Two-Time Formula DRIFT Champ Hubinette to Field Two-Car Dodge Team in 2011
Two-time champion Samuel Hubinette is set to unleash a one-two Dodge punch on the Formula DRIFT (FD) Series in 2011.
The “Crazy Swede,” who returns for a second year of dual owner and driver roles, will drive his own Samuel Hubinette Racing (SHR) Dodge Motorsports Dodge Challenger, while new teammate, European ProDrift champ Dean Kearney will pilot the SHR Dodge Viper SRT10, sponsored by V-LEDS-Federal.
Dodge Motorsports will again serve as primary sponsor for Hubinette’s Challenger. V-LEDS will take the primary sponsorship role on Kearney’s Dodge Viper SRT10, while veteran Brad Manka will return as crew chief for both SHR machines.
“We’re very excited about the upcoming season and can’t wait to get to Long Beach,” said Hubinette, who earned two FD championships in his first three seasons, including the series’ inaugural year in 2004. “The SHR Dodge Challenger should be even more formidable with a year of competition under our belt, and Dean Kearney is a talented, young driver who will surely be competitive right out of the gate in the SHR Dodge Viper SRT10. Read more
Nissan Makes Successful Return to International Sports Car Racing at Mobile One 12 Hours of Sebring
Signatech Nissan enjoyed a podium finish upon its debut in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) on Saturday, with the team finishing an impressive second in the LMP2 class at the Mobile One 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida, the opening race of the 2011 ILMC season.
Sebring marks Nissan’s first participation in international prototype racing in the U.S. since the Nineties, and the Signatech Nissan started the day first in class, and in 11th position on the grid overall, following a stunning qualifying performance on Friday that saw driver Soheil Ayari posting a best time that was a full three seconds ahead of the nearest LMP2 competitor.
It was Ayari’s team-mate, Franck Mailleux, who started the race at 10:30 am, and he quickly established a good lead in the P2 class before handing over to Lucas Ordonez – an astounding debut for a driver who three short years ago had never raced competitively before being crowned the inaugural Nissan /PlayStation GT Academy winner in 2008.
Ordonez began his session well, but a serious gearbox issue on lap 78 meant that the Signatech Nissan faced a long delay in the pit lane, during which the fellow LMP2 class competitors were able to develop a 15 lap advantage. It wasn’t until after the seven hour mark that the car found itself heading up the LMP2 field again, as strong and aggressive driving from all three drivers slowly but surely whittled away the earlier deficit. Read more
Panda Security Sponsors Hispania Formula 1 Racing Team for 2011
Panda Security will protect the Spanish team’s office and mobile computers with its cloud-based Panda Cloud Protection solution and Panda GateDefender Integra appliances
Panda Security and Hispania Racing, the only Spanish team competing in Formula 1, have reached an agreement by which the Spanish multinational will become a technical sponsor of the racing team during the 2011 season.
The agreement will enable Panda Security to provide security solutions and VIP support services to protect Hispania Racing’s IT infrastructure (for both the team’s office and mobile computers). Additionally, the F1 team will include the Spanish multinational logo on all its sponsorship materials and give it preferential access to various activities and services during the 2011 season.
Thanks to the agreement, Hispania Racing will enjoy Panda Security’s cutting-edge cloud-based security service, Panda Cloud Protection. This solution provides near real-time protection against the more than 63,000 new viruses, worms, Trojans and other security threats that appear every day. Collective Intelligence, Panda Security’s unique cloud-computing technology, automatically analyzes, classifies and disinfects 99.4 percent of all new malware strains. Read more
Mike Schultz Wins ADN Athlete of the Year Award
Loctite-sponsored snocross and motocross racer Mike Schultz recently received the 2010 Roger McCarville Male Athlete of the Year Award from the Athletes with Disabilities Network (ADN).
The award was given at the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner, an annual event that recognizes and honors men and women who have overcome physical challenges to become elite athletes and superior role models. Mike Schultz was one of six inductees who received awards at the ADN’s Hall of Fame event on October 28, in Troy, Michigan.
