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Friday, October 6, 2006
ARCA: Montoya qualifies on the outside of the front row for his ARCA debut, at Talladega
They qualified for the Food World 250 last night at Talladega. Pete Shepherd will line up 13th. Pierre Bourque missed making the competitive field, while former F1 racer Juan Pablo Montoya outqualified everyone but Bobby Gerhart and will start on the outside of the front row for tonight's race.
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR FOR PIERRE BOURQUE AT TALLADEGA
TALLADEGA, Ala (Friday October 6, 2006) – Pierre Bourque's bid to make his ARCA RE/MAX Series restrictor plate debut came up short after the Ottawa, Ontario native was shoved out of the starting grid in one of the most competitive fields of the 2006 season.
Hopes were high for Bourque heading into the 2.666 newly repaved superspeedway. In the open test session last week, Bourque impressed many on the circuit with a 12th fastest effort. The plan was to back up his performance Thursday.
In the first and only practice of the day, bad luck struck the No. 1 Driving.Ca-Canada.com-Working.Com-Dose.Ca Ford. A rear tire on the machine blew sending Bourque for a 180 mph loop-de-loop between turns one and two. Bourque masterfully kept his machine off the wall, but the force of the blown tire caused damage to the quarter panel and wheel well.
Bourque ended up 38th on the sheets with a time of 52.144 seconds or 183.645 mph. The team had hoped to maneuver a fast lap in qualifying that would put them in the Food World 250. Unfortunately, Bourque could only post the 38th fastest time in time trials. With no provisionals to fall back on, Bourque had to put an early end to his week.
"It's a a shame that we won't be in the Food World 250," said a dejected Bourque. "I'm not really sure what happened from the test to this week, but we just didn't have the speed. On a track like Talladega, it's all about speed. I thank my Fast Track Racing team for putting a car together; we'll just pick up the pieces and prepare for the next race."
###
By Chris Knight, Bourque Racing
Hopes were high for Bourque heading into the 2.666 newly repaved superspeedway. In the open test session last week, Bourque impressed many on the circuit with a 12th fastest effort. The plan was to back up his performance Thursday.
In the first and only practice of the day, bad luck struck the No. 1 Driving.Ca-Canada.com-Working.Com-Dose.Ca Ford. A rear tire on the machine blew sending Bourque for a 180 mph loop-de-loop between turns one and two. Bourque masterfully kept his machine off the wall, but the force of the blown tire caused damage to the quarter panel and wheel well.
Bourque ended up 38th on the sheets with a time of 52.144 seconds or 183.645 mph. The team had hoped to maneuver a fast lap in qualifying that would put them in the Food World 250. Unfortunately, Bourque could only post the 38th fastest time in time trials. With no provisionals to fall back on, Bourque had to put an early end to his week.
"It's a a shame that we won't be in the Food World 250," said a dejected Bourque. "I'm not really sure what happened from the test to this week, but we just didn't have the speed. On a track like Talladega, it's all about speed. I thank my Fast Track Racing team for putting a car together; we'll just pick up the pieces and prepare for the next race."
###
By Chris Knight, Bourque Racing
ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT: Competition Insurance
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STICKY POST: This will be the top post until Friday, October 6. Check below for current news.
Thursday, October 5, 2006
IHRA ANNOUNCES 2007 EMAX NITRO JAM™ DRAG RACING SERIES SCHEDULE
NORWALK, Ohio (October 5, 2006) – The International Hot Rod Association announced today the 2007 eMax Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series schedule. After 11 races in 2006, next year’s schedule creates a 12-event series throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Including new markets in Tulsa, Okla. and Mansfield, Ohio, the series will again kick-off March 23 – 25 at San Antonio Raceway with the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals and conclude October 19 – 21 at Rockingham (North Carolina) Dragway with the World Finals. Mansfield Motorsports Park will become the new host of the World Nationals on June 15 – 17, keeping the event in Ohio and in close proximity to the sanctioning body’s headquarters in Norwalk. The new event at Tulsa Raceway Park, the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals, will be held Memorial Day weekend, May 25 – 27.
