And Another One Down...: Toyota have pulled out of Formula One with immediate effect. This comes on the heels of the news that Bridgestone will leave the sport after the 2010 season. BMW announced earlier this year they were leaving. Last year we lost Honda. This year we lost BMW and Toyota. With Brawn and Red Bull doing so well this year, will 2010 be a continuation of The Rebirth of the Privateer?

posted by Drood to auto racing at 03:20 PM - 9 comments

Jean Todt wins FIA presidency: Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 03:33 PM - 3 comments

Jenson Button is the 2009 Formula One champion: A race that saw Kimi Raikkonen on fire, a huge opening lap accident, and action throughout the field, the title was sealed when Lewis Hamilton clipped Rubens Barrichello, causing the Brazilian to get a puncture. Jenson finished fifth in the race and won the championship with one race to go. Despite not winning a race since Turkey, Jenson has won one more race than Lewis did in 2008 to become champion. It's the first time since 1969 there has been back to back different British drivers as champion. (Then it was Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart.)

posted by Drood to auto racing at 02:22 PM - 11 comments

NASCAR reveals names of first Hall of Fame class: NASCAR on Wednesday announced the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame that includes: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty. Noticeably absent was David Pearson. "When I seen the two Frances was in, I knew I didn't have a chance," Pearson said moments after the ceremony ended.

posted by Demophon to auto racing at 06:27 PM - 17 comments

Alonso to Maranello: Ferrari have annouced that two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso has signed a three year contract with the Italian team and will replace Kimi Raikkonen for the 2010 season.

posted by Mr Bismarck to auto racing at 11:26 AM - 9 comments

FIA makes mockery of Formula One: For the race fixing, Renault have received barely a slap on the wrist, receiving a two year suspended ban. "The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1's breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity." Though not severe enough to receive an actual penalty of any real note it would appear. As expect, Symonds and Briatore are done with FIA sanctioned racing series.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 01:00 PM - 7 comments

FIA knew of Renault's race fixing last year: Nelson Piquet (Snr, not Jnr) apparently went to the FIA last year during the Brazilian race weekend to tell them that Renault asked Nelson Jnr to crash deliberately. The response was that until the latter was prepared to make a statement, they couldn't do anything. It took being fired from the team for him to come forward. The meeting to decide Renault's future is on Monday.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 05:38 PM - 6 comments

Renault's Big Two Out: Managing Director Flavio Briatore and Director of Engineering Pat Symonds have stepped down from their positions with Renault F1 after the French team announced that they would not contest the FIA's assertion that the team ordered driver Nelson Piquet to crash at last season's Singapore Grand Prix.

posted by Mr Bismarck to auto racing at 11:09 AM - 7 comments

More Scandal for F1: Nelson Piquet was ordered to 'deliberately crash' his Renault at last year's Singapore Grand Prix, leaked transcripts reveal.

posted by owlhouse to auto racing at 01:52 AM - 4 comments

Nascar graduates from Dukes of Hazzard to Days of Our Lives: Or maybe that's As The Wheel Turns? It's a story ripped from the headlines, famous people, infamous drugs, and a mysterious murder by suicide... It's mayfield vs Mayfield.

posted by irunfromclones to auto racing at 06:50 PM - 4 comments

Fisichella to Ferrari: At a time when Formula One always seems to be being dragged through the mud, usually by Max Mosley and the FIA, we finally have a great story. Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, who has always wanted to drive for the Prancing Horse, has his dream come true. Force India have released him to Ferrari after it was confirmed Felipe Massa will miss the rest of the season. The announcement of Fisichella going to Maranello comes on the back of his truly epic drive in the Belgian Grand Prix where he finished a mere second behind the man who will be his new teammate. The next race is the Italian Grand Prix. An Italian driver in a Ferrari. The Tifosi will be insane this year!

posted by Drood to auto racing at 03:09 PM - 11 comments

Schumacher cancels comeback.: Due to neck injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident earlier this year, Michael Schumacher will be unable to be Massa's replacement at Ferrari while the Brazilian recovers. Luca Badoer, Ferrari's current test driver, will race in Valencia. Badoer hasn't competed in race conditions since 1999 when he drove for Minardi.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 04:32 AM - 4 comments

Ferrari Go Back To The Future: Ferrari have confirmed that they will replace injured driver Felipe Massa at the upcoming European Grand Prix with Ralph Schumacher's brother.

posted by Mr Bismarck to auto racing at 01:11 PM - 8 comments

Another one bites the dust.: BMW have called a press conference for tomorrow. Described as "important" and about "current developments in motorsport", it's widely believed that BMW will be announcing their departure from Formula One at the end of the season.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 06:08 PM - 5 comments

