Showing posts with label BMW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BMW. Show all posts
Series 1 M Coupe!
Scaleauto 1/24 BMW prototype photos
A bit of editorializing here too, hopefully Scaleauto will not mind... I found the body shape on this car to be VERY nice. All the detail that you'd hope to see on a model of the BMW is there as well as the promise of the car to be a VERY nicely performing car due to the excellent chassis that comes with this car. I'd had the chance to race the Porsche RSR that Scaleauto during a 6-hour team endurance race at Mid America and I simply love that car. The cars were run nearly box-stock with no chassis mods allowed (none appear to be needed BTW) and everyone I'd say was completely taken with the performance of the cars.
The BMW will come with the same chassis, so expect very, very strong performance from this BMW.
I fully expect this BMW to be an extremely good value for your racing dollar (or Euro).
DaveK, Publisher-Slot Cars Blog
New Scaleauto BMW (1/24) white kit
Buy American, buy BMW!
BMW Manufacturing announced today that production of the new BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle got underway at the South Carolina plant.
In early 2008, BMW Group announced that it would invest $750 million in the South Carolina plant, its largest investment in South Carolina to date. This commitment paved the way for construction of a new Assembly Hall built exclusively to produce the BMW X3 along with a significant expansion to the existing Paint Shop. This 1.5 million square foot addition increases the plant's total footprint to over 4.0 million square feet.
“The launch of the new X3 will mark a historic moment for this plant. I am confident that the BMW X3 is once again going to make our plant a leader in the Sports Activity segment,” stated Josef Kerscher, President, BMW Manufacturing Co. in Spartanburg.
Within the last 7 years, the first-generation BMW X3 has been an extraordinary success story for the BMW Group. The BMW X3 began production in 2004. After production of over 600,000 units, the last vehicle of the first model generation, a Vermilion red metallic BMW X3 xDrive35d, came off the line in Austria yesterday.
With the model change, production of the X3 was relocated to the South Carolina plant based on existing manufacturing proficiency of the BMW X5 and X6 models. The US plant has become the expertise center for the BMW X Models. The addition of the third model to the plant's vehicle mix has created several hundred new jobs and increased BMW's total investment in South Carolina to $4.6 billion since 1992.
News and photo used with permission from BMW.
Lizards win GT at Northeast Grand Prix
July 24, 2010 – Lakeville, Conn. – Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister battled debilitating heat and grueling traffic at today's Northeast Grand Prix to take the GT class win and retake the championship lead. This was Bergmeister's fifth consecutive win at Lime Rock, fourth with the Lizards and third together with Long. It's the duo's third win this year. In the No. 44 Porsche, Darren Law and Seth Neiman finished a strong seventh in the thirteen-car GT field.Starting from the pole, Long kept the lead at the start, and over the next 20 minutes held off the No. 62 Risi Ferrari which had quickly moved into P2. Narrowly avoiding an early race incident when car spun in front of him, Long held the lead and stayed out of trouble, pitting under the first caution for a short fuel top up. Patrick was back out again quickly, still ahead of the No. 62 (which had also pitted). Once the field resettled after the first round of pit stops, Patrick was now P3 and the No. 61 Risi Ferrari and No. 40 Robertson Ford, which did not pit during the first round of stops, moved to P1 and P2, with the No. 62 in P4. Just minutes later, a major incident on track claimed multiple cars, including the No. 40 Ford. The No. 62 was also involved in an incident which sent them back to the pits and an early retirement.
45 minutes into the race, now in second, Patrick pitted for driver change to Joerg, tires and fuel. The No. 61 also pitted, but required a longer fuel because they had not pitted under the first yellow, and Joerg was able to beat them out of the pits to gain a position. The No. 92 and No. 90 BMWs did not stop during the second yellow, taking first and second, with Patrick now in third and the No. 61 in P4. Over the next 45 minutes, Joerg kept the pressure on the BMWs, which finally pitted under green for their final pit stop of the race, moving Joerg back into the lead.1 hour and 45 minutes in, Joerg pitted under green for tires, fuel and driver change to Patrick. It would be the final pit stop for the No. 45. A fast stop allowed Patrick to come out ahead of the BMWs. The No. 61 Risi Ferrari, which had been in fourth, did not pit and took the lead.