“We’ve hosted extremely successful single-day shows in Tulsa, so the market is prime for an IHRA Nitro Jam event,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “The dragstrip being constructed at Mansfield Motorsports Park already contains the infrastructure necessary for our race. The facility has the experience hosting major events with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race and IHRA has such a strong fan and competitor-base in Ohio, we’ll without a doubt pack the place.”
The Amalie Oil North American Nationals at New England Dragway, Epping, N.H., which previously has been held in September, will move to July 20 – 22. The IHRA Canadian Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park will move from July to September 7 – 9. Also, the Suzuki Motor City Nationals at Milan (Mich.) Dragway has been moved to August 24 – 26.
“The momentum we’ve experienced this season will carry into the 2007 IHRA eMax Nitro Jam,” said IHRA vice president of marketing Jim Marchyshyn. “We’ve had a record year. With new markets in Tulsa and Mansfield, Ohio, next year, as well as maintaining our other strong venues, IHRA will continue growing.”
If 2006 proved anything, IHRA demonstrated that by simply altering the elimination ladder, the level of competition, that’s grown drastically in the last five years, could be realized. The result was some of the tightest championship chases in drag racing history. In the past, most championships were already decided with two or three races remaining. However, by placing the No. 1 qualified car against the No. 5 car (in an eight-car field, 1 vs. 9 in a 16-car field), instead of No. 1 vs. the slowest qualified car, IHRA forced drivers to race competitively every round.
“By altering the elimination ladder, we’ve forced competitors to bring their best each time they stage the car,” said IHRA vice president of race operations Skooter Peaco. “Too often we had first round single runs. Not to mention, some cars just run quicker at certain tracks. The new system keeps the quicker cars from racing those that are much slower. The less predictable we make each race, the more exciting it will be for our fans.”
2007 IHRA EMAX NITRO JAM DRAG RACING SERIES NATIONAL EVENT SCHEDULE
March 23 – 25
Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
San Antonio Raceway
April 20 – 22
IHRA Spring Nationals Presented by Advance Auto Parts
Rockingham Dragway
May 25 – 27
Skull Shine Sooner Nationals
Tulsa Raceway Park
June 1 – 3
MOPAR Canadian Nationals Presented by Castrol
Grand Bend Motorplex
June 15 – 17
IHRA World Nationals
Mansfield Motorsports Park
July 6 – 8
CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals Presented by Torco Race Fuels
Castrol Raceway
July 20 – 22
Amalie Oil North American Nationals presented by New England Dodge Dealers
New England Dragway
August 3 – 5
Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals
US 131 Motorsports Park
August 24 – 26
Suzuki Motor City Nationals
Milan Dragway
September 7 – 9
IHRA Canadian Nationals
Toronto Motorsports Park
September 28 – 30
Torco Race Fuels President’s Cup Nationals
Maryland International Raceway
October 19 – 21
IHRA World Finals
Rockingham Dragway
Including new markets in Tulsa, Okla. and Mansfield, Ohio, the series will again kick-off March 23 – 25 at San Antonio Raceway with the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals and conclude October 19 – 21 at Rockingham (North Carolina) Dragway with the World Finals. Mansfield Motorsports Park will become the new host of the World Nationals on June 15 – 17, keeping the event in Ohio and in close proximity to the sanctioning body’s headquarters in Norwalk. The new event at Tulsa Raceway Park, the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals, will be held Memorial Day weekend, May 25 – 27.
“We’ve hosted extremely successful single-day shows in Tulsa, so the market is prime for an IHRA Nitro Jam event,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “The dragstrip being constructed at Mansfield Motorsports Park already contains the infrastructure necessary for our race. The facility has the experience hosting major events with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race and IHRA has such a strong fan and competitor-base in Ohio, we’ll without a doubt pack the place.”
