I had the pleasure of going down to Long Beach for the ALMS Practice and Race Friday and Saturday. As always both days were beautiful and pleasant. There is nothing quite like walking down the streets of downtown Long Beach and hearing the thundering roar of race motors echo off the skyscrapers just after dawn. Here is a very, very brief account of our days at the circuit. (continue reading…)

Honda recently demoed a Formula Ford with a Fit 1.5 liter engine at Road America. The Honda package is said to require less maintenance and use less fuel than the current 1.6 liter Ford “Kent” motor. The engine package will cost an estimated $12,000 dollars. This is great news to all the grassroots and beginning racers out there! Go grab a used Van Dieman or Swift chassis for nothing and start racing!

This car is currently being homologated to race in the Super GT series in Japan. It is Honda’s aborted replacement to the NSX. It looks as though we have missed out on an amazing car to drive, but we will have to suffice with watching it race. Members of HPD (Santa Clarita’s Honda Performance Development) division have expressed hope that the car will also be sent stateside to participate in the ALMS. For now, enjoy the sights and sounds of this beast lapping the legendary Suzuka Circuit.

Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have left Renault as the race fixing scandal comes to a head. This implication of guilt begs the question… what will happen to all of Renault’s 2008 points?  I’ve crunched some numbers and here is what I have:

If both Fernando Alonso and Nelsinho Piquet lose their points, nothing will change between Hamilton and Massa. One point still although they will both be 5 points richer

If just Piquet loses his points, then Massa goes up 3 points beating Hamilton by 2.

Check back on Sept. 21st for the results of the hearing…

Lotus has been announced as the 14th team to enter the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship. The renowned make that brought victories to the likes of Clark, Hill, Fittapaldi, Peterson, Andretti, and Senna is making a bid for the Championship with its Cosworth powered V8. One may recall, in 1967, when F1 bumped the engine displacement up from 2.0 liters to 3.0, Lotus dropped the faithful Coventry Climax engine in favor of the venerable Cosworth V8 that lead to Clark’s flood of victories and Hill’s World Championship in 1968. The Cosworth engine (the DFV) went on to lead a combination of other team’s to victory 10 times! Cosworth, as an engine manufacturer, is the second most victorious constructor behind Ferrari. So what’s the problem?

Cosworth will be representing all 4 of the new teams coming into F1. This is not an accident, according to David Richards. He states that as a stipulation to entrance to the championship, teams are required to run Cosworth engines. The Cosworth option is a great one, having been in the business as late as the 2007 season (supplying engines to the Toro Rosso team) but begs the question: Is the FIA pushing a one supplier engine rule? Prodrive, David Richard’s racing company, has run successful quests in various forms of Motorsport, most notably at LeMans. How is it that his company was not allowed to enter even though he had a far superior proposal, budget, and staff to any of the nearest competitors? This question in fact leads to another question. Why does the FIA want so badly to have a plethora of Cosworth powered vehicles? Why is this a stipulation to entry at all. I think all of these questions will be answered in time. Key events are needed to expose the truth. The first is seeing whether or not any rules changes are made that require the incumbent teams to standardize parts (e.g. the McLaren ECU). The second is to see if the engines actually perform. If they don’t will the teams be required to keep them? We will see, in time, what this gambit brings. For now, I fear that only dark clouds lay on the horizon.

As you may or may not know, the FIA is an all encompassing governing body for many of the premier forms of motorsport. The FIA has come under fire as of late for making late decisions on penalties after a race has been completed thereby demoting a drivers classification or disqualifying them all together. For those of us in the States who don’t have EuroSport, I’d like to show you a video I stumbled across on how far the mismanagement of the World Touring Car Championship has slipped. Looks pretty organized, eh?

I can’t believe that once again F1 has been embroiled in controversy as Nelson Piquet Jr. has alleged that he was ordered into the barrier at the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso, who had pitted his Renault early, would go on to lead the field after competitors dived into the pits under the safety car.

Flavio had to cheat with Schumi to win in 94, but Alonso beat Schumi in a fair fight. All Renault had to do this year was develop the car and not screw up pit stop after pit stop. For some reason the team can’t pull it together. Cheating to win, unfortunately, is terrible for not only the image of the team but for the sport as a whole.

Renault now face a true trial by fire. Sure to lose it’s star and already having lost it’s way, will Renault rise from the ashes of Alonso’s departure and this scandal to get back to winning habits?