Grand Prix Races

BMW driver Jacques Villeneuve will be set back ten places at Sunday's grid for the Spanish Grand Prix after the team had to change his engine before the weekend. The engine had to be changed after a problem transporting it to the Circuit de Catalunya which meant it sustained damage.

"The engine was fine after the European Grand Prix actually. During the transportation of the engine something went wrong unfortunately," a BMW spokesperson confirmed to F1Racing.net this afternoon.

Villeneuve has been showing stronger pace of late and has scored six points so far this season, one more than team mate Nick Heidfeld.

David Coulthard will be celebrating his 200th Grand Prix this weekend in Spain. Twelve years ago, during that same Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya in 1994, David Coulthard made his debut at Williams.

"Two hundred Grand Prix races is an achievement in itself, which I'm proud of, because you don't do that number of races by accident, you do it by maintaining a certain level of performance," said Coulthard. "I reckon that 500 points for 200 Grand Prix races is not a bad average."

"Of course, people will always talk about what might have been, but I can feel confident when I walk into the paddock knowing that there are only a few guys on the grid that have, or eve will, come close to achieving what I have."

"The start of my career was pretty difficult as it came about after Roland and Ayrton had died at the San Marino GP in Imola. Williams ran only one car in the following race, Monaco, as a mark of respect for Ayrton and then made me a Grand Prix driver at the Spanish GP in 1994, so my opportunity definitely came with mixed emotions."

The A1 Grand Prix series is due to kick off this year in October at Zandvoort but already there are signs that the series will be stronger next year than it has been this year. The series has been doing some navel-gazing in recent weeks and there are discussions about the number of teams one organisation should be allowed to run as the more cars one has, the most development time is available. Although the French team dominated the series in 2005-2006 it was helped by the fact that DAMS was also running the Swiss, Russian and Mexican operations. Carlin Motorsport and Super Nova Racing are thought to be planning to expand their teams unless A1 decides to limit the number of cars one organisation can operate. However, there are reportedly seven or eight new countries which are bidding to take part in the series. What is not clear is whether the series is going to lose some of the original field.

The series's chief operating officer David Calre, a former Formula One Management official, says that the series is talking to 17 or 18 potential venues and reckons that there will be at least two or three new races.

The word is that the series has now found the funding for the next couple of years with bank loans secured on the future revenues of the sport, effectively buying the series time to get big sponsors and more TV coverage.

The series recently announced its prize money for the year with the revelation that the dominant French team won $1.9m, which was nearly double the money of the second-placed Swiss team. Britain underperformed all year but still managed to win $820,000 ahead of Holland ($770,000) and Canada ($660,000). The total prize fund was $11m, which sounds impressive but is less than a number of F1 teams each get each year from the Formula One group. Having said that A1 Grand Prix budgets are much smaller than the equivalent in F1 and so the prize money covers a large percentage of the costs.

Interestingly, the driver who won the most money was Neel Jani of Switzerland who ran all but the final couple of races and thus won all of Switzerland's prize money for the team. Nicolas Lapierre and Alexandre Lapierre shared the work for France and so won $990,000 and $930,000 respectively.

Following Australia, we have had a three-week break from F1 but now it is back to business - and back to Europe for the San Marino Grand Prix and more traditional surroundings.

As we turn up in Italy, there is quite a lot to look forward to, as we have had a lot of excitement already in the early races. All in all, it is looking very exciting.

Imola, of course, is a home race for the fanatical tifosi and the venue has a lot of tradition and heritage. It is one of the older circuits and, as such, the run-off areas are not quite as big as they are at the new venues such as Bahrain, where a vast amount of land has been used to build the track and facilities. Imola is a lot more compact which, in some ways, makes it quite nice and cosy, whether it is on or off the track.
Unfortunately, I don't think the tifosi will have much to scream about at this moment in time. I would love Ferrari to head out of the pit-lane at Imola with have a chance of winning, but I think that is a bit far-fetched. However, saying that, you never know...

There is no doubt that they will pull out all the stops for the first of their two 'home' races. We might see something more adventurous on the engine side, we might see something turn up from Bridgestone too, and we might see some developments from the team on the chassis. All of sudden, the Scuderia and Michael Schumacher could be up there in contention to win. It will be a long shot, but it's not out of the question.

My money, though, is on Renault. Having been the class of the field in the first three events, I think they are again going to be tough to beat. Giancarlo Fisichella, being an Italian, will be pumped up to do well and Fernando Alonso never seems to fail of late. The consistency and reliability is just continuing from last season.

However, there is a lot going on with Renault off the race circuit at present, with a few things muted for future and maybe some top personnel there going in different directions. There could be some developments on that front soon.

McLaren, meanwhile, will turn up and should be strong. Indeed, I think it will be good competitive battle between those two teams. McLaren are not to far away from that first win now for '06 - they just need a little more pace and with that pace a bit more consistency to go with it. They are going to have to start making inroads soon though. They can't let Renault go on winning more and more races, otherwise it will all be done and dusted by mid-season in terms of the championships. Someone has got to turn up and put pressure on them, and McLaren look like the team most likely to do that.
Honda were disappointing in Melbourne, especially after qualifying so well and putting Jenson Button on pole, and they are still struggling with their race pace. Qualifying is good but, again, it is all about what fuel loads are being carried at the time and, sometimes, that flatters to deceive. We need to see whether Honda can produce something stronger in race guise, and if Button can make a bit more of it.