Ferrari's Felipe Massa undergoes emergency surgery: Ferrari's Brazilian driver Felipe Massa was airlifted to hospital during qualifying for tomorrow's Hungarian Grand Prix after a spring fell from fellow countryman Ruben Barrichello's car and struck Massa in the helmet.

posted by Mr Bismarck to auto racing at 02:45 PM - 7 comments

Henry Surtees killed in F2 race.: Henry was the son of former Formula One champion John Surtees. While racing at Brands Hatch he was struck in the head by a wheel from someone else's cars which knocked him unconscious, and his car carried straight on at the next corner. Video.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 05:28 AM - 8 comments

Will his blinker be on, turning left the whole race?: Herschel McGriff is attempting to qualify for a NASCAR Camping World West Series race this Sunday at Portland International Raceway. He's the defending champion at the track, having won the last race held there -- in 1986. Oh, did we mention he's 86?

posted by wfrazerjr to auto racing at 12:21 AM - 4 comments

NASCAR's Mayfield fails second test for methamphetamines: Driver Jeremy Mayfield has failed a second drug test for meth, NASCAR officials announced. Mayfield, who was suspended in May but had his ban lifted by a court order, is also being accused of using drugs before at least one race by his stepmother. His response: "Now they got this lying [expletive] to tell lies about me, someone I am embarrassed even uses the Mayfield name. She's tried everything she can do to get money out of me. I won't help her, so I guess she found a way to get money from NASCAR by giving them an affidavit full of lies."

posted by wfrazerjr to auto racing at 12:22 PM - 12 comments

Mosley being "urged" to stand for re-election.: Just days after agreeing to step down as part of the FOTA/FIA agreement, Max Mosley, for at least the second time in his career of ruining motorsport, has done a u-turn and now says he's being urged to run again. (He actually hinted he would less than a day after the agreement.) Probably urged by the same mysterious people who "supported" him during the nazi whore scandal he should never have survived.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 04:38 PM - 15 comments

FOTA and FIA put toys back in pram. : In what can only be described as an astounding upset, common sense has actually prevailed in Formula One. The eight FOTA teams will not start their own series, and Max Mosley will not stand for re-election later this year. The latter seems to be a key part of the former. Now shut up and race.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 02:55 PM - 13 comments

Formula One's major players announce they will create their own series: "The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship," said a statement issued by the new Formula One Teams' Association.

posted by The_Special_Juan to auto racing at 09:10 PM - 19 comments

Peugeot break nine years of Audi dominance.: After nine years of Audi dominance*, this past Sunday Peugeot took a 1-2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. (*Yes, Bentley won in 2003, but the car was, in large part, an Audi.) As a side note, the Lola Aston Martin team finished 4th on their first attempt, and were the fastest of the petrol finishers, carrying arguably the most recognizable paint scheme in Le Mans history.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 10:48 PM - 3 comments

Formula 1 at the Big Picture blog: in wet and dry conditions.

posted by rumple to auto racing at 05:11 PM - 5 comments

NASCAR Race Nearly Ends with Car in Stands: On the final lap of the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, Carl Edwards' car went airborne, flipped and slammed into the catch fence, sending debris into the stands that injured eight spectators -- the most series being a broken jaw. Edwards finished the race on foot. Watch the finish.

posted by rcade to auto racing at 08:08 PM - 13 comments

2009 Formula One Season Preview: Drood here, back again, as in years past, with a brief preview of what we have in store for this year.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 01:02 PM - 8 comments

NASCAR Tests Possible Nationwide Series Car of Tomorrow.: HAMPTON, Ga. -- NASCAR officials confirmed Sunday plans to have a Car of Tomorrow chassis tentatively in place for the 2009 Nationwide Series season.

posted by BMoskowitz to auto racing at 01:14 PM - 1 comment

Rally Driver Ken Block's Insane Driving Video: In a popular viral video, rally car driver and DC Shoes founder Ken Block practices the automotive version of gymkhana, an obstacle course sport more commonly associated with horses, in a 530-horsepower Subaru Impreza. He's the same driver who hit the mountain with snowboarders and jumped his car 171 feet for the Discovery Channel.

posted by rcade to auto racing at 01:37 PM - 4 comments

Honda to leave F1!: Autosport is saying Honda will announce on Friday that they plan to leave the sport. Other avenues are reporting the decision is already made and done and Honda are finished in Formula One.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 06:59 PM - 10 comments

