Weekly Rant by Steve Zautke 10/19/2007 Who will get the better ratings this weekend? NASCAR NEXTEL Cup at Martinsville or Formula 1 in Brazil? The answer is neither, the winner will be Helio Castroneves who is still in the hunt on ABC’s hit show on Monday night, Dancing With The Stars. The focus this weekend should be F-1. Three drivers, freshman upstart Lewis Hamilton along with McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso and Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen will do their best to win the World Championship. Alonso is the defending champion while Räikkönen will attempt to bring Ferrari back atop the driver’s championship. Hamilton is the big unknown, the 22-year old is the real deal, however will his youth hinder or help him become the youngest-ever World Champion? Hamilton leads Alonso by three points and Räikkönen by just seven points. Tune in to commentator’s Bob Varsha, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett on SPEED. SPEED channel’s schedule for the Brazilian Grand Prix Formula 1 finale: • Brazilian Grand Prix Practice (LIVE, Oct. 19, Noon) • Brazilian Grand Prix Qualifying (LIVE, Oct. 20, Noon) • Brazilian Grand Prix (LIVE, Oct. 21, Noon) The NASCAR “Chase” has evolved to a two-person battle as Jeff Gordon and teammate Jimmie Johnson separate themselves from Clint Bowyer and the rest of the nine. This week’s race at Martinsville Speedway will be the second there with the Car of Tomorrow. Look for Gordon and Johnson to continue their battle as they did over the final 20 laps of the last race held on April Fools day on the 0.526 mile paperclip. The smallest and slowest track on the NASCAR circuit will see all sorts of mayhem as driver’s battle between themselves and also try to save their brake pads. This weekend’s key word will be track position. The winner will have the best combination of patience (i.e. saving brakes), track position and great pit stops. Target-Chip Ganassi Racing announced the addition of 2007 Indy Pro Series Champion Alex Lloyd to the team’s Driver Development Program. Lloyd, a native of Manchester, England joins the team after a record-setting Indy Pro Series season that saw him dominate the field with eight wins and five poles positions. The team announced that it is in the developing process of the complete 2008 plan for Lloyd but it most likely it will include some combination of IndyCar series races, Grand Am races and a great deal of testing. Rumor has it that they may ‘farm’ Lloyd out to another team for the ’08 Indy Car season to gain experience. The Dreyer-Reinbold Team is the team being mentioned. National Midget Hall of Famer, Billy Engelhart sent me an e-mail, “My friend Billy Wood is struggling as we speak. He is not doing well and it looks like his cancer is finally getting the best of him. He has meant so much too so many of us for so long it is hard to think he won’t be with us all that much longer. He needs our prayers and so does his family. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers in the next days and weeks.” Billy is one of the best drivers to come from Wisconsin. Had he decided to race full-time, he would be mentioned in the same breath as Mel Kenyon or Rich Vogler as one of the all-time best midget drivers. Wood, a member of the National Midget Hall of Fame is mentioned in the website, “The measure of a man is best revealed by how he is rated by his peers. Hall of Fame Members Bill Engelhart, Tom Bigelow and Mel Kenyon all raced against the eight-time Badger Champion and all felt he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. In 1959 Badger sanctioned 24 races. Billy Wood won 18 of them and set fast time at 17 events. That year he won nine of fourteen features at Angell Park. Billy’s induction into the Hall of Fame the same year Tom Bigelow was inducted highlighted the historical aim of the Hall of Fame as both drivers began their careers with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association. Billy stayed close to home and Bigelow went national. Wood was 3rd in Badger points in 1953, won the title in ’54 and ’55, placed 2nd in ’56 then took four titles in a row (’57,’58, ’59 and ’60). From 1961 to 1965 he competed with USAC and was 10th in the National Standings in 1962 and 18th in ’63. When you consider he only raced in events within 150 miles of his Kenosha, Wisconsin home the figures are very impressive. He won two more Badger titles in 1966 and 1968 while maintaining his job with American Motors. Wood spent 38 years with the company.” Courtesy of http://www.worthyofhonor.com/ Say a prayer for Billy this weekend. On a lighter note, former world-class racing driver and current Formula One commentator for SPEED TV, David Hobbs submitted himself to be roasted, all in the name of charity, this past Friday evening at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha, Wis. Hobbs may be better known around Milwaukee for owning David Hobbs Honda in Glendale, Wis., but 350 attendees found out more about Hobbs’ many Motorsports