AutoWeek articles from March 2007

AutoWeek archives from March 2007

AutoWeek.(Briefs)
March 5, 2007... Web Watch: Clips, quips and quick video trips on our award-winning site. Find bonus commentary, features, galleries & news. Once online, register for e-mail news blasts and contests only available at autoweek.com ARE YOU GETTING IT? ...

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...(BWTM)
March 5, 2007... End of the Road, Dietrich Reputed Swedish mobster Stefan Erikkson-who wrote off his Ferrari Enzo last year after an ill-advised meeting with a telephone pole, then claimed that an acquaintance named Dietrich was driving-accepted a plea...

Letters.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Scott Simmons, via e-mail Devil-may-care Regarding the Dodge Demon concept (News, Feb. 19): Although it's nice that American automakers are looking at the Japanese to see what to do right, I'd appreciate it if they took the...

SMOKIN' DEALS.(Incentives)
March 5, 2007... There's no shortage of incentives out there, even on new vehicles such as the Subaru Tribeca and the Pontiac Solstice-plus two other smokin' deals. For the latest deals on available cars, trucks and sport/utility vehicles, go to...

WHILE WE WAIT; The new Lancer is better in many ways, but where's that Evo?(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN The biggest problem for the new Lancer might be that it's not an Evo. The Evo is coming, probably less than a year from now, and is based on the same C platform on which rides everything from this base Lancer to...

WHICH WAY WILL HE GO? Dale Earnhardt Jr. has plenty of options for the future.(National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing)
March 5, 2007... Byline: CURT CAVIN NASCAR stumbled out of its Daytona 500 delirium at California Speedway, bringing the subject of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s unsettled future back into focus. The Nextel Cup paddock is still awash in red-car rumors and...

Drivers Log.(News)
March 5, 2007... 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4x4 Date in fleet: Feb. 16-March 2 As-tested price: $31,125 Drivetrain: 3.8-liter V6; 4wd, four-speed automatic Output: 205 hp @ 5200 rpm, 237 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm Curb weight: 4129 lbs Fuel economy (EPA/AW):...

Will They Fly?(Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency)(a dream to build flying cars)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Steve Thompson AS I WATCHED Luc Besson's 1997 movie The Fifth Element, in which Bruce Willis helps save the world (again), I was intrigued by the flying cars that are central to the story. Sci-fi representations of what we'll be...

Flash.(Briefs)
March 5, 2007... SVT head goes south Hau Thai-Tang, the Vietnamese-born engineer behind the resurgent Ford Mustang and the most recent chief of Ford's Special Vehicle Team, is headed for a new assignment in Brazil as director of product development in...

EVERYBODY LOVES WALLY; Hot rod patriarch celebrates his 94th with friends.(Revs)
March 5, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN If there is someone in the world who does not love Wally Parks, we have never met him, and that person has certainly never met Wally Parks. The founder of the National Hot Rod Association, first editor of Hot Rod...

Market.(Escape Roads)
March 5, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN RM Auctions Biltmore Resort, Phoenix Jan. 19, 2007 1937/40 Duesenberg Model SJ cabriolet 420-cid eight-cylinder, centrifugal supercharger, three-speed. Black with black cloth and violet leather....

Questions and Punchlines.(Column)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson Impertinent rhetorical questions about pertinent issues with both Ford and Chrysler on the ropes: If renaming the Five Hundred the Taurus passes for brilliance, need we wonder why Ford saw more white-collar...

A POWERFUL AND WEIGHTY ISSUE.(Marco Andretti comes fourth at Indy Racing League's test)(Tony Schumacher was defeated by Melanie Troxel at NHRA event at Firebird International Raceway)
March 5, 2007... It appears not all competitors in the American Le Mans Series are happy as the series aims to provide fans with close competition. Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich is again displeased with the series' attempt at performance balancing. ...

Flash.(Scott Speed to partner with Vitantonio Liuzzi for Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team)(Ross Brawn confirms his decision not to rejoin Ferrari Formula One)(U.S. International Motorsports Hall of Fame class inducts Jim Rathmann, Bill Elliott and Leo Mehl)
March 5, 2007... Speed confirmed The Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team confirmed that American driver Scott Speed will partner with Vitantonio Liuzzi again this year, Speed's second F1 season. The team did not announce terms of the agreement. Brawn...

THE NEXT LEVEL? Grand-Am expects a good year in 2007.(Motorsports)
March 5, 2007... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Moments before the green flag fell on the 49th Daytona 500, the No. 09 "Spirit of Daytona'' Crawford-Pontiac, which competes in the Grand-Am Sports Car Series, completed a flying lap around the speedway. Team...

