Motorsport news

Acura Company conducting preparations for Le Mans American racing series marking the first autosport event participation for Acura marque during its 20 year history. The 20th anniversary of Acura history comes this 2006 year.

Acura Le Mans sports bolide will debut in 12-hour race at Sebring circuit planned for March, 2007. Tests of the Acura Le Mans will be initiated soon in summer. The main competitors of the newcomer will likely occur Audi, Porsche and Mazda as experienced Le Mans racing participants.

In fact, Acura car marque was founded by Honda in 1986 and destined for the American market only. Earlier Acura model line-up included premium class models only while the autosport events were the prerogative of Honda models.

Still in the foreseeable future Acura will introduce its NSX model � new sports car with 5.0 V10 engine enabling Acura Le Mans racing participation as well as providing substantial advertising for Acura brand.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage rally version debut came last weekend at the recent France rally championship stage. The legendary British make rejoins rally events after almost 50 year break as in far 1956 Aston Martin won British RAC Rally.

In fact Aston Martin V8 Vantage rally version was prepared and tuned by Prodrive company (GB) ensuring its old partnership in sports projects. Stephane Sarrazin alleged to be a pilot of V8 Vantage rally version also Subaru WRC team member.

The main competitor of new Aston Martin will likely be Porsche 911 GT3 rally version. The Prodrive officials expressed their confidence about V8 Vantage and ability to challenge. The also stressed that Aston Martin is more suitable for rally races due to shorter body but longer wheels base. Aston Martin and Porsche engine power capacity comes up with equal rates. Stephane Sarrazin in his turn pointed out that rally V8 Vantage with its rear wheels driveline possess high-level balance that�s why he and his colleagues were very optimistic.

As a fact such rear drive-line equipped cars as Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Porsche 911 GT3 are allowed to separate GT class only in some countries like France and Belgium. WRC prohibited racing events with such cars long in 1986.

F1 Midland Racing Team Limited hired Fabrizio del Monte as a test-pilot though the duties will envelope the spare pilot position. Del Monte, an Italian aged 26, previously was in Minardi team now coming as the third Midland test pilot after Marcus Winkelhock and Giorgio Mondini.

Colin Kolles, the Midland management director stressed that del Monte had demonstrated impressive speed during the last year elimination laps in Spanish Heres. According to contract terms del Monte will start as a test pilot in Midland at Imola Grand Prix.

In his turn del Monte featured out that the team was constantly growing and he was going to do his best for its rise.

Midland Formula 1 Racing Limited as a fact was founded by Alex Snider, Midland Group chief, in 2004 for debuting in F1 events by 2006. After Midland purchased Jordan Grand Prix in 2005 the team aimed at challenging such F1 teams as BMW and Red Bull. The main team pilots - Tiago Monteiro and Christijan Albers this 2006 year race in new MF1 Toyota M16 bolide.

After Australian Grand Prix two Formula 1 teams at once � Midland F1 and Super Aguri addressed FIA a protest concerning Scuderia Toro Rosso team using derated V10 engines. According to their viewpoint 2006 championship rules allow using such motors to those teams only that are not in the financial position to develop or purchase 2.4 V8 engines.

Midland F1 and Super Aguri also stated that STR (Scuderia Toro Rosso) possesses the necessary financial resourced to obtain new engines. Still, if to find the reasons of such sharp and unexpected step it becomes clear that the reaction was caused mainly by 8th position of Austrlian Skott Speed racer though he was deprived of his rank for passing by the other bolide in yellow flags situation.

Daniele Audetto who heads Super Auguri, stressed that the V10 engines permission this year championship was given to Minardi team but sunsequently it was purchased by Red Bull and renamed into Scuderia Toro Rosso. So, Audetto hinted that Red Bull as a new owner of former Minardi disposes of enough finances not only to purchase V8 engines but the whole Cosworth Company which manufactures those engines.

In respond, Franz Tost, the Scuderia Toro Rosso chief, parried those allegations saying that �it is not correct to tie essential Toro Rosso bolides speed increase with 10-cylinder engines only�. And he also added that there was no sense for Super Aguri и Midland F1 to argue about it as all teams had signed the 2006 Formula 1 rules.

The first stage of the American IndyCar racing version entailed an accident: at Miami auto racing circuit Paul Dana aged 30 perished. The accident happened during preliminary heat-up lap. Ed Carpenter, racer who was running in front failed to manage his car handling and his bolide started twisting and finally stopped.

Dana not like the other pilots was driving as if nothing happened and ignored yellow flags and at 300 km/h speed crashed into Carpenter�s bolide.
Paul Dan was rapidly delivered to the hospital but unfortunately died in two hours. Carpenter was also hospitalized though he had been lucky enough to escape injuries.

For the record, Dana debuted in IndyCar in 2005 though participated three races with 10th rank as best result. Previously Dana was doing as sportive journalist specializing in autosport events covering.

As Bobby Rahal stated, Rahal Letterman Racing team owner, �Dana perish came as black day for all us � a real tragedy occurred�. In fact, this pilot death case is the first for the last three years in IndyCar races.

Ford Company conjointly with BR racing opened own racing school at Silverstone racing testing
Circuit. Children starting from 10 are welcome for studying racing driving that will engage specially constructed Ford 2x training car based on steel frame providing vehicle with apprentice and instructor from capsizing as well as protecting them from side crashes.

This Ford is the only training car certified by British Autosport Association. Racing school leaders hope to obtain the niche of carting in the filed of rearing young pilots for autosport.

As Peter Betty, School chief, announced the training program included not driving skills only. Its followers will learn how to make contracts properly, carry out basic car revision, deal with navigation maps. He also stressed �we provide special attitude to every follower and our goal is to make him both � gain new knowledge and get pleasure from studying�.

Suzuki will participate WRC in 2007�
At currently taking place Geneva International Motor Show Suzuki announced its soon debut in WRC championship 2007. For this Suzuki plans to construct WRC-class automobile on the base of SuzukiSX4 crossover model � the first ever case of WRC car based on crossover-type model.

In fact Suzuki company successfully participates in JWRC - Junior World Rally Championship for cars with engines cubic capacity under 1.6. Rumors about possible Suzuki WRC participation were soaping long ago though it was unclear right till the Geneva announcement which championship � WRC or new Super 2000 will prefer Japanese company.

Suzuki joining WRC will definitely intensify struggle for the first rank in rally championship. So in 2007 WRC crown will be challenged by four teams � Citroen, Ford, Subaru and Suzuki.