Imola could suit the Hondas and Button's smooth driving style. Obviously, Rubens Barrichello will want to do well having been at the circuit several years past with Ferrari. He will want to do a solid job, and both drivers have got different areas to address at this point.

As for the team's decision to retire Button in Oz, when he could have coasted across the line to take sixth, I must admit that, if it had been my personal decision - and only my personal decision, I would have taken the points. I think they would have not only had short-term value, but also long-term benefit in terms of the overall picture too. But someone made the call and obviously felt that was the right thing to do.

Maybe, in several races' time, it will turn out to be a wrong decision, but we will have to wait and see. There are bigger brains and a lot more brain power sitting on the pit wall at Honda than me.
Arch Japanese rivals Toyota turned things around big time in Melbourne and, after a poor start, popped up to take third. I think Ralf Schumacher did a solid job all weekend.

Off the track, though, there has been a bit of turmoil in some ways and the dismissing of - or the 'amicable spilt' with - Mike Gascoyne, the head design guy, was an interesting one - especially as it followed their best result of the year.

It appears to have come about due to a difference of opinion in terms of the direction they need to take. If the majority of the team and the management above Gascoyne feel that there is one way to go, and the technical side feel they should go another, it is not harmonious and doesn't work - full stop. They obviously came to a decision and it will be interesting to see where Mike turns up and how Toyota continues.

Mike will be on 'gardening leave' now, which is what they call these things. Whether he will spend must time in the garden, I don't know!

Big question marks are still hanging over Toyota, and answers are needed. They are just starting to deliver them.

BMW Sauber were another team to get a good result, what with Nick Heidfeld finishing fourth and Jacques Villeneuve sixth. I think they would have been very pleased with the overall weekend result. The team are making very steady progress, and pulling off a result like that with two cars is a good achievement. It underlines the direction they are heading in and they are making solid headway.
Villeneuve and Heidfeld are driving very well. They are getting the best out of what is underneath them, which is critical to make an impact on the season. At this stage, JV is looking good to retain his place in the team in 2007 and Heidfeld is doing as good a job as ever to make sure he stays there as well. I would hope that everyone there had some degree of a smile on their face come the end of the Oz Grand Prix.

It wasn't so good for Williams though, and it was really unfortunate for Mark Webber that he was forced out when he was in such a strong position. I am sure Williams will be optimistic with the pace they can run, but are probably a little disappointed in terms of reliability.

Webber, obviously, would have loved to have had a good result at his home race and I think everybody down the pit-lane would like to have seen him up there as well. But I still think, overall, Williams and Webber are doing a good job. They are making a few people sweat and springing a few surprises in terms of pace.

For team-mate Nico Rosberg, Australia didn't go according to plan either and going out on the first lap was a shame. He is going to have a little blot on his copybook but, sometimes, to learn, you have to make mistakes along the way and that is part of being a rookie.
Red Bull took the final point a few weeks ago, although it was David Coulthard who ended up eighth, not Scott Speed in the 'B' team car.

It was no doubt tough for Speed to miss out, as it was a situation where he should have been in the points and should have been there on merit. But that is another issue that has to be addressed and looked at in some detail. While it was a little disappointing for Speed, I think DC would have been very happy to get a point. He drove reasonably solidly all weekend, and wanted to get valuable points for the team.

It is, however, difficult to understand the make-up of those two organisations. They are owned by the same individual and promote the same brand, and yet they are fighting internally. That is an interesting one to look at, but it is also part and parcel of F1. The sport is very much dog eat dog.

Staying with STR, their use of that V10 continues to cause waves, particularly with Midland and Super Aguri, who sent a letter to the FIA complaining about it post-Melbourne.

We all said there would be a level of unease if STR showed strong pace, and they have that compared to what they are up against at the back of grid. Obviously, the people who are getting beaten have come out and put their foot down and tried to make a point. Interestingly, STR/Red Bull have come out now and said they will probably use a V10 next year as well.
It is a bit of war of words at the moment – and a little bit of a war of sentiment, I think, as well. We will have to see what the big guns and the officials say, if anything, and if anything does get done about it. But, at this moment in time, it seems the situation is normal.

To sum up, I reckon Renault will again be victorious come the finish on Sunday, with Alonso ahead of Raikkonen and Schumi Sr, the latter giving the tifosi at least a little to smile about. Then I reckon it will be JPM and Honda's duo, Button and Barrichello.

Enjoy the grand prix...

Could the high-speed collision that killed Indy Racing League rookie Paul Dana at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday happen on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg when the Grand Prix comes to town this weekend?

Certainly, experts say. Auto racing is a dangerous sport, no matter the commitment to safety or numerous technological advances. That ever-present danger was tragically underscored when Dana died after colliding with Ed Carpenter's car in a morning warmup session before the season-opening race.

But if recent history is any indication, the second IRL-sanctioned Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will exhibit a tradeoff between speed and safety, thrill and peril.

Dana was the sixth driver of an Indy-type car to die on the track since 1996, and the first since DeLand native Tony Renna perished when his car went airborne in a turn and into the catch fence at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2003.

Four of those fatalities occurred on ovals, however. And no driver has died on a street course since Jeff Krosnoff was killed when his Champ Car went through a fence and struck a tree and light pole at the July 14, 1996, Indy Toronto.

Dr. Steve Olvey, who served as the CART director of medical affairs for 25 years, said St. Petersburg's course, designed by another former CART employee, Kirk Russell, is one of the safest he has seen. That's a start, he said.

