(Photo by Jim Haines/INDYCAR)
Rookie Carlos Munoz (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Unistraw Chevrolet) topped the speed chart for the second time during the month of May on Thursday, May 16, as teams geared up for "Fast Friday" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Munoz, the Firestone Indy Lights point leader, set the fastest lap of the month, so far, with a lap of 225.163 mph (39.9711 seconds). The lap topped the previous best of the month by Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti (225.100 mph).

(Photo by John Cote/INDYCAR)
Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was second-quick with a lap of 225.006 (39.9990 seconds) in the No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet.
(Photo by John Cote/INDYCAR)

Marco Andretti, driving the No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet, was third quick on the day with a lap of 224.882 mph as Andretti Autosport swept the top three spots in practice on Thursday at The Speedway. Day 6 of on-track activity also featured 33 drivers for the first time as 1996 Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Lazier made his maiden appearance in the No. 91 Lazier Partners Racing car. NBC Sports Network will televise qualifying live from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday and noon-6:30 p.m. Sunday.
(Photo by Mike Young/INDYCAR)
Rookie Conor Daly (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing ABC Supply Honda) brought out the yellow flag for the first incident of the month when he made contact with the SAFER Barrier exiting Turn 1 midway through the session. He was checked at the infield care center and cleared to drive. "We had just made a change on the springs in the rear," Daly said. "For me, I felt comfortable the whole time. It's all been reasonably good. I was just trying to experience a little bit more with the car, and there was a car in front and me. The wind, it feels like it's been gusting more, and the rear was leaning hard on the outside tire, and it just kind of folded over on itself. I just lost it. Just not good."

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
Lucas Luhr (No. 6 Muscle Milk Honda Performance Development ARX-03a) took advantage of a late-race puncture for Neel Jani (No. 12 Rebellion Timepieces/Lemco Connectors/Speedy Garage Lola-Toyota, co-driven by Nick Heidfeld) to win the American Le Mans Monterey for the second straight year in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón on Saturday. Luhr and co-driver Klaus Graf are the first drivers to repeat at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 2007. Luhr won by 6.352 seconds thanks to a late-race caution and a one-lap dash to the finish. Jani and Heidfeld had led most of the race’s first half, with Luhr’s aggressive move in the Corkscrew to get around Jani coming just past the two-hour mark. The two cars swapped the lead four times over the final 34 laps and made contact with 40 minutes left. “After contact, the car was trashed,” Luhr said. “Aerodynamically it was all messed up and mechanically I could feel the toe-link or something was broken. But I could fight it around. I knew the Rebellion car was much quicker on the straights so I knew (passing Jani in the Corkscrew) would be my only chance. The choice was good, but in the moment I thought maybe it wasn't such a good idea now that the rumble strips are throwing my car around.” With the win Luhr became the ALMS’ all-time leader in wins with 43. Katherine Legge and Andy Meyrick were third in class in DeltaWing Racing Cars’ No. 0 DeltaWing LM12 although they finished near the back of the field. Legge is the first woman driver to finish on the P1 podium in the ALMS. Check out John Thawley's smokin' hot images from Laguna Seca here.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia  (No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R) won yet another knock-down, drag-out battle in the GT class, with the first five cars finishing within three seconds of each other. The duo led for the final three hours, 15 minutes but their lead was never more than five seconds the entire way. Garcia finished 0.982 seconds ahead of Bryan Sellers in the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (co-driven by Wolf Henzler). “I thought today, with as perfect as we've been driving, if we don't get this win, I wouldn’t know what else to do,” Garcia said. “Everything worked, right where it needed to be. I think last year we had something like five second-place finishes, so we really deserved a win or two.” The top eight cars in the class ran nose-to-tail and nine seconds covered the group well into the race’s second half. The GT battle ultimately came down to pit stops. The No. 3 Corvette Racing crew was four seconds quicker during its four stops than the Falken team during the GT class battle. “Today was one of the most perfect races we've had with Corvette Racing,” Magnussen said. “We were under pressure the whole way. We never had a big lead, we really had to work through traffic and not get stopped by the slower cars and lose too much time. It was a matter of being 100 percent precise the whole race.” Dirk Müller and John Edwards finished third in the No. 56 BMW North America, LLC/Crowne Plaza BMW Z4 GTE. (The No. 17 Porsche failed its stall test in post-race technical inspection however, stripping the team and drivers of all points and prize money. The No. 17 outfit does retain second in the final GT race standings.)

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
Marino Franchitti and Scott Tucker led a 1-2 finish for Level 5 Motorsports, the team’s second such result of the season. Their No. 551 Siemens/Alpina Watches/Ohiya Casino Resort HPD ARX-03b was 5.578 seconds ahead of the No. 552  sister car, which Tucker drove with Ryan Briscoe. The No. 01 Extreme Speed Motorsports Tequila Patrón HPD ARX-03b of Guy Cosmo and Scott Sharp finished third after two early stops to change flat tires, the last of which occurred while the car was leading.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
Luis Diaz (No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Molecule ORECA FLM09, co-driven by Michael Guasch) got around CORE autosport’s Colin Braun (No. 05 Composite Resources ORECA co-drieven by Jonathan Bennett) on the final restart to win for the second time in three races in Prototype Challenge presented by Continental Tire. Tristan Nunez and Charlie Shears placed third in PC driving Performance Tech Motorsports’ No. 18 VisitFlorida.com/Ric Man/Signature MSAP entry.

(ALMS)
Nick Tandy (No. 30 NGT Motorsport MOMO Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, co-driven by Henrique Cisneros) got by Andy Lally (No. 27 Dempsey Del Piero Racing Tully’s Coffee Porsche, co-driven by Patrick Dempsey) near the halfway point of the final lap to win in GT Challenge. NGT won for the second race in a row. Alex Job Racing’s Cooper MacNeil and Jeroen Bleekemolen were third in the No. 22 WeatherTech Porsche. The next round (after the 24 Hours of Le Mans) of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. The race, from Lime Rock Park, is set for 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 6 with live coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN3.

(Photos by Bret Kelley for Chevrolet)
The all-new, seventh-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will serve as the Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500, leading the field for the 97th running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," on Sunday, May 26, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Decked out in Laguna Blue Tintcoat with official Indianapolis 500 graphics on the doors, the Corvette Stingray Pace Car differs from production models by only track-mandated safety features and strobe lights. No powertrain upgrades will be required due to its all-new 6.2L LT1 V8, which features advanced direct fuel injection, continuously variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation). That translates to an estimated 450 horsepower delivered more efficiently. The 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe goes on sale this fall, with a convertible model – featuring a fully electronic top that can be operated remotely with the key fob – coming a few months later.

Chevrolet has a long shared history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and the IZOD IndyCar Series. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-mile race, and the Chevrolet brothers – company co-founder Louis, Arthur and Gaston – all competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur Chevrolet competed in the 1911 race and Gaston Chevrolet won it in 1920.

Chevrolet competed in Indy-type competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V8 engines, and returned in 2012 with the Chevrolet IndyCar twin-turbo V6 engine with direct injection. In that time, Chevrolet won 118 IndyCar races, powered seven driver series champions and scored seven Indianapolis 500 victories. 2013 marks the 24th time a Chevrolet has served as the official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500, more than any other brand, dating to 1948 with a Chevrolet Fleetmaster. Camaro has served in the role seven times and, with this year’s running, Corvette has paced the field a record 12 times.

(Fuzzy's Premium Vodka)
Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka, the Official Vodka of INDYCAR, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 and primary sponsor for Ed Carpenter Racing, has unveiled the Checkered Flag Limited Edition bottle.  Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka - owned by former Masters and U.S. Open champion Fuzzy Zoeller - captured the prestigious Chairman’s Trophy at the 2012 Ultimate Spirits Challenge for the Best Unflavored Vodka, as well as a Great Value Award. Fuzzy’s has also received the coveted gold medal and 94 rating from the Beverage Testing Institute three times. Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka will also sponsor the Fuzzy’s Triple Crown for INDYCAR in 2013.