adventures as he was subject to good-natured grilling by a few of his closest friends. Event organizer Russ Lake reported that $25,000 was raised through this one-time event, with all proceeds benefiting Curative Ranch Community Services Campus and their efforts to empower people with disabilities, in making the most of each individual’s abilities. Hobbs’ quick wit and humor were matched by SPEED TV personalities Dave Despain and close friend Bob Varsha – who’s been traveling the world broadcasting races with Hobbs for better than twenty years. Their hilarious accounts of Hobbs antics and shortcomings were very well received. Others roasting the popular Brit were, longtime motorsports publicist and friend of Hobbs for nearly forty years, Judy Stropus, five-time 24 hours of LeMans winner, Derek Bell and Team principal with Team Lowe’s Fernandez Racing, Tom Anderson was Hobb’s mechanic on Carl’s Hogan’s F-5000 team Hobbs drove for in the mid-1970’s. Curative Ranch Community Services Campus in Menomonee Falls, Wis. is part of Curative Rehabilitation Services, and proudly celebrates over 40 years of empowering people with disabilities at home, at work and in the community on 100 acres of farmland and nature trails. The staff and facility provide innovative day services and recreational offerings for children and adults. Visit www.ranchwi.org for more information.

Champ Car World Series Inks Three-Year Agreement With Greenlight Collectibles by Champ Car World Series 10/15/2007 Premier die-cast manufacturer to produce die-cast replicas of Champ Car DP01s including commemorative 2007 Sebastien Bourdais McDonald’s car INDIANAPOLIS (October 15, 2007) – Champ Car fans will have something extra to look forward to next season with the announcement that GreenLight Collectibles, Speedgear and the Champ Car World Series have teamed up to produce die-cast replicas of the Series’ new DP01 race car. The die-cast replicas will go on sale in early April. The 1:18 and 1:64 scale DP01 replicas will include, among others, the 2007 cars of Paul Tracy and Graham Rahal as well as a commemorative 2007 Sebastien Bourdais Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing #1 McDonald’s car honoring the triple Champion who looks to clinch an unprecedented fourth consecutive title at the next race in Surfers Paradise, Australia. The collection will also include a replica of the first-ever DP01, which served as the Champ Car test car and featured a Troy Lee Designs paint scheme. The 1:18 replicas, which will measure approximately 11 inches long, will be officially licensed by the Champ Car World Series and will feature a die-cast metal body and chassis, authentic DP01 detailing, real rubber Bridgestone tires, driver figure with authentic helmet graphics, sequential numbering on the base and custom window box packaging. The 1:64 replicas will measure approximately 3 inches long. Speedgear, Champ Car’s exclusive licensing partner, negotiated the multi-year deal with GreenLight Collectibles, an Indianapolis-based manufacturer of authentic die-cast replicas which produces a wide array of racing and automotive die-cast memorabilia. “We’re very pleased with our new partnership with GreenLight Collectibles,” said Garret Mudd, Champ Car’s Vice President of Marketing. “Our teams took delivery of their new DP01s less than a year ago and now our fans will be able to get their very own replicas of the new car and add to their collection.” The replicas will be available online at www.Champcarstuff.com, Speedgear.com and through the Speedgear and GreenLight distribution networks. GreenLight Collectibles is a premier manufacturer and marketer of officially licensed, authentic diecast replica vehicles. The company currently has five distinct product lines: Muscle Car Garage™, Corvette® Collection™, Pace Car Garage™, IndyCar® Series Garage™ and Auction Block™. The replicas are available 1:18, 1:24 and 1:64 scale models and are officially licensed by General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, Shelby, the Indy Racing League, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and now, Champ Car World Series. Speedgear has the world’s largest catalog and website offering licensed merchandise for all the top open-wheel racing series in the world. They are Champ Car’s exclusive on-site and online licensee and represent Champ Car in licensing. New Licensees include AFX – HO Scale Slot Car Sets, Photorific – official photographs and posters, OC Solar – solar backpacks, Ipod and cell phone skins and covers and a 1/10th scale highly detailed DP01 replica from Brinkworth Models. The Champ Car World Series features some of the greatest international race car drivers competing in the most diverse and exciting series in the world. Past champions Sebastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy along with Graham Rahal, Will Power, Robert Doornbos, Justin Wilson, Bruno Junqueira and Alex Tagliani are among the drivers who battle for the Vanderbilt Cup, which is awarded to the champion of the Champ Car World Series. The title is contested on temporary street circuits and permanent road courses throughout North America, Europe and Australia.