"In general, speeds are down on temporary street circuits and if designed properly, quite probably prove to be the safest," said Olvey, who is now a fellow with the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety. "St. Petersburg is very well designed and I think is state-of-the-art as temporary street courses go. Kirk has years and years of experience with track design and what causes injury as far as races go."

Russell worked for the Grand Prix last season but was replaced this year with another CART veteran, Dave Lambert.

Two-time defending Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais agreed that the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg course is as safe as any could be, basing his opinion on driving the course in a turbo-charged Champ Car in 2003 that averaged almost 7 mph faster than IRL cars last April. The track went through just a few alterations when the IRL raced here for the first time last spring.

"The fast section is a wide open area on the airport side, so you've got plenty of space to go one way or the other (in case of accident)," Bourdais said. "You've got good visibility, you have one kink in the middle of the back straight, but at that point you're still not going too fast, so I would say it is a typical street course where you've got decent conditions, a pretty wide track and good visibility. It's actually pretty good."

Speeds are generally down on street courses because of the extensive amount of braking and turning.

The greatest speeds at St. Petersburg are reached on the 2,450-foot front straightaway between Turns 14 and 1, where cars attained 180 mph - their maximum speed with that aerodynamic package - near the start/finish line last April.

Whereas Sam Hornish Jr.'s pole speed for Sunday's season-opener on the Homestead oval was 218.539 mph (a record) and winner Dan Wheldon averaged 167.730 mph, Bryan Herta won the pole for the first IRL St. Petersburg Grand Prix at 103.664 and Wheldon's winning average speed was 83.140.

Les MacTaggart, IRL senior technical director, said that while the St. Petersburg course is "overall very good," the sharp angle and backward hook in Turn 1 creates "an environment where you can see a huge potential hazard, where you have one of those straights where you've got cars coming down in a breaking turn and you could have a car going sideways or something and creating a very similar situation to what we had here (Sunday)."

Krosnoff's death was another example of a freak accident demonstrating a weakness in safety procedures, Olvey said. The rookie went airborne with less than five laps left and the car bent back the catch fence as it disintegrated, allowing it to strike a tree and then a light pole outside the course. A track worker was killed by flying debris.

"A lot of attention now is paid to trees and poles (so that if the car) was to get off course, it hopefully wouldn't have much to run into," Olvey said. "That's of particular concern on a street course because you don't have wide-open spaces around like on a road course.

"You're looking for potential things to happen. But you think you think of everything and then some bizarre set of circumstances occurs and you have a whole new scenario."

Olvey warned that although the St. Petersburg course appears to be safe, organizers and safety experts should not be "lulled into thinking you're completely safe." Driver Jim Fitzgerald, 65, a teammate of actor/racer Paul Newman, was killed in the 1987 sports car incarnation of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, but on a different course.

In Olvey's opinion, Dana's accident was not necessarily a byproduct of open-wheel cars racing on ovals. He said the potential for such an impact exists everywhere in any type of vehicle.

IRL street course cars are the same used on ovals with chassis and suspension alterations, bigger wings to create more downforce at slower speeds and more durable cast-iron brakes instead of carbon fiber. Practices become crucial for finding a comfort and safety level for drivers.

"In many ways," MacTaggart said, "we're dealing with a lot of the potential problems as a high-speed oval."

Bourdais knew when he left Europe to make his career in North America that oval speedways dominated the racing landscape of this country. He was pretty sure he wouldn't like it, and not just because he preferred the challenge of racing on streets and road courses.

He was proved right.

"I think the risks are multiplied on an oval," said Bourdais, who much prefers the street- and road course-dominated schedule Champ Car races. "Zero risk does not exist in racing. You need to be a fool to think like that, but obviously on a street course I do not feel as exposed as when I was racing in Vegas or Milwaukee (on ovals)."

Driver Robby Gordon grew up in California with the nerve to race just about anything he could make go fast. He found his limits with open wheel cars on ovals and left to race stock cars in NASCAR four years ago.

"One hundred percent, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Indy cars are too fast for ovals, and they run ovals every weekend," Gordon told USA Today in Monday's Internet edition.

Gordon, who was ninth in the Toronto race in which Krosnoff was killed, told USA Today that a possible future reunification of the IRL and Champ Car series would make racing safer because the merged schedule would likely eliminate some oval track dates.

OCK ISLAND, Ill.: The Rock Island Grand Prix, the world's largest karting street race, has announced its 2006 race lineup. This year's event will feature 15 races through the downtown streets of Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District on Sept. 2-3, as well as a full lineup of auxiliary events that help add to the festival atmosphere. SBC and CJC Investments are Presenting Sponsors. Kart Expo International and Jumers Casino Rock Island are major sponsors.

 

The race will again feature King of the Streets, one of the premier kart races in the world, this year mixing 125cc moto and ICC power under Pro Kart Challenge rules. "The Rock" will also be one of the few U.S. races on the FIA/CIK International Calendar, again hosting the North American Street Championships for Intercontinental A and Intercontinental C classes under CIK rules. Two races for TAG (touch-and-go) motors - TAG Senior and TAG Masters - will again be direct qualifiers to the TAG World Finals in October.

New this year will be the Tom Argy Junior Sportsman class for junior drivers, ages 12-15, utilizing the 3-hole (YBX) exhaust. Junior drivers must also submit a driving resume along with their entry form to be accepted for this class. This replaces the Junior Animal class run in the past. Exhaust will be provided by RLV Tuned Exhaust. The 125cc moto (open, not stock or spec) and 125cc Masters classes will run under 2005 SKUSA rules, but with no minimum combustion chamber volume.