With 45 minutes left to go, the No. 61 pitted for their final stop, and Patrick retook the lead. Over the next 45 minutes, Long battled to hold off the BMWs who were running second and third. Long described his last stint, "Joerg had a flawless stint and turned over a clean, solid car to me to finish. By the time I took the wheel for my second stint, our strategy had gotten us the provisional lead. My job was to maintain the gap. Navigating the traffic was unbelievably difficult. I had to shift from trying to hold the gap to just keeping the BMWs behind me. Traffic became my friend -- each time I worked through a pack of cars I was able to increase the gap. Then the BMW just behind me would close it again on the straights. But we were better in the corners. I knew I just had to fight to the end and it became all about traffic management. Passing for position in this race would have been really tough. This victory came through our pit work, strategy and racecraft in traffic. Now we need to keep the momentum through the end of the season."
Bergmeister added, "The car was handling really well today. When I was driving alone or when there was a gap to the BMWs in front of me things were easy to maintain. But when I got close to them, temps went up and we picked up some understeer. But I knew that we were ahead of the others on our fuel strategy and I didn't want to take any risks to make sure I turned the car over to Patrick in one piece. Thanks to the crew who did a great job in both giving us a fast car and getting us every advantage they could in the pits."In the No. 44, Seth Neiman started twelfth on the grid and ran a solid stint, turning the car over to Darren nearing the one-hour mark, now in P10. Law focused his stint on gaining ground and avoiding the many incidents that claimed nearly a third of the overall field. The No. 44 finished seventh in class.
Law explained, "We didn't have the fastest car out there today but it was a very consistent race car. We had no issues and as always the crew did a great job. It was nice to be able to finish 7th in such a tough field and get some points on the board for the No. 44. Traffic was incredibly hectic. You had to take risks to get by every single car. One piece of traffic could lose you five car lengths on a single lap. It's a testament to all of the drivers who made it through because there were so many problems out there. It was very hard to make the right judgment all on when you should pass. And adding to that, the heat and humidity were just grueling -- staying properly hydrated was half of the battle."
With this win, Bergmeister and Long move to the lead in the GT championship.
Up next for the Lizards is Mid-Ohio, August 7.
News used with permission from Flying Lizard Motorsports. Photos copyright 2010 Dave Kennedy/Slot Cars Blog.
BMW art car for LeMans
Paris, 2nd June 2010. At the premiere of the 17th BMW Art Car Jeff Koons unveiled and signed his car in front of 300 international VIP guests on 1st June in the Centre Pompidou, one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions for modern and contemporary art. It is the same venue where Roy Lichtenstein, back in 1977, first presented and signed his Art Car.In the spirit of Calder, Stella, Lichtenstein, Warhol, BMW announced this year that the 17th Art Car created by Jeff Koons will race where the first rolling pieces of art by legendary artists raced – at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France on 12th and 13th June 2010. Koons’ canvas is a BMW M3 GT2, which was homologated to compete at this year’s running of the world’s most famous endurance race.
On 2nd June, between 11 am and 9 pm, the public will have the chance to see the Art Car free of charge in the Forum of the Centre Pompidou. At 5.30 pm Jeff Koons will participate in a book signing at the museum’s official book shop before he talks about his work in conversation with Alain Seban, President of the Centre Pompidou, at 6 pm at the Forum of the museum.
The Design Process.
As part of his creative process, the artist collected images of race cars, related graphics, vibrant colours, speed and explosions. The resulting artwork of bright colours conceived by Koons is evocative of power, motion and bursting energy. With its silver interior as well as the powerful exterior design, the Art Car will impart a dynamic appearance even when it’s standing still.
“These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” said Koons. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power.”
Koons has been in an intense collaboration with BMW’s team in Munich for months – melding his skill with sophisticated BMW engineering – to ensure the 17th BMW Art Car will be race-ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Travelling back and forth to Germany many times since the 2nd February announcement that Koons would create the 17th BMW Art Car, the artist has worked with the BMW engineering and design teams to conduct in-depth explorations of materials and application options that will prove crucial to optimizing both the aesthetic and aerodynamic attributes of the race car. Working with actual 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) models of the BMW M3 GT2, Koons was able to simulate the application of the graphic to the car’s surfaces and evaluate it from all angles.