(Honda)
Ladies and gentlemen, Honda is back! Honda will participate in the Formula One World Championship beginning in the 2015 season under a joint project with McLaren, the UK-based F1 corporation. Honda will be in charge of the development, manufacture and supply of the power unit, including the engine and energy recovery system, while McLaren will be in charge of the development and manufacture of the chassis, as well as the management of the new team, McLaren Honda. Beginning in 2014, new F1 regulations require the introduction of a 1.6 litre direct injection turbocharged V6 engine with energy recovery systems. "The opportunity to further develop these powertrain technologies through the challenge of racing is central to Honda’s decision to participate in F1. Throughout its history, Honda has passionately pursued improvements in the efficiency of the internal combustion engine and in more recent years, the development of pioneering energy management technologies such as hybrid systems. Participation in Formula 1 under these new regulations will encourage even further technological progress in both these areas. Furthermore, a new generation of Honda engineers can experience the challenges and the thrills of operating at the pinnacle of motorsport," according to the press release. “Ever since its establishment, Honda has been a company which grows by taking on challenges in racing," Takanobu Ito, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said. "Honda has a long history of advancing our technologies and nurturing our people by participating in the world’s most prestigious automobile racing series. The new F1 regulations with their significant environmental focus will inspire even greater development of our own advanced technologies and this is central to our participation in F1. We have the greatest respect for the FIA’s decision to introduce these new regulations that are both highly challenging but also attractive to manufacturers that pursue environmental technologies and to Formula One Group2, which has developed F1 into a high value, top car racing category supported by enthusiastic fans. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Jean Todt, the President of FIA1 and to Mr. Bernie Ecclestone, the CEO of Formula One Group2 who showed great understanding and cooperation to help realize our participation in F1 racing. The corporate slogan of Honda is 'The Power of Dreams.' This slogan represents our strong desire to pursue and realize our dreams together with our customers and fans. Together with McLaren, one of the most distinguished F1 constructors, Honda will mark a new beginning in our challenges in F1.”

(Photo by John Cote for IndyCar)
James Hinchcliffe (No. 27 Andretti Autosport GoDaddy.com Chevrolet/Dallara) battled Takuma Sato (No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing ABC Supply Honda/Dallara) over the final laps and got by him with a brilliantly executed pass in the last corner to win the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle by .3463 of a second, preventing A.J. Foyt Racing from earning consecutive victories. Hinchcliffe, who won the season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Fla., earned his second career victory and the third for Andretti Autosport this season. He is the first Canadian to win in Brazil since Greg Moore at Rio on May 10, 1998. Watch the end of the Sao Paulo IndyCar race here.

(Photo by Chris Jones for IndyCar)
"Hinch did a great job and the guys did a good job," Takuma Sato (No. 14 ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Racing Honda/Dallara) said. "Today we started from 12^th so it was a really solid day for us. It was a great, great race, and we're carrying good momentum into Indianapolis. "

(Photo for IndyCar by John Cote)
Marco Andretti (No. 25 Andretti Autosport RC Cola Chevrolet/Dallara) finished on the podium for the second time this season (and his fourth consecutive top 10). Andretti made a conscious effort to up his game this year and it shows. "It was a lot of fun," Andretti said. "It was dicey at some points. Really it was just about conserving the push-to-passes for when it counts. At the end I was kind of using it when people weren't expecting me to use it so I could kind of snooker them. Looking from practice 1, I'm quite pleased with where we ended up today. Congratulations to the Go Daddy crew. The RC Cola car is looking good in points now."

(Photo for IndyCar by John Cote)
James Hinchcliffe is joined on the podium by Marco Andretti and Takuma Sato. "There's no cooler way to win a race - in the last corner of the last lap," said Hinchcliffe, who led the four Andretti Autosport cars finishing in the top 11. "Takuma was making that race car really wide and he was defending the inside pretty well, almost too well a couple times. He just outbroke himself just a little bit and I was able to do a high-low (pass) and got the win." Sato takes a 13-point lead over Andretti in the championship standings heading into the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 26. Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet/Dallara), who led in points through three races, is third (20 points behind) after placing 13th on the 2.536-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit. Hinchcliffe moved to fourth (24 points back). Pole sitter Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet/Dallara) finished 11th. Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet/Dallara), who had won the previous three races in Brazil, had gained 12 spots from his 22nd starting position. But a fire in the No. 12 car on Lap 19 ended his day.

(Photo by John Cotes for IndyCar)
Oriol Servia placed fourth after starting 13th in the No. 22 Panther Racing/DRR Chevrolet/Dallara. It was his best outing since finishing fourth at Milwaukee last June. Josef Newgarden (above), who was running .5285 of a second behind Sato on Lap 70 of 75, finished a career-high fifth in the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda/Dallara after making up 20 spots relative to his starting position. "I thought we had a really strong race. Good solid points, top five is really good going into Indy, especially considering where we started. And that's exactly what we wanted to do coming out of here is to score solid points and get good momentum going into the 500, and I think we have that." The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live at 11 a.m. (ET) by ABC. The IMS Radio Network will also carry the race live on Sirius and XM channels 211. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Firestone Freedom 100 on May 24 at IMS. It will be telecast live by NBC Sports Network during its coverage of Carb Day.

(© 2013, Russell LaBounty/autostock)
David Ragan (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Farm Rich Ford Fusion) scored a stunning win in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. Ragan steered clear of a couple of multi-car smash-ups - including yet another "Big One" in the final five laps - to win his second career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. This was after a rain and storm delay that totaled 3 hours and 36 minutes. Ragan got a huge assist from Front Row Motorsports teammate Dave Gilliland (No. 38 FRM Love's Travel Stops Ford Fusion), blew by Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Husky Toyota Camry) and stormed to the win. It was the first Cup win for Front Row team owner Bob Jenkins which triggered an exuberant celebration in Victory Lane. Watch the video highlights from Talladega here.

(© 2013, Russell LaBounty/autostock)
Teammates David Ragan and David Gilliland fly in formation in their Ford Fusions on their way to a 1-2 finish for Front Row Motorsports in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

(© 2013, Brian Czobat/autostock USA)
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Fastenal Ford Fusion) waits for practice to begin at Talladega. Edwards finished third in the race making it a 1-2-3 sweep for Ford on Sunday.

Ryan Newman. After the crash-fest near the end of the Talladega race - where Kurt Busch's car ended up on his roof and windshield - Newman blasted NASCAR in no uncertain terms on national television. ''They can build safer race cars, they can build safer walls. But they can't get their heads out of their asses far enough to keep them on the race track, and that's pretty disappointing,'' Newman said. ''I wanted to make sure I get that point across. Y'all can figure out who 'they' is.'' The "they" he is referring to, of course, is the powers that be at NASCAR. ''That's no way to end a race. That's just poor judgment in restarting the race, poor judgment,'' Newman said, criticizing NASCAR for restarting the race with 10 laps remaining despite the burgeoning darkness. ''I mean, you got what you wanted, but poor judgment and running in the dark and running in the rain. That's it, thank you.'' Amen, Ryan, amen. And that's also our AE Quote of the Week.

(Photos by Bret Kelley for Chevrolet)
The all-new, seventh-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will serve as the Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500, leading the field for the 97th running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," on Sunday, May 26, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Decked out in Laguna Blue Tintcoat with official Indianapolis 500 graphics on the doors, the Corvette Stingray Pace Car differs from production models by only track-mandated safety features and strobe lights. No powertrain upgrades will be required due to its all-new 6.2L LT1 V8, which features advanced direct fuel injection, continuously variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation). That translates to an estimated 450 horsepower delivered more efficiently. The 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe goes on sale this fall, with a convertible model – featuring a fully electronic top that can be operated remotely with the key fob – coming a few months later.

Chevrolet has a long shared history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and the IZOD IndyCar Series. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-mile race, and the Chevrolet brothers – company co-founder Louis, Arthur and Gaston – all competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur Chevrolet competed in the 1911 race and Gaston Chevrolet won it in 1920.

Chevrolet competed in Indy-type competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V8 engines, and returned in 2012 with the Chevrolet IndyCar twin-turbo V6 engine with direct injection. In that time, Chevrolet won 118 IndyCar races, powered seven driver series champions and scored seven Indianapolis 500 victories. 2013 marks the 24th time a Chevrolet has served as the official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500, more than any other brand, dating to 1948 with a Chevrolet Fleetmaster. Camaro has served in the role seven times and, with this year’s running, Corvette has paced the field a record 12 times.

(Toyota)
TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) will send a revamped TMG EV P002 to Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to defend its electric title. Based on data gained from last year’s record-breaking run of 10 minutes 15.380 seconds, engineers at TMG’s electric vehicle technology center have generated more performance from the TMG powertrain to further improve that mark. The TMG EV P002 has already established the current electric records at Pikes Peak and Nürburgring Nordschleife. The car is currently on its way to Salisbury, N.C., where TOYOTA Racing Development U.S.A. Inc. (TRD USA) will perform aerodynamic upgrades to the Radical-based chassis as well as track testing. Rod Millen - the highly-decorated, 61-year-old New Zealander - will drive the TMG EV P002 at Pikes Peak on June 30.