2008 MASERATI GRANTURISMO; Throwback GT helps define future of Italian maker.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: GREG KABLE Maserati hasn't had it easy lately. After repeatedly failing to hit rather optimistic profit targets, Maserati was wrenched from Ferrari's control in late 2005. It returned to the auspices of parent company Fiat and...

Reader Spied!(News)
March 5, 2007... We're not sure what got into Nissan, but the company recently unleashed a truckload of engineering mules of its forthcoming GT-R sports car on public roads and racetracks from Bay City, Michigan, to Sonoma, California. Eagle-eyed shooter Paul...

BEAUTIFUL BEAST; Mercedes-Benz packs the S600 with plenty of power and panache.(Auto File)
March 5, 2007... Even with almost 5000 pounds at the curb, the Mercedes-Benz S600 uses every one of its 510 stout horses and all 612 lb-ft of V12 propulsion to rocket down the drag strip in near-sports-car time. And its brakes are up to the task of reining in...

XJ, FOR NOW; Jag flagship gets style boost ahead of major 2010 makeover.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL Jaguar will beef up the styling of its stodgy flagship XJ sedan for 2008, hoping that a stronger road presence will carry the car to 2010, when the next all-new XJ arrives. The redone XJ debuts at the Geneva...

AUDI'S 6-SHOOTER; Performance A5 coupe to do battle with BMW 6 Series.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Audi's answer to BMW's big 6 Series coupe breaks cover in Geneva, wearing the A5 designation and styling reminiscent of the Nuvolari Quattro concept Audi revealed in Geneva in 2003. The more potent 4.2-liter,...

TWO-WHEEL LOWDOWN; 2007 SUZUKI M109R LIMITED EDITION.(Revs)
March 5, 2007... Byline: George P. Blumberg A new shape for power cruisers. Carries a 1783cc, 127-hp, liquid-cooled V-twin; 703-lb dry weight; quarter-mile in 11.73 sec @ 115.47 mph. COMPETITIVE SET: Harley-Davidson VRSCDX Night Rod Special; Honda...

Where to Go, Where to Watch; THE WAY IT IS.(Motorsports)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Nigel Roebuck Former Formula One driver and Le Mans winner Martin Brundle describes modern F1 as "these plain vanilla, health-and-safety days,'' and with good reason. It is not easy to find classic Grand Prix circuits anymore....

52-PICKUP; Where will the Formula One cards fall this year?(Motorsports)
March 5, 2007... Byline: NIGEL ROEBUCK On paper, 2007 should be the most closely fought Formula One season in a decade. For one thing, Michael Schumacher has wandered off into retirement; for another, the two biggest stars-Fernando Alonso and Kimi...

ECLECTIC MELANGE; Model cars, auto parts and million-dollar classics-it's all part of Retromobile.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: NICK KURCZEWSKI Nick Mason was impressed and pretty darned excited, and the reason had nothing to do with his multimillion-dollar 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sitting nearby. Surrounded by journalists and ringed by a select choice of cars...

No Sale.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: NICK KURCZEWSKI The pre-auction buzz about the 1939 Auto Union Type D offered for sale by Christie's was that it could possibly sell for $10 to $15 million. That would make the mid-engine V-12 racecar the most expensive car ever...

For the Few Who Own the Finest.(Escape Roads)
March 5, 2007... Byline: ERIC TEGLER Advertising for the Facel Vega said it best: "For the Few Who Own the Finest.'' The few included Ava Gardner, Ringo Starr, Joan Fontaine, Tony Curtis and a raft of Saudi princes. Stirling Moss eschewed air travel in...

TV: March 9-11.(News)(automobile and auto racing related programs on television)(List)
March 5, 2007... Friday, March 9 * Last Man Standing, 2 p.m., Speed * Daytona 500 Memories, 3 p.m., Speed * NASCAR Live from Las Vegas, 4 p.m., Speed (L) * Trackside at Las Vegas, 5 p.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying from Las...

Events.(Calendar)
March 5, 2007... May 4-6 Carlisle Performance & Style Carlisle, Pa. For details on this festival of hip and tricked-out cars, visit www.carlisleevents.com. May 4-6 Indoor Classic Car and Motorcycle Show White Plains, N.Y. To...