Koons even donned a helmet and joined BMW’s American Le Mans Series race team for testing in Sebring, Florida, on 23rd February. Koons was able to experience the M3 GT2 at race speed to further inspire his design. As Koons describes it, he witnessed “the raw unfiltered performance” of the M3 GT2 from the seat of a historic BMW M1 race car. Koons also drove a BMW M3 Coupe on the circuit to further the dynamic exercise.
Under Koons’ direct guidance and supervision, his BMW Art Car was produced in association with a team of BMW engineers and designers at Schmid Design, near Munich. The challenge to create the BMW Art Car had to do with using a light material and a design that would not interfere with the race car's aerodynamics and weight. Timing was also an issue, as there was only a two month window between the first design sketches and the Paris world premiere. This is why digital print on car wrapping vinyl was used covered by a double clear-coating to bring out the colour.
To apply hundreds of dynamic lines of Koons' design onto the car, CAD designs were translated from 3D into 2D for the printing process and then painstakingly applied to the entire car as well as onto individual spare parts. Koons design incorporates many bright contrasting colours to communicate the aesthetics of power. The concept design was transformed into hard edged lines of colour. Graphics of debris were added to the rear sides and back of the car to simulate the power of the car. Furthermore, two graphic rings on the rear of the car represent supersonic acceleration.
Koons and BMW.
The germination of Koons’ collaboration with BMW began in 2003, when he expressed his desire to create a BMW Art Car. His relationship with BMW started more than two decades ago when he drove a BMW while residing in Munich, home to the BMW Group headquarters. Koons is known for his heartfelt appreciation of cars. Earlier this year he was even recognised by music icon Bono of U2 as one of the ideal artists to design a car that would make the world fall in love with automobiles again.
Koons’ creative process for the BMW Art Car mirrors techniques, some borrowed from transportation design and development, which he regularly employs for his artistic production. For example, in the creation of Koons’ monumental sculptures, his studio uses 3-D CAD models to evaluate the surfaces, assembles them via methods found in bike chop shops, and paints them in a manner based on sophisticated automotive painting techniques.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In April 2010, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen announced the driver line-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE) will race the no. 79 BMW Art Car. Jörg Müller (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Uwe Alzen (DE) will drive the no. 78 BMW M3 GT2.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world’s oldest endurance race in all of sports car racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organized by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and runs on a circuit containing closed public roads. The race is designed not only to test a car and driver’s ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24-hour period.
French auctioneer and racing driver Hervé Poulain first had the idea of asking an artist to paint the car he himself would compete with. Taking up this initiative in 1975, American artist Alexander Calder painted a BMW racing car, thus laying the foundation. The Art Car experiment was soon continued: a year later, Calder Art Car co-driver Sam Posey introduced Frank Stella to the idea of BMW Art Cars when the New York-based artist covered a BMW with his typical grid-like pattern. Stella’s work was followed by a series of celebrated pop artists: Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. Apart from Rauschenberg’s Art Car, all these took part in the Le Mans 24-hour race, some of them enjoying remarkable success.
The BMW M3 GT2.
Derived from the BMW M3 high-performance sports car, the BMW M3 GT2 boasts a 4.0-litre V8 engine with a maximum output of 500 bhp, an upgraded chassis, racing-caliber brakes, and extensive use of lightweight materials. Able to reach 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, the BMW M3 GT2 is rapidly emerging as a real first year contender at this year’s event.
For the comeback at Le Mans BMW Motorsport is supported by numerous successful partners. This is why the BMW M3 GT2 will be decorated with the logos of Castrol, Crowne Plaza, Dunlop, Randstad, Sympatex, LuK, H&R, BBS and NGK for the race on the “Circuit de la Sarthe”.
BMW Art Cars.
Since 1975, artists from throughout the world have turned BMW automobiles into art signifying a particular period through the Art Car programme. In 2007, the latest instalment was revealed with Olafur Eliasson’s “Your mobile expectations: BMW H2R project.” Many of the cars by the likes of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Stella, Rauschenberg, Hockney and Holzer have been exhibited in renowned museums throughout the world including the Louvre, the Guggenheim Museums, and the Shanghai Art Museum. They have been displayed at the BMW Museum in Munich, between 2006 and 2010 and many went on a world tour throughout Asia, Russia, Africa, India, the United States and Mexico.
The Koons car number, “79”, pays tribute to the 1979 Andy Warhol car. The Warhol car was assigned the number “76,” an homage to the 1976 Frank Stella car, both of which raced at Le Mans. The home of all BMW Art Cars is the BMW Museum in Munich. Starting in September, Koons’ 17th BMW Art Car will be presented there together with some of its predecessors.