Champ Car World Series Drivers Ready To Shine On The Gold Coast by Champ Car World Series 10/16/2007 Paradise event remains only Champ Car event without a repeat winner Defending Lexmark Indy 300 champ Nelson Philippe makes 2007 debut Sebastien Bourdais looks to clinch unprecedented fourth consecutive Champ Car Championship title SURFERS PARADISE, AUSTRALIA (October 16, 2007) – This weekend’s 17th edition of the Lexmark Indy 300 on the streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia could easily be dubbed ‘The Return’. Several drivers in the Champ Car World Series are making a return of sorts this week, while five past race winners look to return to Victory Circle Down Under. In the 16 previous visits to the 2.795-mile temporary street course, not one driver has managed to win the event twice. In fact, Surfers Paradise remains the only venue on the Champ Car Schedule – that is not an inaugural e vent – without a repeat winner. The drivers trying to break that streak will be Paul Tracy (#3 Indeck Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), Mario Dominguez (#28 PCM Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), Bruno Junqueira (#19 Sonny’s Bar-B-Q Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), Sebastien Bourdais (#1 McDonald’s Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) and last year’s race winner Nelson Philippe (#34 Juniper Soul Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone). Philippe, who with his victory last year became Champ Car’s youngest race winner at 20 years, 2 months and 29 days, gets back behind the wheel for Conquest Racing. Also making their returns this weekend will be Dominguez, who scored his first career victory on the Gold Coast in 2002, and David Martinez (#7 Indeck Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone). Additionally, Oriol Servia has switched from Forsythe Championship to PKV Racing, where he will occupy the seat in the #22 Pay-by-Touch PKV Racing Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone occupied this season to date by Tristan Gommendy. While Martinez is heading back to Forsythe Championship Racing where he made his Champ Car debut last year at the season finale in Mexico City, Servia also will find himself in familiar territory at PKV Racing having driven for the outfit in 2006. Dominguez, who climbed onto the second step of the Surfers podium in 2006, will bring his knowledge of the DP01 back to Pacific Coast Motorsports, as he raced for them in San Jose this year. Frenchman Bourdais will be looking to add a new record to his resume by becoming the first repeat winner Down Under, but the Newman/Haas/Lanigan driver also sits on the verge of making even more impressive history. Unless he fails to start, or puts in an unlikely poor performance, he will claim an unprecedented fourth consecutive Champ Car World Series title at Surfers Paradise. To accomplish that feat, he only needs to finish in the top 14 in Sunday’s race. Bourdais has finished better than 13th in all the races this season. With “Seb” nearly guaranteed to clinch this weekend, the attention shifts to second place in the standings. Justin Wilson (#9 CDW Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) made a big move with his win at the last race in Assen that put him ahead of Robert Doornbos (#14 Minardi Team USA Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) by a mere five points. After an impressive start to his rookie season that saw him score two victories and four other podium finishes in a nine-race span, the Minardi Team USA driver has been struggling in the past rounds. The Dutchman looks towards Australia to get himself back on the podium and into second place in the season-long standings. Also in the thick of the battle for the coveted second place—which unofficially will position the driver as the “favorite” to win the 2008 championship since Bourdais leaves Champ Car to race in Formula One—is hometown favorite, Will Power (#5 Aussie Vineyards Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone). The popular Aussie sits only 15 markers behind Wilson. Power scored his first career pole position in Australia last season and would like nothing more than to follow it up with a win this weekend. His teammate at Team Australia, Simon Pagenaud (#15 Aussie Vineyards Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), also would like to score not only his first victory this season, but also his first podium. The Team Australia duo will not be the only drivers earning local support. The crowd also will also root for Rocketsports’ Alex Tagliani (#8 Rocketsports Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), who met his wife Bronte in Australia. Tagliani, who raced for Team Australia last season, finished third last year on the streets of Surfers Paradise and is hopeful for a repeat performance on Sunday. Another