(McLaren Automotive)
The McLaren P made a brief appearance at the McLaren Technology Center, driven by 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button. The reveal was part of the launch event for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 2013 Formula 1 car, the MP4-28. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez arrived at the event in a 12C Spider finished in heritage McLaren Orange, while his teammate followed closely behind in a camouflaged XP prototype version of the McLaren P1. These two models joined a spectacular grid of racing cars showcasing the brand’s history, kicking off a year of 50th anniversary celebrations. Other cars present: A 1970s era M8D CanAm sportscar, Emerson Fittipaldi’s iconic 1974 M23, Ayrton Senna’s dominant 1988 MP4/4, the 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR, Mika Hakkinen’s MP4-13 car from 1998, and the most recent championship winning car to wear the McLaren badge, the MP4-23 from 2008.

(McLaren Automotive)
McLaren Automotive has released more about the development of the McLaren P1. You can watch the video of the P1 undergoing testing here. You can also watch "McLaren 50 – Courage" here. It is the first of three specially commissioned short films depicting the McLaren brand in a way never seen before as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Instead of focusing on the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team or the new Automotive division, part one of the 50th anniversary trilogy sheds light on Bruce McLaren, who founded his racing team five decades ago. Directed by Marcus Söderlund, a leading music-video maker from Sweden, the short film follows the ghost of Bruce McLaren as he retraces the scene of his crash at the Goodwood circuit in 1970 – the crash that took his life at the tragically young age of 32. Shot in Söderlund’s trademark, dreamlike state, it is accompanied by a spine-tingling Bruce McLaren monologue, ending poignantly with the words: “…What might be seen as a tragic end was in fact a beginning. As I always said, to do something well is so worthwhile that to die trying to do it better cannot be foolhardy. Indeed, life is not measured in years alone but in achievement...”

(Ferrari)
Scuderia Ferrari unveiled its latest single-seater Formula One car yesterday in Ferrari’s home town of Maranello, Italy. The new car - the Ferrari F138 - will be driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa during the 2013 Formula One season. Ugly as all get-out - and no different in that regard than the rest of the current class of F1 cars - the F138 is the 59th car built by Ferrari specifically to take part in the Formula One World Championship. in case you're wondering, the name comes from a combination of the current year and the number of cylinders, to mark the fact that this is the eighth and final year of competition for the V8 engine configuration.

(Ferrari)

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Gordon Kirby's lengthy interview last week with Scott Pruett was revealing. Pruett's view of the racing world is heavily influenced by his repeated ingestion of the France family/NASCAR Kool-Aid, but he made some realistic points nonetheless. This week, Kirby, gets at the other side of the story in an interview with Chris Dyson of Dyson Racing. Chris had this to say: "I think we've just got to get over the petty arguments and the tribal warfare that's going on some places. It's time to drop that and act like grownups and really let the market decide. Write the rules and let the market decide what the best outcome will be. If you do that, you certainly can't be afraid of the outcome." Smart man. Read the rest of Kirby's interview here. As I said last week, anyone who thinks that just throwing the "switch" on the unified 2014 season (and the ALMS/Grand-Am mash-up) will bring instant results is sadly mistaken. It's going to take work, time and a heavy participatory presence by the auto manufacturers to make it all work. - PMD

(Images courtesy of Ford Racing)
Ford Racing will introduce its new OlsbergsMSE-built Fiesta ST Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) race car - based off the new Ford Fiesta ST production car - at the Chicago Auto Show. The new car will be on display Thursday and Friday only. Ford Racing and OlsbergsMSE have signed a multiyear manufacturer partnership to build on their back-to-back Global RallyCross Championships and multiple X Games medals. Ford is also the sole automotive sponsor for the 2013 summer X Games with RallyCross events at all four global events. The OlsbergsMSE Fiesta ST GRC cars will be driven by Tanner Foust and Brian Deegan. Ford driver and 2012 X Games silver medalist Ken Block will also compete in the 2013 Global RallyCross Championship and will introduce his new Fiesta ST GRC car later this year. The production Ford Fiesta ST, which goes on sale this summer, is available exclusively as a five-door hatchback in North America. Equipped with a new high-output variant of Ford's 1.6-liter EcoBoost® four-cylinder engine, the Fiesta ST will have an estimated 197 horsepower, 214 lb.-ft. of torque and is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Fiesta ST is projected to achieve up to 34 mpg. Other tweaks for the Fiesta ST include a unique grille, chin spoiler, rear diffuser, fascia extensions, bright tipped dual-exhaust pipes, a high-mounted spoiler and unique 17-inch wheels.

(Digital art by Neillsen Hines)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: AE reader and graphic designer Neillsen Hines loved my suggestion that the Corvette should be a separate brand within GM, so much that he has envisioned a Corvette Racing LMP1 car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Here, in his own words, are his thoughts behind the illustration: "I loved your column on how Corvette should be its own separate brand. I've been thinking the same thing for years... I know you said there was no chance that they will do it, but I came to the conclusion it is quite possible. If GM develops a Le Mans Prototype Corvette racer that is successful and I mean successful in that it wins the LMP class, it would send the message that Corvette is at the pinnacle of performance technology. It worked for Audi and it definitely can work for GM. I've done some rendering of what a Corvette LMP1 Racer can possibly look like." Thanks to Neillsen for his imaginative take. - PMD

(ALMS)
Aston Martin Racing has announced that they will race in the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 16. Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke will team with AMR newcomer Bruno Senna in a 2013-spec Aston Martin Vantage GTE for the opening round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Along with Sebring, the Aston Martin factory program will compete in the full FIA World Endurance Championship – including the September round at Circuit of The Americas as part of a shared weekend with ALMS – and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race will air live starting at 10:30 a.m. ET on SPEED, and ticket information is available through ALMS.com.

(Alex Job Racing)
West Racing and Alex Job Racing are joining forces to compete for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón’s GT championship in 2013. The team – Team West/AJR/Boardwalk Ferrari – will make its debut at the season-opening 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell will pilot the Yokohama-backed No. 23 Team Ferrari 458 GT in the North American-based ALMS. Their first start in the new car will come a year after they won the GT Challenge class at Sebring.

(McLaren Automotive)

According to McLaren Automotive, the McLaren P1™ has a clear goal: "to be the best driver’s car in the world on road and track." As McLaren drips out information about the P1 before the Geneva show, the latest missive focuses on the driving environment. Light weight – as with the rest of the car – is a priority and McLaren is a pioneer in the use of carbon fiber. The P1 uses the material extensively throughout, not least in the MonoCage chassis and the aerodynamically-shaped body panels, but also inside the two-seat cabin. It is used for the dashboard, floor, headlining, doors, rockers and a single piece is shaped for the central control unit to further optimize weight. Even more attention to detail figures in as the top layer of resin has been removed to leave the carbon non-lacquered for a more natural look, saving an additional 1.5kg. The amount of trim covering within the cabin has been minimized, leaving as many parts as exposed as possible, and there is no interior sound deadening in order to optimize weight saving even further. Carpet is offered - as an option - but when chosen, it is fitted with a special lightweight backing. Switchgear is kept to a minimum, yet the McLaren P1 retains luxury features such as full climate control, satellite navigation and a bespoke sound system, developed from the outset with Meridian. According to McLaren the racing bucket seats use the minimum amount of foam, are encased in ultra-thin carbon fiber shells, and are mounted on lightweight brackets and runners, contributing to an overall weight of just 10.5kg each. The seat backs are fixed to 28 degrees from the vertical, but can be set to 32 degrees to make them more suitable for racing as it will give more helmet head room. The height of the seat will be custom set to suit the driver and passenger and then can be subsequently adjusted in the workshop. Fixings for a six-point race harnesses are in place, in addition to inertia reel seat belts. The steering wheel diameter is "as technically precise as a McLaren racing driver’s wheel. This is because past McLaren world champions’ grips were modelled on a CAD system and scanned to produce an exact replica." The rim is finished in Alcantara, with carbon fiber inserts. The production-ready McLaren P1 makes its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Ford (Brazil). Ford Brazil had a different take for the launch of the Fusion. They brought back Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell to have another go at each other in the cars. Watch the four episodes here, here, here and here.

