Audi Withdraws from American Le Mans Series in 2009

With Audi streamlining its racing priorities into the 24 Hours of Le Mans, DTM and GT3, there isn't any more space for other racing formulae. So Audi has taken the decision not to have a factory team in the American Le Mans Series in 2009.

A statement issued by Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich reads as thus: "The decision to withdraw was a very difficult one also for these reasons. Furthermore, with the Champion racing team we also had a partner that operates at the highest level. The extraordinary dedication and precision of Team Champion was the key to Audi's victories over the last few years in America. We achieved an unprecedented winning series together. Since the 2000 season Audi has won the LMP1 title nine-times in succession in this high-calibre sportscar championship. Our brand dominated proceedings last season by taking seven wins in eleven races. TDI in racing supported the market launch of Audi TDI technology in the USA perfectly."

There goes the theory of Audi going into Formula One within the next couple of years. Not all the news is bad however, for American fans, for they will witness the debut of the brand spanking new R15 TDI at the 12-hour race at Sebring, Florida in March 2009. The race will put the new car through enough paces to see how well it might fare during 24 Hour Le Mans 2009.

The Audi brand has been part of the American Le Mans Series since the year 2000.

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GP2 ASIAN SERIES - KAMUI KOBAYASHI TAKES IT ALL

Kamui Kobayashi powers to victory in Dubai

Dams’ Kamui Kobayashi stormed to the win in today’s Dubai feature race after he dominated the first part of the event. He then lost the lead after a late pitstop to Vitaly Petrov and was later passed by Roldan Rodriguez, but a strong drive and great overtaking manoeuvres put him back on the top spot and the Japanese ace claimed his first victory of the season.

Behind Kobayashi, the fight for the second place was fierce. When the lights went off, Durango’s Davide Valsecchi blitzed his way from fifth to second, quickly followed by Rodriguez. Both men passed Sakon Yamamoto and Vitaly Petrov in the process. Rodriguez put great pressure on Valsecchi, but the Italian managed to hold him off while Kobayashi pulled away. However, the Durango racer lost positions after his mandatory pitstop. It was Campos’ Petrov who inherited second place and then first place once Rodriguez and Kobayashi observed their pitstop. The Russian eventually entered the pits just as Nunes and Buurman violently collided. Both men were fighting for 6th place. Petrov rejoined just ahead of a slow Kobayashi who later was also passed by Rodriguez.

However, the Japanese finally picked up the pace and in a matter of two laps he retook the lead through sensational moves on both Rodriguez and Petrov. The Campos man then struggled with degradation on his left front tyre meaning that he dropped to fifth with Rodriguez, Valsecchi and Van der Garde passing him.

A late great charge took Valsecchi ahead of Rodriguez for second place. Kamui Kobayashi took the chequered flag with a comfortable 14 second gap on his closest rival. Valsecchi finished second ahead of Rodriguez, iSport’s Van der Garde, Vitaly Petrov, Sergio Perez on the second Campos car. Belgian Jérôme d’Ambrosio finished 7th, in front of Sakon Yamamoto who made a poor start followed by a mistake on the second lap. He will start from pole in tomorrow’s sprint race.

Kamui Kobayashi also signed the fastest laptime in a 1:43.079, scoring the bonus point which, together with the two points from pole position and the 10 points from victory, places him in first place in the drivers’ championship with 22 points, 3 more than Rodriguez. Davide Valsecchi is third with 15 points.

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HONDA F1 TEAM FOR SALE!

Honda will quit Formula One on Friday, BBC Sport understands.

The Japanese company hopes to sell its team, which costs £200m a year to run, but is prepared to close the team early in 2009 if no buyer is found.

Sources told BBC Sport the team were "optimistic" they would continue, but an investor had yet been found.

According to the Reuters news agency, team bosses Ross Brawn and Nick Fry fear Honda could close the Brackley-based operation within weeks.

According to a Reuters source, Brawn and Fry told a meeting of the Formula One Teams' Association: "They have a month to find a buyer, otherwise they are closing the team."

Honda appointed Brawn, the man who masterminded seven world titles for Michael Schumacher, as their team principal prior to the start of the 2008 season.

Briton Jenson Button, who drives for the Honda team, will be left unattached for the 2009 season if the team folds, though some places with mid-ranking teams remain.

After recently cutting road vehicle production as a response to the global economic crisis, Honda is expected to make an announcement regarding the team's future early on Friday.