(© BMW AG)
Agusto Farfus (Castrol Edge BMW M3 DTM) won the 2013 DTM season opener at Hockenheim last weekend. Here he's shown running ahead of Martin Tomczyk (BMW M Performance Parts M3 DTM) and Dirk Werner (Team Schnitzer SAMSUNG BMW M3 DTM). Werner battled back from 20th on the grid to finish second. In doing so, he completed the first one-two for BMW since the Bavarian manufacturer returned to the DTM in 2012.

Derrick Walker. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Robin Miller is reporting that the longtime IndyCar pro will become the president of racing operations for IndyCar, with a formal announcement expected next week. Ed Carpenter informed his team of Walker's impending move on Wednesday (Walker had been team manager for Carpenter's IndyCar team). Walker also has an ALMS sports car team which is competing at Laguna Seca this weekend. It has been common knowledge in IndyCar inner circles that Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles has been talking to the 68-year-old Walker for the past three months to be his racing lieutenant, a move that ironically would have been tremendously beneficial to Randy Bernard had he stayed. (Bernard tried to convince Walker to join him but it never happened.) This is a great move for IndyCar. No, it won't fix everything that's wrong but it is a much-needed step in the right direction. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out the Porsche Motorsports "Mission 2014" site here. Excellent stuff... - PMD

(Photo by Alan Marler for Chevrolet)
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Bell Helicopters Chevrolet SS) used a fresh set of tires and an advantageous yellow flag to win Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 in a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway. Harvick (above) with teamate Jeff Burton (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Airgas/Bulwark Chevrolet SS) close behind, charged to the front at the end of the race when it counted. Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Depend Chevrolet SS) had a chance to break his 94-race winless streak but was pleased with his top-five finish after struggling for decent finishes for more than a year. Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Serta Chevrolet SS) and Tony Stewart (No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS), repeatedly bashed each other with their Chevrolets on the cool-down lap. Stewart was fifth on the final restart but dropped to 18th at the finish after Busch shoved him out of the racing groove during the last two chaotic laps, but they were far from the only ones as the frammin' and bammin' was prevalent throughout the field. “My car launched, and I was able to drive it in the first corner and hope for the best down there,” Harvick said. “I figured four, eight, 12 ... (however) many tires that were on the outside of me would be better than none. It all worked out, and here we are."

(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
The decision to come to pit road for tires under the final caution was a no-brainer, agreed Harvick and crew chief Gil Martin. “When the tires fall off almost two seconds, you've got to come in and get tires,” he said. “There's not very many guys that stayed out. It all worked out tonight. We've been on the other side of it this year, so to be in Victory Lane is great." Clint Bowyer (No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota Care Toyota Camry) led 113 laps but didn’t have a car that could stay with Harvick at the end, finishing second. “We had a good car -- we just didn’t have a great car,” Bowyer said. “It seemed like we were just too tight on the throttle. … It really got wild there at the end. I was just lucky enough to be on the bottom (for the final restart). “They started making holes up there in front of me, and the seas parted, and I just followed suit behind Harvick. It was a good run.” Joey Logano (No. 22 Roger Penske Racing Shell-Penzoil Ford Fusion) was third.

(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
The Coulda-Woulda-Shoulda quotient was high for Montoya and Kurt Busch but in the end Harvick beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line by .343 seconds on the .75-mile short track to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season, his third at Richmond and the 20th of his career. This is his last year with Richard Childress Racing. Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet SS) finished twelfth in a tough night, but he now leads second-place Carl Edwards (No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Geek Squad Ford Fusion, sixth Saturday) by 43 points and Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Quaker State Chevrolet SS) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports National Guard Chevrolet SS, 10th at Richmond) by 46 points. Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Roger Penske Racing Redd's Apple Ale Ford Fusion) finished 33rd after battling hard all night, only only to drop a cylinder in the late going. Watch the Richmond video highlights here.

(Photos courtesy of the McLaren Group)
As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, McLaren will showcase a selection of legendary models from the company’s heritage collection at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Alongside some of the most famous race- and championship-winning models from the brand’s illustrious past will be the latest model from McLaren GT - the McLaren 12C GT Can-Am Edition - which will be showcased in the run up the Goodwood Hill. The legendary McLaren name was forged in the glorious years of Can-Am racing throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with McLaren Racing claiming five back-to-back championships between 1969 and 1974, making it the most successful team in the history of the championship. The original McLaren Can-Am racers were campaigned by great names from motorsport history including Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme (as well as Dan Gurney and Peter Revson), and are the inspiration for the 12C GT Can-Am Edition. This latest project from McLaren GT is the rawest, most track-focused model built by McLaren Group’s race car manufacturing arm, to-date. Like the cars with which it shares the famous motorsport badge, the 12C GT Can-Am Edition features a powerful V8 engine, with the new model fitted with an unrestricted version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo power plant from the 12C GT3. Further modifications over the race-winning 12C GT3 include an optimized aerodynamics package and a passenger seat, to allow the blistering performance of this latest track car to be shared. The track-only 12C GT Can-Am Edition will be produced in strictly limited numbers, with no more than 30 being built globally. This exclusivity is fitting for the most powerful 12C produced to-date and a worthy tribute to the first McLaren model to wear the Can-Am name since 1972, according to McLaren PR. A short, high-definition video showing the M8D Can-Am racer in detail and the 12C GT Can-Am Edition on track can be viewed here.

And speaking of McLaren, the new P1 is undergoing final development testing at harsh weather sites around the world, including the frozen landscapes of the Arctic Circle, in northern Sweden. Watch a video here.

Road America, Yamaha. Yamaha has become the Official Motorcycle of Road America as part of a multi-year agreement. Additionally, Yamaha will also play an integral role at the track as part of Road America's successful motorcycle school programs to educate two-wheel enthusiasts. Endorsed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), Road America's Basic Rider Courses are taught by award-winning rider coaches who have completed extensive training through the MSF and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Successful completion of the school's basic rider course enables participants to obtain a Class M endorsement on their driver's license from the WisDOT.  As part of being an official partner of Road America, Yamaha will have a presence through multiple areas of the venue and fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the GEICO Motorcycle AMA ProRacing Subway SuperBike Doubleheader, May 31-June 2, at local dealerships. As part of the Road America Motorcycle Schools, Yamaha motorcycles will be used exclusively to train beginner and advanced students how to ride safe. Registration is now open and all courses are offered from April through November. A current schedule of courses is available online at www.roadamerica.com or by calling Road America, 800-365-7223.

(McLaren Automotive)
A new web experience, entitled ‘Designed by Air’ is the first of a two-part series telling the story behind the McLaren P1 design. Frank Stephenson, Design Director at McLaren Automotive explains: “Our main objective with the McLaren P1™ was to design the best driver’s car in the world, on road and track. Managing air flow in and around the car’s bodywork and optimizing aerodynamics was key in achieving this goal. This design philosophy crafted the highly unique and emotive shape of the car. 'The online ‘Designed by Air’ experience developed for the McLaren P1™ captures the essence and detail of the car’s aerodynamic design in an immersive and engaging way.” The McLaren P1 experience can be found at www.designedbyair.com.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Just for grins watch as Mark Gene, Scuderia Ferrari's official test-driver, sets an (unofficial) lap record - a 1:05.78 - at Laguna Seca last May in a Ferrari F1 car during the Ferrari Racing Days special track event. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Robin Miller hits one out of the park commenting on the latest stupidity to come out of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Read it here. - PMD

(Photos by Bret Kelley for Chevrolet)
The all-new, seventh-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will serve as the Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500, leading the field for the 97th running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," on Sunday, May 26, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Decked out in Laguna Blue Tintcoat with official Indianapolis 500 graphics on the doors, the Corvette Stingray Pace Car differs from production models by only track-mandated safety features and strobe lights. No powertrain upgrades will be required due to its all-new 6.2L LT1 V8, which features advanced direct fuel injection, continuously variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation). That translates to an estimated 450 horsepower delivered more efficiently. The 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe goes on sale this fall, with a convertible model – featuring a fully electronic top that can be operated remotely with the key fob – coming a few months later.

Chevrolet has a long shared history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and the IZOD IndyCar Series. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-mile race, and the Chevrolet brothers – company co-founder Louis, Arthur and Gaston – all competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur Chevrolet competed in the 1911 race and Gaston Chevrolet won it in 1920.