(Digital art by Neillsen Hines)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: AE reader and graphic designer Neillsen Hines loved my suggestion that the Corvette should be a separate brand within GM, so much that he has envisioned a Corvette Racing LMP1 car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Here, in his own words, are his thoughts behind the illustration: "I loved your column on how Corvette should be its own separate brand. I've been thinking the same thing for years... I know you said there was no chance that they will do it, but I came to the conclusion it is quite possible. If GM develops a Le Mans Prototype Corvette racer that is successful and I mean successful in that it wins the LMP class, it would send the message that Corvette is at the pinnacle of performance technology. It worked for Audi and it definitely can work for GM. I've done some rendering of what a Corvette LMP1 Racer can possibly look like." Thanks to Neillsen for his imaginative take. - PMD

(BMW)
BMW will replace the BMW M3 GT with the new BMW Z4 GTE in the American Le Mans Series for 2013. BMW Motorsport and BMW Team RLL presented the car and drivers for the new season last Tuesday. BMW Motorsport also announced the driving pairs for the coming season. Car No. 55 will be driven by Bill Auberlen (US) and ALMS rookie Maxime Martin (BE). Dirk Müller (DE) will contest all the races in the No. 56 car. Joey Hand (US) and John Edwards (US) will alternate as the two-time ALMS GT champion’s driving partner. Edwards will stand in for Hand when he is unavailable due to his parallel commitment in the DTM. Jörg Müller (DE, No. 55) and Uwe Alzen (DE, No. 56) will bolster the squad at the endurance races at Sebring (US) and Road Atlanta (US). Why the switch? The BMW Z4 GTE is considerably more compact than its successful predecessor, the BMW M3 GT, for starters. And oh, by the way, the Z4 GTE will have a BMW V8 racing engine in it, something that you can't get in the production version.

(GM)
The Chevrolet SS will be the first V-8, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan from the Chevrolet brand since 1996. The 2014 Chevrolet SS will debut at the Daytona International Speedway as the SS racer makes its NASCAR debut during the Daytona 500. See more about the new SS in "On The Table."

All American Racers is sad to announce that Phil Remington passed away in his sleep Saturday morning, February 9th, just 2 weeks after his 92nd birthday. "Rem” joined AAR in the fall of 1968 after an already stellar career in the motor racing world. He was universally admired and recognized as the greatest fabricator of his time. Until his health started failing last summer Phil never missed a day of work, he was an example both professionally and personally to legions of young people who studied under him and who worked by his side .

It will be difficult for us to walk by his old wooden workbench on the shop floor and not hear the sound of his hammer or see a smile break out on his face having just finished his latest masterpiece. Our heartfelt condolences go to his daughter Kati, his son-in-law Dave and his two grandsons Tynan and Brady.

On the occasion of his 80th and 90th birthdays we wrote tributes to Phil which we think capture the man and his life and work, we like to present some excerpts here: Watching Tom Hanks try to get off the island in the movie "Castaway" a few years ago, all we could think of was "Where is Rem?" Had the legendary Mr. Fix- it, motor racing’s best known fabricator been there, they would have been off that island in no time. Phil would have known how to hammer together a boat from bark and build a make-shift helicopter from old socks. He was a one man fire brigade which the top factory racing teams called upon when in trouble.

In 44 years at our company, nobody remembers Phil missing a day of work. His ability as a fabricator, designer, draftsman, engineer and all- technical - problem - solving- genius has inspired three generations of racers be it behind the wheel, in the pits or on the shop floor. A huge number of alumni of AAR's Remington University have gone on to establish their own often formidable careers in the racing industry.

Born in 1921 in Santa Monica, cradle of the hotrod civilization, Phil served as a flight engineer in the South Pacific in World War II. After the war he started racing hotrods on the dry lakes. A severe motorcycle accident which almost cost him a leg, finished this particular career and launched another. He found out what he could do with his hands, a hammer and a piece of metal. And he could do it faster and better. And so the journey began which took him around the world with the greatest racing teams of the day. He was with Lance Reventlow in Monte Carlo when he ran the first American F I car, he helped the Ford Shelby Cobra Team win the Championship over Ferrari in 1965, he was in the pits when Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt won Ford's biggest victory at Le Mans in 1967, he joined Holman and Moody on the Southern circuit and led an endurance test for Ford Motor Company through hazardous Afghanistan in the middle 50s.

He was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when the Gurney Eagles dominated the Indy car scene in the early 70s. He saw Bobby Unser drink that precious bottle of milk after winning the Indy 500 in 1975 in an Eagle which Rem helped build and naturally he was at Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen when the GTO Celicas and GTP Eagles won IMSA Championships. Phil - literally - had a hand in every victory.

Modest, handsome, outspoken, politically incorrect, proud, fiercely competitive, cantankerous, enthusiastic and blessed with a wicked sense of humor, he became a respected and beloved elder statesman at the company. After his wife Joy died in 2000, he lived on his own shunning any talks of help or of retirement. Last spring at 91 years of age, Phil was part of the AAR crew which built the DeltaWing - what a fitting finale to a great life in the motor racing industry!

Justin Gurney, AAR CEO, said Phil's merciless work ethic and can-do attitude reverberated throughout the shop and will continue to be a shining example in the future. "Most of us in the younger generation have known Mr. Remington for our entire working lives. Considering his robust health almost to the very end, we were tempted to think he would live forever. We have been in awe of his talents and afraid of his scorn. If something was not done to his exact specifications, the hammer came down... If for instance he did not like the music emanating from somebody's radio, he would not hesitate to saw it in half during lunch hour. Next time we hear thunder, it might just be Rem with his homemade hammers repairing the Pearly Gates."

Dan Gurney called Phil AAR's ‘Rock of Gibraltar'. "He was a marvel, an old salt and an inspiration to young and old. We owe him a ton of gratitude for all the good things he has done for us and many other racing teams through the last half century. He was an original and can never be replaced. God's speed Rem, we love you and we will miss you every day".

Further data on Phil Remington's life and career can be found on our webpage www.allamericanracers.com. An article “Mr. Fix-it” by Preston Lerner which appeared in the July edition of Sports Car International Magazine in 1980 is posted in the "archive" section.

(Photo by Christa L Thomas for Chevrolet)
Danica Patrick (No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Go Daddy Chevrolet SS) is congratulated by Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS) after capturing the first Pole by a woman in NASCAR history during qualifying for the Daytona 500. Gordon qualified second.
(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
Danica was fast in practice leading up to Coors Light Pole qualifying and then she made it stick when it counted.

(Photo by Christa L Thomas for Chevrolet)
Danica Patrick's Pole was the proverbial shot heard around the world in major media outlets on Sunday and Monday, and a needed boost for NASCAR's flagging fortunes. See more on Daytona in "Fumes." The Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday, February 17, at Daytona International Speedway.

(GM)
The Chevrolet SS will be the first V-8, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan from the Chevrolet brand since 1996. The 2014 Chevrolet SS will debut at the Daytona International Speedway as the SS racer makes its NASCAR debut during the Daytona 500. See more about the new SS in "On The Table."

(BMW)
BMW will replace the BMW M3 GT with the new BMW Z4 GTE in the American Le Mans Series for 2013. BMW Motorsport and BMW Team RLL presented the car and drivers for the new season last Tuesday. BMW Motorsport also announced the driving pairs for the coming season. Car No. 55 will be driven by Bill Auberlen (US) and ALMS rookie Maxime Martin (BE). Dirk Müller (DE) will contest all the races in the No. 56 car. Joey Hand (US) and John Edwards (US) will alternate as the two-time ALMS GT champion’s driving partner. Edwards will stand in for Hand when he is unavailable due to his parallel commitment in the DTM. Jörg Müller (DE, No. 55) and Uwe Alzen (DE, No. 56) will bolster the squad at the endurance races at Sebring (US) and Road Atlanta (US). Why the switch? The BMW Z4 GTE is considerably more compact than its successful predecessor, the BMW M3 GT, for starters. And oh, by the way, the Z4 GTE will have a BMW V8 racing engine in it, something that you can't get in the production version. Check out the new BMW Z4 GTE in this video.

(McLaren Automotive images)
The McLaren P1™ will have the combined force of two highly-efficient powerplants, according to the automaker, "offering the optimum mix of superb throttle response, day-to-day drivability and top speed." A mid-mounted 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 gasoline engine and a highly effective electric motor give a combined output of 916PS (903 bhp) and a maximum torque figure of 900Nm, ensuring instantaneous throttle response through the rev range, more akin to a naturally aspirated engine, says McLaren. Emissions of less than 200g/km on the combined cycle are reduced to zero in full electric drive mode, while the Formula 1-derived DRS (Drag Reduction System) and IPAS (Instant Power Assist System) technologies offer an increase in straight-line speed and an instant boost of power. The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 in the McLaren P1 is a new version of the M838T unit that has been significantly upgraded to optimize cooling and durability under the higher loads. The engine block has a unique casting to incorporate the electric motor. The V8 produces 737PS (727 bhp) at 7,500rpm, and 720Nm of torque from 4,000rpm. To optimize efficiency of the petrol engine, extensive testing and development work has always been carried out with McLaren Automotive technology partner Mobil 1 on lubrication and hydraulic fluids

 The lightweight electric motor, developed by the McLaren Electronics arm of the Group, produces 179PS (176 bhp), and is unique to the McLaren P1. The motor produces maximum torque of 260Nm instantly from a standstill, greatly increasing the throttle response of the P1, and peak combined torque of 900Nm is delivered from just 4,000 rpm. In addition to this, the McLaren-developed "boost" system, IPAS, provides up to 179PS instantly. The instant response of the electric motor provides a sharper throttle response more associated with a normally aspirated engine, and the significantly enhanced air-charging system enables the McLaren P1 to have more top-end power – the perfect combination for high performance, according to McLaren. The electric motor is mounted directly onto the engine, and all drive is channelled through the dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox to drive the rear wheels. A further benefit is that the e-motor can provide faster upshifts. This is achieved through the application of instant negative torque at the point of shift, making the engine revs drop as quickly and efficiently as possible to the required engine speed for the upshift.

