F1 – The Lotus Feud Is Over

We all knew that the battle between Group Lotus, PLC, and Tony Fernandez had been resolved, but here is the official press release for your enjoyment. JOINT PRESS RELEASE Group Lotus Plc and PROTON Holdings Berhad 1Malaysia Racing Team, Caterham Cars and Tony Fernandes Proton, Group Lotus, 1Malaysia Racing Team and its owner Tony Fernandes are delighted to announce that the legal dispute in the English Courts relating to the “LOTUS” and “TEAM LOTUS” brands has now ended amicably with the parties agreeing settlement terms earlier this month. The terms…

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USF2000 – Belardi Auto Racing Signs Luca Forgeois and Roman Lagudi

Belardi Auto Racing is set for competition for the 2012 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. On Saturday, the team signed the 2011 USF2000 National Class champion, Luca Forgeois, and today they signed Roman Lagudi. Luca raced with Grand Am stalwarts Stevenson Motorsport and competed in the National Class in 2011 winning eight of the twelve rounds in his class. His best finish was in Race #2 on the Streets of Baltimore where he placed first in class and fifth overall in a 19-car field. “I…

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Mazda Road to Indy – Fall IMS Test Recap: Star Mazda

This past weekend, all three series that are part of the Mazda Road to Indy program tested for two days on the infield road circuit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While there were certainly many familiar faces present, including Star Mazda champ Tristan Vautier and USF2000 champ Petri Suvanto, there were also many new-comers testing at all three levels. We’ll break down the test not by day, but by series and look at how things went for the teams and what we can expect looking forward through the off-season and…

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Episode 110 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin the Paddock trio as they discuss the Indian Grand Prix! What a fantastic venue for a motor race! We will breeze through some IZOD IndyCar Series news as well. Doug gives a proper run down of the Mazda Road to Indy testing going on at the IMS road course. As always, we appreciate the download and hope you enjoy this week’s show!

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USF2000 – Winterfest Schedule Announced

The annual Cooper Tires Presents the US F2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda Winterfest schedule was announced today. The series will return to Sebring International Raceway the first week of February to run three races and then head to the Palm Beach International Raceway the following week for three more races. The six-race series provides teams an opportunity to test drivers in a competitive format and assess not just their pace, but their racecraft. It also serves as an appetizer for us fans after our motorsports fasting over the long…

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Mazda Road to Indy – Fall IMS Test Recap: USF2000

This past weekend, all three series that are part of the Mazda Road to Indy program tested for two days on the infield road circuit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While there were certainly many familiar faces present, including Star Mazda champ Tristan Vautier and USF2000 champ Petri Suvanto, there were also many new-comers testing at all three levels. We’ll break down the test not by day, but by series and look at how things went for the teams and what we can expect looking forward through the off-season and…

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Episode 109 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Shaun and Mike as they discuss this week’s motorsport news. This week we look back very briefly at the tragic events of Las Vegas and pay respects to Dan Wheldon and Shaun briefly pays respects to MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli. We also take a look back at Rally Spain and look ahead to Rally GB. Mike also leads us into discussion on Formula 1 and the empty space that is Korea. As always, thank you for the download and we hope you enjoy…

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WRC – RACC Rally Spain Final Thoughts

So we have now finished the RACC Rally Spain and a title race that was three strong is now down to two. Mikko Hirvonen and Sebastien Loeb are now set for a thrilling one round shootout at the season finale in Great Britain. The French ace Loeb will carry an eight point lead into the final round which just so happens to be Ford’s stomping grounds. Though the title fight was on everyone’s mind, there were a number of great stories that came out of this year’s penultimate round. MINI/Kris…

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WRC – MINI WRC Team – Rally RACC – Rally of Spain – Day Three

Salou, 23rd October, 2011. The MINI WRC Team was in a celebratory mood at the end of Rally RACC – Rally of Spain. Not only did Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) and Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) finish fourth and fifth respectively, but the MINI John Cooper Works WRCs were also first and second fastest on the Power Stage. While it was Sordo’s home event, it was Meeke who took the honour and the three points for being fastest on this final stage. This was…

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WRC – Double Podium in Spain Sends Ford’s Title Fight to Final Round

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen’s quest for a maiden FIA World Rally Championship title will go to a final round shootout after Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed a double podium in Rally de España today. They finished second in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car with team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in third, ensuring the drivers’ crown will be decided in Britain next month. The 31-year-old Finn’s title challenge was boosted when Latvala sacrificed second position shortly before the finish to ensure his team-mate maximised his…

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