The Amalie Oil North American Nationals at New England Dragway, Epping, N.H., which previously has been held in September, will move to July 20 – 22. The IHRA Canadian Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park will move from July to September 7 – 9. Also, the Suzuki Motor City Nationals at Milan (Mich.) Dragway has been moved to August 24 – 26.
“The momentum we’ve experienced this season will carry into the 2007 IHRA eMax Nitro Jam,” said IHRA vice president of marketing Jim Marchyshyn. “We’ve had a record year. With new markets in Tulsa and Mansfield, Ohio, next year, as well as maintaining our other strong venues, IHRA will continue growing.”
If 2006 proved anything, IHRA demonstrated that by simply altering the elimination ladder, the level of competition, that’s grown drastically in the last five years, could be realized. The result was some of the tightest championship chases in drag racing history. In the past, most championships were already decided with two or three races remaining. However, by placing the No. 1 qualified car against the No. 5 car (in an eight-car field, 1 vs. 9 in a 16-car field), instead of No. 1 vs. the slowest qualified car, IHRA forced drivers to race competitively every round.
“By altering the elimination ladder, we’ve forced competitors to bring their best each time they stage the car,” said IHRA vice president of race operations Skooter Peaco. “Too often we had first round single runs. Not to mention, some cars just run quicker at certain tracks. The new system keeps the quicker cars from racing those that are much slower. The less predictable we make each race, the more exciting it will be for our fans.”
2007 IHRA EMAX NITRO JAM DRAG RACING SERIES NATIONAL EVENT SCHEDULE
March 23 – 25
Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
San Antonio Raceway
April 20 – 22
IHRA Spring Nationals Presented by Advance Auto Parts
Rockingham Dragway
May 25 – 27
Skull Shine Sooner Nationals
Tulsa Raceway Park
June 1 – 3
MOPAR Canadian Nationals Presented by Castrol
Grand Bend Motorplex
June 15 – 17
IHRA World Nationals
Mansfield Motorsports Park
July 6 – 8
CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals Presented by Torco Race Fuels
Castrol Raceway
July 20 – 22
Amalie Oil North American Nationals presented by New England Dodge Dealers
New England Dragway
August 3 – 5
Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals
US 131 Motorsports Park
August 24 – 26
Suzuki Motor City Nationals
Milan Dragway
September 7 – 9
IHRA Canadian Nationals
Toronto Motorsports Park
September 28 – 30
Torco Race Fuels President’s Cup Nationals
Maryland International Raceway
October 19 – 21
IHRA World Finals
Rockingham Dragway
HAMILTON SPEC: Tim Miller's take on NASCAR & CASCAR
Veteran motorsports writer Tim Miller has a piece in today's Hamilton Spectator, talking about the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
It kind of clouds the issue of what was 'bought' and 'sold' leading up to the Sept. 12 announcement in Toronto, but it's a convoluted concept to begin with.
It's my understanding that the deal is effective January 1, 2007. But that after tomorrow night's banquet in London, there will be no more mention of CASCAR. At that point, everything will be geared toward promoting the new entity (The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series).
Common sense would tell you that it's anything but ''clean' to purchase something as ambiguous and intangible as a sanctioning body. What is CASCAR? A name? A logo? A legacy? A rulebook? The assets and/or debts? Certainly it's not the tracks, teams, drivers or cars.
Therefore, the easiest way to go about it, I suspect, would be to have Tony Novotny agree to wind down CASCAR on his own. In return, he might receive a sum of money and possibly sign on as a paid consultant to the new series for a pre-determined period of time.
So while NASCAR may not have actually "bought" CASCAR, I suspect there is an agreement between the two parties that will see Tony Novotny compensated to co-operate in a transitional process that will result in a very CASCAR-like product on track next season, called the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
Further murkying the waters was the 'cease & desist' letter from NASCAR's legal dept. on Sept. 18, 2006, informing "CASCAR ONLINE" webmaster Evan Towle that "...you are using the CASCAR trademark, of which NASCAR is now the rightful owner..." So they obviously believe they own the logo.