driver eager for a podium finish is Dale Coyne Racing’s Junqueira. The Brazilian has climbed onto the podium in his last two races in Europe, giving the Coyne team their best finishes ever. Graham Rahal (#2 Medi | Zone Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), who has four podiums this year, is making his first appearance as a driver in Australia. Rahal previously watched his father Bobby Rahal race at Surfers Paradise. Also racing at Surfers for the first time is Neel Jani (#21 RedBull/Gulfstream Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), who has put together a string of eight top-10 finishes this season, and counts three podiums in his last eight races. A new rule will be in effect this weekend that will allow drivers to increase their number of qualifying laps during Friday’s qualifying session. The number of timed laps a driver completes during the first 40 minutes of Friday morning’s practice session will be the number of laps the driver will be allowed to complete during the Friday qualifying segment. In the case of crash damage, mechanical failures or other extreme circumstances during the morning practice, each driver will be guaranteed five laps during qualifying. The change does not include Saturday’s final qualifying in which every driver will have 15 laps. The action for the Lexmark Indy 300 gets under way early Friday morning at 12:15 a.m. ET with the first round of qualifying. The final grid will be set Saturday at 12:20 a.m. ET and the race will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic in the United States and on The Score in Canada at 11:30 p.m. ET on the evening of Saturday, October 20. FAST FACTS LEXMARK INDY 300 WHAT: Lexmark Indy 300 WHERE: Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia WHEN: Friday—Sunday, October 19-21 SUPPORT EVENTS: V8 Supercars, V8 Utes, Aussie Racing Cars, Carrera Cup CHAMP CAR SCHEDULE (All times local): FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 – 10:00 – 11:15 a.m., Champ Car practice; 1:55 – 2:55 p.m., Champ Car qualifying. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 – 10:00—11:15 a.m., Champ Car practice; 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Champ Car qualifying. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 – 9:00 – 9:30 a.m., Champ Car warmup; 1:25 p.m. LEXMARK INDY 300 U.S. TELEVISION SCHEDULE (Eastern Time): SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 – Lexmark Indy 300, ESPN Classic, 11:30 p.m. Live 2006 CHAMPION: Nelson Philippe 2005 POLESITTER: Will Power TRACK LAYOUT: 2.795-mile street course RACE LENGTH: 59 laps (164.905 miles) TRACK RECORDS: Qualifying (one lap) – 2002, Cristiano da Matta, 1:30.936 seconds (111.547 mph). Race – 2001, Cristiano da Matta, 1:51:47.260 (97.511 mph) based on 65 laps (181.675 miles) RACE ROUND: 13 of 14 in the 2007 Champ Car World Series. 2007 CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES POINTS LEADERS: 1, Sebastien Bourdais, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, 301; 2, Justin Wilson, RuSPORT, 243; 3, Robert Doornbos, Minardi Team USA, 238 4, Will Power, Team Australia, 228; 5, Graham Rahal, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 209. INSTANT REPLAY: Will Power wowed his hometown fans, starting from the pole position and leading in the early stages of the race. Power dodged a bullet early when he and Paul Tracy made contact coming out of the pits but wasn’t as lucky later in the race when he and Sebastien Bourdais got together in Turn 3 damaging Power’s suspension and sending Bourdais into the runoff. While that was going on Nelson Philippe quietly moved his way to the front and earned his first career win. He was joined on the podium by Mario Dominguez and Team Australia driver Alex Tagliani. Though Bourdais finished eighth, he still clinched his third consecutive season title. VITAL RACE STATISTICS Time of Race: 1:50:985 Average Speed: 89.259 mph Margin of Victory: .728 seconds Caution Flags: Five for seventeen laps. Lap Leaders: Philippe, 13, Power, 13, Zwolsman, 10, Pizzonia, 8, Heylen, 7, Servia, 4; Tracy, 3, Dominguez, 1 TIP SHEET No Repeats – The tight layout in Surfers Paradise, Australia has led to some exciting and memorable finishes. It has also led to a Champ Car record as 16 different drivers have won the event in the 16 races held on the Gold Coast. Every event on the Champ Car schedule, that is not an inaugural event has had at least one repeat winner. In this year’s field at Australia, Sebastien Bourdais, Mario Dominguez, Bruno Junqueira, Nelson Philippe and Paul Tracy have a chance to be the first to repeat in Australia. Championship Celebration – Sebastien Bourdais is on the edge of history as he looks to lock down his fourth consecutive Champ Car title at Surfers Paradise, Australia. To claim the title, Bourdais will need to leave Australia with a 34 point lead in the championship standings. He currently leads Justin Wilson by 58 points. While many scenarios exist, if Bourdais finishes 14th or better, he clinches the