Scorched earth policy.(News)
March 5, 2007... In a move that's becoming as cliche as an end-zone spike, Matt Kenseth's burnout lit up the Southern California night following his win at the Busch race in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 24. Kenseth made it two-for-two by taking the main event...

CAPABLE HANDS; At work or at play, GM's HD trucks offer a smorgasbord of choices.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: ROGER HART Rolling along through the countryside northeast of San Diego aboard a Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, it was difficult suppressing the urge to head off-road, find an old barn and yank it out of the ground-just for kicks....

FAST FORWARD.(International Federation of Automobiles postpones introduction of standardized aerodynamics and mandatory energy recovery systems)(Formula One cars of Honda Motor Company Ltd. mit enormous amounts of carbon dioxide)(Subaru of America Inc. introduces Subaru Impreza WRC2007 rally racing cars)
March 12, 2007... NASCAR might promote its Car of Tomorrow to full-time status next year. The original plan called for 16 COT races this year, then 26 next year, before going full-time in 2009. Now, it seems owners and teams want to skip the second phase and run...

Where to Watch; Planning to see the ALMS in person this year? Do yourself a favor, and hit at least one of these events.(Motorsports)
March 12, 2007... 12 hours of Sebring, March 17, Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Florida Sebring is a 12-hour test of driver endurance, but the hard-core party animals on the other side of the fence can keep going for the better part of a week....

Warehouseshopping; Inside Porsche's Motorsport Center.(Motorsport Center)(Company overview)
March 12, 2007... Byline: GARY WATKINS Take a guess: What is the world's biggest race car manufacturer? A few years back, Reynard held that distinction, so maybe you'd plump for open-wheel car constructor Dallara these days. Or perhaps Panoz, which turns...

CLASS CONFLICTS; LMP2 and GT2 will be the talk of the 2007 ALMS season.(Motorsports)
March 12, 2007... Byline: GARY WATKINS Four classes, 36 cars: The numbers make the 2007 American Le Mans Series sound pretty good, but the ALMS remains something of an enigma as it heads into the series opener, the 12 Hours of Sebring, on March 17. Two of...

BORDER CROSSINGS; The Busch Series and Grand-Am put on a show in mexico.(Motorsports)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Travis Braun What do you do when you're a NASCAR Cup driver and you come to the season's first off-weekend? Pack a suitcase, grab your passport and head to Mexico City for the NASCAR Busch Series weekend at the 2.5-mile, eight-turn...

A Wolf in Armani.(Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722)
March 12, 2007... Byline: DUTCH MANDEL A two-lane, arrow-straight asphalt strip gleams black and descends from the desert hills. Even in the dead of winter, heat ghosts shimmy far off the land and intermingle with those rising from beneath the...

TAG HEUER SLR FOR MERCEDES-BENZ; It's not the most expensive watch you can buy, but it could be one of the fastest.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel Fact: Car guys are gadget guys. They love intricate, detailed stuff, including watches. Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer has created 3500 limited-edition, high-tech watches to hail the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR sports car....

Taking a lap in the lap of luxury, and deserving every minute.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel What is the most hedonistic, sybaritic, over-the-top thing you can do when testing one of the most hedonistic, sybaritic, over-the-top cars on the road? It is to lounge in glorious, luxurious repose and let someone...

Drivers Log.(News)
March 12, 2007... 2007 Porsche Cayman Date in fleet: Feb. 12-20 As-tested price: $56,395 Drivetrain: 2.7-liter H6; rwd, five-speed manual Output: 245 hp @ 6500 rpm, 201 lb-ft @ 4600-6000 rpm Curb weight: 2866 lbs Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 26/28.8 mpg ...

2008 BROOKLANDS COUPE; Big Bentley two-door captures company's racing heritage.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Not content with its immensely successful Continental GT coupe, Bentley will build a flagship coupe variant of the Azure sedan-and draw on 100 years of British racing heritage by naming the car the Brooklands. ...

TV: March 16-18.(News)(Calendar)
March 12, 2007... Friday, March 16 * Chop Cut Rebuild, 7 a.m., Speed * Speed Road Tour Challenge, 8 a.m., Speed * Redline TV, 9 a.m., Speed * American Muscle Car, 9:30 a.m., Speed * Formula One practice from Australia, 1 p.m., Speed *...

BIG DOGGY; Our Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 still thrills, but it tests our patience, too.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
March 12, 2007... Byline: NATALIE NEFF If you want snow tires for your Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, too bad. We've searched high and low for a set, and apparently, they don't exist. We're thankful our Jeep has managed just fine through the worst that winter...