However, while all of these things may appear to be a bit of a 'tangled web', the end result will be that CASCAR is heading into the history books and everyone is excited about the NASCAR-owned and operated "NASCAR Canadian Tire Series".
It kind of clouds the issue of what was 'bought' and 'sold' leading up to the Sept. 12 announcement in Toronto, but it's a convoluted concept to begin with.
It's my understanding that the deal is effective January 1, 2007. But that after tomorrow night's banquet in London, there will be no more mention of CASCAR. At that point, everything will be geared toward promoting the new entity (The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series).
Common sense would tell you that it's anything but ''clean' to purchase something as ambiguous and intangible as a sanctioning body. What is CASCAR? A name? A logo? A legacy? A rulebook? The assets and/or debts? Certainly it's not the tracks, teams, drivers or cars.
Therefore, the easiest way to go about it, I suspect, would be to have Tony Novotny agree to wind down CASCAR on his own. In return, he might receive a sum of money and possibly sign on as a paid consultant to the new series for a pre-determined period of time.
So while NASCAR may not have actually "bought" CASCAR, I suspect there is an agreement between the two parties that will see Tony Novotny compensated to co-operate in a transitional process that will result in a very CASCAR-like product on track next season, called the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
Further murkying the waters was the 'cease & desist' letter from NASCAR's legal dept. on Sept. 18, 2006, informing "CASCAR ONLINE" webmaster Evan Towle that "...you are using the CASCAR trademark, of which NASCAR is now the rightful owner..." So they obviously believe they own the logo.
However, while all of these things may appear to be a bit of a 'tangled web', the end result will be that CASCAR is heading into the history books and everyone is excited about the NASCAR-owned and operated "NASCAR Canadian Tire Series".
BMW Rolls Out M6 Convertible Holiday Catalog
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — BMW will offer a Limited Edition Individual 2007 M6 Convertible in a custom ruby black exterior finish through the 2006 Neiman Marcus Christmas book.
The automaker said it will do a limited production run of 50 copies of the car, which is equipped with a 5.0-liter V10 engine that makes 500 horsepower and is linked to a seven-speed sequential manual transmission.
Orders for the vehicle will be taken by phone starting at noon Eastern time on October 18, the automaker said. The car is equipped with an 11-speaker Surround Sound stereo and six-disc CD changer. The cabin is trimmed in piano black and features power sport seats wrapped in gold brown merino leather.
The package includes two round-trip Lufthansa tickets to Munich, gourmet meals and hotel accommodations for four nights. The trip will include a meeting with BMW designers and a private tour of the BMW factory in Munich. The trip is scheduled for spring. The new vehicle then will be shipped to the U.S. for delivery.
© Source: original article on site.com
The automaker said it will do a limited production run of 50 copies of the car, which is equipped with a 5.0-liter V10 engine that makes 500 horsepower and is linked to a seven-speed sequential manual transmission.Orders for the vehicle will be taken by phone starting at noon Eastern time on October 18, the automaker said. The car is equipped with an 11-speaker Surround Sound stereo and six-disc CD changer. The cabin is trimmed in piano black and features power sport seats wrapped in gold brown merino leather.
The package includes two round-trip Lufthansa tickets to Munich, gourmet meals and hotel accommodations for four nights. The trip will include a meeting with BMW designers and a private tour of the BMW factory in Munich. The trip is scheduled for spring. The new vehicle then will be shipped to the U.S. for delivery.
© Source: original article on site.com
Two Performance Audi TTs Will Highlight Second-Gen
INGOLSTADT, Germany — It may not yet have gone on sale in North America, but Audi is already preparing two new performance-oriented versions of its second-generation TT.
The TT-S and TT-RS, as the new models will be badged, are currently undergoing development at Audi's Ingolstadt headquarters in Southern Germany. They are scheduled to go on sale in 2007 and 2008 respectively, throwing down the gauntlet to rival go-fast coupes such as the BMW Z4 M coupe and Porsche Cayman S with a combination of improved performance. The pair also has a series of visual upgrades over the standard 200-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 250-hp 3.2-liter V6 models due to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2007.