Chevrolet competed in Indy-type competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V8 engines, and returned in 2012 with the Chevrolet IndyCar twin-turbo V6 engine with direct injection. In that time, Chevrolet won 118 IndyCar races, powered seven driver series champions and scored seven Indianapolis 500 victories. 2013 marks the 24th time a Chevrolet has served as the official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500, more than any other brand, dating to 1948 with a Chevrolet Fleetmaster. Camaro has served in the role seven times and, with this year’s running, Corvette has paced the field a record 12 times.

(Infiniti)
Sebastian Vettel (No. 1 Red Bull Racing-Renault) dominated the Formula One Grand Prix of Bahrain and has now pulled out a 10-point lead in the F1 championship. Kimi Raikkonen (No. 7 Lotus-Renault) was second, followed by Romain Grosjean (No. 8 Lotus-Renault). Incredibly, it was Vettel's 28th Grand Prix win in his young career, pushing him past Jackie Stewart on the all-time F1 win list. 

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr (No. 6 Honda Performance Development ARX-03a) won for the third straight year at Long Beach as Muscle Milk Pickett Racing posted its first victory of the season in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón on Saturday afternoon. Graf beat Rebellion Racing’s Nick Heidfeld by 36.329 seconds in the P1 class of the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach. “We've definitely had 100 percent the right strategy,” Graf said. “The way the race unfolded, it was perfect. The guys did an awesome job in the pits - no mistakes. The Michelin street soft tires ran excellent - we ran the entire race on just one set. It was such a great weekend, and I am so proud of everybody.” The victory moved Luhr into a tie for ALMS career victories (42), a mark he shares with Olivier Beretta. Check out ace lens man John Thawley's outstanding images from Long Beach here.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
Extreme Speed Motorsports finished 1-2 in its second race as part of the P2 class with Scott Sharp and Guy Cosmo winning in the No. 01 HPD ARX-03b. The ESM team took advantage of trouble for defending class winner Level 5 Motorsports, which suffered contact and penalties in the pits. “It feels great,” said Sharp, who was a P2 winner at Long Beach in 2008 with Patrón Highcroft Racing. “With the strength of Level 5, we thought it would take longer than this. We really did a great job as a team coming together. The team has been flat out for two months. We knew as a team it would take a while to figure this car out and get some testing in. It's great to be back and winning in a prototype car.”  

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
BMW Team RLL – co-owned by IndyCar champion Bobby Rahal, late-night television star David Letterman and Chicago businessman Mike Lanigan – won in GT in just its second race with its new BMW Z4 GTE as No. 55 co-drivers Bill Auberlen and Maxime Martin led a 1-2 finish in class ahead of Joey Hand and Dirk Muller in the No. 56 team car. Auberlen got around Dominik Farnbacher in the No. 91 SRT Viper GTS-R when Farnbacher went wide into Turn 1. “Unbelievable. This thing was a rocket all day,” said Auberlen, who scored his first Long Beach win after a number of close calls in a variety of series. “We had some bad luck; that bad luck turned to good luck. Our pit strategy worked out perfect. Everybody here in Long Beach, I’m from Redondo Beach. I’m your neighbor and I love you guys. I’ve wanted to win this thing forever and never have. What a great day for BMW.” Farnbacher (and Marc Goossens) finished third for SRT Motorsports.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
Colin Braun and team owner Jon Bennett (No. 05 ORECA FLM09) took the Prototype Challenge presented by Continental Tire class victory for CORE autosport. Braun finished third overall after leading the race near the midway point. Bennett pitted from third in class at the 40-minute mark, and Braun assumed the lead for good five minutes later on the race’s final restart. Braun led overall for 10 minutes before Graf got around him. “This was my first time leading an ALMS race overall. I did it for what felt like forever,” he said. “I thought maybe we could have won it. I had a great coaching from the pits to help me conserve the fuel to get it all the way to the end. What a great win.” CORE’s victory came less than three weeks after team member and Bennett’s business partner Ralph Brown passed away following a brain aneurysm in September. That made Saturday even more meaningful to Bennett and his team. “I took to racing because of the manufacturing company that I own. I get to go racing because I had a great partner back home keeping the business racing,” Bennett said in tribute. “We definitely had some help from above looking over us. I'm really proud to have a win today.”

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
NGT Motorsport’s Sean Edwards (No. 30 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) held of a late challenge from Spencer Pumpelly and won with Henrique Cisneros in GT Challenge by just 2.130 seconds. Both NGT teammates led during their stints, and Edwards took the lead for good shortly after the race’s last restart. He went nearly 80 minutes on the same Yokohama tires and fuel. Nelson Canache Jr., drove with Pumpelly in the runner-up No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche. The No. 44 Flying Lizard team car of Brian Wong and Dion von Moltke placed third.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
The No. 12 Rebellion Lola B12/60 Toyota won the prototype portion of the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge for its superior environmental efficiency combined with its strong competitive performance.

Corvette Racing’s Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia won the GT portion of the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge in their No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. It emitted the least amount of emissions of the class and combined that with optimum speed and fuel consumption. Next up for the ALMS is the American Le Mans Monterey from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday, May 11, the third round of the 10-race ALMS championship. ESPN2’s coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 12 with live coverage is available on ESPN3 starting at 6:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 11. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch races live on ALMS.com. The series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, timing and scoring, and car-to-pit radio for all users around the world. 

(John Cote - IndyCar)
Takuma Sato (No. 14 ABC Supply Honda) started fourth in the 80-lap Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit and went on to capture his first IZOD IndyCar series win, providing A.J. Foyt Racing its first victory since July 7, 2002, at Kansas Speedway. "Takuma made it look too easy," team director and race strategist Larry Foyt said. "It made me so nervous watching it out there. He just drove a flawless race." Sato, making his 52nd IZOD IndyCar Series start, overtook Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet) for second on Lap 23 and assumed the lead on Lap 30 when race leader Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet) pitted under yellow. The remainder of the race Sato's machine was strong on both the Firestone primary and alternate tires. Sato became the first driver from Japan to win an Indy car race.

(Richard Dowdy - IndyCar)
Graham Rahal (No. 15 RLL Racing Midas/Big O Tires Honda) finished second in Long Beach. It was the best finish for Rahal since finishing second at Texas last June. "I think we just performed the way we ought to each and every weekend... To be honest it just feels phenomenal to get this result. God I came so close to winning yet again. On the last restart if (Charlie) Kimball weren't in the way we would have had a great run at it. And clearly he overshot himself into (Turn) 1. Man it felt so good to be on the podium here."

(John Cote - IndyCar)
Justin Wilson (No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda) came back from the back of the grid to finish third in Long Beach in a superb run. "It was a little bit of luck, circumstances and the team did a great job on strategy. We pitted on Lap 5 or 6. Came in and put the reds on. We had plenty of reds because we didn't qualify. We just went out there and pushed hard the entire race. I think that helped having an extra set, being able to pick a few people off. It's great to get this result for the Boy Scouts of America and everyone at Dale Coyne Racing. They've worked hard to put the car back together on Friday so I have to thank them. It's also good for Honda here at Long Beach to get 1-2-3-4. I think it's fantastic."

(Chris Jones - IndyCar)
"It was just a perfect weekend to be honest," said Sato, whose previous best finish was second at Edmonton in 2012. "The team did a tremendous job. It is great news for the Japanese. Japan has had such a tough time after the earthquake. I'm really happy to give everybody some good news." Larry Foyt (Managing Director, A.J. Foyt Racing) had this to say afterward: "I wish (A.J.) was here. We hate it because he is definitely our big leader and he is the big boss man. This is for him." Sato came to prominence when he made that win-or-else move on Dario Franchitti in Turn 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last May for the win in the "500." Congratulations to Sato on a much deserved win and congratulations to Larry Foyt who forged this team into a competitive organization.

(John Cote - IndyCar)
Carlos Munoz (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Dialy-Ser) won the Firestone Indy Lights Long Beach 100 from the pole position. It was the second consecutive flag-to-flag victory for Munoz. Gabby Chaves (No. 7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports c/w Curb-Agajanian) finished second and Sage Karam (No. 8 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports c/w Curb-Agajanian) was third. Munoz moved to first in the championship standings heading to the Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 24.

(Grand-Am)
Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley) dominated the Visual Studio Ultimate Grand Prix of Atlanta, the first GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race run at Road Atlanta. The pair combined to lead 94 of the 120 circuits on the 2.54-mile circuit. It was their second victory of the season – and extended their lead in the Daytona Prototype standings to seven points over Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty. Ryan Dalziel finished second in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley started by Alex Popow, 17.781 seconds back, followed by Gurney and Fogarty in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP.

