Late Racing News.(Sarel van der Merwe retires)(Protostar and Saleen)(Mitsubishi Motors creating Germany headquarters)

Van der Merwe retires

* South African Sarel van der Merwe, winner of the Daytona 24 Hours in 1984, has hung up his helmet. The 59-year-old called time on his career after winning the final round of this year's South African Wesbank V8 series two weeks ago. The decision ended a career dating back to 1967. A drive in Gianpiero Moretti's Porsche 935 at the 1980 Kyalami 1000Km gave him a foothold in the U.S. IMSA scene and he went on to drive for a host of top sports car teams on both sides of the Atlantic. The highlight was the win in the 1984 Daytona 24 Hours in a March 83G. From the early 1990s, van der Merwe raced in South Africa, and he claimed the Wesbank crown in 2000 and '01.

Protostar to Saleen?

* The team that ran the Cadillac sports car program over the past two years is one of the teams in the hunt to mount the factory American Le Mans Series campaign for Saleen. Sports car builder Saleen said it wants to have works S7Rs running in the ALMS next year and has admitted Protostar is one of the teams it is talking to. A Saleen spokesman said: ``We couldn't do anything as a factory this year because of other commitments, but it is our intention to return in 2003. There will be a works team, depending on the right finance, and the right partner to do it with.'' A link with Protostar is only one possibility, according to Saleen. The company has talked to a number of teams and is known to have been in close contact with Alex Job Racing before Job inked its deal to continue as a Porsche team. ...