Heading the charge will be the TT-S, with the "S" designating Sport. The more affordable of the two, it is planned to run an updated version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine recently launched in the German carmaker's rapid S3.
Exact output remains under wraps, although a high-ranking Audi official has hinted to Inside Line that it will go beyond the S3's already potent 265-hp figure, reaching possibly as high as 300 hp through a combination of increased turbocharger boost pressure and other internal tweaks, such as lightweight pistons to reduce reciprocating masses and provide a more free-revving nature.
Yet while the TT-S is sure to have its backers, it is the even more expensive TT-RS (the RS adopted from the German words Renn Sport, or Race Sport) that is likely to grab the headlines when it lands stateside two years from now.
Rather than the 3.6-liter V6 engine as widely rumored, Inside Line can confirm the range-topping TT is set to become the first Audi model to receive a new turbocharged version of parent company Volkswagen's long running 2.5-liter five-cylinder — as found in North American versions of the Jetta.
Updated to accept the same cylinder head configuration as the 5.2-liter V10 used in the S8 along with the latest direct-injection technology from German specialist Bosch, the new Audi engine is said to deliver in the region of 365 hp. That's some 22 hp more than the Z4 M Coupe.
As with the TT-S, the TT-RS will place its power to the ground via either a standard six-speed manual or an optional seven-speed version of Audi's S-Tronic double-clutch gearbox, with a Haldex-style four-wheel-drive system, which uses a multi-plate clutch instead of Audi's more traditional Torsen-based arrangement, apportioning drive to all four wheels.
Meanwhile, Audi officials have confirmed to Inside Line the open-top version of its new two-door, the TT roadster, will make its world premiere at the Los Angeles auto show next month, prior to going on sale in the U.S. in March 2007.
© Source: original article on insideline
The TT-S and TT-RS, as the new models will be badged, are currently undergoing development at Audi's Ingolstadt headquarters in Southern Germany. They are scheduled to go on sale in 2007 and 2008 respectively, throwing down the gauntlet to rival go-fast coupes such as the BMW Z4 M coupe and Porsche Cayman S with a combination of improved performance. The pair also has a series of visual upgrades over the standard 200-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 250-hp 3.2-liter V6 models due to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2007.Heading the charge will be the TT-S, with the "S" designating Sport. The more affordable of the two, it is planned to run an updated version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine recently launched in the German carmaker's rapid S3.
Exact output remains under wraps, although a high-ranking Audi official has hinted to Inside Line that it will go beyond the S3's already potent 265-hp figure, reaching possibly as high as 300 hp through a combination of increased turbocharger boost pressure and other internal tweaks, such as lightweight pistons to reduce reciprocating masses and provide a more free-revving nature.
Yet while the TT-S is sure to have its backers, it is the even more expensive TT-RS (the RS adopted from the German words Renn Sport, or Race Sport) that is likely to grab the headlines when it lands stateside two years from now.
Rather than the 3.6-liter V6 engine as widely rumored, Inside Line can confirm the range-topping TT is set to become the first Audi model to receive a new turbocharged version of parent company Volkswagen's long running 2.5-liter five-cylinder — as found in North American versions of the Jetta.
Updated to accept the same cylinder head configuration as the 5.2-liter V10 used in the S8 along with the latest direct-injection technology from German specialist Bosch, the new Audi engine is said to deliver in the region of 365 hp. That's some 22 hp more than the Z4 M Coupe.
As with the TT-S, the TT-RS will place its power to the ground via either a standard six-speed manual or an optional seven-speed version of Audi's S-Tronic double-clutch gearbox, with a Haldex-style four-wheel-drive system, which uses a multi-plate clutch instead of Audi's more traditional Torsen-based arrangement, apportioning drive to all four wheels.
Meanwhile, Audi officials have confirmed to Inside Line the open-top version of its new two-door, the TT roadster, will make its world premiere at the Los Angeles auto show next month, prior to going on sale in the U.S. in March 2007.
© Source: original article on insideline
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