bowyer had shown a lot of potential. His older brother, Andy Bowyer, was racing motocross nationally. Eventually, Chris Bowyer supported his young son because of his enthusiasm. His mother lays claim that they weren’t in it to make him a NASCAR star but rather they did it because they enjoyed it as a family. After awhile, the whole family turned to four wheels and Chris even set up a shop in his storage lot near his towing company in Emporia. Even until this day, his parents and their dog follow the Cup circuit in a motor home to show their support to Bowyer and it has paid off.

Because Bowyer’s father had many drivers for customers, he would hang around race shops to try and pick their brains. By the time he was 15, he was driving short-bed Chevy pickup that he had put together with the spare parts from his father’s storage lot. He was also working at a Goodyear shop in middle school to pick up the tools of the trade. From there, he was taught what made a person successful with their cars.

Bowyer is a fierce competitor and the markings of a winner was clear from the get go. He won and liked it. When he’s on the race track, he’s in it to win the trophy. Since racing at the age of five, Bowyer has gone on to achieve over 200 wins and countless championships throughout the years. He broke into the street stocks scene in 1996 at age 17 during the Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kansas. He counts that as one of his most memorable races because an angry competitor had chased a flagman into a bathroom for 45 minutes and threatened to crush the winner, only to then realize that the winner was 17 years old. Dick Ross, who was tuning up Bowyer’s engine that night, realized that Bowyer was made out of special material when Bowyer managed to guide home a 50,000-pound fire truck, a 6-foot towing chain during a 10 mile stretch of two lane highway in central Kansas without getting a scratch on the vehicle.

4 years later, Bowyer went back to the Thunderhill Speedway and won the 2000 Modified championship and finished second in the Modified points at Lakeside Speedway. He continued to get 18 more wins, 32 top fives in 40 starts en route to the 2001 Modified Championships at Lakeside Speedway and Heartland Park. After that he was made the 2002 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Midwest Champion after another Modified Championship at Lakeside Speedway and a Late Model crown at 1-70 Speedway in Odessa. Bowyer has gone on to win a great many more championships when he began running for the NASCAR Busch Series in 2004.

His parents are still in awe at how much their son has achieved and they are still amazed when fans congratulate them. Although Bowyer now resides in North Carolina, he still enjoys going back home where people still remember him as Clint and not the NASCAR star. And like any Kansas native, he believes that the best barbecues can’t beat Kansas City’s barbecue.

For NASCAR Merchandise, Up to the minute News, and everything NASCAR including NASCAR Apparel and NASCAR Jackets we carry the internets largest selection of NASCAR Memorabilia. The owner, Chris DiCicco is also the senior editor and website developer for NASCARsupershop We offer thousands of hard to find NASCAR items including Nascar Die Cast and Nasca Door Mats at the best prices everyday!

The Physics of NASCAR

By Chris Dicicco

Even though NASCAR started as a backwoods illegal race to run moonshine, it has today evolved into a sport that is not only entertaining but depends on physics too. The obvious element in the physics of NASCAR is the aerodynamic design required by these cars in order to achieve top speeds of near 200 mph with the minimum drag coefficient. But there are other forces involved too such as Newton’s Law of Motion and centripetal force.

Newton’s Law of Motion states that a body will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by some external force. In outer space for example, in the absence of gravity, an object will go on forever. So there are forces that resist the movement of a NASCAR vehicle such as wind drag and another known as centripetal force.

Centripetal force should not be confused with centrifugal force. However without getting too technical, you can think of centripetal force as a real force acting perpendicular to the motion of the moving body. Centrifugal force on the other hand is actually a fictitious force and what we feel as we are thrown outward from a moving vehicle is the reaction force.

Centripetal force in the physics of NASCAR is crucial to keeping a car on the track. The tires of the vehicle provide the friction which is part of the centripetal force. The centripetal force needed to keep the car on the track cannot exceed the square of the speed of the car. To put it in simple terms, if the car takes a turn too fast, the wheels leave the ground and an accident occurs. The physics of NASCAR dictates that turns on the racetrack must be banked in order to increase the friction (part of the centripetal force) to hold the car.

Another component of physics of NASCAR that serves to keep the vehicle with all four wheels on the track during the race is center of gravity. Center of gravity is basically the point where you could balance the car on the top of a flag pole (theoretically). Racing vehicles need low centers of gravity in order to keep the weight close to the track. If a vehicle has a high center of gravity then it can lose control when it hits a turn much faster. Think of an ambulance with a high profile patient area. If the ambulance took a turn too fast, it would topple over. But if its profile was not too high, it could take the turn faster because the center of gravity is lower.

An ambulance needs the high profile in order to get patients in and treat them but the physics of NASCAR dictate the low center of gravity in order to apply more centripetal force and keep it attached to the track on a turn.