With over 100 major projects worldwide, BMW Group cultural programmes have been an integral part of the company’s contributions to society for almost 40 years. Besides contemporary art, architecture and design, classical music and jazz are key components of this engagement.
Photos of the new Carrera BMW and Audi R8 LMS
A few photos of the recently released Carrera BMW M3 GT2 American LeMans Series car, and the Audi R8 LeMans Series car.
Fall-Line BMW's proving themselves
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Fall-Line Motorsports has become one of the top contenders during this season's GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, which will compete in its third race of 2010 at 4 p.m. CT Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park.The Chicago-based team has gone from competing with a pair of BMW M3s in the Grand Sport (GS) class that competed for top five finishes to a three-car team that is contesting for victories. Heading into Saturday's two-and-a-half hour Barber 200, the team is first and second in the standings, with points co-leaders Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman in the No. 48 Sparco/Battery Tender BMW M3 holding the advantage by a single point (58-57) over teammates Terry Borcheller and Andrew Hendricks in the No. 45 Stable One Racing BMW M3.
The team's third car, the No. 46 Trim Tex BMW M3 this weekend driven by team owner Mark Boden and Joe Koenig, is seventh with 42 points.
Boden entered the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2006, and his team has steadily improved. The team earned its first podium finish in 2007 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and it took more than two seasons for Fall-Line to return to the podium. That instance came in last season's finale at Virginia International Raceway, when Borcheller and Hendricks finished second.
Now, the team is on a three-race podium streak, with Espenlaub and Putman taking second at Daytona International Speedway, and Borcheller and Hendricks finishing second at Homestead-Miami. The team also built and delivered the Daytona-winning car, the No. 13 RumBum.com BMW M3 driven by Matt Plumb and Gian Bacardi.
While Fall-Line searches for its first victory, the team will have to keep at bay a fleet of Mustangs - both the GT and new Boss 302R models. Mustangs finished first and second in 2008 and swept the podium last season. Among the top challengers with Mustangs is Rehagen Racing, which fields the No. 59 Rehagen Racing Products Ford Mustang GT for defending series champion Ken Wilden and rookie Ryan Winchester; JBS Motorsports, which fields the No. 37 Trumansburg ShurSave Ford Mustang Boss 302R for defending race winners James Gue and Bret Seafuse; Multimatic Motorsports, which fields two Mustangs, one for 2008 Barber winners Joe Foster and Scott Maxwell; and Homestead-Miami race winners Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr. in the No. 61 Roush Performance Products Ford Mustang GT.
Porsche has a record four series victories at Barber. Six Porsches are entered - three from BGB Motorsports, two from Ranger Sports Racing and one from Magnus Racing.
The Street Tuner (ST) class, featuring top compact models such as Honda Civics, Mazda MX-5s, BMW 328 and 330 models and Volkswagen GTIs, will also compete. Leading the charge in ST are Lawson Aschenbach and David Thilenius, who have finishes of first and second to begin the season in the No. 74 Skunk2/OMP Honda Civic Si, one of four cars entered by Compass360 Racing. Compass360 has yet to win at Barber, though its 10 victories ranks fifth most all-time in ST.
Freedom Autosport won the most recent race, at Homestead-Miami, and has victories in three of the last five races. Derek Whitis, who teamed with Tom Long in the No. 25 Aventura Technologies/PFC Mazda MX-5 to win at Homestead-Miami, is third, while teammates Andrew Carbonell and Rhett O'Doski are fifth in the No. 26 Aventura Technologies/PFC Mazda MX-5.
The only Alabama-based team, APR Motorsport, from Auburn, is the defending race-winning team in ST and brings three Volkswagen GTIs and an Audi S4, which competes in GS. Josh Hslotcarsblog.blogspotey teams with rookie Dr. Kevin Stadtlander to go for two consecutive victories at the track in the No. 181 APR/BBS Volkswagen GTI.
Rookie team BimmerWorld/GearWrench is also entered with two BMW 328s, including the No. 81 Performance Friction/RAYS Engineering BMW 328 for Bill Heumann and Seth Thomas, second in the standings.
Practice for the Barber 200 begins at 1 p.m. CT Thursday, with two 15-minute qualifying sessions beginning at 9:50 a.m. CT Friday. The Barber 200 begins at 4 p.m. CT Saturday.