A notoriously expensive sport in which to compete, F1 teams have spent recent months in intensive discussions over cost-cutting measures.

Max Mosley, president of world motorsport governing body the FIA, recently urged teams to find ways to reduce costs.

"Formula One is becoming unsustainable," said Mosley in July.

"The major manufacturers are currently employing up to 1,000 people to put two cars on the grid. This is clearly unacceptable at a time when all these companies are facing tough market conditions."

In October, a deal was reached to reduce costs for smaller teams in 2009 and 2010.

Considered a major player within Formula One, Honda bankrolls more than 800 staff at the team's Northamptonshire base and has the largest budget in the sport.

"I am told that for £1 you can now buy the Honda F1 team," said BBC sports news correspondent Adam Parsons.

BBC Radio 5 Live's F1 commentator, David Croft, said Honda's withdrawal could have profound consequences for the sport.

"This has serious implications for F1, not just because there will be only 18 cars on the grid," said Croft.

"It's the start of the sport as a whole feeling the pinch. Williams are reported to be in financial difficulties, Toyota are trimming down their budget as well.

"Honda are a car company whose sales have dropped by 41% in the last quarter, they're closing their Swindon factory for two months at the start of next year, and obviously feeling the pinch on a global scale."

In November, Honda announced it would build fewer cars in Japan, Europe and the United States to reflect bleak economic prospects in the vehicle manufacturing industry.

Sales of new cars in the UK suffered their biggest monthly drop in 28 years, while carmakers Ford, GM and Chrysler have asked the US Congress for multi-billion dollar loans to guarantee their survival.

The last team to leave Formula One were Honda-backed minnows Super Aguri, which folded for financial reasons in April.

Honda's own F1 team endured a deeply disappointing 2008 season on the track, earning just 14 points, leaving them the lowest of the nine points-scoring teams.

Button found himself ranked 18th in the drivers' list, contributing only three points.

Only four drivers, each without a point to their name, ranked below him. Team-mate Rubens Barrichello earned the remaining 11 points.

Honda initially entered F1 as a constructor in the 1960s, withdrawing at the end of 1968.

The company returned to F1 in the 1980s as an engine supplier and then purchased a stake in the BAR team from British American Tobacco (BAT) in 2004.

Honda bought out BAT in 2005 to form the Honda team for the 2006 season.

While the team finished fourth in the 2006 constructors' championship, they have subsequently struggled to make an impact.

The 2009 Formula One season begins on 29 March, in Australia.
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Statement from Takeo Fukui(Honda Motor CEO)

We, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., have come to the conclusion that we will withdraw from all Formula One activities, making 2008 the last season of participation.

This difficult decision has been made in light of the quickly deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry, brought on by the sub-prime problem in the United States, the deepening credit crisis and the sudden contraction of the world economies.

Honda must protect its core business activities and secure the long term as widespread uncertainties in the economies around the globe continue to mount. A recovery is expected to take some time.

Under these circumstances, Honda has taken swift and flexible measures to counter this sudden and expansive weakening of the marketplace in all business areas. However, in recognition of the need to optimize the allocation of management resources, including investment regarding the future, we have decided to withdraw from Formula One participation. We will enter into consultation with the associates of Honda Racing F1 Team and its engine supplier Honda Racing Development regarding the future of the two companies. This will include offering the team for sale.

In its third era of Formula One activities, Honda has been participating in Formula One races from the 2000 season, initially with BAR, by adopting a new format of jointly developing racing machines. Subsequently, in a move to meet the changing environment surrounding Formula One, we switched to running a 100% Honda-owned team commencing with the 2006 season.

Surmounting many challenges, the Honda Team achieved a Grand Prix victory in 2006, enabling Honda to receive overwhelming support from Honda fans around the world that were looking forward to greater success. It, therefore, has been an extremely difficult decision for us to come to this conclusion without having been able to fully meet the expectations of our fans.

By making the best of what we have learned during these times of economic turmoil, coupled with the spirit of challenge gained through active participation in racing, we intend to continue with our commitment in meeting new challenges.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our fans and all those who have supported Honda's Formula One efforts, including everyone in the world of Formula One.

Thank you very much.

Takeo Fukui
President and CEO
Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

MALAYSIAN RAINFOREST CHALLENGE 2008

For this year’s Malaysian Rainforest Challenge (RFC) - internationally known as one of the world’s toughest 4x4 off-road adventure events – the Toyota Hilux will serve as support vehicle. Four units have been specially prepared by UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) for the event which will be held in Terengganu from December 5 - 14 2008.