The full race lineup and tentative weight limts for 2006 follows:

1. King of the Streets (moto and ICC) 395/385 lbs.
2. 4-cycle Heavy (B&S flathead) 375 lbs.
3. TAG Senior 360-390 lbs.
4. 125cc Masters (moto and ICC) 405/415 lbs.
5. 2-cycle Super Sportsman Heavy (4 hole) 365 lbs
6. Intercontinental C (CIK rules) 375 lbs.
7. Yamaha Heavy 360 lbs.
8. 4-cycle Sr. Animal Heavy 375 lbs
9. TAG Masters 390-420 lbs.
10. Intercontinental A (CIK rules) 330 lbs.
11. Tom Argy Junior Sportsman (3 hole can) 315 lbs.
12. 2-cycle Super Sportsman Medium (4 hole) 340 lbs.
13. 125cc Moto (open, not stock) 385 lbs.
14. Rumble at The Rock (Sr. Animal Med.) 350 lbs.
15. Yamaha Medium 335 lbs.

Will Renault and McLaren carry on where they left off in 2005, when the red lights go out in Bahrain this weekend? It may seem a reasonable assumption, given the amount of mileage and the speed both teams have shown in testing. However, it also begs the question: who might challenge them?

The definite answer is Honda. Jenson Button has covered more test mileage than anyone else, and set the fastest time during the last run in Barcelona. As we have mentioned previously, there is a menace about Honda this year that is wholly reminiscent of their halcyon days with Williams and McLaren in the 1980s and ‘90s. Honda also have arguably the strongest driver line-up, in terms of speed, precision, level-headedness and resistance to silly mistakes or self-inflicted wounds. Renault start the season as favourites, and in world champion Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella they too have a very strong driver line-up. But Honda have also tested recently in Bahrain (together with Ferrari and Toro Rosso) and that may be a key element in this hot race. “We would hope that our recent test there would give us a little advantage over those who didn’t go,” says sporting director Gil de Ferran. “It wasn’t easy logistically but we always felt it was going to be a beneficial exercise. It has helped us with our choice of tyres, chassis set-up and with our understanding of the engine performance around that particular circuit, as well as uncovering any unforeseen issues. Apart from all of that, it was good for the drivers to experience the V8 engine and new car in a realistic race environment. Of course, we hope that our decision to go to Bahrain will pay us dividends come the opening race but, as ever, we will have to wait and see.” McLaren’s pre-season testing was hampered by unreliability of the Mercedes-Benz engine which required the revs to be restricted, but towards the end of the test sessions it was clear in Valencia that the engine was working to full tune as Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest time. He and Juan Pablo Montoya are another very strong pairing, provided they can be steered clear of distractions or silly errors respectively. The possible answer to the original question is Ferrari. It is difficult to know precisely where the Scuderia will fit in this weekend. Much of their testing has been done with the new 248 F1 V8, but they also ran the restricted V10-engined F2004 a lot and it was quicker. The 248 F1s are due to run this weekend and next, and though Ferrari also gained valuable knowledge testing in Bahrain recently, their reliability was disappointing. Michael Schumacher believes they will be competitive, but the question remains how competitive. The key issue here will also be tyre performance. Renault, McLaren and Honda all run Michelins, while Ferrari now have Toyota and Williams for company on Bridgestones, along with Midland and Super Aguri. The feeling remains that Michelin have the slight edge, but with tyre changes allowed once again during races, a smart team with good strategy should be able to minimize any gap. This is going to be one of the fascinations of the new season. So too is the new qualifying format, outlined previously, in which two lots of six cars are knocked out in the first two sessions, leaving the final 10 to shoot it out for pole. "I think the qualifying system will be good,” Button says. “I think it will be great for the crowd as they'll see a lot of cars out on the circuit, which is important for Formula One, and after the first qualifying session, people will get used to the format.” Where will the others fit in? Toyota will be strong, but how strong may depend on the competitiveness of the Bridgestones. The same applies to Williams, whose Cosworth engine has been super-reliable while still running at competitive speeds. Red Bull are uncertain whether some testing issues have been resolved on their RB2 which David Coulthard and Christian Klien will drive, but surprises are expected from Toro Rosso after Tonio Liuzzi’s very quick test performance here against Honda and Ferrari in February. There is a feeling that the restricted V10 package may have been sandbagging at times during the winter. BMW Sauber have been quietly getting on with the job of honing their new F1.06 while further integrating the links between Munich and Hinwil, and the signs have been promising. Midland, too, have made a lot of progress, while Super Aguri will simply set about learning the business of Formula One racing in these opening rounds. The Sakhir circuit is similar to Montreal in demanding a great deal of the brakes as drivers slow from over 300 kph to first or second gear on three occasions. Between turns 4 and 13 there is little chance for the brakes to cool much, as the corners follow each other in quick succession. A car must be well balanced to minimise oversteer on the exit of slow corners, not just to maximize acceleration but also to avoid excessive rear tyre wear. The sandiness of the region can also be a problem; everyone will have extra filters to protect pistons, rings and valves against the ingress of sand. Cooling is also critical, even though the new V8 engines do not have such a high cooling demand as the V8s. The race is 57 laps of the 5.412 km (3.363 mile) track, and starts at 14.30 hours Bahraini time, which is three hours ahead of GMT.