(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
Jimmie Johnson, (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet SS) gets the checkered flag ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS) to win the 55th running of the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk for Chevrolet)
Jimmie Johnson leads a pack of cars near the end of the Daytona 500. The race itself was for the most part a processional with the field running much of the race in two single-file columns. The new "Gen 6" cars from all of the manufacturers looked much better on the track, but the racing was decidedly lackluster.

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk for Chevrolet)
Danica Patrick (No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS), who qualified on the Pole for a historic first, leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. late in the Daytona 500. Danica finished eighth and drove a smart, savvy race acquitting herself extremely well. By leading the field for two laps on Lap 90, Patrick became the first woman in history to have lead laps in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. She lead a total of five laps during the 500.

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk for Chevrolet)
It was the second win for Johnson in the Daytona 500 (his first came in 2006) and it was also the first NASCAR victory for the new Chevrolet SS, which won't be available to the public in production car trim until next fall.

(Photo by Christa L. Thomas for Chevrolet)
Jimmie Johnson celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Daytona 500. It was an ominous win for Johnson as he served notice to the rest of the garage area that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2013 season. Congratulations to Jimmie, Chad Knaus, Rick Hendrick, Chevrolet and the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization. Check out this hilarious video capturing Jimmie Johnson and team celebrating their victory at Daytona late into the night, Harlem Shake style.

 Nissan. After getting its appetite wet with the DeltaWing, Nissan has announced it will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 with "an innovative project that promises to continue the pioneering spirit of last year's award-winning Nissan DeltaWing experimental entry," according to the manufacturer. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn made the pledge to return to Le Mans during a special event in Yokohama, Japan, to open a new headquarters for Nismo, Nissan's global performance and motorsport brand. Ghosn hinted that a new approach to innovation and excitement will be at the project's core, while confirming that the company will return as the Garage 56 entry for innovative concepts with an all-new race car incorporating electric technology. Nissan suggests that "The entry will test innovative new powertrain technology and provide the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) with data to enable all parties to evaluate the incorporation of this breakthrough technology ahead of a potential return to LMP1 in the future." "We will return to Le Mans with a vehicle that will act as a high-speed test bed in the harshest of environments for both our road car and race car electric vehicle technology," added Ghosn.

(McLaren Automotive)
See the final specs on the new McLaren P1 here in "On The Table."

(Copyright 2013, Nigel Kinrade. Autostock)
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Subway Ford Fusion) ended a 70-race winless streak on Sunday - the second-longest drought he's ended - at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 on Phoenix on Sunday. ''This win feels as good or better as any win I've ever had,'' Edwards said. After sighning a big new contract at the end of the 2011 season, Edwards missed the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in 2012 and, to make matters worse, wrecked five race cars at Daytona. Edwards vowed to dominate in Phoenix, and he backed it up by leading the final 78 laps of the 312-lap race in the first non-restrictor-plate race with NASCAR's new Gen-6 car. It was his first win in two years. ''Last year we didn't even make the Chase,'' Edwards said (courtesy of the AP). ''For me to sit home while everybody was at the Chase stuff and in Vegas, that was a little bit of a shock to me and I did not like that at all. To get a victory puts us in better position to be in the Chase, it just feels good to win and I'm just very glad to be here.''

(Copyright 2013, Nigel Kinrade. Autostock)
Carl Edwards celebrates with his Roush Fenway Racing crew after winning the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
Jimmie Johnson finished second in his Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS after a furious battle with Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing FedEx Toyota). Hamlin made a brilliant pass low on the apron in the dogleg on the last lap blowing by several drivers, including Johnson, but Johnson battled back to finish second by a couple of inches ahead of Hamlin. Watch the race replay here.

(Photo by Brian Cleary for Chevrolet)
Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney (No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP) won the GRAND-AM of The Americas Presented by GAINSCO and TOTAL in an unpredictable race on the new 3.4-mile Circuit Of The Americas on Saturday, March 2. The pole-winning car led the final seven laps – the only laps led by the team all day – as Fogarty and Gurney won in the Rolex Series for the first time since late 2011. The Fogarty/Gurney duo appeared headed for second place when Brendon Hartley in the leading No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley made contact with a GT car and stopped off circuit. “It’s great to be back,” Gurney said. “We finished second quite a few times last year, and man, what a day! We pushed it so hard the whole way. It was an incredible battle at the end with [Ryan)] Dalziel and [Scott] Pruett, and it feels amazing to hold them off. We had 500 GAINSCO guests today, and we created 500 new racing fans. They were all going crazy.” Dalziel and Alex Popow finished second in the No. 2 Starworks Ford/Riley and championship leaders Pruett and Memo Rojas were third in the No. 01 TELMEX Target Chip Ganassi Racing BMW/Riley.

(Photo by Brian Cleary for Chevrolet)
Drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty celebrate after their victory in the GRAND-AM of The Americas race Saturday. The next Rolex Series race is the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, April 6.

(Grand-Am)
Bill Auberlen went from 12th to a GT class victory in Turner Motorsport’s No. 94 BMW M3. He and Paul Dalla Lana capped a memorable day after winning in the Grand Sport class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge on Saturday morning. They are the only drivers to win races in both series on the same day, having previously accomplished the feat in 2011 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In the Rolex Series race, they came from two laps down after an early spin on the uphill run to Turn 1. Auberlen made what turned out to be the winning pass with seven minutes left when he got around Andy Lally (No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup). Alessandro Pier Guidi (No. 63 Scuderia Corse Ferrari 458) crossed the finish line first in the GT class but was assessed a one-lap, plus 90-second penalty after the race for avoidable contact with Lally five minutes from the end. Lally and John Potter were second, and the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche GT3 Cup of Andrew Davis and Leh Keen finished third.

(GrandAm)
Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana (No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3) won their first Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race in two years, scoring a thrilling victory in the first GRAND-AM competition at the Circuit Of The Americas. Auberlen held off a hard-charging Spencer Pumpelly (No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche Cayman) for the win, with the pair changing the lead twice in the final seven minutes. Pumpelly, who took over for Dr. Jim Norman, closed to within four-tenths of a second with one lap remaining. Auberlen then was able to take advantage of lapped traffic in Turn 1 to pull away and win by 3.804 seconds.

(Grand-Am)
The ST race in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge also came down to the wire. Stevan McAleer (No. 5 Mazda MX-5) – racing for only the second time in the series – passed Tom Long and Terry Borcheller in the final two laps to give Austin-based CJ Wilson Racing its first GRAND-AM victory. McAleer took over for Marc Miller and beat Long and Derek Whitis (No. 25 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5), and Borcheller and Mike LaMarra in the No. 23 Burton Racing BMW 128i.

(SCCA images)
Motorsports legends Bobby Rahal, Skip Barber, Carroll Shelby, Bill Noble and Andy Porterfield were inducted into the Sports Car Club of America Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Las Vegas at a ceremony presented by Mazda. The five inductees joined eight previous classes to cap the 2013 SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer at the South Point Hotel and Casino. Rahal, Barber, and family members of the late Shelby, Noble and Porterfield addressed the nearly 400 event attendees. Rahal used his 1975 SCCA National Championship as a springboard to a long professional racing career that included a win in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 1982 CART Rookie of the Year award, a 1986 Indianapolis 500 win, and series championships in 1986, 1987, and 1992. Even with those highlights, Saturday night’s honor was special. “I’ve been inducted to other halls of fame, and that’s great,” Rahal said. “But being inducted into the SCCA Hall means more, because there’s an emotional attachment. I remember growing up, I lived SCCA. My summer times as a kid were made up of Little League baseball and going racing with my dad. What made SCCA so valuable is that it was a family sport. For the most part, it was just regular guys exercising their passion and their interest in racing. SCCA was my roots. That’s why coming here tonight was so special, because it’s coming home. I thank you all for this tremendous honor.”

(SCCA images)

(McLaren Automotive)
The McLaren 12C GT3 has been confirmed as being eligible for the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) by the series organizers, meaning that the British-built racer is now able to compete in North America for the first time. 

 Honda. The BBC is reporting that the McLaren F1 team will switch to Honda power in 2015. Great news for Honda and F1.