News and photos used with permission from Grand Am.
BMW Z4 video... Lovin' the lap of the 'Ring
Spirit-Early '10 releases
New Scaleauto BMW 1/24 shown in Germany
Grand Am Daytona testing
A primary reason for the two-day session was to allow Rolex Series competitors the opportunity to have their first test with the 2010 Pirelli tire. Many competitors said they were pleased, overall.
"Perfect!" said Max Angelelli, driver of the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara.
"The tires are great!" said Bill Auberlen, testing the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 for the first time. "We ran entire stints, and a stint-and-a-half, and we virtually lose no lap time. I think Pirelli knew what they wanted to do, and they achieved it. Everyone's all smiles."
"I'm really surprised; we've got a gain here," said Mike Shank, owner of the Nos. 6 and 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Rileys. "We've got a tire here that we can double stint - minimally - at night."
Shank also feels the tires will be a plus in the upcoming Rolex Series sprint races.
"In the sprint races, when we only have to add fuel, we'll be able to keep a set of tires on the car," Shank said.
Shank's cars were among the leaders throughout both two-day sessions, which ran virtually incident free.After finishing second in the 2006 Rolex 24, winning the pole in 2008 and consistently running near the top, coming close is no longer good enough.
"It owes us," he said. "We're going to get it. We're going to get it."
Reminded that his cars have been fast throughout the two-day test, Shank said, "That's getting a little bit old. We want to translate this into something good this year. We've proven that we can go fast in the practice and test sessions at least a hundred times."
Shank said his program is not totally set for 2010, but he was happy to have AJ Allmendinger testing in the car in preparation for the Rolex 24, as well as Mark Patterson and John Pew. He was also happy with another addition to his lineup for this test - Ricky Taylor.
"Ricky has been the surprise of this test for me," Shank said. "He is doing really well. He's not that far off of Michael (Valiante), and Michael is trying real hard. I was pleasantly surprised with Ricky, and besides, he fits in great with the other guys."
Ozz Negri, however, wasn't surprised with his new teammate.
"Ricky is not a surprise for me," Negri said. "I know he's a good driver, and I know there is a huge potential."
While the Shank cars were among the quickest on Wednesday - along with Scott Pruett in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates BMW Riley, Angelelli and Brumos Porsche Riley driver David Donohue - Negri said speed was not the goal on the second day of the session.
"The car is very quick," Negri said. "Today we were working on race setup and our endurance, working on things like our brake package."
Times at the test were unofficial and not recorded.
Allmendinger Happy With Offseason Work
After winding up a strenuous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule at Homestead-Miami Speedway less than three weeks ago, AJ Allmendinger was happy to be back in a race car Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway.
"I hate the offseason," Allmendinger said. "I want to be racing."
Allmendinger tested in the No. 60 Ford Riley, joined by Negri and Pew. Valiante, Taylor and Patterson tested the team's No. 6 entry.
"I never got to do the December test here before, and I'm real excited about it," Allmendinger said. "I love being part of Mike Shank Racing. This will be my fifth year doing it, and I'm real excited. We always have a car that can go out there and win. I just love driving for Mike. He's a great guy and he's a lot of fun being around, and that's why I show up every year. I was going to be out here anyway doing the PRI show's go-kart race Thursday in Orlando, and Mike called me and asked if I wanted to test here on Wednesday. I said, 'Heck yes.'
"I love GRAND-AM, I love the series and I love driving the Daytona Prototypes," Allmendinger continued. "They're a lot of fun. It's definitely a lot different. It takes about 8-10 laps to get back into form and know where to brake. But I enjoy it, and being able to do the December test will make it a lot easier coming back in January. This will help me a lot. I'll be able to come back in January, jump right back in the car and it will be like I was in it all year."
Allmendinger's best Rolex 24 finish was second in 2006, when he co-drove with Negri, Patterson and Justin Wilson.
"We know how prestigious this race is," Allmendinger said. "I'm real excited to be with Ford on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series side, and running here gives me the chance to keep building on that relationship. Now, all we need is to get a little luck on our side. We'll have two cars right up in the top three or four, and now we need to pray to the racing gods for a little luck."