Known as “Monster Mike” in the snocross and motocross community, Mike Schultz was a national pro-snocross and amateur motocross rider until 2008, when a racing accident led to the above-the-knee amputation of his left leg.
Since 2008, he has focused on developing a unique prosthetic knee design that has allowed him to get back on both the motocross and snocross race tracks.
Just seven months after losing his leg, Mike competed in the 2009 Super Adaptive X Games, bringing home a silver medal. That same year he was also a silver medalist in Adaptive Motocross at the ADN’s Extremity Games. This year, Mike brought home gold from both the Summer Super Adaptive X Games and the Winter Sno-X Adaptive X Games. Read more
Chevrolet to Compete in 2012 IndyCar Series with New V-6 Engine
Returns to Open-Wheel Competition as Engine Maker in Partnership with Team Penske
Chevrolet will compete in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series with a new twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V-6 racing engine powered by renewable E85 ethanol fuel. The new purpose-built Chevy IndyCar engine will be developed jointly by General Motors and Ilmor Engineering.
Team Penske is the first IndyCar team to commit to Chevrolet power in 2012. The Chevrolet IndyCar engine will be available to all entrants in accordance with the series’ regulations.
“Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a proving ground for manufacturers since Louis Chevrolet, our co-founder, first raced here in 1909,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “Our return to IndyCar as Chevrolet enters its centennial year is natural. At the same time this engine program will be a showcase for the efficient and powerful engine technologies that parallel new Chevrolet vehicles like the Camaro, all-new Cruze compact and Equinox crossover.” Read more
JD Mobley Wins 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup With Back-to-Back Wins in Mexico
Wyatt Gooden Wins Rookie of the Year Honors
It was JD Mobley’s weekend, as the 19-year old led every lap run in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series’ debut at Autodromo Internacional Miguel E. Abed in Amozoc, Mexico. With his second wire-to-wire victory this afternoon, Mobley also clinches the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup title, on the strength of two wins, two poles and seven top-five appearances this season.
“What a fantastic weekend,” said Mobley after the race. ”I came to Mexico in fifth place in the Championship, so I knew I had my work cut out for myself. Everything seemed to fall into place and things just went perfectly. On the restart this afternoon, I made sure to stay calm and patient and make sure I drove with a level head. I did just that and it worked out for me, as I was able to keep the lead and go on to win the race. It’s a great feeling to be the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Champion and after this weekend, it just goes to show – it’s never over until the final lap.”
Series rookie, Wyatt Gooden finished the race in second and in doing so, earned Rookie of the Year honors for the 2010 season. Puebla native, Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle finished third, marking his second podium result of the weekend at his home track. Orizaba, Mexico native Juan Pablo Delgado was right behind Sierra Lendle in fourth place and rookie Kevin Gleason rounds out the top-five. Read more
Nissan Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Original Datsun 240Z and Long Racing History
Nissan Displays Six-Pack of Significant Z Cars at Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Nissan North America, Inc. announced that it will continue its year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of the icon Nissan Z® with a display of historic Z® racers at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 12 – 15 at Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, Calif.
Four of the six Z®s appearing at the event, formerly known as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, have significant racing histories – including SCCA National Championships, IMSA Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championship and victories at LeMans, Daytona and Sebring. Among the well-known drivers who have piloted these vehicles are John Morton, Bob Sharp, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Sam Posey, Paul Newman and Steve Millen. The other two vehicles are a production 40th Anniversary Nissan 370Z and a specially prepared Brock Racing Enterprises 370Z tribute car.
In addition to the display vehicles, a number of vintage Nissan race cars have been entered in competition. John Morton will drive the #46 1970 Datsun 510 in the “1966 – 1972 Trans Am under 2 Liter Cars” class and a pair of 1985 Nissan GTPs (#83 and #84) owned by Toluca Lake Classic Motorsports will compete in the “1981 – 1989 FIA Mfg Championship & IMSA GTP” class.
Following are brief descriptions and histories of the Nissan display vehicles: Read more