(Grand-Am)
John Edwards (No. 9 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro started by Mike Bell) held off steady pressure from Andy Lally (No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche Carrera started by Dr. Jim Norman) to retain the lead and the win in Saturday’s PricewaterhouseCoopers 250, the first race for the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Road Atlanta. Nick Mancuso and Frank Montecalvo took third after a solid run in the No. 16 Multimatic Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage.
 

 (Grand-Am)
Terry Borcheller passed Connor Bloum shortly after the final restart and went on to give Burton Racing its first Street Tuner victory in the No. 23 BMW 128i started by Mike LaMarra. Bloum finished second in the No. 80 BimmerWorld Racing BMW 328 started by Greg Strelzoff. The PwC 250 will be televised on Saturday, April 27, on SPEED at 2 p.m. ET The next Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race will be at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, June 15.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Husky Toyota Camry) won the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway Sunday. Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS), who narrowed what had been a lead of more than one second to .151 seconds at the finish, was second and Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet SS) was third. The victory was Kenseth's second at Kansas, his second of the season and the 26th of his career. Check out NASCAR videos from last weekend here. From the AP's Jenna Fryer: NASCAR slammed Matt Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing with one of the largest penalties in NASCAR history Wednesday after the engine from Kenseth's race-winning car at Kansas failed a post-race inspection. The team had nothing to do with the error, and manufacturer Toyota immediately accepted responsibility for one of eight connecting rods failing to meet the minimum weight requirement by 3 grams - less than an empty envelope. ''We take full responsibility for this issue with the engine. JGR is not involved in the process of selecting parts or assembling the Cup Series engines,'' Toyota Racing Development President Lee White said. Kenseth got to keep the trophy from Sunday's win at Kansas, but that's it. He was docked 50 driver points in the standings - he earned only 48 points for the victory - and NASCAR also deleted the three bonus points he earned for the win that would have been applied in seeding for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. In addition, the victory will not be credited toward his eligibility for a wild card berth in the Chase. So, although Kenseth has two wins on the year, the Kansas win does not count in any form toward Chase eligibility. He lost his pole award, too, which could hurt eligibility for next year's Sprint Unlimited exhibition race. The penalty dropped Kenseth from eighth to 14th in the standings. NASCAR also suspended crew chief Jason Ratcliff for six races and fined him $200,000. And in a rare move, car owner Joe Gibbs had his owner's license suspended for the next six races and he won't earn car owner points during that time. He also was docked 50 car owner points while Toyota, which supplies the JGR engines through Costa Mesa, Calif.-based TRD, lost five points in the manufacturer standings. JGR said it would appeal.

(Image by Keith Rizzo, courtesy of the Circuit of The Americas)
Marc Marquez (No. 93 Repsol Honda) has become the youngest ever race winner in MotoGP™, winning Sunday’s inaugural Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas in spectacular, elbow-dragging style from teammate Dani Pedrosa, in Austin, Texas. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo completed the podium. Marquez, the brilliant 20-year old Spanish MotoGP rookie phenom not only claimed his very first pole position, but also his very first MotoGP race. In doing so, he sent a message that a new force had arrived in MotoGP racing. Marquez also became the youngest driver ever to win a Moto GP race - in just his second start - at the first international motorcycle Grand Prix held at the new Circuit of The Americas™. Marquez achieved his first win at age 20 and 63 days. He takes the record set 21 years ago by former American MotoGP rider and two-time series champion Freddie Spencer, whose first win came at the Belgian MotoGP race in Spa Francorchamps when he was 20 years, 196 days old.

(Photo by Milagro)
Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi set aside his factory Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike to take a shot behind the wheel of Kyle Busch’s Nationwide Toyota Camry at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday. Busch – winner of the last three NASCAR Nationwide races – met with Rossi and took him on a tour of the car. From there, Valentino was given a headset and listened in while Busch put in numerous high-speed laps on the oval. Upon pulling into the pits, Busch downloaded information to help get Rossi up to speed as quickly as possible. Then, "The Doctor" climbed into the 650-horsepower racer and motored out onto the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. Once he got the car up to speed – around 185 miles per hour – Rossi became more and more comfortable, and in doing so, his lap times dropped dramatically. When it was over, Rossi said, “It was so cool to understand the feeling! I have a lot of friends from Europe and Italy who follow NASCAR. It looks like it’s a completely different type of racing than what we do in Europe and I expected something more like this – exciting, high speed and a great feeling in the corner. In the bank you have a lot of grip, so you are glued on the racetrack. It was great, I enjoyed it a lot. I love driving the race car, and I always have, so it was exciting to drive a NASCAR.” “I think Rossi is a really cool dude," Busch said. “And as far as driving the car, I thought he did pretty good. He started out a little slow, which is fine, but every lap he picked it up a lot. He got to where he was running some competitive lap speeds – times that would put him in the top-15 in Nationwide Series practice. That’s pretty good for a guy in his first start, who is just coming over and getting used to things and someone that is used to driving on two wheels.”

Editor's Note: Another cool Porsche video here. - WG

(Photo© 2013, Brian Czobat. autostock USA)
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Pensek Racing Miller Lite Ford Fusion) makes a late pit stop in Saturday night's NRA 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway. The Penske Racing team was singled-out for their rear axle housings by NASCAR and they were forced to change them at the last minute, almost ruining Keselowski's and Joey Logano's (No. 22 Penske Racing Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion) race. Keselowski unleashed a verbal tirade  - without naming NASCAR or anyone in particular - in the garage area afterward and there seems to be a lot more to the story at this point. Keselowski finished ninth and remained second in the Cup standings, nine points behind Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet SS), who finished sixth on Saturday. Logano stormed back to fifth. The bigger news, however, was the total domination by Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing M&Ms Toyota Camry) of the race and the weekend. Pole-sitter Busch took the checkered flag .508 seconds ahead of runner-up Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 Michael Waltrip Racing NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry). It was Busch’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Texas, his second of the season and the 26th of his Sprint Cup career. He won Friday night's Nationwide race as well. During post-race inspection, Truex's Toyota failed the height-stick test and was deemed too low in the front. The car will be taken to NASCAR's research-and-development center in Concord, N.C. for further examination. Check out these NASCAR video snippets from the Texas and Rockingham races here. NASCAR slammed Penske Racing with suspensions, fines and points penalties on Wednesday (4/17), four days after officials confiscated rear-end parts on the team's two cars before the NRA 500 in Texas. Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano each were docked 25 points, while their crew chiefs, car chiefs, engineers and team manager all were suspended for six weeks. The crew chiefs also were fined $100,000 each.

Editor-in-Chief"s Note: See the latest video chapter on Porsche's return to Le Mans in 2014 here. - PMD

(Chris Jones/IndyCar)
Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Motorsport DHL Chevrolet) gets pit service from his Andretti Autosport crew on the way to winning the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Hunter-Reay overtook Helio Castroneves (No. 3 AAA Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet) on Lap 76 of 90 and then held off Scott Dixon (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) to win by .6363 of a second.

(Chris Jones/IndyCar)
"Today was a day of catch up, a big fumble at the start with Will (Power) and it backed the whole line up and we dropped to like sixth or seventh," Scott DIxon said. "I think we had the speed to win the race quite happily but we were just playing catch up all day." Dixon has finished second in all four of the IZOD IndyCar Series races at Barber.

(Shawn Gritzmacher/IndyCar)
Castroneves, who won the inaugural event in 2010 on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn Barber Motorsports Park road course, finished third. Next up for the IZOD IndyCar Series is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 21 on the streets of Long Beach, Calif. The race will be telecast live at 4 p.m. (ET) by NBC Sports Network. The IMS Radio Network will also carry the race live on Sirius and XM channels 211.

(Chris Jones/IndyCar)
"I was driving my tail off trying to stay in front of Dixon," said Hunter-Reay, who rebounded from an 18th-place finish in the season opener at St. Petersburg on March 24. Hunter-Reay, who earned the Verizon P1 Award the day before in the No. 1 DHL car for Andretti Autsosport, jumped 13 positions to third in the championship standings heading to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 21. Castroneves, with his second podium finish, holds a nine-point lead over Dixon.  "I had a little contact there with Helio, I feel bad about it," said Hunter-Reay. "Good thing nobody was affected by it.... Will (Power) did a good job staying in front of me on blacks, not sure how he did it. A lot of great racing out there. It's just great to get a win for DHL, Sundrop, Circle K and Chevrolet back in victory lane. A good way to start the season. The victory was the first by a No. 1 car since Sebastien Bourdais at Mexico City in 2007.