UMWT was unhesitant about providing the Hilux since its toughness has long been proven and the RFC would showcase the vehicle’s capabilities in extreme conditions which are likely to include floods and muddy tracks if current weather conditions are an indication.

“The history of the Hilux has been a story of continuous development based on customer’s needs all over the world. It has become a legendary and trusted 4x4 vehicle in the global market,” said UMWT’s MD, Kuah Kock Heng.

Mr Kuah added: “Given such a reputation, we truly believe that our tough and reliable Toyota is up to the mark and can withstand extreme conditions that it will encounter during the Rainforest Challenge. Being the support vehicles mean that the Hilux will be used extensively on the rough terrain to support the participating teams and must be reliable enough to do the job.”

The reputation for toughness and reliability has made the Hilux a highly respected product for those whose businesses require a tough ‘business partner’. As of September 2008, UMWT has sold more than 60,000 units of the Hilux, capturing 45% market share of its segment and a clear leader in the pick-up segment.

The four units of Hilux UMWT is providing are the 2.5D STD 4x4 Manual version. No modifications have been done to the D-4D 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine with Common Rail Direct Injection system which produces 75 kW/102 ps of power at 3600 rpm and 260 Nm of torque at 1600 rpm. However, additional parts and equipment necessary for the role that the vehicles will play have been installed, along with items that are mandatory for off-road driving.

For more info....here

MIVEC

MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system) is the brand name of a variable valve timing engine technology developed by Mitsubishi Motors. MIVEC, as with other similar systems, varies the timing, lift and duration of the valves by using two different camshaft profiles. At low speeds, a mild (low-lift) cam lobe provides stable idle, lower emissions and increased torque at lower speeds, while above a fixed engine speed a second set of cam lobes are activated, providing higher lift and duration; therefore a greater quantity of air into the combustion chamber which increases the power and torque output over a broad engine speed range.

MIVEC was first introduced in 1992 in their 4G92 powerplant, a 1,597 cc naturally aspirated DOHC 16 valve straight-4. At the time, the first generation of the system was named Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and lift Electronic Control. The first cars to use this were the Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback and the Mitsubishi Lancer sedan. While the conventional 4G92 engine provided 145 PS at 7000 rpm, the MIVEC-equipped engine could achieve 175 PS at 7500 rpm. Similar improvements were seen when the technology was applied to the 1994 Mitsubishi FTO, whose top-spec GPX variant had a 6A12 1997 cc DOHC 24 valve V6 with peak power of 200 PS at 7500 rpm.The GR model, whose otherwise identical powerplant was not MIVEC-equipped, produced 170 PS at 7000 rpm by comparison.

Although initially designed to enhance performance, the system has subsequently been developed to improve economy and emissions, and has been introduced across Mitsubishi's range of vehicles, from the i kei car to the high-performance Lancer Evolution sedan.

MORE...here

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NISSAN RB ENGINES

The RB engine is a 2.0L to 3.0L straight-6 four-stroke gasoline engine from Nissan.

Both SOHC and DOHC versions have an aluminum head. The SOHC versions have 2 valves per cylinder and the DOHC versions have 4 valves per cylinder, all cam lobes move only one valve. All RB engines have belt driven cams and a cast iron block. All turbo models have an intercooled turbo (except the single cam RB20ET & RB30ET engines), and most have a recirculating factory blow off valve (except when fitted to Laurels and Cefiros) to reduce boost surge when the throttle is closed.

Some sources indicate the 'RB' name stands for 'Race Bred', although this is disputed. The Nissan RB Engine is derived from the 6 cylinder Nissan L20A engine which has the same bore and stroke.

All Nissan engines follow a naming convention, identifying the engine family (in this case, RB), displacement, and features present- see the list of Nissan engines for detail.