title. Power to Penalize – During the last Champ Car event in Assen, Race Director Tony Cotman ordered all drivers to stop using Cosworth Power-to-Pass because of a software glitch. After the race it was determined seven drivers used Power-to-Pass after the order was given. Dan Clarke, Ryan Dalziel, Tristan Gommendy, Neel Jani, Bruno Junqueira, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power will be penalized at Australia and will only have 35 seconds of Power-to-Pass. The remainder of the field will have the full compliment of 75 seconds. Qualifying Laps – A new rule in effect for the Surfers Paradise round allows drivers to increase their number of qualifying laps during Friday’s qualifying session. The number of timed laps a driver completes during the first 40 minutes of Friday morning’s practice session will be the number of laps the driver is allowed to complete during the Friday qualifying segment. In the case of crash damage, mechanical failures or other extreme circumstances during the morning practice, each driver will be guaranteed five laps during qualifying. The change does not include Saturday’s final qualifying in which every driver will have 15 laps. Wilson Hoping – Justin Wilson is the only driver with a chance to keep Sebastien Bourdais from winning the 2007 season title. Wilson needs to win at Surfers Paradise and hope Bourdais does not finish better than 14th. Wilson has shown he has the skill to get to the top step of the podium, winning at the last event in Holland by overcoming gearing issues. Defending the Crown – Nelson Philippe will be back on the sand in Surfers Paradise, Australia, defending his race win from a year ago. The 21-year-old Philippe not only took home the trophy, he also met his current girlfriend, Sarah Buller during last year’s event. Buller won the Bartercard Face of Champ Car contest held in conjunction with the race and joined Philippe on the top step of the podium after the race. Philippe will be driving for Conquest Racing, a team he made 19 starts for in 2004 and 2005. Dominguez Driving – Mexican driver Mario Dominguez has returned to Pacific Coast Motorsports where he has already made one start this year, finishing 12th for PCM at San Jose. During the most recent test in Sebring, Florida, Dominguez put the #28 PCM machine third on the time sheets. Martinez Returns – David Martinez is returning to Champ Car for Forsythe Championship Racing. Martinez has one previous Champ Car start, driving for Forsythe at Mexico City last year. The young Mexican driver got his first taste of the DP01 during a test at Sebring, Florida in September, finishing eighth quickest. Lucky to be unlucky? – The way things are shaping up during the 2007 Champ Car World Series season, it is almost lucky to have bad luck hit on during the opening laps of the race. Twice this season the eventual winner of the race suffered minor contact in the opening laps, in both cases damaging the front nose wing of the car, dropping the driver to the end of the field and forcing them to pit, before fighting their way up through the field to victory (Paul Tracy in Cleveland and Robert Doornbos in San Jose). Frenchman goes for four – Sebastien Bourdais has the rare opportunity to win four consecutive championships this year if he can again capture the Vanderbilt Cup, which would extend the title skein he began in 2004. Currently, he leads the point standings by 58 markers. Bourdais would make history as no Champ Car driver has ever won four straight championships. Four in a row is very rare in professional sports in fact it has never been done in either NASCAR or NFL and it hasn’t been done in the last twenty years in the NBA, NHL or MLB. DID YOU KNOW? Located 83 km from Brisbane, Surfers Paradise holds a special place in the iconography of the Gold Coast. The first occupants of the area, the Banjalang people – knew of the delights of the area long before Europeans arrived, as the area around Surfers was renowned for its excellent fishing grounds. The coastline was explored by Captain Cook in 1770, marking the first European in the area and then by John Oxley in 1799 and 1802. The origins of the modern town of Surfers Paradise dates back to 1923 when James Cavill paid £40 for a block of land and proceeded to build his famous Surfers Paradise Hotel. Two years later the bridge across the Nerang River was built improving access to the hotel which boasted a small zoo and excellent gardens. In 1933 locals encouraged by the success of the hotel, petitioned to have the name of Southport changed to something which evoked undiluted pleasure, thus the name Surfers Paradise started being used. During World War II the hotel was used by convalescing soldiers, some of whom later returned with their wives and families to enjoy the beach and the excellent climate. NOTE WORTHY Since being founded in 1984 Dale Coyne Racing has been a fan favorite because of the heart the team has shown, but their results have never really shown the potential of the team. While in Europe it all