(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 RSR 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. 

(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.

(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

(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

(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.

(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

(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.

(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 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.

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

(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

(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) put Honda power on top of the speed chart for the first time at Indianapolis as teams continued preparations for the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The 2012 race winner recorded the fastest lap of the day at 224.235 mph (40.1363 seconds) with 27 minutes left in the six-hour afternoon session on Wednesday. "It doesn't really count for much, but it's nice, nonetheless," Franchitti commented. "Right now we're still very much in the preparation stage. We're making changes to the car, and sometimes doing one- and two-lap runs. I think we had a pretty tough morning there and made some big changes to the Target car in the afternoon. We ran some and was pretty happy with it, so we went out there with some of the Andretti guys and my teammates - Scott, Ryan, and I think Charlie was involved for a minute there, as well - and some other guys involved in a pack, and really the lap time came from being in the right place at the right time. It was a bit like everybody out there: It was when you got the tow and how big the tow was. So for us, it was more important that the car balanced and how the car is in traffic and stuff, and we're getting there with that. Still got a little work to do, but we're closer than we have been."

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)

Townsend Bell, in his second full on-track session, was second-quick on Wednesday with a speed of 223.716 mph (40.2295 seconds) in the No. 60 Sunoco "Turbo" Chevrolet for Panther Racing. No less than 15 drivers toured the 2.5-mile oval in groups of three, four and five in the final 30 minutes in an effort to experience the balance of their cars in traffic and continue to develop their overall race setup. In total, 32 drivers piled up 2,165 laps without incident on day 5 of practice for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

(Photo by Jim Haines/INDYCAR)
Three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske Chevrolet) was among the fastest again on Wednesday with a lap of 223.699 mph.

(Photo by Jim Haines/INDYCAR)

Ryan Briscoe (No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing NTT DATA Honda) turned a lap of 222.803 mph on Wednesday. Marco Andretti (221.419 mph) in the No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet and Andretti Autosport teammate E.J. Viso (220.305 mph), driving the No. 5 Team Venezuela Chevrolet, recorded the fastest non-tow laps earlier in the session.

(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.

(Photo by Jim Haines/INDYCAR)
Ed Carpenter (No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet), the lone team owner/driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series, recorded a blistering four-lap average speed of 228.762 mph (best lap of 229.347 mph; 39.2418 seconds) to win pole position for the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 this coming Sunday, May 26th. Rookie Carlos Munoz (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Unistraw Chevrolet, right) qualified second at 228.342 mph, .2892 of a second off Carpenter's aggregate four-lap time.  Munoz, 21, earned $50,000 of the Verizon Front Row Awards and is seeking to match Juan Pablo Montoya as an Indianapolis 500 winner from Colombia. Montoya also started second - as a rookie - in his 2000 victory and was the last first-year front-row starter.  Marco Andretti (No. 25 Andretti Autosport RC Cola Chevrolet, left) was awarded a $40,000 bonus for qualifying third at 228.261 mph. It's Andretti's best start in eight attempts at the Speedway.

(Photo by Michael Roth/INDYCAR)
E.J. Viso (No. 5 Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM Chevrolet) qualified fourth at 228.150 mph and has looked very racy all month.

(Photo by Walter Kuhn/INDYCAR)
AJ Allmendinger (No. 2 Team Penske IZOD Chevrolet) was fifth quick at 228.099 mph. Allmendinger has been very impressive and has proven to be an inspired choice by Roger Penske.

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet) will start alongside teammate Allmendinger in Row 2. Power turned in a final four-lap average speed of 228.087 mph.

(Photo by Michael Roth/INDYCAR)
Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet) turned a lap of 227.904 mph to put himself on the inside of Row 3.

(Photo by Shawn Gritzmacher/INDYCAR)
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves  (No. 3 Team Penske Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Chevrolet) qualified eighth with a 227.762 mph average speed over his final four laps.

(Photo by Jim Haines/INDYCAR)
James Hinchcliffe (No. 27 Andretti Autosport GoDaddy Chevrolet) turned in a final four-lap average speed of 227.070 mph to take the last spot in Row 3. Other notables? Katherine Legge (No. 81 Angie's List Schmidt Peterson Pelfrey Honda) qualified last at 223.176 mph after her deal came together on May 18th. She held on to remain in the field as Michel Jourdain Jr. couldn't wring out enough speed out of his entry to bump her out of the field. Josef Newgarden (No. 21 Century 21 Honda for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing) was the fastest second-day qualifier at 225.731 mph. Also qualifying were Graham Rahal (No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Midas/Big O Tires Honda) who turned in a four-lap average speed of 225.007 mph; Sebastian Saavedra (No. 6 Dragon Racing Chevrolet), 224.929 mph; rookie Tristan Vautier (No. 55 Lucas Oil/Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda), 224.873 mph; Ana Beatriz (No. 18 Ipiranga Honda), 224.184 mph; Pippa Mann (No. 63 Dale Coyne Racing Honda), 224.005 mph; rookie Conor Daly (No. 41 ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing Honda) 223.582 mph and Buddy Lazier (No. 91 Lazier Partners Chevrolet), 223.442 mph. Lazier, 45, put together his deal after not sitting in an Indy car for years. He did 40-something practice laps before qualifying and will make his 17th Indianapolis 500 start - the most in the field. The average speed of the field is 226.176 mph. There are four first-year Indy 500 competitors and four females in the field.

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk for Chevrolet)
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet SS) takes the checkered flag to win the Sprint All-Star race last Saturday night at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The race was predictably boring and the allure of NASCAR's All-Star format has been clearly over for years, so much so that it has become nothing more than a tedious exercise filled with relentlessly overblown hype signifying nothing. What does it say about NASCAR's ability to deal with the serious issues threatening its very existence when they can't even muster the energy to fix their All-Star race? It's called vision, folks, and despite NASCAR's protests to the contrary, it's clearly in short supply down in Daytona Beach. - PMD

(Circuit of the Americas)
Australia's Jamie Whincup won three of the four Australian V8 Supercar races in the Austin 400 at Circuit of The Americas last weekend. New Zealander Fabian Coulthard won the other race, bringing to a close a highly successful first V8 Supercar event on US soil. Attendance for the three-day event, which was marked by record temperatures in the mid-90s, was 68,891, with approximately nine percent of fans who purchased tickets in advance of the race coming from Australia. Circuit of The Americas sold tickets to the event in more than 30 US states, including Texas. The event was the most successful international event ever staged for V8 Supercars outside of Australia and New Zealand.

(Circuit of the Americas)

(Photo by Richard Dowdy/INDYCAR)
Tony Kanaan (No. 11 Hydroxycut KV Racing Technology/SH Chevrolet) begins the turn into Victory Lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the greatest win of his professional racing career. Kanaan averaged 187.433 mph to win the fastest Indianapolis 500 in history. Kanaan took the checkered flag under caution when three-time champion Dario Franchitti (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) made contract with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier on a Lap 197 restart. Kanaan took the lead after he and rookie Carlos Munoz (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Unistraw Chevrolet) blew past leader Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet) entering Turn 1 on the restart for a Lap 194 on-track incident involving Graham Rahal (No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Midas/Big O Tires Honda). Watch video highlights from the race here.

(Photo by Jim Haines/INDYCAR)
Carlos Munoz (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Unistraw Chevrolet) heard loud and clear from the naysayers before the race who suggested that his front row, second-position qualifying result wasn't sustainable during the race. He proved them to be dead wrong. "I really wanted to fight for the win," Munoz said. "Maybe I could win. Maybe not, but I really wanted to fight. I have nothing to be ashamed of. To be second and a rookie and the best of the team is a great job. At the beginning I was a little bit nervous with the pit stops, but in the end, the car was great, and it's a good second place. Hopefully in the future, I will be able to drink milk. Right now I'm thirsty, but hopefully it's in the future for me." Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at a future INDYCAR star.

(Photo by Forrest Mellot/INDYCAR)
It was woulda-coulda-shoulda for Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet, shown at the start of the race) as he finished third. An excellent run, he just ran out of race with the caution at the end. "That's just the way it works out," Hunter-Reay commented afterward. "That was bad luck. We were leading on that last restart. I knew I was a sitting duck, and I wasn't too bummed about it because I knew we had enough laps to get it going again and have a pass back, and maybe I would be third on the last lap, which is where I wanted to be, and it didn't work out that way. There was a crash in Turn 1, and the race ended. It's unfortunate. Big congratulations to Tony Kanaan, though. He has been there so many times, had bad luck and for whatever reason the race has alluded him. Great champion, certainly deserves it. But man, am I disappointed. I think the DHL No. 1 Chevy was the car to beat today. Had we been at the right place at the right time, I'm confident we would have won it, and that's just the way this place goes... This entire Andretti Autosport team did a great job all month. Thanks to all the fans for coming out, and congratulations to TK."