(Bret Kelly/IndyCar)
Also on April 7, Carlos Munoz (No. 26 Dialy-Ser/Andretti Autosport) completed his domination of Barber Motorsports Park by winning the Legacy Indy Lights 100 and sweeping the weekend. The Andretti Autosport driver topped the time charts in each practice session and earned his second consecutive pole start. Jack Hawksworth (No. 77 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian), the St. Petersburg race winner, was 5.0684 seconds behind.  Gabby Chaves (No. 7 Schmidt Peterson c/w Curb-Agajanian) finished third. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Long Beach 100 on April 21. It will be telecast by NBC Sports Network immediately preceding the IZOD IndyCar Series race.

(Photo by Garry Eller for Chevrolet)
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet SS) takes the checkered flag Sunday at Martinsville Speedway as he wins the STP Gas Booster 500 in Martinsville, Virginia. Johnson started from the pole and led 347 of 500 laps, capturing his eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at the .526-mile short track. It was the 62nd win of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career. Clint Bowyer (No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing 5-hour Energy Toyota Camry) finished second and Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS) finished third. Johnson is the first repeat winner of the 2013 season and now leads Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Penske Racing Miller Lite Ford Fusion), who finished sixth, by six points in the championship. "I think the fact that we had just such a calm weekend was the biggest part," Johnson said. "It's easy to start chasing things here and get yourself off track. We always race well, and fortunately here you pit a lot and you can make big changes to your race car to get you in the ball game." Johnson never ran lower than fifth. Danica Patrick (No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Go Daddy Chevrolet SS) ran 12th in her first visit to Martinsville, her career-best Cup finish at an open-motor race track. Patrick was the top finisher from Stewart-Haas Racing. Watch videos from Martinsville here.

(Grand-Am)
Max Angelelli (No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP) led the final 33 laps around the 2.3-mile circuit to post his 22nd Daytona Prototype victory in Saturday’s Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park. Co-driver Jordan Taylor, who led five laps during the opening hour, scored his first DP triumph after winning twice in the GT division. It was Wayne Taylor Racing’s first win of 2013. Angelelli and Taylor averaged a track-record 96.494 mph in the race, slowed by only one early caution. Alex Gurney and pole-winning co-driver Jon Fogarty followed up their recent victory in Austin, Texas, to finish second, closing to within two points of DP leaders Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (93-91), with the TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates drivers finishing fourth.

(Grand-Am)
Robin Liddell (No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro) beat Alessandro Balzan (No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458) to win for the 19th time in GT competition. The Camaro started from the pole with co-driver John Edwards up. Liddell beat the Ferrari driver out of the pits after his second and final pit stop, and held him off to win by .733 seconds after the two ran nearly nose-to-tail throughout the final 30 minutes.

(Grand-Am)
Dr. Jim Norman (No. 38 BGB Porsche Cayman) took his third consecutive triumph in the new GX class, co-driving with fellow Austin winner Spencer Pumpelly. Next up for GRAND-AM is its first visit to Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., for the Rolex Sports Car Series race on Saturday, April 20. 

(Grand-Am)
Matt Plumb (No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche Carrera) took advantage of a rare mistake by John Edwards to win Saturday’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race, giving the team its second consecutive victory at Barber Motorsports Park. Edwards was seeking his second victory of the day when he missed a shift in the No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro with 24 minutes remaining. Plumb led the final 14 laps, beating Edwards to the checkered flag by 2.407 seconds. It was the team’s sixth victory since switching to Porsche at the 2012 Barber event.

(Grand-AM)
Tom Long (No. 25 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5 with co-driver Derek Whitis) led a podium sweep of Mazda MX-5s in Street Tuner. Teammates Andrew Carbonell and Rhett O’Doski (No. 26 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5) finished second, and and Jason Saini and Chad McCumbee were third in the No. 5 CJ Wilson Racing Mazda. The next Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race will be on Saturday, April 20, joining the Rolex Sports Car Series during GRAND-AM’s first visit to Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga.

(BMW Group)
BMW M is celebrating its 15th season as “Official Car of MotoGP”. The opening round, which will be held at the “Losail International Circuit” in Qatar, will mark the public debut of the BMW M6 Gran Coupe. This season, the BMW M6 Gran Coupe will spearhead the fleet of Safety Cars in action in the MotoGP World Championship. The high-performance BMW M6 Gran Coupe is powered by a high-rev V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology generating 412 kW/560 hp. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds. In total, the fleet of official MotoGP cars for the 2013 season comprises five BMW M and M Performance models. A BMW M6 Coupe and the BMW M5 will also see action as Safety Cars. The Safety Officer will take to the track in a BMW M3 Coupe, while two BMW M550d xDrive Tourings will be used as medical cars. BMW Motorrad will also provide two new BMW HP4s as Safety Bikes. You can find more information on the 2013 Safety Car fleet online at www.bmw-m-safetycar.com.

(Images courtesy of Porsche)
Official photos of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out this new TV spot for the Australian V8 Supercars coming to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in May. - PMD

(Audi)

Four Audi RS 5 DTM machines participated in the first of two official DTM tests before the season opener at Barcelona. The Audi RS 5 DTMs were partially equipped with additional data acquisition equipment in order to log as much data as possible, which will now be analyzed by Audi Sport in Ingolstadt and by the three Audi Sport teams: Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg. During the course of the test, all eight Audi drivers tested the so-called option tires and the "Drag Reduction System" (DRS), with which the rear wing can be adjusted by pressing a button on the steering wheel. Both might be used in 2013 in the DTM. Each of the eight Audi drivers tested for two days at Barcelona. Busiest of all was double DTM Champion Timo Scheider who clocked up 346 laps around the 2.977-kilometer track, and recorded the fastest time (1m 06.844s) for an Audi RS 5 DTM on the last of the four test days. 

(V8 Supercar Series)
The V8 Supercars are coming! The V8 Supercars are coming! Yes, they are, to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, May 17-19, for the Austin 400. Nissan and Mercedes-Benz are joining Ford and Holden this year, and Nissan has even produced a promotional video for its new entry here.

(V8 Supercar Series)

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
A couple of worthwhile videos, one for the Porsche Expansion Pack for Forza Motorsport 4 featuring the Falken Tire 911 GT3 RSR, and the other documenting the Falken Tire 911 GT3 RSR's run at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Also, in conjunction with Turn 10 Studios and the American Le Mans Series, Falken Tire has become an active participant within Forza Motorsport 4, the internationally popular racing videogame designed for the Mircosoft Xbox 360 console. During the month of April, gamers from around the world are invited to set their quickest lap time in the Forza Motorsport ALMS Challenge, while driving the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, which competes in the GT class of the American Le Mans Series.  Entrants will challenge each other and potentially real-world Team Falken Tire drivers on the thrilling Bernese Alps Festival Circuit. In addition to the Forza Motorsport ALMS Challenge, Falken Tire is reaching out to the Forza Motorsport online community to encourage individuals to create their own one-of-a-kind Falken livery for Team Falken’s Porsche.  The corresponding contest – which starts April 1, 2013, and runs through the month – asks players to submit their in-game designs via screenshots to Falken Tire’s Facebook page.  The winning livery will be duplicated on the real Falken Porsche race car for the ALMS Petit Le Mans race in October.  “Our livery contest blurs the lines of gaming and reality and actually inverts the order of design replication. Typically, players are recreating real-life vehicles in Forza, but this contest will allow one lucky winner's design to appears on our GT3 RSR for what most consider the biggest race of the ALMS season,” stated Nick Fousekis, Falken Director of Motorsports Marketing and Events.  “We appreciate our fans and how better to have them be part of the team than allowing them to modify our historic motorsports livery."