changed as Bruno Junqueira was one step of the podium away from winning at Zolder and followed that up at Assen by finishing third. Junqueira’s European performance doubled the number of podiums Dale Coyne had earned in the previous 23 years. Before then the team had two third place runs, one with Oriol Servia in 2004 and one with Roberto Moreno in 1996. So far this season eleven different drivers have made their way to podium finishes in the Champ Car World Series. Three of those have been Roshfrans Rookie-of-the-Year candidates (Robert Doornbos, Neel Jani and Graham Rahal). Seven of them have been from Europe (Sebastien Bourdais, Dan Clarke, Robert Doornbos, Jan Heylen, Neel Jani, Oriol Servia, and Justin Wilson) Australia, Canada and Brazil have also been represented on the podium by Will Power, Paul Tracy and Bruno Junqueira respectively. Every little point that a Champ Car driver can score during the weekend is important when it comes to the point chase. When looking at picking up every point he can, Sebastien Bourdais has it down to an art. This season he has collected 20 out of the 48 bonus points that have been available this season. In Champ Car bonus points are given for the driver posting the fastest lap in each qualifying session, recording the fastest race lap and improving the most positions during the race. Bourdais has collected 12 of his points during qualifying, but where he has really excelled is that he has recorded 8 out of the 12 points for the fastest lap of the race. Will Power is currently second in the fight for these valuable points gaining 6 in qualifying, 1 for recording the fastest race lap and 1 for improving most positions during a race. Rookie competitor Robert Doornbos has logged more laps than any other driver in the Champ Car World Series and is the only driver who has been running at the end of every event. Out of the 893 laps that have been run this season, the Dutchman has completed 883 of those. Fellow rookie Simon Pagenaud is second on this list recording 866 laps. The rest of the top five in completed laps include: Neel Jani (854), Alex Tagliani (840) and Will Power (837). By winning his 31st career pole position in Zolder, Sebastien Bourdais is currently sixth on the all time career pole position list. The only drivers that are ahead of him on the list are Michael Andretti (32), Rick Mears (40), Bobby Unser (49), A.J. Foyt (53), and Mario Andretti (67). Sebastien Bourdais recorded his 29th career win in Belgium, which places him in eighth on the all time race winner roster, tied with Rick Mears. In all of those in the top ten the Frenchman has less than half of their starts at 71, meaning he has won over 40% of the races he has entered in Champ Car competition. As for podium finishes he currently has 42 which translates into him finishing on the podium in 60% of his Champ Car starts. BY THE NUMBERS 316,459 – The attendance record for Australia set during the 2005 race weekend. 17 – The furthest back any driver has come back to win from in Surfers Paradise (Adrian Fernandez, 2000). 9 – The most official lead changes to be recorded in an Australian Champ Car race (set in 2006). 8 – The highest number of drivers to lead laps during a race in Surfers Paradise (2006). 9 – The record for cautions during the Lexmark Indy 300 (2003). 3 – How many times the winner has started from the pole position in Surfers Paradise (Nigel Mansel, 1993; Jimmy Vasser, 1996; Dario Franchitti, 1999). 1 – How many times the Australian Champ Car race has been run caution free. DRIVER PRE-RACE QUOTES AUSTRALIA Sebastien Bourdais #1 McDonalds Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (1st, 301 points) – “Obviously the McDonald’s team has had some great races and not so great races in Surfers Paradise. We’ve won once (2005) but last year was a bit of a disaster, a bit of a shame. But historically we’ve been very fast as a team and I’ve been feeling good there so we’re looking for a nice weekend again under the Surfers Paradise sunshine. “Last year we were trying to go one lap further than Will (Power) and at some point when A.J. (Allmendinger) made a mistake and was out of contention for the title I knew the championship was in the pocket and we could get a little more racy. I tried to pass Will and the maneuver didn’t go right and we touched. It was a real shame for both of us. These things happen when you try to pass someone. It doesn’t always go right. The race is always very intense. It’s a big strategy race and in the meantime it’s super easy to make a mistake because the track is pretty bumpy and the chicanes are unforgiving. The slightest mistake will take you out of the race so it’s always tense. You end the race with your nerves quite worn out. “Obviously it will be my last race in Surfers Paradise but not my last race in Australia. I’ll just try to enjoy myself as much as possible and give the McDonald’s team the best result possible. They really deserve it. ” Justin Wilson #9 CDW Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (2nd, 