(Photo by Michael Roth/INDYCAR)
Make no mistake, even though Marco Andretti (No. 25 Andretti Autosport RC Cola Chevrolet) ran exceptionally well all day, at times having a dominant car, it was another bitter disappointment for him, his father Michael and grandfather Mario. Andretti has stepped-up his game considerably this year, having been a major factor in every INDYCAR race run, so the table was set for a great day at The Speedway. It was not to be, however, as he was shuffled back to fourth at the end. "When we stopped for the trim adjustment, we were in the worst-case scenario," the young Andretti said after the race. "We got stuck behind some teammates. It was fun for a while, but we just got shuffled back. I knew it was going to come down to that at the end." Andretti Autosport had a great run at Indianapolis - finishing second, third and fourth - but coming up short had to hurt.

(Photo by Richard Dowdy/INDYCAR)
After qualifying fourteenth, Justin Wilson (No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda) raced to an impressive fifth-place finish in the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500, the highest placing Honda-powered driver. "It was tough to get by out there, so much turbulent air," Wilson said. "Everybody was quick, and we just couldn't get close enough. I think we had a great run today; the draft had such a huge effect. You couldn't keep your head straight due to the turbulence. It was tough. Our second set of tires had an issue. We dropped all the way back, then fought back up. It was a great month." Honda can't be pleased with its result at The Speedway, as the vaunted Chip Ganassi Racing team barely showed all day.

(Photo by Forrest Mellott/INDYCAR)
Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Chevrolet) was the top finisher for the Team Penske squadron, although the speed of the Andretti Autosport cars clearly had the measure of The Captain's team on Sunday. "The race actually went really fast," Castroneves said. "Congrats to Tony. He got his win. It was well-deserved. He did a great job. It was a very safe race. I was just having issues with the (rev) limiter. I was trying to pass a lot of people, but unfortunately it was hitting the limiter. That was one of those things. My pit stops were awesome. Great job. Great weather. Awesome crowd. We finished top six, which is great championship-wise for points, and that is what we are looking for, as well. When you don't win, you have to look on the positive side, and that is the championship." Although stating the obvious, finishing well at Indianapolis doesn't constitute a good day for Team Penske.

(Photo by Forrest Mellot/INDYCAR)
Roger Penske proved yet again that he's the man with the golden gut when it comes to big-time racing decisions, when he decided that A.J. Allmendinger was ready to deliver great things in an Indy car. Allmendinger, driving the No. 2 Team Penske IZOD Chevrolet, charged to the front at a crucial moment in the race. If it wasn't for an ill-timed pit stop for a loose seat belt, things might have been very, very different for the talented Allmendinger. As you may recall, Allmendinger was suspended from NASCAR and his ride with Penske, after testing for a non-approved prescription drug (Adderall). He was subsequently released from the team. But after completing a NASCAR-required re-hab program, Roger thought that Allmendinger had too much talent to sit on the sidelines, so he offered him a plum seat in one of the team's Indy cars. Allmendinger was hyper-critical of himself after the race, but he proved Roger's gut feeling right and drove a superb race. "The first issue was I was sissy on the start," Allmendinger said. "That might have been the worst Indy 500 start ever. I went from like fifth to 20th in one lap. I'll be ready next time. After that, it took me about 40 laps to settle down. We kind of missed the gearing a little bit. We were hitting the rev limiter in sixth (gear) the whole time. Once the yellow came out, I kind of calmed down and thought about what I needed to do to get around these guys. Once I figured it out, the IZOD Chevy was just a missile. It was almost too easy at times just to go by the guys. It was probably the coolest feeling in my life to take the lead at Indy and lead the Indy 500. That's a feeling I'll never forget." (On his seat belt issues during the race): "I guess it's God's way of saying, 'Maybe you're not going to win it your first time.' But leading the race, I went down into Turn 1. I mean, it was a 130 laps in, so it wasn't like they were loose or anything, and it just popped out. Maybe it was because my heart was beating too hard from leading the race. But it came undone. I tried to do it down the back straightaway. I tried to loosen it back up and stick it back in but it wasn't going to happen. The guys did a good job. The stops all day were phenomenal. We didn't lose a ton of time on the pit stop. The only thing that killed us is that it killed our pit windows the rest of the race. That last stop, we barely got into our pit window. The pit stop was long just for the mere fact we had to get it completely full of fuel while all of those guys had a little bit shorter stops. But I really thought, 'With eight to go, I still got a shot at this.' It wasn't meant to be. It's really cool for Tony Kanaan and Jimmy Vasser to get their first win here."

(Photo by John Cote/INDYCAR)
It the end it was Tony Kanaan and his KV Racing Technology team's day. A tremendously popular victory for the 38-year-old driver, it was Kanaan's first win in twelve career starts at The Speedway. It was the ninth race that Kanaan has led in his Indianapolis 500 career, the most times that a driver had led the race before winning his first Indianapolis 500. Kanaan is the fourth Brazilian driver to win the race. The other three are Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989, 1993), and Gil de Ferran (2003). "I got a little bit of luck today," Kanaan said. "It's for the fans. It's for my dad that's not here. But mainly for all of you guys. I was looking at the stands, and it was unbelievable. I'm speechless. This is it, man. I made it. Finally they're going to put my ugly face on this trophy. We were known for not winning, and now we are winning. I don't know what to say." (What did he think of the final caution?): "I couldn't believe it. How many laps to go? Two to go. I guess that's it. The last lap was the longest lap of my life. I wanted the Pace Car to hurry up. I enjoyed it. We did it." "I never won it as a driver," Jimmy Vasser commented. "In fact, I couldn't win it as a driver, so I had to hire the right guy to do it, get a Baby Borg on my shelf. Tony is the consummate professional. We set out as a team at the end of last year to focus on Indy. Instead of the whole series, the whole season, we took a chassis, in the old school name, called it a special, put it aside, worked on it. All credit to the boys. A lot of hard work over the winter, keeping things together. It's not an easy thing these days from a commercial standpoint. We'll leave it to Tony's wife, Lauren Kanaan, to have the last word: "Tony is so humble. So grateful for this day. It was a huge team victory."

(Photo by Jim Haines/INDYCAR)
In one of the most spectacular open-wheel races ever run, Peter Dempsey (No. 5 Belardi Auto Racing) came from fourth place on the final corner of the final lap to overtake Gabby Chaves (No. 7 Schmidt Peterson c/w Curb-Agajanian), Sage Karam (No. 7 Schmidt Peterson c/w Curb-Agajanian) and Carlos Munoz and win a thrilling Firestone Freedom 100. Exiting Turn 4 Munoz, Karam and Chaves were racing side by side to the start-finish of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Suddenly, Dempsey found a seam close to the outside wall on the 50-foot-wide front stretch. The 27-year-old native of Ashbourne, Ireland, immediately knew he had won the marquee race of the Firestone Indy Lights season, raising his left hand off the steering wheel, though it was a photo finish. The margin of victory was .0026 of a second - the closest on an oval in the 100-plus-year history of the Speedway. Chaves was second and pole sitter Karam was .0280 of a second behind the winner in third. Munoz, who led Laps 13-39, was .0443 of a second off the winner. "I've got to compliment the drivers," Dempsey said. "We all raced each other so fair, and that's what racing is about for me. So hats off to the other three guys. They could have put me into the wall there coming to the line, but fortunately they left me just enough room to squeeze by. That's exactly what the series needed, is a good finish here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. You're not going to get it better than four wide across the line. I can't complain about an Irishman coming across there first." Watch a video of the last laps here.

(Photo by Bret Kelley/INDYCAR)
The great Parnelli Jones circulates the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his famed No. 98 Indy car during Legends Day at The Speedway last week. It was the 50th Anniversary of his 1963 win in the Indianapolis 500. Jones also became the first driver to qualify at over 150 mph (150.370) at The Speedway in 1962 in the same machine.

(Infiniti Red Bull Racing)
Monte Carlo resident Nico Rosberg (No. 9 Mercedes F1) qualified on the pole and was never headed, winning the Grand Prix of Monaco on Sunday. Rosberg never put a wheel wrong and withstood an attack from teammate Lewis Hamilton (No. 10 Mercedes F1) initially, then the Infiniti Red Bull Racing boys - Sebastian Vettel (No. 1 Red Bull Racing-Renault, above) and Mark Webber (No. 2 Red Bull Racing-Renault) - not to mention two safety-car periods and a red flag. Vettel and Webber finished second and third, respectively. It will be interesting to see what the television ratings are as it was the first broadcast of Monaco from a mainstream network - NBC - in years.