The Honda Racing F1 Team moved to Valencia this week for the second test with the new RA106 cars. The main focus of the test programme was putting more mileage on the two new chassis, together with tyre and engine development work. The team also continued its preparations for the new season with qualifying and race simulations. Despite the poor winter weather conditions, the test was a positive one with the new car showing good reliability and pace and with drivers Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson regularly occupying the top of the timesheets. Barrichello and Davidson began the testing programme on Tuesday using extreme wet tyres following overnight rain at the Valencia circuit. Both drivers completed set-up runs and practice qualifying procedures to adapt to the new 2006 qualifying format. The set-up work was continued in the afternoon session on wet tyres as the track began to dry out. Both completed 62 laps in total, with Barrichello setting the fastest time and Davidson the second fastest time of the day. Button joined the team on Wednesday taking over from Davidson. He began the day with an aero evaluation on wet tyres whilst Barrichello ran through further set-up solutions. With the circuit drying out by lunchtime, both drivers continued the testing programme with a race simulation exercise, in combination with a dry tyre programme. Barrichello completed 117 laps with Button totalling 86 laps and setting the second fastest time of the day. Davidson rejoined the test programme on Friday alongside Button. With dry morning track conditions for the first time this week, both drivers worked through long run dry tyre evaluations followed by a race simulation in the afternoon session. Button suffered an engine failure in chassis 02 early in the afternoon session but was able to return to the track to complete his programme. Davidson completed an impressive 126 laps in total today, with Jenson completing 85 laps and once again ending the day second fastest. Rubens Barrichello "On my first day of running, we completed quite a lot of laps in the car despite the wet conditions. On the second day, I focused mainly on tyre testing over long runs. This is a really good way to familiarise yourself with the car so I am becoming more and more comfortable. It was very pleasing to see that the new car has once again been very competitive." Jenson Button "Overall, the test has been really positive this week so it is unfortunate that we suffered an engine failure on the final day. We've been working mainly on long run performance and the consistency has been good. As with all new cars we are just trying to get as much mileage as possible under our belts at the moment but I'm pleased with how the car is shaping up." Anthony Davidson "We've had a pretty good day and it was great to drive the car in the dry finally. The conditions were good today and we achieved a lot of laps as my car was reliable all day. As with the other drivers, we mainly went through tyre testing for long runs and also pit stop practices which was fun because I don't get to do that very often. So all in all it's been another good week and I'm looking forward to continuing to develop the set-up of the car." Mark Ellis, Chief Engineer Vehicle Performance "It has been another very good test for us this week with the new Honda Racing F1 Team RA106 cars. We have again had to contend with poor weather and track conditions however the cars have proven to be fast and consistent in all conditions. Despite a couple of small issues, we are happy with the reliability of the new car. We look forward to continuing our development programme in Jerez next week." Shuhei Nakamoto, HRD Engineering Director "We have gained a little more top power and an improved torque curve after this test. Our target is 100% reliability so we still have work to do in the coming weeks, but overall we have made good progress."

Today was the third and final day of testing this week for Ferrari working again today at the Valencia circuit. No less than three cars were in use today: the 248 F1 in the hands of Michael Schumacher, the F2004 fitted with the new V8 engine driven by Felipe Massa and the F2004 fitted with a V10 engine limited to reproduce the conditions set out in this year’s regulations, used by Valentino Rossi. The day’s technical programme included tyre testing and car development for Schumacher, while Massa concentrated solely on tyre development. As for Rossi, he continued with acclimatising himself to the car. Ferrari resumes testing on Monday at Fiorano, with Massa on track.

Tiago Monteiro has confirmed that he will be in England this Friday. Usually, that would not be interesting news, but the Silverstone-based MF1 team is set to launch its 2006 Grand Prix car. And Monteiro, unlike likely team-mate Christijan Albers, has not yet been officially nominated as a race driver. Tiago Monteiro and Albers will be present as the wraps proudly come off the new M16,” read a statement of the Portuguese driver's PR team. The information coincides with the Midland-owned team's praise of customer engine supplier Toyota. Sporting director Adrian Burgess called the Cologne based outfit's service 'second to none'. “You couldn't go and buy a better package than what we've got,” he said.