Market.(Escape Roads)
March 12, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN Kruse International Arizona State Fairgrounds, Phoenix Jan. 25-28 1964 Chrysler 300K two-door hardtop 413-cid V8, Carter AFB four-barrel, three-speed auto. Silver with black leather interior. Decent paint...

Flash.(Briefs)
March 12, 2007... A Prost at Le Mans The Prost name will appear in the 24 Hours of Le Mans when Nicolas Prost, son of multiple F1 world champion Alain, contests this year's race with the ORECA team. ORECA is the team with which Alain Prost claimed the...

EXCLUSIVE THREADS; BMW's M3 Concept Car is a glimpse of things to come.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: JONATHAN WONG A peek at what BMW's next performance icon may look like was available at Geneva with the introduction of the M3 Concept Car. Around the car's high-revving V8 heart is entirely new and purposely built bodywork,...

A GENTLEMAN'S RIDE.(Escape Roads)
March 12, 2007... Byline: BOB TOMAINE Coal dealer Harry Jewett and some Detroit financial backers formed a company in 1909 to produce a car being shopped around by Fred Paige, the president of Reliance Motor Car before General Motors bought it. One of the...

AutoWeek.(Briefs)
March 12, 2007... Web Watch: clips, quips and quick video trips on our award-winning site. Find bonus commentary, features, galleries & news. Once online, register for e-mail news blasts and contests only available at autoweek.com Candid Impressions ...

Smokin' Deals.(Incentives)
March 12, 2007... With so much available pricing information out there, there's no reason you shouldn't know what to expect well before you set foot in a dealership. Here are four of this week's smokin' deals. For the latest deals on available cars, trucks...

BACK ON THE BLOCK; Auto Union beauty not '39 GP winner, but it was there.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER The bad news: That 1939 Auto Union Type D V12 that was pulled from the Feb. 17 Retromobile auction in Paris is not the car that won the 1939 French Grand Prix. The good news: The car, which wowed the crowds at...

Flash.(Briefs)
March 12, 2007... Still want that Maybach? Mercedes-Benz announced plans for a long-wheelbase Pullman model based on the S-Class. The luxurious new six-seat limousine, a traditional favorite as transport for heads of state and celebrities the world over,...

LIGHTER LAMBORGHINI; Trim Gallardo Superleggera weighs in at Geneva.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: GREG KABLE Lamborghini has shaved weight and boosted power to create a special version of its 5.0-liter V10-powered Gallardo. Called the Superleggera, the lightweight version of the two-seater debuts at the Geneva motor show. ...

WHERE THE 'RIGHT CROWD' GATHERED.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL The names of Bentley and Brooklands have been inextricably linked since the 1920s, when Walter Owen Bentley's fledgling car company started racing at Britain's first purpose-built race circuit, Brooklands. His...

Letters; autoweek.com/letters.
March 12, 2007... A Deuce is a Deuce Maybe I'm getting old, or too nostalgic, but whatever happened to Deuce coupes with flathead V8s, or even Cadillacs or old Hemis? There is nothing wrong with 700-hp Chevys and high-tech twin-cam V8s, but do they belong...

Sharing the Fantasy: Drive Dubai.(Column)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel This is one of the world's all-time great jobs. I tell you this not to gloat but as part of a mantra we share with our teenage sons as they figure out what they will do to pay for their own eggs, underwear and rent....

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
March 12, 2007... Naming rights gone way wrong Jim Stewart used to be your average NASCAR fan. On May 5, though, he will be a NASCAR race. Stewart won a contest held by Crown Royal for the naming rights to a Nextel Cup race. May's Nextel Cup Richmond race...

TOP BRASS; AACA exhibit celebrates a bygone era of innovation and experiment.(Antique Automotive Club of America)
March 12, 2007... Byline: BOB TOMAINE Aesthetics alone is reason enough to exhibit brass cars, but the AACA Museum assembled its show to focus on what their era represents. "This is how the car got its start,'' said curator Jeff Bliemeister. "Without...

Alesi joins new series.(Jean Alesi joins Speedcar Series)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... The Speedcar Series, a new championship for NASCAR-style cars in the Middle East and Asia, launched the week of Feb. 26. Series manager Benoit Lamonerie said there will be 24 cars and 18 races. The inaugural season will start in November 2007...

2007 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES TV SCHEDULE; www.americanlemans.com.(Motorsports)
March 12, 2007... March 17: 12 Hours of Sebring 10:30 a.m. Eastern, Speed March 31: St. Petersburg Grand Prix 8 p.m. Eastern, Speed April 14: Long Beach Grand Prix 8 p.m. Eastern, Speed April 21: Lone Star Grand Prix April 29, 2...