Haywood: 2010 Will Be His Last Rolex 24
Hslotcarsblog.blogspotey Haywood came up about five seconds shy of winning his sixth Rolex 24 At Daytona this past January, and ended the 2009 campaign in Gatorade Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
So he's carrying plenty of momentum into the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona - which he confirmed Wednesday will be his last drive in the event he's won a record five times.
"I'm certainly going to try my very best," Haywood said. "We're going to have a strong car and a strong driver lineup. Winning would be a nice way to close my career, believe me. I've already stated this is going to be my last Rolex 24. It would be a great way to cap a great career."
Haywood will team with 2009 Rolex 24 winners Darren Law and David Donohue in the Rolex 24, sharing the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley. The team has a technical alliance with the new No. 9 Action Express Racing Porsche Riley of Joao Barbosa and Terry Borcheller.
Johnston Pleased With First Daytona Test
Englishman Derek Johnston has been waiting to drive at Daytona International Speedway since he learned he won the inaugural Rolex 24 Driver Challenge presented by Sunoco. He won a funded drive in the Rolex 24 and testing after tallying the highest point total in four British racing championships.
"It was absolutely brilliant to go out there for the first time yesterday," said Johnston, the British Radical Series champion. "I was a little nervous at first and was a little slow on the first lap, but I gradually gained confidence and picked it up."
Johnston tested in the No. 09 Spirit of Daytona Porsche Coyote, along with driver/coach Guy Cosmo and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Paul Menard. The team is also fielding a brand-new No. 90 Porsche Coyote for 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice, Antonio Garcia and Menard. Rice and Garcia were part of the winning lineup in the 2009 Rolex 24.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought," Johnston said. "What made it really good was I already had an understanding of knowing what the car would do from my test last month at Virginia, so I didn't have to start from scratch."
It was the first time in a Daytona Prototype for Menard, who won two Rolex Series GT races for Spirit of Daytona in a Corvette in 2002.
"I've got a lot to learn about the braking in the Daytona Prototype," Menard said. "It seems all the speed is made up in how hard you attack the corner, how hard you can push the brake power. The car stopped really well and has good power. It's real quick from what I'm used to. It's a learning curve, but a lot of fun."
Jonsson Happy with Ford Lola
Nic Jönsson was the lone driver for Krohn Racing Ford Lola at the test, and he was pleased with the progress on the car. The car was badly damaged in a flip after a cut tire a month ago, with team owner Tracy Krohn escaping unhurt.
"I don't know if the Lola's quick enough to be on the pole here, but I think we definitely have the car to be running up front as far as speed and consistency once we get going," Jönsson said. "Hopefully we'll have the same team back and will get another crack at it. I just hope it stays together in one piece."
While he didn't test the car, Krohn Racing driver Eric van de Poele was on hand to offer support.
Lally Says TRG Will Need Strong Package For Repeat
Andy Lally was one of five drivers to win the 2009 Rolex 24 in the Rolex Series GT class. He said Wednesday he and his co-drivers of TRG's No. 67 Porsche GT3 will have a strong package for the 2010 race, but realize they can't take their fellow competitors for granted.
"We're about the same pace as we were last year, but our competition and the other makes have stepped up, so we're going to have something a little bit stronger and hopefully make it comfortable to drive," Lally said.
Lally will race the Rolex 24 with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Bobby Labonte, Spencer Pumpelly and Tim George Jr. TRG also campaigned its Nos. 66 and 68 Porsche GT3s, and is providing technical assistance to Guardian Angel Motorsports for the second consecutive season.
"I think we had a pretty good car and think we found a pretty good setup for our cars for the Rolex 24," Lally said. "We took our winning combination and just made some minor tweaks and improvements. I think we have a pretty good baseline."
Nonnamakers Happy With Performance
Will Nonnamaker said he feels Team Sahlen is right where it wants to be after testing its new Mazda RX-8 during this week's test. The team had run a Corvette the past three seasons.
Nonnamaker, who along with younger brother Wayne Nonnamaker and team owner Joe Sahlen, were among the fastest on the charts Tuesday, and continued to progress on Wednesday.
"It's better than we can ever imagine it was going to be," Will Nonnamaker said. "We got these cars from SpeedSource, and this has just been a fantastic car. Our goal this year to help Mazda win the manufacturer's championship, so hopefully we can play a big part in winning it this year."