The Gran Premio De La Comunitat Valeciana, held at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit on the outskirts of the city of Valencia, has won the coveted IRTA Trophy as 'Best Grand Prix' for 2005. The success is particularly sweet for the event organisers as Valencia regained the Trophy that they won in both 2002 and 2003. Competition for the Trophy is intense and Valencia narrowly edged out Malaysia and the Czech Republic in a very close poll. The same three grands prix topped the poll in 2004 with Valencia finishing second to Brno. The IRTA Trophy is awarded based upon a point scoring system that covers every aspect of the running of a grand prix. Riders' safety, trackside officials' measures and medical facilities are of paramount in motorsport and Valencia excels in all departments. The circuit itself is also unique in many ways. Set in a natural bowl amphitheatre that seats 60,000 race fans each one able to see the entire 4.005 km circuit. Featuring nine left and five right hand corners crammed into the 4.005 km lap, with a start - finish straight measuring just 876mts competitors have precious little time to relax. The shape of the circuit, fanatical race fans and close racing combine to generate an almost gladiatorial atmosphere that inspires the competitors. "I was very happy to learn that Valencia has regained the IRTA Trophy as 'Best Grand Prix' of 2005," said IRTA president Sito Pons. "Not because I am Spanish I wish to add, although that gives me additional pleasure. No, I am happy because it shows the commitment and dedication that the Valencia organisation displayed in their efforts to be the best grand prix. "Competition for the IRTA Trophy is intense and grands prix such as Valencia, Malaysia, the Czech Republic and Mugello have set very high standards and I am happy to say these circuits have inspired others to improve the quality of their performances. For Valencia to win the trophy three times in four seasons is an excellent performance and everybody at IRTA joins me in thanking all those involved with the event for the friendly, cooperative, and above all professional manner in which they operate. "The race is the final event of a very arduous 17-race season and everybody is tired when they arrive at Valencia following a series of fly-away races. But Valencia is a very special grand prix. Superb organisation apart the circuit layout virtually guarantees close racing and the incredible atmosphere generated by the spectators is unique in grand prix racing. Once again I congratulate all concerned with the race," concluded Pons. IRTA Trophy Roll of Honour 1984 Silverstone / GB 1985 Hockenheim / Germany 1986 Nurburgring / Germany 1987 Assen / Netherlands 1988 Suzuka / Japan 1989 Donington Park / GB 1990 Jerez / Spain 1991 Donington Park / GB 1992 Catalunya / Spain 1993 Eastern Creek / Australia 1994 Eastern Creek / Australia 1995 Mugello / Italy 1996 Mugello / Italy 1997 Mugello / Italy 1998 Phillip Island / Australia 1999 Brno / Czech Republic 2000 Mugello / Italy 2001 Catalunya / Spain 2002 Valencia / Spain 2003 Valencia / Spain 2004 Brno / Czech Republic 2005 Valencia / Spain

Fans of John Frankenheimer's famous 1966 movie "Grand Prix" have been frustrated that the film is not available on DVD. The rights to the movie are now owned by Warner Home Video which says it has no plans to put the film on DVD because there has been no requests for that to happen. There are however fans who would like to see that happen and so anyone who would like to sign up to a petition for the film should go to www.grandprixondvd.com and fill in the online petition so that an apprach can be made to Warner to show that there is a market out there which wants to see the film available in the new format.

Race fans attending the 32nd Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 7-9, 2006, will be witnessing a "first."

An event-record SIX racing series will be scorching the pavement of America's favorite street course thanks to the addition of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT Championship, which opens its 10-race season with races in Sebring and St. Petersburg, Fla. before journeying to Long Beach.

The SPEED GT joins another new race on the Long Beach schedule - the Rolex Series Daytona Prototypes - as well as the Champ Car World Series, 30th Anniversary Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, Drifting and the Imperial Capital Bank Champ Car Atlantic race.

"We're delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the always-exciting SPEED World Challenge GT at Long Beach," said Jim Michaelian, CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "The wide variety of cars and close competition will create tremendous interest for our fans and also provide us with a great concluding race on Sunday."

"We're very excited to add the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach to our 2006 SCCA SPEED World Challenge schedule," SCCA Pro Racing Acting President Garret Mudd said. "Southern California is a huge market for our brand of racing, which has proven to be the most popular and relevant form of production-based racing in North America."

More than 20 race-prepped marques are eligible for competition in the SPEED GT, including Aston Martin, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Ferrari, Ford GT and Mustang, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru and Volvo, among others. Series drivers are a who's who of sprint and endurance format sports car racers, including at least two former winners on the Long Beach circuit in the Trans-Am Series.

Andy Pilgrim, driving the #8 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose/On Star Cadillac CTS-V, won the 2005 SPEED GT championship by six points over 2004 titleholder Tommy Archer (Dodge Viper).

Pilgrim started the season with five straight Top-5s, and went on to become only the second driver since the series' inception in 1990 to win the title without winning a race. Cadillac added the series' Manufacturers Championship.

The 50-minute SPEED GT race follows the Champ Car race on Sunday, April 9, and will conclude on-track activities at the 32nd Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

What's the only thing that could trump what was arguably the greatest season for football in the Crystal City, the best-ever basketball season at Campbell-Savona and a hole-in-one, which propelled a virtual unknown to victory at the LPGA Corning Classic?

Try the return of major open-wheel racing at Wat-kins Glen International.

While 2005 gave us many riveting stories, September's inaugural Indy Grand Prix at Watkins Glen tops the list.

1. Open-wheel racing's return to the birthplace of American road racing became more than something for the locals to get whipped up about - the world was watching.

New Zealand's Scott Dixon won the inaugural Indy Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, officially bringing an end to a 21-year drought of major-league, open-wheel racing at the 20-year home of the United States Grand Prix.

“The buzz and the excitement around the community was great from Corning, great turnout crowd-wise and I think they saw a heckuva race,” said Indy Racing League CEO Brian Barnhart after the event. “I hope everyone else felt the same way I did - I had goosebumps.”

The race drew roughly one-third to half of a Nextel Cup-size audience live, and posted strong numbers in terms of TV viewership. Specific attendance numbers are not made public by the brass at The Glen or the IRL, but it was visibly clear several thousand showed up despite windy, cool weather in late September.

And the moments before the race, during the warm-up laps, an unmistakable swell of enthusiasm hung in the air.

“There was an electricity about the event - genuine excitement,” said WGI president Craig Rust. “(The IRL) felt that and I don't think they get that everywhere. We as a track and as a community showed them this little track in upstate New York can put on a world-class event.”

2. It's hard to imagine there was ever a better year for football in Corning.

Starting in grand fashion with Corning East head coach Randy Holden winning his 100th career game in the opener, both East and Corning West put together winning regular seasons and made the playoffs.