Gentleman, start your engine!(News)
March 12, 2007... Race grid damsels are an international staple, and as they shade the cockpits of cars in advance of races, they're known as "umbrella girls." This boot-clad lass was at last month's A1 GP race in Australia as Robbie Kerr, Team Great Britain...

Shiftless characters.(News)
March 12, 2007... At attention in the Cortile d'Onore, the military academy in Modena, Italy, the first 70 Maserati Quattroportes fitted with automatic transmissions stood in review. Destined for dealers in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy,...

CHAMP CAR ATLANTIC TEAMS AND DRIVERS; www.champcaratlantic.com.(2007 Fan Guide)(List)
March 12, 2007... BITE RACING Owner: Chris Souliotis Drivers (car nos.): TBA (55, 56) www.biteracing.com Brooks Associates Racing Owner: John Brooks Drivers (car nos.): TBA (8, 88) www.brooksassociatesracing. com Condor...

THE ICE MAN COMETH; Kimi Raikkonen straps into Formula One's most high-profile seat.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: NIGEL ROEBUCK There are those at the McLaren Formula One team who believe Kimi Raikkonen is the fastest driver the company has ever employed-and yes, heretical as it may seem, that includes the late Ayrton Senna. That said, no...

INDY PRO SERIES TEAMS AND DRIVERS; www.indycar.com/pro.(2007 Fan Guide)(List)
March 12, 2007... ANDERSON RACING Owner: Dan Anderson Drivers (car nos.): Andrew Prendeville (5), Joey Scarallo (15) www.andersonracingteam.com Andretti Green Racing Owners: Michael Andretti, Kim Green, Kevin Savoree Driver (car no.):...

GRAND-AM TALKING POINTS.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Steven Cole Smith The team to beat Though it won't have Juan Pablo Montoya as a co-driver for the rest of the season, the Rolex 24-winning Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Lexus, which also won the overall Daytona Prototype title in...

CHAMP CAR TALKING POINTS.(Sebastien Bourdais retains title)(Paul Tracy to remain loyal to Champ car)(stiff competition between Graham Rahal and Simon Pagenaud)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Steven Cole Smith Stop this man Sebastien Bourdais, winner of seven races in 2006, remains the title favorite and returns with the well-funded Newman-Haas team. Gone, unfortunately, is the man who kept Bourdais honest: A.J....

SCHEDULE: INDY PRO SERIES; www.indycar.com/pro.(2007 Fan Guide)(Calendar)
March 12, 2007... March 24 MIAMI 100 Venue: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla. Distance: 67 laps/100 miles Track: 1.5-mile oval TV: March 28, 5 p.m. Eastern, ESPN2 April 1-2 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Rounds 2 & 3)...

SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE TEAMS AND DRIVERS; www.world-challenge.com.(2007 Fan Guide)(List)
March 12, 2007... TOURING CAR 3-R Racing Owner: Bob Raub Driver (Car No.): Robb Holland (11) Car: Dodge SRT4 www.3rracing.com Auto Analyser Racing Owner: Andy Wojteczko Drivers (Car Nos.): Andrew Wojteczko (64), TBA (65) ...

WAYNE'S WORLD; SunTrust Racing's new owner eyes Grand-Am championship.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH At this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona, it looked like business as usual for the SunTrust Racing Riley-Pontiac Riley. The car was one of the favorites to win, as it has been since its debut at Daytona in 2004, and it...

FORMULA ONE TEAMS AND DRIVERS; www.formula1.com.(2007 Fan Guide)(List)
March 12, 2007... BMW-SAUBER F1 Headquarters: Munich, Germany; Hinwil, Switzerland Team principal: Mario Theissen Drivers: Nick Heidfeld (Germany), Robert Kubica (Poland) Chassis: F1.07 Engine: BMW P86/7 www.bmw-sauber-f1.com ...

SPEED GENES; Graham Rahal gives Champ Car its own second-generation star.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Steven Cole Smith Despite the fact that half of the Champ Car World Series' scheduled 16 races for 2007 are outside the United States, let's face it, this is an American series. And undeniably, the central rallying point last...

INDY RACING LEAGUE TEAMS AND DRIVERS; www.indycar.com.(2007 Fan Guide)(List)
March 12, 2007... A.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES Owner: A.J. Foyt Driver (car no.): Darren Manning (14) www.foytracing.com Andretti Green Racing Owners: Michael Andretti, Kim Green, Kevin Savoree Drivers (car nos.): Marco Andretti (26), Dario...