243 points) – “Surfers is a very challenging track and it always produces some interesting racing as the track is very demanding and unforgiving. I hope that we can have a good weekend and make up for the disappointment from last year when I broke my wrist in practice, which took me out of the car for the weekend. My wrist has fully healed now and I have been told there will not be any tires on the Apex of the corners. This year we have been very competitive on street circuits and I hope that will stay true for Surfers.” Robert Doornbos #14 Minardi Team USA Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (3rd, 238 points) – “I can’t wait to get back to my Minardi Team USA Champ Car office and go racing on the other side of the world! What I’ve seen on video footage it looks like a very challenging circuit in Surfers Paradise with no room for error as the walls are very close. It should be fun. There was a big gap between races which is difficult for teams and drivers but I’ve been keeping busy with some testing both with Minardi Team USA and for Red Bull Racing in F1 and also doing PR activities. I feel 110% ready for the final stint of this year’s championship and looking to finish on a high.” Will Power #5 Aussie Vineyards Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (4th, 228 points) – “This is our biggest race of the year and one that Team Australia has been waiting for. It’s great to be racing in front of my home crowd and this year I’m back and want revenge. The Aussie Vineyards car has been fast all year but we’ve had some mechanical issues, but we have put that behind us for Surfers. We had a great test in Sebring and I headed back to Australia early to train and get ready to try and win this year. Hopefully it will be third time lucky for me. Last year it was awesome to take pole position but after the race it was so disappointing to have come away empty handed when we knew we could have won. There’s unfinished business and we’re coming here with one goal and that’s to win.” Graham Rahal #2 Medi | Zone Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (5th, 209 points) – “I’m looking forward to getting back to Surfers Paradise. I went in either 1997 or 1998, one of the last years my dad was racing. It is a great place; absolutely beautiful! I was only 9 or 10 so I missed the best part which is the girls. I wasn’t paying attention to them then. My dad was knocked out right away so I didn’t see much of the race. I went back to the hotel and jumped in the pool. I’m looking forward to seeing the entire race from the cockpit of my Medi | Zone car this year though. “It will be a tough race for me. I hope not but I think it will. I’ve never been a guy that has been fast over curbs and chicanes and half of the Surfers layout is hitting curbs and chicanes as hard as you can. I hope the Medi | Zone team can be competitive and we can keep the string of new winners going there but it will be a tough weekend. “I’m pretty lucky with jetlag being young. Some people say the older you get, the harder it is to deal with jetlag. For me it has never been an issue. I can make myself fall asleep when I need to and I can wake up whenever so I’m pretty lucky that way.” Simon Pagenaud #15 Aussie Vineyards Coworth/DP01/Bridgestone (8th, 192 points) – “I can’t wait to go to Australia, honestly. This will be my first time to the country and to the race, so I really look forward to it. I’m very confident going into our most important race of the year. With looking at videos of the track and the successful test we had in Sebring, I’m more than ready to get back in the car and race. With the result Will had last year, I feel our Aussie Vineyards cars can do it again this year. I expect lots of fans to come and see us. I can’t wait to jump in the car and rev the engine.” Alex Tagliani #8 Rocketsports Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (10th, 180 points) – “I always look forward to going back to Australia. The race weekend is exciting: the track is fun but challenging for the drivers, the people and atmosphere are great, and the promoters do an excellent job putting this event together. This place is very special to me because it is where I met my wife, Bronte. So, it is like my second home and I enjoy racing in front of all the Aussies. The track at Surfers Paradise is the longest street course that we race on in the Champ Car World Series. It is a very physical track and I have been training extra hard for this event. There is a lot of shifting on this track, a lot of hard braking into the corners, and it is a rough ride because there are a lot of curbs that you hit when you are trying to record quick lap times. It has been nice to have a few weeks off to recuperate after a busy summer, but I am ready to get back into the cockpit of the #8 Rocketsports car and hopefully get some positive results so that we can move up in the championship standings. It would be nice to have a podium finish, for my team that has worked very hard all season and for our