And for the first time in the 42-year history of the East-West football rivalry, the two teams met in the postseason.

Better yet, the two schools played for the Section IV, Class A title. Quarterback Coleman Flory's 42-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Roe late in the fourth quarter provided the decisive points in East's 21-14 victory, giving the Trojans their second sectional title in three seasons. After making the playoffs for the first time since 1999, West's season ended with a record of 6-4.

East won its first 11 games and advanced to the Class A state semifinals for the second time since 2003. However, Geneva - a team East beat early in the season - scored two touchdowns in the final 25 seconds to post a 26-14 victory over the Trojans, who fell one win short of a state championship game berth.

“Thirty wins in three years, two final four appearances and so far, the only team that's beaten us is the state champs - I'm gonna pretty much focus on the good things that the 2005 Trojans did,” Holden said.

The Trojans finished the season ranked fifth in the state in Class A and outscored their opponents by an average score of 31-13.

3. It's not uncommon for two unbeaten basketball teams to meet - early in the season. But when Campbell-Savona and Sodus met at Rochester's Blue Cross Arena for the Section V Class C championship - both squads were a combined 47-0 - with the Panthers possessing 24 of the wins.

It was a banner year for Campbell-Savona, who not only brought a perfect record into postseason play, but defeated Class C champion Red Jacket 57-38 in the Section V, Class CC-C playoff game to officially go farther than any other Panthers squad in the playoffs.

“When I look back, the most amazing thing about the team was its chemistry,” said Panthers head coach Merlin Button. “They really fit together well. There were no big powerhouses, just a group of players that really gave a great team effort.”

Toss into the mix a talented defensive unit that gave up just 32 points a game and Campbell-Savona rolled over its competition throughout the season.

But in its final game, it was the Panthers' offense that came up short in a 56-45 loss.

“We didn't just play like a team, we were more like a family,” senior Bruce Mour-hess said of the Panthers following the game.

4. As Jimin Kang made her way to the 15th tee box during the final round of the 27th LPGA Corning Classic, the 25-year-old native of Seoul, South Korea appeared destined to become a footnote in tournament history, finishing second or third, probably behind defending champ Annika Sorenstam or perhaps someone else.

Kang owned a share of the lead one hole earlier, but a three-putt bogey at the 14th dropped her two strokes from that perch.

And then everything changed for Kang with one sweet swing at the downhill 125-yard par 3 15th.

Her shot sailed right at the pin, dropping six feet short of the hole, before bouncing twice and into the cup, prompting a joyous celebration from Kang, who regained a share of the lead.

From there, it was all downhill for Kang, who went on to win her first-ever LPGA tournament, while denying Sorenstam a chance to become the tournament's second repeat champion.

Kang's score of 15-under for the tournament was two shots better than Meena Lee and Sorenstam, who battled illness for most of the tournament.

5. On Jan. 7, the Elmira Jackals were one game under .500, ready to get back in the race for the Eastern Division. It was the closest they would get to that point again, after which a chain of events led to the dismantling of the United Hockey League's strongest franchise east of the Mississippi.

All-Star forward Greg Koehler demanded a trade in February and in March, Todd Brost, the man who built the franchise from the ground up, stepped down as coach. Former Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Dave King was named coach, but lost star player Jamie Thompson. For the balance of the season, the best players were three rookies from Elmira College.

In August, Perry Florio was hired as head coach and general manager, but the team stumbled out of the gate this season and languished in the Eastern Division cellar.

In one year, a franchise that won two Eastern Conference titles, earned three straight trips to the conference finals and made the playoffs each of its first four seasons was reduced to playing for moral victories.

6. Even at his strongest, Jeff Gordon never did what Tony Stewart did at Watkins Glen International in August.

Stewart, who had won twice before at The Glen, won two pole positions and the Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen Nextel Cup Series race in dominant fashion. Not since Rusty Wallace ran circles around the field in 1987 had anyone been so strong at WGI in the premier stock-car racing series.

“Stewart had everybody covered. The race was really for second on back. He could pretty much dominate and go when he wanted,” said fourth-place finisher Scott Pruett.

Stewart's win that week followed a victory at Indianapo-lis Motor Speedway six days before, and was the last of a mid-summer five-wins-in-six-races streak that carried him to the top spot in the Chase for the Championship, which he won in November.

7. In this area, volleyball is second only to lacrosse in terms of sustained success and three teams cemented that claim in November by winning their respective sectional championships, two reached state semifinal pool play and one survived to contend for a state title.

Horseheads (Class AA), Corning West (Class A) and Corning East (B) each added new sectional banners to their gym, with Horseheads and East ending up in Oneonta to play in the state tournament. East fell in semifinal pool play, while Horseheads met Long Island's Ward Melville in the state championship match, falling in three games.

But the message was sent: Few regions of the state possess programs the way the Route 17 corridor does.

“It says an awful lot about what we've been able to do over the years,” said Horseheads coach Patti Perone. “We've all helped each other get better.”

8. Cortland. June. Mark it down on your calendar. Much like their male counterparts at Corning East, the school's girls lacrosse team have become fixtures in the state playoffs.

The 2005 season was no different as the Trojans captured their seventh straight sectional title and advanced to the Class B state semifinal round in Cortland for the fifth time in six years.

Unfortunately, East didn't have an answer for Brighton, which handed the Trojans a 12-5 loss. East finished the season at 17-2 with both of its losses coming at the hands of Brighton.

It was an otherwise dominant season for the Trojans, who were led in goal by Val Lando. The future should continue to be bright at East as Lando was one of just three seniors on the 2005 team.