The stock dimensions for the RB engines;

• RB20 - 2.0 L (1998 cc, bore: 78.0 mm, stroke: 69.7 mm)
• RB24 - 2.4 L (2428 cc, bore: 86.0 mm, stroke: 69.7 mm)
• RB25 - 2.5 L (2498 cc, bore: 86.0 mm, stroke: 71.7 mm)
• RB26 - 2.6 L (2568 cc, bore: 86.0 mm, stroke: 73.7 mm)
• RB30 - 3.0 L (2982 cc, bore: 86.0 mm, stroke: 85.0 mm)
• "D" indicates a double overhead cam as opposed to a single overhead cam
• "E" indicates the engine is electronically fuel-injected as opposed to carbureted
• "T" indicates the engine has a factory installed turbocharger
• "TT" indicates the engine has a factory twin turbocharger

MORE...here

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EXEDY PERFOMANCE CLUTCH

FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

FIM Superbike World Championship - Vallelunga

Following two years of successful collaboration, with record spectator attendance at the Autodromo di Vallelunga – Piero Taruffi, the contractual agreement between FGSPORT and the SOCIETA’ VALLELUNGA SBK has been terminated.

The FGSPORT group and ACI VALLELUNGA spa have over the years set up an efficient partnership of collaboration and a rapport that has seen a total sharing of organizational and strategic matters. The rapport between the two parties will continue in the certainty that in the not too distant future, they will once again collaborate in important new challenges at the Vallelunga circuit.

This therefore is not a goodbye to the Rome public, but only an “arrivederci”.

GP2 ASIA SERIES

KAMUI KOBAYASHI TAKES POLE IN DUBAI

The Japanese ace got his revenge: seeking pole position in Shanghai and failing, he brilliantly managed to be the quickest man of the day, securing the top spot of the grid for tomorrow’s feature race of the second round of the GP2 Asia Series. He delivered his best performance with only two minutes left on the clock.

In a trouble-free session and a cleaner track than during Free Practice, Kobayashi signed the fastest laptime ahead of countryman Sakon Yamamoto at the wheel of his ART car. Vitaly Petrov completed the top 3 – an all Asian driver top finishers, but the Russian from Campos was quite disappointed coming out of his car as he was really aiming for pole. However, traffic and a clash with van Der Drift in his final lap meant that Petrov never had the opportunity to show the true potential of his machine.

The championship leader, Roldan Rodriguez at Piquet GP secured the second row, clocking the fourth quickest laptime, ahead of Shanghai sprint race winner Davide Valsecchi at Durango. Yelmer Buurman brought another great result to newcomers Ocean Racing Technology, finishing 6th, ahead of rookie van der Garde at GFH Team iSport.

Earlier in the session, Diego Nunes looked like a real poleman contender, but he eventually placed his Piquet GP car in eighth place ahead of another rookie, Sergio Perez, on the second Campos car. Dams’ d’Ambrosio completed the Top 10. The first twelve cars finished in the same second.

	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1.	Kamui Kobayashi	Dams	1:41.091	13
2.	Sakon Yamamoto	ART Grand Prix	1:41.275	12
3.	Vitaly Petrov	Barwa Int. Campos Team	1:41.341	13
4.	Roldan Rodriguez	Piquet GP	1:41.376	15
5.	Davide Valsecchi	Durango	1:41.472	15
6.	Yelmer Buurman	Ocean Racing Technology	1:41.550	14
7.	Giedo Van der Garde	GFH Team iSport	1:41.557	15
8.	Diego Nunes	Piquet GP	1:41.593	15
9.	Sergio Perez	Barwa Int. Campos Team	1:41.768	15
10.	Jérôme d’Ambrosio	Dams	1:41.777	14
11.	Andreas Zuber	Fisichella Motor Sport Int.	1:41.798	14
12.	Pastor Maldonado	ART Grand Prix	1:41.838	13
13.	Renger van der Zande	Trust Team Arden	1:42.054	15
14.	Javier Villa	Super Nova Racing	1:42.062	13
15.	James Jakes	Super Nova Racing	1:42.066	15
16.	Earl Bamber	MY Qi-Meritus.Mahara	1:42.068	15
17.	Luiz Razia	Trust Team Arden	1:42.204	14
18.	Giacomo Ricci	DPR	1:42.351	14
19.	Hamad Al Fardan	GFH Teal iSport	1:42.367	15
20	Alberto Valerio	Trident Racing	1:42.541	15
21.	Alex Yoong	MY Qi-Meritus.Mahara	1:43.026	14
22.	Michael Herck	DPR	1:43.102	14
23.	Fabrizio Crestani	Ocean Racing Technology	1:43.316	14
24.	Chris van Der Drift	Trident Racing	1:43.393	15
25	Michael Dalle Stelle	Durango	1:45.603	15
26	Kevin Nai Chia Chen	Fisichella Motor Sport Int.	1:48.411	16