PR1 Motorsports Proving BMW M6 Fast
Thomas Merrill and Max Hyatt, one of the youngest driver pairings in the Rolex Series paddock, participated in the No. 32 Miracle Sealants Team PR1 BMW M6 over the two days, with the assistance of 2008 Rolex Series GT co-champion Paul Edwards.
The team introduced the BMW M6 during the second half of the 2009 season, constructing the car from what was a Pontiac GXP.R. Hyatt finished fourth in the car at Miller Motorsports Park, the team's best finish with the M6.
Merrill, who has competed with PR1 five times over the past two seasons, remarked he was excited about what the team learned this week.
"It's been exciting switching to the new car and learning a lot," Merrill said. "It's a great car. It's the first time we've had it at Daytona, and we're doing pretty well so far. We're trying to get into a comfort zone and find a way to stay there."
Magnus Racing: New Team With Old Feel
Magnus Racing may be a new team, but several crewmembers - and its main two drivers - have worked together in the past. Craig Stanton and John Potter made up the driver lineup for this week's test, and two other drivers will be announced for the Rolex 24 in the near future. Potter said the team's main reason for coming this week was to prep for the 2010 season.
"We've spent a lot of time on the track, and we've also played a lot with setups," Potter said. "We're a new team and most people have worked together. Overall, it's a good binding experience. We've had a lot of fun and made some good progress with the car."
Potter said the team is focused on a full 2010 slate in the No. 44 Porsche GT3.
SpeedSource Team Happy About New Car's Performance"The car is perfect," Nick Longhi said about the Mazda RX-8 following Wednesday's practice session at Daytona.
The new No. 69 Mazda RX-8 rolled off the truck and onto the track for the first time Tuesday and all five drivers that toured the track said they felt happy with the car's performance. Former race winner Sylvain Tremblay shared the No. 69 with its regular co-drivers, Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato, as well as veteran and part-time team racer Longhi.
Joining them for the test was Anthony Lazzaro, a two-time Rolex 24 At Daytona class winner who was competing in a Mazda for the first time. Like the others, Lazzaro was pleased with the car's performance.
"For me, it's a good opportunity to come back to Daytona with a car and team that has proven it could win the race, and with a car that dominated the end of 2009, with friends" Lazzaro said. "SpeedSource has built a great car, nice and easy to drive, and it's a perfect car to win the Rolex 24. We look forward to getting a good result."
SpeedSource hopes to make an announcement on the full Rolex 24 driver lineup soon.
Dempsey Racing Makes Strides At Test
Joe Foster and Dempsey Racing will return to the Rolex Series in 2010. Foster, who normally teams with Patrick Dempsey, turned several laps during the two days with James Gue and Don Kitch. Dempsey's schedule kept him from participating in the test.
This will be the third full season in which Dempsey and Foster will campaign the car. Foster expects to make an announcement on the team's plans for 2010 later in the month. This week, his concentration centered on making the No. 40 Mazda RX-8 a better race car.
"We built this car completely from scratch, had a few teething problems with it, but in the big picture we're fine," Foster said. "We're getting a new car in January, which is similar to the chassis we brought this week. Everything is going fine."
Another Team, ZMG, Made First On-Track Appearance
ZMG was another team that made its Rolex Series GT debut Tuesday, joining Turner Motorsport and Magnus Racing as first-time squads, with Shane Lewis and Richard Zahn.
Lewis has been coaching Zahn for about a year. The team has only had the car for about a month, Lewis said, and the test was most specifically to earn seat time and run laps.
"We're not here to set any track records," Lewis said. "This is Rich's first time at Daytona. I went out there and set up the car for him to drive, and he's been out there just rocking out laps and learning. Our goal is to get him those laps and get ready for the Rolex 24."
The Rolex Series teams - joined by their GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Series counterparts - return to Daytona International Speedway Jan. 8-10 for the Roar Before the Rolex 24. The 48th Rolex 24 At Daytona takes the green flag at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30 (SPEED, live).
Last one out turn off the lights....
With so many of the high profile teams leaving F1 it makes you wonder how long it will be before it's only Ferrari and McLaren out there racing against each other...
A statement by Toyota about F1:
“Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces it plans to withdraw from the FIA Formula One World Championship at the end of the 2009 season,” said a statement released by the Japanese car manufacturer.
“TMC, which had viewed its participation in F1 as contributing to the prosperity of automotive culture, remained dedicated to competing at the pinnacle of motor sports, even in the face of the abrupt economic changes that started last year.