Then there is the machining of engine components in the physics of NASCAR that are important for building horsepower with the minimum of friction. You want friction when it comes to centripetal force but you don’t want it inside of an engine. This is why internal engine parts are machined to within very accurate tolerances—much more accurately than automobiles for family and everyday use. Why? It is because you want to minimize friction inside the engine. When engines torque at these speeds, friction is a very dangerous enemy.

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Audi Drivers Join SAMAX For Daytona 24

By Anthony Fontanelle

SAMAX Motorsport signed Audi factory drivers Allan McNish, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller to join Henri Zogaib in one of its Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototypes. The team, which returns to the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with powerful drivers, has one mission – and that is to win the race.

Last year, the team’s entry consisted of Milka Duno, Patrick Carpentier, Darren Manning and Ryan Dalziel and they finished less than two minutes behind the Chip Gansssi Racing machine, the victor. The SAMAX entry was in the midst of a three-car battle for the win during the closing hours but ended up settling for second place, according to Motorsport.com.

Baron intimated his goal to achieve ultimate Daytona glory this year. "I am sill amazed we have this lineup of drivers for the 24," said Baron. "We led a sizeable amount of last year's race and were happy to finish 2nd without any mechanical issues. This year we are doing everything possible to finish one position higher and get these drivers the Overall Victory Rolex Daytona watches they all deserve!"

Baron’s goal for 2008 is expected to be accomplished with the help of three iconic race drivers. McNish returns to the seat of a DP for the second time. Since then, McNish, driving the Audi R10 TDI with Rinaldo Capello, achieved Driver's Championships in the American Le Mans Series.

"I am pleased to join SAMAX Motorsport for the Daytona 24 Hours," said McNish. "The team has proved their worth in Grand-Am and especially at the 24 with a great 2nd overall last year. This year we have a strong driver lineup with my Audi team mates Lucas, Mike and myself joining Henri. [With] the Pontiac Riley combination and strong technical staff, we all hope to be challenging for victory."

McNish is nothing new to winning at Daytona. He achieved a class victory in 1998 and supported it with another second place overall finish in 1999. He also bagged overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998.

"Personally, I have always enjoyed this race," McNish added. "I have had some great runs there and finished 2nd overall on two occasions. It is a great warm-up to the season, and most teams have a strong car and driver lineups. But most importantly, it has a Rolex Daytona watch at the end for the winner."

Two of Audi drivers - Luhr and Rockenfeller - also sport a remarkable racing experience credentials. Luhr is a longtime Porsche driver. He grabbed the GT class win at the Rolex 24 in 2001. He entered Audi team last year after winning the LMP2 Driver's Championship with Sascha Maassen in 2006. He spent much of 2007 season competing in the German DTM Series, but also made two starts in Audi's R10 TDI prototype.

Rockenfeller, meanwhile, also spent last season racing mainly in the DTM. Before joining Audi team, the German was a regular rival in the Rolex Series. He will return for another season of DTM this year but will also be part of Audi's sports car program.

Race aficionados will certainly expect a heart-throbbing action this season. And drivers will hit the Audi clutch with much gusto.

Random Lugnuts: Same Old Story...

By Bill Crittenden

A history of open wheel racers in NASCAR...

Ekstrom Wants Audi To Improve Performance

By Anthony Fontanelle

Mattias Ekstrom, the reigning DTM title holder, believes that Audi has room to improve with the race performances in the upcoming season. Even though Ekstrom won his second title this year, he feels that his team was stronger in qualifying than they were in the races.

"We had a great year, and it was nice to get the title back from Mercedes," Ekstrom told autosport.com. "But it wasn't an easier year than any others. We were definitely very strong with our qualifying pace in the second half of the season, but we didn't always match that pace in the races. That's not a big problem, though, because you always have room to improve, and it means that we won't relax over the winter."

The DTM champion etched his name into the Race of Champions record books at Wembley Stadium as he became only the third driver in the two decade history of the event to successfully defend his reign.

Having knocked his Nations Cup team-mate Kristensen out in the first round, Ekstrom then defeated American Travis Pastrana in the quarter-final to secure his place in the semi-final against WTCC champion Priaulx, according to Yahoo Eurosport.

It left him against F1 legend Michael Schumacher in the best-of-three final, with Ekstrom taking victory in the opening heat at the wheel of the Solution F touring car. Schumi drew level in the ROC Buggy before a return to the Astra-based silhouette machine - with Ekstrom again victorious to lift the title for the second year in succession, the report continued.

"It is always difficult to win the Race of Champions because you have to beat 16 top drivers to take the title," he told Crash.net Radio. "I'm really proud because it is difficult to do it two times in a row. But I felt like I had a good evening with a good flow and I'm really happy.”

"It isn't easy to defend the title but I'll try to become the first person to do it three times in a row. That is in twelve months time though and a lot of water will flow under the bridge before then!" he added.

The team sponsored by the maker of Audi Fox radiators took five pole positions from the final five races this season, but an Audi driver only went on to win in two of those races. To stress, at Mugello and Zandvoort, they locked out the top five places on the grid, while they took the top three places at the Nurburgring and Hockenheim.