Racing

Petty Enterprises moves to Charlotte area

The winning organization in NASCAR announced on Wednesday its first move since its inception in 1949. Richard and Kyle Petty, in efforts to garner continued wins and championships, have agreed to move Petty Enterprises closer to the center of NASCAR activities in the greater Charlotte, N.C., area. They have reached a multi-year lease agreement for shop space located in the city of Mooresville. The space was formerly occupied by Robert Yates Racing and its two-car Nextel Cup operation. (...)
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Indian GP2 driver Karun Chandhok to test for Red Bull Racing

Indian GP2 driver Karun Chandhok is to test for Red Bull Racing when Formula One testing resumes at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya in Spain later this month. Chandhok, 23 years old, from Madras, will be standing in for regular tester Sebastien Buemi, who is competing in the Macau Formula Three race. “This really is a dream come true for me,” said Chandhok. “Ever since I was four years old I’ve dreamed of being behind the wheel of a Formula One car and this is a day that not (...)
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Williams tests with British youngster Sam Bird

Sam Bird has conducted a series of aerodynamic tests on behalf of the AT&T Williams F1 team. The tests were carried over a two week period at Kemble airfield in Gloucestershire, where Sam drove this season’s FW29 car. The AT&T Williams team was 4th in the 2007 F1 constructors’ championship. Sir Frank Williams commented: “Sam Bird has been very valuable during the course of our aerodynamic testing in the past two weeks. He has carried out his duties in the cockpit of the FW29 (...)
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Schumacher “returns” as a test driver for Ferrari

Michael Schumacher will test a Formula One car in earnest next week for the first time since his retirement at the end of last season. Schumacher will get behind the wheel of this year’s Ferrari F2007 as part of the team’s 2008 preparations. The seven-time world champion is expected to spend two days at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya in Spain, during the first multi-team test since last month’s Brazilian Grand Prix, which saw Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen wrap up (...)
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Alonso’s future is still uncertain

After leaving from McLaren last week, Fernando Alonso hasn’t decided yet with which team he will sign for next season. Alonso wants a short contract, just for one year, thinking that if in 2009 he could have a better alternative like BMW or Ferrari he could be free to sign with one of them. Alonso’s options for 2008 are Renault, Red Bull Racing and Toyota. Red Bull Racing and Toyota are willing to offer him a one year deal with options to renew, while Renault wants a two (.
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McLaren is not in a hurry to find a team mate for Hamilton

McLaren is considering its options for the second driver. Everyone is curious about who will be the 2008 second driver at McLaren, including Hamilton that declared at Mercedes-Benz’s ’Stars and Cars’ event in Stuttgart: “I am interested to see who it is going to be, I am as excited as you guys are. I have no idea, I can only guess.” Hamilton hopes that his future team mate will be a “team player”, and he’s thinking about Nick Heidfeld, Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil and Heikki (...)
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The 2008 McLaren car will be release in January

McLaren boss Ron Dennis divulged on Saturday afternoon at engine and equity partner Mercedes-Benz’s ’Cars and Stars’ end of season event in Stuttgart that the 2008 car will be released by the Woking based outfit in "the second week of January". The new car will be release after FIA “outside experts” present their report about the legality of the car. A McLaren spokesperson reacted about FIA inspection: "We have no comment other than that we will cooperate fully with the (...)
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Hamilton busier than Raikkonen

While Kimi Raikkonen is resting the runner up, Lewis Hamilton is busier than ever. After a visit at MTV, Hamilton appeared on Sunday at Mercedes’ annual Stars & Cars event in Stuttgart, where more than 60,000 people attended. Hamilton joined Mercedes colleagues from both Formula One racing and the German DTM series to celebrate the end of the company’s 2007 motor racing season. In traditional style, the day featured a packed programme of demonstration laps, pit-stop (...)
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Jimmie Johnson is the new leader of the Nextel Cup

Jimmie Johnson won the Dickies 500 race after he held a duel with Matt Kenseth over the final laps Sunday night, slipping and sliding around Texas Motor Speedway on two new tires. He knew his other driver in the title chase, Jeff Gordon, had a seventh-place finish secured. The vehicular street fight between the two former champions produced the most electric moments of an otherwise long and caution-plagued Dickies 500. Johnson, even with a title at stake, didn’t back off. Kenseth, (...)
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The inevitable has happened – Fernando Alonso leaves McLaren

McLaren have announced that former world champion Fernando Alonso is to leave the team, after both parties agreed to a “mutual parting of ways”. Alonso, who joined the British squad from Renault at the start of 2007, did have two years left to run on his contract. The statement released today revealed that, after discussions, it had been decided “it would be in the best interests of both parties to bring the relationship to an end”. Although Alonso won four races during the 2007 season, (...)
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