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk for Chevrolet)
Kevin Harvick, (No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet SS) on the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday night. It was Harvick’s 21st NASCAR Sprint Cup career win, his second of the 2013 season, and also his second time to visit Victory Lane at the Coca-Cola 600. After 389 laps on NASCAR’s Longest Day, the 54th running of the Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway came down to an 11-lap shootout, with Harvick pulling away during the run to the finish to beat Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Farmer's Insurance MChevrolet SS) to the finish line by 1.491 seconds. Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet SS) had another great run, finishing third. Watch videos here. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Coca-Cola 600 was marred by an incident when a TV camera drive line broke, injuring spectators and completely screwing up the race. Even though the speedway announced after the race that all injured were treated and released, the race was a disaster. The juxtaposition between the Charlotte NASCAR slog and INDYCAR's scintillating Indianapolis 500 couldn't be more pronounced. The fact that Brian France - the most intransigent and clueless figure in all of motorsport - arrogantly refuses to move NASCAR's ridiculously long 600-miler to Saturday night, so as not to compete with the Indianapolis 500, perfectly encapsulates what's wrong with NASCAR and why its fortunes will continue to slide. I will acknowledge that the Gen 6 cars are a huge improvement, but it's not enough. NASCAR needs to reevaluate the way it goes about its business, before its too late. But unless Brian France is removed from the equation (he couldn't even be bothered with pronouncing the name of his new vice president of innovation and racing development - Gene Stefanyshyn, a top ex-GM engineer - correctly in a press conference last week), I don't see any meaningful directional shifts coming out of NASCAR anytime soon. - PMD

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Simon Pagenaud (No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Honda/Dallara) became the sixth different winner in seven IZOD INDYCAR Series races when he powered to a 5.6-second victory in the second race of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans on Sunday. It was the first INDYCAR series win for the French driving star and for the team co-owned by former INDYCAR drivers Sam Schmidt and Davey Hamilton. It also marked the 100th victory for Honda in Indy car engine manufacturer competition. "It's unbelievable. I don't know how we did it," said Pagenaud, who started sixth in the 70-lap race on the 2.346-mile, 13-turn street course. "It's a great feeling. One I hope of more to come. I started karting when I was 8 so it's been 21 years of hard work to finally win an IndyCar race."

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)

(Photo by John Cote/INDYCAR)
James Jakes (No. 16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Acorn Stairlifts Honda/Dallara) started second and finished a career-best second by holding off Saturday's Race 1 winner Mike Conway (No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Sonny's Honda/Dallara) by .4342 of a second.

(Photo by John Cote/INDYCAR)
Mike Conway (No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Sonny's Honda/Dallara) had a superb weekend. He finished third on Sunday and smoked everybody in Saturday's race. He has openly refused to run on ovals after two huge crashes in Indy car racing, but there's no denying the guy's talent as he was extremely impressive. Conway passed Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet/Dallara) on Saturday for the lead on Lap 44 of 70 on the 2.35-mile, 13-turn street circuit, built a 20-second gap leading into the final round of pit stops and went on to a dominant victory. "The car has been great all weekend and as the track was rubbering in it was getting better and better," said Conway, who claimed his other series win at Long Beach in 2011. "It was keep pushing and get a gap, and the strategy worked out perfectly at the end. I wanted to stay out and do more laps."

(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
It was a great weekend for Dayle Coyne and Dale Coyne Racing in Detroit. Here he congratulates Mike Conway after his meteoric run on Saturday. "We were impressed this morning," Coyne said on Saturday. "We've never had a driver qualify on the pole, let alone win, set the fastest lap, lead the most laps, everything he did.  It's pretty amazing on his part and for the entire team to put both cars in the top-three.  Our engineering side is working hard and we're pretty pleased. Our goal was to score as many points as possible and think we could get in the top-five.  This is even better." Coyne's other driver, Justin Wilson (No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda/Dallara), had another excellent showing with a third on Saturday and was ultra-competitive all weekend.

(Photo by John Cote/INDYCAR)
Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon (No. 9 Target Honda/Dallara) and Dario Franchitti (No. 10 Suave Honda/Dallara) finished fourth and fifth on Sunday as Honda really hammered GM Racing and Chevrolet at their "home" event. Honda power dominated all weekend.

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Marco Andretti (No. 25 Andretti Autosport RC Cola Chevrolet/Dallara) finished 20th on Saturday and 6th on Sunday, keeping him tied for the INDYCAR points lead with Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet/Dallara). "We were missing a little bit to the top guys, but I think we got about as good as we can get from starting 14th," Andretti said. "All the RC Cola guys did their part in the pits and with strategy, and I was able to hang on and gain a little ground. But, like I said we were still a little bit off. It's good to get back up there in the points and we'll keep marching forward at Texas next weekend." Andretti and Castroneves (who finished fifth on Saturday and eighth on Sunday) each have 206 points, followed by Hunter-Reay (191), Dixon (186) and Pagenaud (177). Next up for the IZOD IndyCar Series is the Firestone 550 next Saturday night  (June 8) at Texas Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live at 8:30 p.m. (ET) by ABC. The IMS Radio Network will also carry the race live on Sirius and XM channels 211.

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk for Chevrolet)
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS) takes the checkered flag after winning the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, on Sunday. Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Energizer Chevrolet SS) finished second, and Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports AARP Credit Cards from Chase Chevrolet SS) finished a strong third. Jimmie Johnson got black-flagged for jumping a restart, which handed the race to Stewart after Montoya's tires were toast, but you can watch videos all about it here.

Paul Kania (www.pointepics.com)
Max Angelelli (No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP) finished 0.486 seconds ahead of 2012 Detroit winner Joao Barbosa (No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP) to win the Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 at Belle Isle. Taylor started from the pole position and the car never dropped lower than second in the running order at any point in the two-hour race. Taylor put the No. 10 machine into the lead for good on Lap 33 of 61, one lap before he pitted and gave way to Angelelli. It was the second consecutive Detroit victory for the Corvette DP and for Taylor, who earned a GT-class victory last year in a Camaro. It was Taylor’s fourth career Rolex Series class win and was the 23rd Rolex Series win for Angelelli. Barbosa and co-driver Christian Fittipaldi took second and third went to No. 2 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley teammates Ryan Dalziel and Alex Popow, who led 16 laps. The championship picture changed dramatically on the opening lap when Memo Rojas crashed the No. 01 Cessna-TELMEX BMW/Riley after contact from Gustavo Yacaman in the No. 6 Tuvacol Ford/Riley forced him to spin into the path of John Pew’s No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford/Riley. Rojas and co-driver Scott Pruett dropped from the Daytona Prototype points lead to fourth as a result. The victory moved Angelelli and co-driver Jordan Taylor into the Daytona Prototype points lead by two points over co-drivers Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney (No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP) five races into the 12-race 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.

(Grand-Am)
John Edwards and Robin Liddell (No. 57 Stevenson Automotive Group Camaro GT.R) earned their third straight GT-class victory at the Chevrolet 200 Grand-Am 200 at Belle Isle. Jeff Westphal and Alessandro Balzan took second in GT in the No. 63 Motorola Mobility Ferrari 458 Italia, enabling Balzan to retain the lead in the class point standings. And GT pole sitter Max Papis and co-driver Jeff Segal (No. 61 Ferrari of Ontario Ferrari 458) were third.

(MAZDASPEED Motorsports)
Joel Miller and the No. 00 Visit Florida Racing Mazda 6 with SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel power earned a second consecutive GX-class victory in Detroit. It was the first career Rolex Series win for 17-year-old rising star Tristan Nunez, who co-drove to the win alongside Miller.

(Photo by Richard Prince for Cadillac Racing)
Johnny O'Connell, (No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V.R) won the Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac V-Series Challenge on Belle Isle on Saturday, race one of two over the weekend. Randy Pobst finished second in the No. 6 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60. O'Connell's teammate Andy Pilgrim (No. 8 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V.R), finished third. Mark Wilkins (No. 38 Kinetic Motorsports Kia Motors America Kia Optima), won the GTS after leading flag-to-flag and finishing 1.078 seconds ahead of Jack Baldwin (No. 73 Motul/StopTech/Foametix Porsche Cayman S).

Paul Kania (www.pointepics.com)
Randy Pobst (No. 6 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60) won GT in the second race of the Pirelli World Challenge race at Belle Isle. Pobst, who started from the second position, got the jump on the start, won the race to Turn One and then held on to his lead through two restarts to take the checkered flag under caution in the 22-lap race that averaged 61.745 mph around the 13-turn, 2.35-mile street course. Johnny O’Connell (No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V.R) finished second, 1.109 seconds behind Pobst. GT Drivers’ Championship leader James Sofronas (No. 14 GMG/Mobil 1 Audi R8) finished third. Dean Martin (No. 50 Picture Cars East/Grand Sanitation Ford Mustang Boss 302S), of nearby Westland, Mich., scored his first Pirelli World Challenge GTS victory in his second-career series start. Martin had been running in fifth since lap eight, but in the confusion of spinning cars that occurred in Turn Three following a lap-21 restart, Martin found a hole, taking the lead before the yellow came out again. Mark Wilkins (No. 38 Kia Motors America Kia Optima) finished second and Alec Udell (No. 17 Motorsports Development Ford Mustang Boss 203R), a 17-year-old high school student of The Woodlands, Texas, followed Martin through the Turn Three wreck to finish third.