“However, when considering TMC’s motor-sports activities next year and beyond from a comprehensive midterm viewpoint reflecting the current severe economic realities, TMC decided to withdraw from F1."
Bridgestone too is leaving as tire supplier.
From the Bridgestone motorsport website:
Bridgestone Corporation today announced that it will not enter into a new tyre supply contract with the FIA Formula One World Championship (F1) series; the current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2010 season.
In addressing the impact of the continuing evolution of the business environment on its decision, the company focused on the need to redirect its resources towards the further intensive development of those innovative technologies and strategic products which support the company’s goals and further enhance the company’s reputation as a technology leader.
Over the years, the company has benefited directly from its involvement in Formula One racing. The lessons learned through Bridgestone’s successful participation have translated into innovations that can be applied to the design and manufacture of high performance tyres. In addition, its collaboration with F1 has contributed to increased brand awareness and the recognition of Bridgestone as a leader in the global tyre industry.
Having achieved these goals, Bridgestone is now poised to take its technological and brand building efforts to the next level. Bridgestone is committed to supporting F1 and the series’ teams through the completion of the 2010 season. The company also expressed its sincere appreciation and gratitude to the management of Formula One, the F1 teams and support staff, and the F1 fans around the world for their enthusiasm and support for Bridgestone over the last 13 years."
And with rumors swirling about whether Renault will return they made this annoucement recently...
"The Renault F1 Team is delighted to announce the signing of a three-year partnership with TW Steel, the Dutch watchmaker, which will become the official timing partner of the team."
At least for the time being Renault seems to still be in the F1 business.
BMW leaves F1
“Of course, this was a difficult decision for us. But it’s a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment," explained Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. In line with our Strategy Number ONE, we are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability. Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us. Mario Theissen has been in charge of our motor sports program since 1999. We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula One racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this,” said, Reithofer.
Dr. Klaus Draeger, the member of the Board of Management responsible for development, said: “It only took us three years to establish ourselves as a top team with the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Unfortunately, we were unable to meet expectations in the current season. Nevertheless, our ten years of Formula One experience have had a major impact on our development engineers. We have racing to thank for numerous technological innovations as well as the competitive spirit that drives us to develop mass-produced cars.” Possible redundancies in Munich and Hinwil cannot be quantified at present. Says Draeger: “Since we only made this decision yesterday, we cannot provide any more precise information. We will develop and assess various scenarios and do our best to find a solution for the employees in Hinwil and the staff members involved in the Formula One project in Munich. We are aware of the responsibility we shoulder and will inform the staff as soon as we can make a clear statement."
Says BMW Motorsport director Dr. Mario Theissen: “Of course, we, the employees in Hinwil and Munich, would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years. But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective. We will now focus sharply on the remaining races and demonstrate our fighting spirit and put in a good result as we bid farewell to Formula One racing.”
BMW will continue its programs in a number of motor sports series: BMW will appear on the starting grid in the touring car series and young driver promotion program in Formula BMW. This will be supplemented by BMW’s participation in ALMS, the American Le Mans Series, endurance races and close-to-production customer sports. Furthermore, BMW Motorrad Motorsport will continue its campaigns, with the super bike world championship leading the way.
BMW looks back on a long track record of success in the field of motor sports:
BMW achieved eight Formula One victories from 1982 to 1985 with Brabham. In 1983, BMW won the driver’s championship with Nelson Piquet (Brabham BMW). The last win with the legendary turbo engine followed with Benetton in 1986. Ten victories were scored during the partnership with Williams (2000-2005). BMW had a total of 19 grand prix wins and 33 pole positions before the BMW Sauber F1 Team era.
In its debut season in 2006, the newly established BMW Sauber F1 Team wound up fifth in the constructor’s championship. In 2007, the German-Swiss team came in second after McLaren-Mercedes’ exclusion from the points standings. The 2008 season saw the team in the hunt for the world championship until the end of the season, winding up third. Polish-born Robert Kubica achieved the first and hitherto only GP victory in Canada on June 8, 2008. So far, the BMW Sauber F1 Team has taken one pole position (Kubica in Bahrain in 2008) and 16 podium finishes. The BMW Sauber F1 Team occupies the eighth spot in the manufacturer’s standings in the season presently underway.
News used with permission from BMW Motorsport.
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