Among the returning players in 2006 are Patty Nessle, Ainsley Baker and Maria Rosettie, who helped the Western Region squad to a gold medal at the Empire State Games in July.

9. At the 2005 state cross country meet, Addison's top runners Branden Morseman and Carey Crooker ended their respective years on a high note.

Morseman, who was competing in his fifth state cross country meet, finally brought back a medal with an eighth-place performance. The medal capped a terrific season for the long-time runner.

“This was his best year,” said Addison cross country coach Tim Lyons. “He didn't lose any of the Steuben County League meets and he won two invitational titles.”

Crooker, who led the Knights' girls team to the Section V, Class DD title with a second-place finish, had to run solo because a bizarre scoring tabulation sent Oakfield-Alabama - the team Addison defeated for the Class DD title - to the state meet.

But Crooker, a freshman, bettered her first state appearance as an eighth grader with a 12th place finish and a medal in 2005.

10. The nomadic, and nameless, Hall of Fame for the Elmira area has been alive in spirit since 1958, but in July it took on a new life - and maybe a permanent home.

The Chemung County Sports Hall of Fame opened to the public on July 15 in the Arnot Mall, displaying some of the area's most treasured artifacts. The Hall remains free and open to the public during the mall's regular hours.

A committee of 15 people put the new Hall together, and are keeping it running with new and different displays being added. Anyone who wishes to make contributions to the Hall, or loan items for a period of time, can do so by contacting any of the Elmira-Big Flats area schools. Monetary donations can be mailed to 3300 Chambers Rd., Suite 5232, Horseheads, NY 14845.

“Our goal here is for this to be on ongoing thing,” said committee member Marty Chalk. “Opening it is a great thing, but we still have a lot of work to do to keep it going.”

The Hall is located in the Cinema entrance, right on the left, and features old newspaper clippings, an Ernie Davis jersey and individual display cases for each of the Chemung County schools, each of which may update when new material is gathered.

 

As a Formula One (F1) fan, KTM Bhd general manager for freight services, Abdul Radzak Abdul Malek, not only enjoys the thrills and spills of the Grand Prix races, he also draws inspiration from F1 to boost the efficiency and productivity of the railway operator’s freight services.

He understands that a winning team does not merely depend on the driver’s skills, but also on the engine, tyres, equipment, tactics and, most importantly, teamwork.

For years, KTMB’s ability to mount additional passenger or freight services has been limited due to the much delayed double-tracking work between Rawang and Ipoh. The construction work requires the stretch of track to be closed for 10 hours daily.

To cope with the limited operating hours and the speed at which a train can travel on that stretch, Abdul Radzak and his team are working on improving the productivity and efficiency of the freight services.

After months of preparation and studies, KTMB’s freight services launched its own key performance indicator called Pit Stop Operations (PSO) to improve the turnaround of trains plying the various routes.

“We managed to cut down a lot of movements (procedures) to get the trains and wagons ready without compromising on safety,” he tells FinancialDaily.

"We are not talking about seven- or eight-second pit stops like the F1 races but four hours to get our locomotives, wagons and documentation, among others, ready, which is a pretty reasonable time,” he adds. In the past, there was not much effort to monitor the time taken.

He explains that the PSO is about teamwork and keeping track of every stage of the train services.

The PSO was first implemented in the Prai-Padang Besar-Prai run in October and the results have so far been good. At times, even exceeding KTMB’s and its customers’ expectations.

“Prior to October, we used to see three- to five- hour delays or even cancellation of the services. Now our trains are departing on time or before time, often reaching on the dot or even before (the scheduled) time while delays are usually under one hour,” Abdul Radzak says.

“The international benchmark for freight train schedules is that a train is deemed to arrive on time, when the delay is less than an hour,” he says.

“We have managed to cut the turnaround time for the service from 48 hours to 26 hours on average and that allows us to operate 12 train services from 10 services (previously) daily and reduces the number of wagons and locomotives required with the faster turnaround,” he says.

Buoyed by the success of the PSO, Abdul Radzak extended it to KTMB’s operations at the Ipoh Cargo Terminal in November. There was vast improvement after three weeks, with delays or cancellations greatly reduced and trains departing and arriving on or ahead of schedule.

Abdul Radzak says the next target is the cement market. The railway operator currently only has a 5.4% market share of the total 2.56 million tonnes of cement produced in the country annually.

“We carry only 14% of the four big producers’ total production of 1.44 million tonnes (40% of total annual production). There is much scope to improve our market share if we can improve the turnaround,” he says.

Abdul Radzak says the company has projected RM143 million in revenue for 2006 on the back of higher capacity, faster turnaround and improvements in conventional cargo transportation for cement, sugar and petroleum products.

The near-completion of the double-tracking project between Rawang and Ipoh (by 2007) will allow KTMB to operate more services at higher speed.

For 2005, KTMB expects its revenue to remain at last year’s level of RM109 million or see marginal improvement, due to the higher diesel cost and limited operating window.

KTMB also expects that, with greater efficiency now, its container handling would improve to 361,800 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2006 from the projected 312,000 TEUs in 2005 and 303,153 TEUs in 2004.

Abdul Radzak concedes that freight services has yet to tap its full potential as KTMB now handles an estimated 3% of the country total hinterland cargo.

“Imagine what we can achieve with the improved turnaround and when the double-tracking is completed, that allows us to run five times more train services at a higher speed and increased tonnage,” he says.