(Photo by John Cote/INDYCAR)
Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske AAA Insurance Chevrolet-Dallara) dominated the Firestone 550 INDYCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night. Castroneves led 132 of 228 laps on the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval and won by 4.6919 seconds over reigning series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet/Dallara). Castroneves is the seventh different winner in eight races this season, and the first to win four IZOD INDYCAR Series races at Texas Motor Speedway. It was his first win on an oval since 2010 at Twin Ring Motegi. "It was just the setup; we did a lot of homework. Awesome job everyone," said Castroneves, who broke a tie with Johnny Rutherford for 12th on the all-time Indy car list with his 28th victory. He also took sole possession of first place in the IZOD INDYCAR Series championship standings through eight of 19 races.

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Ryan and Beccy Hunter-Reay before the start of last Saturday night's INDYCAR race in Texas. Hunter-Reay finished second to Helio Castroneves. "That was just an interesting race," Huunter-Reay said. "It was hard to even get by some of that traffic. I was searching everywhere for grip; I had so many catches out there that I thought were on the wall. It's going to be tough to go to sleep tonight." Hunter-Reay is now third in INDYCAR points with 232, behind Castroneves (259) and Marco Andretti (237).

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Tony Kanaan (No. 11 KVRT-SH Racing Sunoco "Turbo" Chevrolet-Dallara) started thirteenth and finished third at Texas. "It was pretty good, but we obviously we went off strategy," Kanaan said. "I'm really happy. We did a great job as a team. It's the first race with the Sunoco Turbo car, so I hope they're happy because I promised them a good race. I think third place as far as the championship goes is pretty strong so we'll take it." Kannan is fourth in the INDYCAR Series Championship with 195 points.

(Photo by John Cote/INDYCAR)
Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske AAA Insurance Chevrolet-Dallara) leads Simon Pagenaud (No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Honda-Dallara), James Hinchcliffe (No. 27 Andretti Autosport Go Daddy Chevrolet-Dallara) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Amdretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet-Dallara) on his way to the win in Texas Saturday night. It was the first victory of the season for Team Penske (the sixth different winner this season in INDYCAR). "Helio drove a flawless race and a key victory in our season based on where we were in the standings," team owner Roger Penske said. "It probably was the best execution we've had in a long time. Helio now leads the points and that's critical as we are in this stretch of oval races."

(Audi Motorsport)
Audi dominated the mostly wet eight-hour test day at Le Mans on Sunday, with dry tires on the La Sarthe circuit in use only during the last 90 minutes of the session. The three factory-entered Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 e-tron quattro machines finished the test day in the top three positions, as expected. The track conditions caught Loïc Duval off-guard when he went off in the Tertre Rouge corner toward the end of the first half of the day. His No. 2 Audi team car remained structurally undamaged in the incident and was ready to resume the test after the lunch break. He then went out and set fast time of the session.
 
Results of the test day:
 
1. Duval/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro), 3m 22.583s
2. Gené/di Grassi/Jarvis (Audi R18 e-tron quattro), 3m 25.358s
3. Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro), 3m 25.647s

(Audi Motorsport)
Drivers of the No. 2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 e-tron quattro: Loïc Duval (F), Allan McNish (GB) and Tom Kristensen (DK).

(Aston Martin Racing)
Aston Martin Racing topped the timing screens in both GTE classes at the official 24 Hours of Le Mans test session on Sunday.  Peter Dumbreck (No. 97 Aston Martin Vantage Gulf GTE Pro) set the fastest GTE Pro lap of the day with a time of 3:58.806. And Jamie Campbell-Walter (No. 96 Aston Martin Vantage Gulf GTE Am) was quickest in the GTE Am class with a time of 4:00.867. Aston Martin Racing has entered five Vantage GTEs – three Pro and two Am – into the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans, which starts on June 22 at 4:00 p.m. CET.

(Photo by Alan Marler for Chevrolet)
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe’s Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS) takes the checkered flag from the flagman to celebrate his win at the Party In The Poconos 400 Sunday at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Johnson flat dominated the race, his third win of the season and his third victory at Pocono Raceway. Johnson extended his lead in the NASCAR Cup Series standings and looks to be in peak form again this year.

(Matthew T. Thacker, Autostock. Copyright 2013)
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Roush Fenway racing 3M Ford Fusion) ran second in the Party in the Poconos 400. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports National Guard Chevrolet SS) was third. Watch videos from the race here.

(Russell LaBounty © 2013 Autostock)
Trevor Bayne's (No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford EcoBoost Mustang) win in the DuPont Pioneer 250 at the Iowa Speedway was the 200th for Ford Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the 999th all-time victory for Ford Motor Company in the NASCAR’s top three series combined. Bayne is making a habit of logging historic wins for Ford. In addition to last weekend's 200th win, Bayne also captured Ford Racing’s 600th NASCAR Sprint Cup win when he won the 2011 Daytona 500 for the Wood Brothers. It was a big week for the 22-year-old Bayne, as he also he also got married last Tuesday in North Carolina to his new bride Ashton.

(Infiniti)
Sebastan Vettel (No. 1 Red Bull Racing-Renault, above) crushed the field on his way to victory in the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday. How dominant was Vettel at the circuit Gilles Villeneuve? He lapped the field up to sixth place. Fernando Alonso (No. 3 Scuderia Ferrari, below) finished second and and Lewis Hamilton (No. 10 Mercedes) was third. With seven (out of nineteen) races run in 2013, Vettel leads the F1 driver point standings with 132. Alonso has 96, Kimi Raikkonen has 88 and Lewis Hamilton has 77 points.

(Ferrari North America)

(Red Bull Motorsports)
World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb has begun preparations for his first attempt at the Pikes Peak hill climb. Driving the Peugeot Sport 208 T16 Pikes Peak machine. “I feel very confident with the car,” confirmed Loeb. “That’s a reassuring start, if only because of the speeds we get up to here. We are already getting close to the limit in many places. All we need to do now is make some detail changes and we will be ready for the Big Day!”

(Images courtesy of Porsche)
Porsche unveiled its new LMP1 hybrid racing machine today at its Weissach R&D facility. Designed, engineered and built to compete for the overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014, the car is said to be ultra-radical underneath, bristling with engineering details and visionary approaches never seen before, according to insiders directly connected to the program. Introduced well ahead of schedule, the radical machine was wheeled by Porsche factory driver Timo Bernhard for the unveiling. No further details were revealed at the preview.

Key members of Porsche AG management team were on hand to witness the debut of the new LMP1at Weissach's test track including (left to right) Fritz Enzinger, Head of the LMP1program, Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG and Chairman Mattias Müller.

(© 2013, Brian Czobat for Autostock USA © 2013)
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing 3M Ford Fusion) with the checkered flag after winning the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway Sunday. It was Biffle's nineteenth Sprint Cup victory and the 1000th win for Ford in NASCAR (including all three series). Watch the videos here.

(Russell LaBounty for Autostock USA © 2013)
Greg Biffle, Jack Roush, Ford executives and the Roush Fenway team celebrate in Victory Lane after Ford's 1,000th win in NASCAR competition. Overall, 124 different drivers have won at least one race for Ford Motor Company in NASCAR’s top three divisions, including superstars Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon. “I’m sure if my great-grandfather was alive today he would be extremely proud of our racing program’s accomplishments,” said Edsel Ford.  “We’ve come a long way since 1901 and still have more to achieve, but winning 1,000 races at NASCAR’s highest level is something we can all take great pride in.”

Ford Motor Company Wins By Series (1,000):

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: 715 - Ford (615), Mercury (96), Lincoln (4)

NASCAR Nationwide Series: 200 - Ford (200)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: 85 - Ford (85)

All-Time Ford Motor Company Top-Five Winning Drivers (All Series Combined):

1. Mark Martin - 89 (35 NSCS-47 NNS-7 NCWTS)

2. David Pearson - 73 (73 NSCS)

3. Carl Edwards - 64 (20 NSCS-38 NNS-6 NCWTS)

4. Greg Biffle - 53 (19 NSCS-18 NNS- 16 NCWTS)

5. Ned Jarrett - 43 (43 NSCS)

All-Time Ford Motor Company Top-Five Winning Owners (All Series Combined)

1. Jack Roush - 313 (131 NSCS, 132 NNS, 50 NCWTS)

2. Wood Brothers - 98 (98 NSCS)

3. Holman-Moody - 92 (92 NSCS)

4. Robert Yates - 58 (57 NSCS, 1 NNS)

5. Bud Moore - 43 (43 NSCS)

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk for Chevrolet)
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Budweiser Chevrolet SS) finished second at Michigan International Speedway Sunday and Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 Michael Waltrip Racing NAPA Toyota) finished third.