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Sebastian Vettel, Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver and triple Formula One World Champion, has been named "Director of Performance" for the brand. Vettel has played a central role in the development of the new Infiniti Q50 from its early stages, according to Infiniti. He spent time with Infiniti engineers in Japan, providing them with his world-class chassis dynamics, performance and handling feedback. He was then involved in testing early models alongside Infiniti Red Bull Racing Test and Reserve driver Sebastien Buemi in Japan, around the famed Nürburgring in Germany, and at the Formula One pre-season test at the Spanish Circuit de Catalunya in early March. Watch a video here. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: A simply powerful video from McLaren entitled "Mclaren 50 - Courage."  Beautifully written, shot and directed, it's worth every minute. "On that beautiful summer day, on that race track, I did more than leave a name and a memory... hopefully, I became an inspiration." - PMD

(McLaren Automotive)
French rally-ace Sébastien Loeb and young Portuguese driver Alvaro Parente (Sébastien Loeb Racing McLaren 12C GT3) won the opening round of the FIA GT Series at Nogaro. In the second race of the weekend the team finished in 11th and 12th, after incurring driver penalties. Loeb , the nine-time WRC world champion commented: “This was a really good event for us, and I am really pleased that we came away with the win on Saturday. We made a few small mistakes over the weekend, which affected the final result in the second race but, overall, I am happy with the performance of the team, and with how I drove. Over the course of the weekend the 12C GT3 felt great, especially in the dry conditions. There are some areas of set up where I feel we can find some more pace, and we need to work on optimizing the balance in the wet, but I really enjoyed the event, and we showed good pace.”

(BMW Group)
BMW M is celebrating its 15th season as “Official Car of MotoGP”. The opening round, which will be held at the “Losail International Circuit” in Qatar, will mark the public debut of the BMW M6 Gran Coupe. This season, the BMW M6 Gran Coupe will spearhead the fleet of Safety Cars in action in the MotoGP World Championship. The high-performance BMW M6 Gran Coupe is powered by a high-rev V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology generating 412 kW/560 hp. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds. In total, the fleet of official MotoGP cars for the 2013 season comprises five BMW M and M Performance models. A BMW M6 Coupe and the BMW M5 will also see action as Safety Cars. The Safety Officer will take to the track in a BMW M3 Coupe, while two BMW M550d xDrive Tourings will be used as medical cars. BMW Motorrad will also provide two new BMW HP4s as Safety Bikes. You can find more information on the 2013 Safety Car fleet online at www.bmw-m-safetycar.com.

(Shawn Gritzmacher/IndyCar)
James Hinchcliffe (No. 27 Andretti Autosport GoDaddy.com Chevrolet) scored the first win of his IndyCar career in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday. The 26-year-old Canadian overtook Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet) in Turn 1 of a Lap 85 restart, stretched his fuel and held on for a 1.0982-second victory.

(Chris Owens/IndyCar)
Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet) finished second to Hinchcliffe after chasing the Canadian for the final 26 laps. "... I was just making sure that I could protect," Castroneves said later. "I knew Hinch really good. Especially in the Mickey Mouse section,  as I call it. He was very strong there. As long as I was in front of him, it was going to be fine. Maybe I didn't warm up my tires enough (on the restart). Just a small mistake. I guess the old dogs still make mistakes. Still have a lot to learn. Great effort by the Hitachi guys, incredible car. And good job Hinch. Congrats!"

(Chris Owens/IndyCar)
Marco Andretti (No. 25 Andretti Autosport RC Cola Chevrolet finished third after passing Simona de Silvestro (No. 78 Nuclear Entergy Areva KVRT Chevrolet) in Turn 1 of the final lap - notching his best road/street course finish since Toronto in 2011. "Congratulations to James (Hinchcliffe) first and foremost," Andretti said. "For me, this feels like a win for the struggles I have been having and all I can say is that it feels great to have the hard work pay off, for sure."

(Shawn Gritzmacher/IndyCar)
Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet), who earned his 30th Indy car pole, led 26 laps before Castroneves made an inside move on a restart. Power's day went downhill from there. Under caution, JR Hildebrand (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet) ran over the right side of Power's car causing a flat rear tire and bent mirror. The team spent two pit stops to repair and check for damage. Then, while running 12th, Power caught the Turn 4 tire barrier with the rear of his car. He ended up 16th. Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet) encountered issues on an early pit stop and finished out of contention.

(Chris Jones/IndyCar)
Entering her fourth IZOD IndyCar Series season, Simona de Silvestro (No. 78 Nuclear Entergy Areva KVRT Chevrolet) qualified for her first Firestone Fast Six and started on the inside of Row 2. It was a career best, her previous best being a seventh at Edmonton in 2010. Although she faded to sixth at the end, de Silvestro demonstrated that with Chevy power she can comfortably run up front. "It's been a good weekend for us," she said afterward. "Unfortunately we lost a few positions at the end there. We kind of ran out of tires at the end. I think we can be pretty happy with sixth. Now we know what we have to work on for the next race. It was really cool to be up front all day with Will, Hinch and everybody; it was awesome. I think we can learn a lot from this weekend to have a better result at the next race. I really want to thank Chevy and my Nuclear Clean Air Energy sponsors for all their support. I'm really excited to get to Barber and see what we can do there."

(Chris Jones/IndyCar)
James Hinchcliffe is the first Canadian to win an Indy car race since Paul Tracy in 2007 at Cleveland. It was also Michael Andretti's 44th IndyCar victory as a car owner (two more than he had as a driver). "First of all, thanks to everyone," Hinchcliffe commented. "Thanks to the fans. This race is so awesome. The people in this town are incredible. I'm glad we can open up our season here. Man, that was a tough race. Last year we qualified fourth, finished fourth. Qualified fourth again and I thought that was kind of our cursed number there for a bit and then the big thing that people were saying early on in the season is 'What is it going to take to win?' And the big thing was minimizing mistakes. We had a good car. Not sure if we had the fastest car over a lap but I'll tell you what, we nailed the pit stops. The guys were so good. The GoDaddy car was really good on those black tires. That last restart, man, Helio Castroneves there... he's a three-time winner at this race. He's on the reds. He makes a mistake. I get by, but I'm thinking, 'He has 30 laps to get this back.' And we were saving a bit of fuel, trying to save the tires and I just can't be happier. It is so awesome. Dan's (Wheldon) hometown. Dan's car. This one's for him." The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 7 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. The race will be telecast live at 3 p.m. (ET) by NBC Sports Network. The IMS Radio Network will also carry the race live on Sirius and XM channels 211.

(John Cote/IndyCar)
On Saturday, March 23, Jack Hawksworth (No. 77 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian Motorsports), who earned the 2012 Star Mazda Championship, won in his Firestone Indy Lights debut after Carlos Munoz and Gabby Chaves tangled while battling for the lead. Munoz (No. 26 Dialy-Ser-Andretti Autosport), the Sunoco Pole Award winner, was battling Chaves (No. 7 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian) entering Turn 1 of Lap 11 when they made contact. Hawksworth made his way around the scene to take the lead, which he held the remainder of the 45-lap race. Hawksworth led Peter Dempsey (No. 5 Belardi Auto Racing) across the finish line by 4.9 seconds for the fourth consecutive victory at St. Petersburg for a Schmidt Peterson car. The past three winners (J.K. Vernay, Josef Newgarden and Tristan Vautier) went on the win the series title. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Legacy Indy Lights 100 on April 7 at Barber Motorsports Park. It will be telecast by NBC Sports Network immediately preceding the IZOD IndyCar Series race.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: If you want to see the video highlights from last weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at California Speedway go here. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: A simply powerful video from McLaren entitled "Mclaren 50 - Courage."  Beautifully written, shot and directed, it's worth every minute. "On that beautiful summer day, on that race track, I did more than leave a name and a memory... hopefully, I became an inspiration." - PMD

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)

Audi Sport crushed the field in the 61^st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Marcel Fassler, Benoit Treluyer and Oliver Jarvis (No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro) wheeled the first hybrid car to win at Sebring and in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Treluyer was spectacular in his final two stints, taking fuel with 20 minutes left while maintaining his lead over teammate Tom Kristensen in the No. 2 Audi. Kristensen, Allan McNish and Lucas di Grassi placed second. Check out John Thawley's brilliant images from Sebring here.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
“For sure at the end with the traffic it was really hard to see in the mirror,” said Treluyer, who has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans the last two seasons with Fassler and Andre Lotterer. “I just had to keep the gap. Tom was doing good on the out laps and could warm the tires better than me. But after that I could go quicker than he and I could bring it home.” The two Audis shared the lead 21 times among themselves. All three drivers won at Sebring and in the ALMS for the first time. Incredibly, the victory was the 11^th for Audi in America’s oldest sports car race since 2000.