SCHEDULE: SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE; www.world-challenge.com.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... March 15-16 12 HOURS OF SEBRING Venue: Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla. Track: 3.7-mile airport/road course TV: March 25, 1:30 p.m. Eastern, Speed April 14-15 Long Beach Grand Prix (GT only) ...

SCHEDULE: WRC; www.wrc.com.(2007 Fan Guide)(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 12, 2007... Jan. 20-22 Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo Venue: Monaco www.acm.mc Feb. 2-5 Uddeholm Swedish Rally Venue: Sweden www.swedishrally.com March 3-5 Corona Rally Mexico Venue: Mexico ...

SCHEDULE: F1; www.formula1.com.(2007 Fan Guide)(Calendar)
March 12, 2007... MARCH 17 Australian Grand Prix Venue: Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia Distance: 58 laps/191.110 miles Track: 3.295-mile street circuit TV: March 17, 10:30 p.m. Eastern, Speed April 8 Malaysian Grand Prix ...

SCHEDULE: GRAND-AM; www.grand-am.com.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Jan. 27-28 24 HOURS OF DAYTONA Venue: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla. Duration: 24 hours Track: 3.56-mile road course TV: Jan. 27, 1 p.m. Eastern, Fox Sports, 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern, Speed; Jan....

ALMS TALKING POINTS.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: GARY WATKINS Petit Le Mans No. 10 This year's Petit Le Mans enduro at Road Atlanta will be the 10th running of an event that's now-along with the 24-hour races at Le Mans and Daytona, as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring-one of...

F1 TALKING POINTS.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Nigel Roebuck ALONSO AT McLAREN After four brilliantly successful seasons with Renault, back-to-back world champion Fernando Alonso moves to McLaren, which last won a race in '05. Will his unique driving style-with an almost...

Feels like a champ car; The Panoz DP01 is refreshingly new and assuringly familiar.(The Panoz DP01 proves to be a much better car than Lola B2K/00)(Product/service evaluation)
March 12, 2007... Byline: ERIC TEGLER This season's Champ Car drivers have a new ride. The Panoz DP01 replaces the Lola B2K/00, which served the series well for the past six years. Replete with some Formula One-inspired visual cues, the DP01 looks...

CHAMP CAR ATLANTIC TALKING POINTS.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Steven Cole Smith Yes, 2006 was the 33rd season of Atlantic racing, but it almost felt like an inaugural year. So much changed from 2005 to 2006, but there's no argument that the series, formally named Yokohama Presents the Champ...

Sam I Am; Hornish says his best is yet to come.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Curt Cavin Sam Hornish Jr. has won three Indy Racing League championships and the Indianapolis 500, but none of those championships came in what he considers his finest season. That is part of the reason the "Rick Mears of his...

IRL TALKING POINTS.(2007 Fan Guide)(Danica Patrick joins new team for third Indy car season)(Marco Andretti wins California road-course race at Infineon Raceway)(Indy Car racing win predicted for Sam Hornish Jr.)
March 12, 2007... Byline: CURT CAVIN ALWAYS DANICA Danica Patrick has a new team for her third Indy car season. She's partnered with Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti and Marco Andretti at Andretti Green Racing, and the pressure will be on her to win her...

SCCA SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE TALKING POINTS.(2007 Fan Guide)(Sports Car Club of America)(Pierre Kleinubing wins RealTime Racing Acura TSX)(Randy Pobst wins Touring Car class)
March 12, 2007... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Part of the name of the SCCA Pro Racing Speed World Challenge points to one big reason for the series' success in 2006: "Speed,'' as in "Speed TV.'' With the cable network as a presenting sponsor, the series is...

INDY PRO SERIES TALKING POINTS.(2007 Fan Guide)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Curt Cavin The sixth season of the Indy Racing League's Indy Pro Series very well could be the best year for the development division. Officials are hopeful they'll have as many as 26 to 28 car-and-driver combinations for some...

CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES TEAMS AND DRIVERS; www.champcarworldseries.com.(2007 Fan Guide)(Brief article)(List)
March 12, 2007... CONQUEST RACING Owner: Eric Bachelart Driver (car no.): TBA; Jan Heylen probable (34) www.conquestracing.com Dale Coyne Racing Owner: Dale Coyne Drivers (car nos.): TBA; Bruno Junqueira probable (19), Katherine Legge...