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 1 Andretti Autosport DHL Chevrolet) on the way to the win Saturday at The Milwaukee Mile IZOD INDYCAR race. The 32-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Fla., resident overtook race leader Takuma Sato (No. 14 ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing Honda) on Lap 198 of 250 and went on to win by 4.809 seconds over Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske PPG Chevrolet). It was Hunter-Reay's second win of the season and eleventh of his INDYCAR career.

(Photo by Shawn Gritzmacher/INDYCAR)
Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske PPG Chevrolet) finished second. It is his second top-five finish at Milwaukee in 13 starts (he finished second in 1998) and his fourth podium finish this season (St. Pete, Barber, Texas, Milwaukee).

(Photo by Shawn Gritzmacher/INDYCAR)
Third-place finisher Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet) sprays Ryan Hunter-Reay with champagne in Victory Circle.

(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Sage Karam (No. 8 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports c/w Curb-Agajanian) overtook Zach Veach on Lap 57 of the Milwaukee 100 on Saturday and went on to become the third first-time winner and fourth in five Firestone Indy Lights races this season. Karam, 18, of Nazareth, Pa., led Carlos Munoz (No. 26 Daily-Ser/Andretti Autosport) across the start-finish line by 1.0808 seconds. Veach earned his first podium finish. Karam closed to 18 points of Munoz in the standings with the series heading to Iowa Speedway next week and then to Pocono Raceway on July 7.

(Photo by Brian Cleary for Chevy Racing)
Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa (No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype won the Diamond Cellar Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Saturday in Lexington, Ohio. Barbosa gave Action Express Racing its first Daytona Prototype (DP) victory of the season, passing Spirit of Daytona driver Richard Westbrook with 29 minutes remaining. Co-driving the No. 5 Corvette DP with Fittipaldi, Barbosa made slight contact while making his pass on Westbrook in Turn 2 and went on to the lead the final 22 laps of the race.

(Grand-Am)
Contact between the GT leaders with two laps remaining resulted in a penalty that gave Bill Auberlen and co-driver Paul Dalla Lana their second consecutive race win at Mid-Ohio in the No. 94 BMW M3. Marsh Racing driver Eric Curran crossed the stripe first in the No. 31 Chevrolet Corvette, but was penalized one minute and 24 seconds for avoidable contact. Curran and co-driver Boris Said finished fourth after the penalty.

(Porsche Cars North America)
Andy Lally/John Potter (No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) finished second in the GT class at Mid-Ohio. The team leads the GRAND-AM GT standings by three points over the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458.

(Mazda Speed Motorsports)
Sylvain Tremblay and Tom Long (No. 70 SpeedSource Engineering SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel Mazda6) took the win in the GX class at Mid-Ohio. 

(Red Bull Motorsports)
Nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb got his first chance to drive the famous Pikes Peak hill climb course in its entirety in his new Peugeot Sport 208 T16 Pikes Peak machine. “We’ve done two test sessions now and my feeling is that the car is ready,” said Loeb. “But one big question mark is the fact that many of our serious rivals have skipped the two test sessions held so far. So while I’m confident that we’ve done as much as we need to do, you never know what the others have up their sleeve.” Testing is limited to just three hours after sunrise so that the mountain can be opened up to the public during the day afterwards. “It’s not like a race with a warm-up lap, or a rally with a road section, before you start here. You just sit in the car and bang! You’re off at full speed straight away!" Full speed in the 208 T16 Pikes Peak monster is something in the region of 240kph, thanks to an 875-horsepower engine and a power to weight ratio of one horsepower per kilogram. “A car like this is actually never what you would call easy to drive, but that’s what makes it so thrilling,” said Loeb at the end of the test. After three days of hard work, the Peugeot Sport 208 T16 Pikes Peak will be stripped down and re-built completely before the final tests and qualifying for the 'Race to the Clouds" on Sunday June 30.

(Porsche Cars North America)
Your wife left you for her yoga instructor, your asshole co-worker just got promoted over you, and the notion of getting in your car and just driving until you feel like stopping has crossed your mind more than once. Instead, continuing to go against the grain like you always have, you decide you want a Porsche. Except your wife took the Audi, the kids are both under ten, and you're schlepping around town in a minivan. What to do? Buy your kids one of these and return to your life of quiet desperation. The Porsche "Go-Kart" (why it's not called a pedal cart right up front is beyond us) is about five feet long, and "thanks to its unique construction, based on Porsche Intelligence Performance, the children's pedal-powered vehicle weighs a mere 55 pounds," according to Porsche. It features composite wheel rims with simulated center locks that are fitted with low-profile, inflatable tires with inner tubes. Other equipment includes a sport seat, plus both a back-pedal brake and a handbrake which ensure optimal deceleration. With its tubular steel frame, the Porsche Driver's Selection Go-Kart is suitable for children weighing up to 110 pounds with a height of up to 5 feet. And typically Porsche, it stickers for a whopping $900. The Go-Kart and other products from the Porsche Driver's Selection are available exclusively from participating authorized Porsche dealers and on the Internet at www.porsche.com/shop.

(Suzuki)
Suzuki Motor Corporation has confirmed its return to MotoGP in 2015, following a two year sabbatical from the premier motorcycle racing world series. Announcing a new team to oversee the advanced development of the project, Suzuki Motor Corporation returns to practical testing of its 1000cc prototype MotoGP machine this week, participating in the official joint tests at the Catalunya race circuit in Spain. The Team Manager is Davide Brivio and the development rider will be Randy De Puniet.

(Ford Racing)
Sixty-four-year-old John Force, driver of the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, won Fuel Funny Car at the 13th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee, on Sunday. Force ended a 31-event winless streak, beating Cruz Pedregon with a 4.148-second run at 305.29 mph in the final round. It was his record 135th career victory and fourth at Bristol Dragway. "If you can't compete you are just mentally out of it," Force said. "This is great to come back here and win. So many fans wanted me to win on Father's Day. It's just a great day for the Force family and to do it on Father's Day is just awesome."

(McLaren Automotive)
As teams and drivers prepare for this weekend’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, McLaren has confirmed that the 1995 Le Mans race-winning McLaren F1 GTR will take to the Goodwood Hill at this summer’s Festival of Speed. Chassis F1/01R will be joined by the one-off prototype of the McLaren F1 LM, famously built to honor the victory and five finishing cars at the French endurance event, and also the Gulf-liveried McLaren F1 GTR "Longtail" (above), which claimed second place at Le Mans in 1997.

(Aston Martin The Americas)
Aston Martin Racing and Gulf have unveiled the winner of their livery design competition. The design, inspired by the change in atmosphere as day gives way to night during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was created by Jonathan Wesley from Kettering in the UK and will adorn the No. 97 Vantage GTE throughout race week. Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (D) and Peter Dumbreck (GB), drivers of the No. 97 Vantage GTE, selected Jonathan’s design from the hundreds of entries received. He will now attend the race weekend as a VIP guest of Gulf to see his winning design compete in the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Editor-in Chief's Note: Want to live with Corvette Racing for the entire 24 Hours of Le Mans? Starting with the green flag at 9 a.m. ET/3 p.m. CET on Saturday, fans can watch the race online through the eyes of Corvette Racing at SPEED.com. In-car cameras will run for the full length of the race in both the Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars that will compete in the GTE Pro class. Additionally, SPEED.com will stream a garage cam for the entire 24 hours. Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor will drive the No. 73 Compuware Corvette at Le Mans, with Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook in the No. 74 Corvette Racing team car. Corvette Racing has seven class victories at Le Mans since 2001, making the team and Chevrolet among the most successful teams and manufacturers to compete at Le Mans in the modern era. - PMD

(Porsche)
The new Porsche 911 "Type 991" RSR race car makes its debut in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend. Powered by a rear-mounted, 4.0-liter, 470HP flat-six engine, the 911 RSR will be run by Team Manthey, the Porsche AG factory team. The 24 Hours of  Le Mans counts as round three of the sports car World Endurance Championship (WEC), with double points on the line, and Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Pilet (France) and Timo Bernhard (Germany) will be aiming for GTE-Pro class honors in the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR. Sharing the cockpit of the No. 92 911 RSR Manthey team car are drivers Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Romain Dumas (France). In the GTE-Am class, customer teams compete with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR ("Type 997") from last year, including IMSA Performance Matmut, which finished second in 2012. Driving for this team is Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay, who as the winner of the 2012 Porsche International Cup Scholarship receives support from the factory in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) will be in the second IMSA Performance Matmut 911. Returning to the action in France is Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey along with American Porsche factory driver Patrick Long in the Dempsey Del Piero Proton team.