(Richard Prince/Corvette Racing Photo)
Tommy Milner (No. 4 Corvette Racing Compuware Corvette C6.R) passed Matteo Malucelli for the GT lead and eventual class win as Corvette Racing won at Sebring for the first time since 2009. Milner, who drove with Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook, overtook Malucelli – who went off twice in the span of a lap – in Risi Competizione’s Ferrari F458 Italia with 13 minutes left. “I'm a bit at a loss for words,” said Milner, the defending ALMS GT champion with Gavin. “We obviously are off to a great start. We had two unbelievable stops toward the end, and that gave me the adrenaline to keep pushing. I knew I needed to do my part. It was just an unbelievable finish.” It was a roller-coaster day for the No. 4 car. It lost two laps with electrical problems early and received a one-minute penalty for avoidable contact. “Certainly it seemed like we were making it harder than we wanted to,” Gavin said. “We got about a lap and a bit down. The crew was fantastic today, but Tommy and Richard drove great. Tommy at the end drove ridiculously well. Then the Ferrari made a mistake at the end and he was in a spot to take the lead. This is just fantastic.”

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.011)
Level 5 Motorsports went 1-2 in P2 with Marino Franchitti, Ryan Briscoe and team owner Scott Tucker winning in the No. 551 Honda Performance Development ARX-03b. Tucker tied a Sebring record with his fourth consecutive class win, joining Bob Holbert (1961-64), Olivier Gendebien (1959-62) and Sascha Maassen (2001-04). “This is an incredible experience,” Tucker said. “Today, and over the past four years, make you realize that (Sebring) is just a special place and I think everyone likes coming here. You kind of make your own luck, and we got lucky in a lot of spots. Things went to plan.” Franchitti crossed the line just seconds ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No 552 Level 5 entry (above). Hunter-Reay drove with Tucker and Simon Pagenaud.

(ALMS)
David Ostella, David Chang, Mike Guasch (No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA FLM09) won in Prototype Challenge presented by Continental Tire, and Alex Job Racing won for the second straight year in GT Challenge with its No. 22 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen, Cooper MacNeil and Dion von Moltke. The GTC class race had the most lead changes of any on Saturday with 31, with the top six GTC cars on the lead lap as late as the final hour. Von Moltke won at Sebring for the second straight year and added to his GT victory in the Rolex 24.

The end of an era begins the countdown to a brand-new one.

By A. J. Morning

Sebring. This year’s Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring brought with it two major dramatic themes. Both involve the closing of an age. For nearly as long as the American Le Mans Series has run, one of its biggest attractions has been the super high-tech presence of Audi’s LMP team. Their drivers have always been among the world’s finest, often with Formula 1 pedigree (indeed, the years-old joke on the paddock is that F1 is the “feeder series” for Le Mans sports cars), nearly as diversified as the UN, or at least Angelina Jolie’s nursery.

Thus, with the FIA World Endurance Championship continuing to play to the more sterile but market-friendly circuits (its only US date for 2013 being COTA in Texas), and with the LMP1 class departing from the series after this year, the Audi team returned for a swan song run – a thank-you and farewell to the fans and the series, and as always, a tune-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What’s remarkable about Audi’s run last Saturday was not that they won, but how they continue to make it look so easy. It isn’t. Just completing 12 Hours at Sebring is a conquest of its own; winning it, and winning so convincingly for so long leaves Audi with an overall streak to rival the greatest ever.

Then, there’s the story of the Series itself.

“Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!” 

The words of Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters may have been intended as a joke, but no less hyperbole has been spent in recent months on next year’s integration of the American Le Mans Series and Grand Am into one combined program.

“This NASCAR thing? It’s gonna’ suck!”  – (echoed comments from any number of ALMS fans in the crowd and via the internet, on next year’s unified series)

We’ve had all winter to grouse about it, to complain and prognosticate on what it all means to the future of racing, but with both series’ 2013 openers now in the books it’s time to more seriously consider: What’s the United SportsCar Racing series going to mean?

Everything – the new name, the loss of LMP1 class, the inclusion of Daytona Prototypes, the mixing of various GT classes – everything has been under scrutiny, and not just from the fans. Team owners Rob Dyson and Greg Pickett, both longtime LMP1 competitors as well as great friends, held a joint conference with the motorsports press during the week and both seemed to have more questions about 2014 than answers. How exactly will the specifications shake out? Where will the tires come from? Will P2 be competitive with DP? Right now, less than 11 months until the United SportsCar Racing series goes live in Daytona for 2014, there’s still a ton of scaffolding in place, lots of “we’re working on it,” and not too much else to go on.

There are several things we can count on, however:

The relationship with ACO will be preserved. This was pretty obvious, as ACO has benefited greatly from ALMS over the years, and had very little liability in the deal. It’s a win for ACO no matter what, so they’re in.

IMSA sanctioning is being kept in place, another obvious move. The “big reveal” ceremony showed a somewhat revised IMSA logo, which wasn’t broken to begin with, but someone’s market research must have concluded it was the way to go.

Manufacturers and sponsors will no longer need to hedge on which series will provide the best return. One top-level sports car series means we no longer have a split in that slice of the pie. It also means TV networks can present a more cohesive package – even though Speed Channel is going away later in 2013, other networks are bound to take notice. Velocity, are you listening?

For the ALMS faithful, the biggest complaint seems to be about NASCAR running everything. While that’s certainly valid on some fronts, the Wal-Mart of racing in the U.S. does do some things incredibly well. Turning racing into money is the France family specialty; it’s what they DO, before anything else. Also, as evidenced by the extreme makeover at Daytona International Speedway, they don’t mind spending real money on the fans’ experience at the track. As the USCR schedule forms, a few circuits are sure to lose out, obviously.  Those that remain, however, will stand to benefit in ways previously unimagined.

In Steve McQueen’s movie Le Mans, his character Michael Delaney famously said, “When you’re racing… it’s life. Anything that happens before or after, is just waiting.”

It’s time to stop waiting, and go racing.

That’s it for now; I’ll see you at the next pit stop.

(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Great Clips Chevrolet SS), shown here in front of Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs M&Ms Toyota), on his way to victory in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway last Sunday in Bristol, Tennessee. It was Kahne's first win at Bristol. ''Feels really good to win at this place,'' Kahne said. ''Such a tough track over the years. This is a big race for me. When you race in the Sprint Cup Series, Bristol is a race you want to win.'' Kyle Busch ended up finishing second.

(Brian Czobat © 2013, autostock USA.)
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Penske Racing Miller Lite Ford Fusion) finished third at Bristol to take over the lead in the Sprint Cup Series points chase. Brad is the only driver to have four top-five finishes to open the 2013 NASCAR season.

(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
It was Kasey Kahne's fifteenth win in NASCAR's Sprint Cup competition. Hendrick Motorsports has now won two of the first four races in 2013.

(Photo:"The Spitzley/Monkhouse Collection" - Courtesy of Bonhams)
Bonhams has consigned the 1954 2½-litre straight-8 Mercedes-Benz W196 einsitzer – chassis number ‘00006/54’ – in which five-time World Champion Driver Juan Manuel Fangio won both the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races. It will be auctioned off on July 12 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Having made its debut in that German GP, chassis ‘00006’ holds special significance as the first open-wheeled slipper-bodied postwar Mercedes-Benz ever to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix race. It's also the only Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix car from that era outside of the factory's hands. The W196 introduced several technologies to Formula 1 including fuel-injection, all-independent suspension, multi-tubular lightweight "spaceframe" chassis design, inboard mounted brakes and the "lay-down" configuration of its straight-8 engine to minimize body height.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out this new Porsche video - featuring Derek Bell - ahead of the company's return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014. - PMD

(United SportsCar Racing)
The new name and logo for the unified Grand-Am/ALMS series, which will debut in 2014 - the United SportsCar Racing series - was revealed at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday, March 14. The racing organization will be sanctioned by a reinvigorated IMSA.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
The 2013 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón begins with the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on March 11-16. Qualifying for P2 cars takes place at 2:20 p.m. ET on Friday, March 15. Green flag for the 12 Hours of Sebring is 10:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 16. SPEED's live coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. ET.

(Porsche Cars North America)
This 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.8, the racing version of the classic Carrera RS 2.7 street car, was on display at Amelia Island last weekend. Now owned by British collector Philip Basil, it was ordered from the factory by Dr. David Helmick.  He hired Brumos Racing to prepare the car, and teamed up with Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood to run the 1973 edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring.  Gregg and Haywood had won the 24 Hours of Daytona two months before in a prototype RSR, but the Porsche factory took the car back for a complete tear down after the race.  Helmick’s car was subsequently upgraded with features learned from the Daytona winner.  Their overall victory at Sebring was one of the few times in history that a race team has won both races the same year. The car underwent a major restoration at Gunnar Racing in Florida in 2001.