Bernie Ecclestone loses mind.: Ecclestone says Formula One will use a medals system next year to decide the title. "When asked if it was fair that someone who wins six races but doesn't finish any others beats someone who had finished every race in second place, Ecclestone replied: "He'll have to try harder next year."" Eddie Jordan remains unconvinced.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 11:31 AM - 7 comments

"You will never see a more dramatic conclusion to any motor race...: let alone a grand prix, and the result of it all is that, in the most harum scarum way possible - he doesn't make it easy for himself, does he? - Lewis Hamilton is the world champion." (Video here for the moment.)

posted by etagloh to auto racing at 08:25 PM - 12 comments

Canadian Grand Prix dropped: In a stunning move that caught the event's organizers off guard, the Canadian Grand Prix was dropped from the 2009 Formula One calendar on Tuesday.

FIA, the governing body of auto racing, ratified its calendar for the coming season and omitted the Canadian race, which was first held in 1967. It's the first time since 1987 that the Canadian Grand Prix won't be on the F1 schedule.

posted by tommytrump to auto racing at 02:08 PM - 3 comments

Big money teams, COT & no Dodges in NASCAR chase: A glance at the 12 drivers competing in NASCARs Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, in order of seeding after Sundays Chevrolet 400 at Richmond International Raceway:

posted by m8nsman to auto racing at 11:51 AM - 5 comments

"Paul Newman says goodbye to his GT1 Corvette: - Legendary petrolhead Paul Newman took his GT1 Corvette out for a few laps earlier this month as he said goodbye to one of his greatest loves. The actor and former driver is terminally ill with lung cancer and is believed to have just weeks to live."

posted by mr_crash_davis to auto racing at 11:15 PM - 6 comments

Johnson survives tire debacle at Indianapolis: INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Jimmie Johnson grabbed his second win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by surviving horrendous tire troubles that made Sunday’s race a caution-marred debacle. A durability issue with the tires Goodyear brought to the Brickyard forced NASCAR to slow the race with competition cautions designed to make teams change their tires.

posted by knowsalittle to auto racing at 05:39 PM - 11 comments

Busch wins at Chicagoland as JGR ties series record: JOLIET, Ill. -- Break up Joe Gibbs Racing! Oops! Tony Stewart has already taken care of that -- for next year, anyway -- but Stewart's departure at the end of the season, made official this weekend, couldn't slow Gibbs' momentum in the Nationwide Series.

posted by knowsalittle to auto racing at 07:19 PM - 3 comments

Scott Kalitta killed in crash at Englishtown.: The NHRA said the 46-year-old Kalitta — the 1994 and 1995 Top Fuel season champion who had 18 career victories, 17 in Top Fuel and one in Funny Car — was taken to Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, where he died a short time later. (Video)

posted by mr_crash_davis to auto racing at 07:33 PM - 9 comments

Robert Kubica wins the Canadian Grand Prix.: Robert Kubica becomes the first Polish driver to win a Grand Prix, scoring BMW's first ever victory in the process. His teammate Nick Heidfeld made it a BMW 1-2 after Lewis Hamilton ended his and Kimi Raikkonen's race in a bonehead incident in the pitlane. A year ago, Kubica was lucky to leave Montreal with his life. This year he leaves it leading the drivers championship by four points. What a difference a year makes.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 02:40 PM - 5 comments

Joey Logano Graduates to NASCAR's Nationwide Saturday: Joey Logano turned 18 Saturday, which means he's now old enough to make his Nationwide Series debut this Saturday for Joe Gibbs Racing at Dover International Speedway. Last year Logano won 5 of 13 starts in the NASCAR Camping World East Series after it was opened to drivers 16 and up. "I don't think that NASCAR has ever seen anything quite like Joey Logano," said Mark Martin, who has been touting the kid's driving talent since he was 14 years old.

posted by rcade to auto racing at 10:06 AM - 2 comments

Force makes history as first female Funny Car winner: Another woman winning in a major auto sport. I think it is even better since she beat her dad in the finals. Congratulations Ashley.

posted by dbt302 to auto racing at 07:56 AM - 12 comments

Danica Patrick Wins IndyCar Race in Japan: Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history Sunday, taking the Indy Japan 300 when leader Helio Castroneves was forced to pit for fuel in the final laps. The 26-year-old driver won in her 50th IndyCar start. "She's rocketed herself to the top end of the roll call for most successful female racing drivers ever," writes Gemma Briggs. "The last significant victory was probably Michele Mouton's World Rally Championship win ... way back in 1981."

posted by rcade to auto racing at 08:59 AM - 21 comments