partners.” Paul Tracy #3 Indeck Coworth/DP01/Bridgestone (12th, 137 points) –“It’s been a bit of a break but that is probably a good thing for the Forsythe team. We had time to test at Sebring and I think we found out a lot about the car. We were very competitive at Sebring and it looks like things are coming together for us. I also kept sharp running in a couple of off-road races. Those trucks are fun. I just have to remember I can’t use the chrome-horn in Australia, like I did in those events.” Dan Clarke #4 Minardi Team USA Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (13h, 121 points) – “I’m definitely looking forward to going back to Australia again, and hopefully the team can repeat as race winner. We were quick here last year, and after our testing in Sebring, we should be ready to go. I really enjoy this event; it’s a great atmosphere and a great circuit. I’m ready to get back in the car and race after the break, but I have kept busy training and I joined David (Higdon) in Laguna when they announced their schedule. All in all, these last two events will be our time to shine, and this Black Sheep is looking to tear it up!” Alex Figge #29 PCM Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (17th, 77 points) – “I am looking forward to turning things around a little bit with a good finish down under. We’ve had decent pace the last few weekends but have not been able to turn that into a good race finish, so my main priority is to stay focused and get a good finish in the race. I’ve never been to Australia before and I am really excited to go. I’ve heard the track is incredible and I like street courses a lot so I am looking forward to getting back to business!” Mario Dominguez #28 PCM Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone (18th, 53 points) – “I am really excited to be going back to Australia and can’t wait to drive the #28 Pacific Coast Motorsports car there. With three podiums including my first win there in the last five years, the Surfers Paradise track has quickly become the most successful track of my racing career. I enjoy the race very much, it’s a tough circuit that takes a lot of focus. The atmosphere of the race and the Australian people are so much fun, they really know how to enjoy a racing event! Other than my home race in Mexico City, Australia is definitely my favorite race of the year. I am really hoping I can get a very good result for PCM and that Alex Figge my teammate has a good result there as well.” David Martinez #7 Indeck Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone – “I’m really excited after the test in Sebring, it was great to be back with the Forsythe Team. I really feel like we picked up the chemistry that we put together last year, we are all very excited about these next couple of races. I’ve never been to Australia so it’s going to be a steep learning curve but I’m confident that we can get up to speed quite quickly. My goal is to get the most amount of track time as possible and just get comfortable. I’ve seen a lot of videos of the track, it is a really fast and tricky street course and I really can’t wait to get out there. The Australia weekend should be great preparation for me and for the rest of the team so that when we get to Mexico we can achieve a great result.” Nelson Philippe #34 Juniper Group Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone – “I am very happy to be racing again, especially in my adopted hometown of Surfers Paradise! I have been here for the past two months looking at the track being built and it is an awesome feeling to be back to defend my title. We had a productive test day in Putnam Park last week and I immediately felt comfortable in the car. I had forgotten how fast these things went! It will be tough for me to catch up to all the other drivers since I haven’t done any races in the DP01 but I am very determined to get back to the top. It is great to be back with Conquest, they are a very professional team that knows how to have fun and I know we will be successful!”

Herbert Completes NHRA Cinderella Run Into Countdown by NHRA 8/22/2007 Under the radar all season long, Doug Herbert’s Snap-On Tools team put the glass slipper on when it rolled into Reading and they’ll still have it on when they roll into Indy next weekend. Herbert entered the week 53 points behind eighth-place Dave Grubnic, a tall enough task in and of itself for a driver who hadn’t won in 65 races (Chicago 2 2004). But consider too that Herbert was in 11th place. So he didn’t just need to pass Grubnic, he also needed to pass Cory McClenathan and Melanie Troxel. “The odds aren’t really in our favor,” said Herbert, stating the rather obvious before Reading. “But,” he continued, “Crazier things have happened.” Herbert needed to go one round more than McClenathan and three rounds more than both Troxel and Grubnic. He accomplished the first two on Monday. First he downed McClenathan in a head-to-head quarterfinal and he passed Troxel — a firstround loser — when he beat Doug Foley in the semis. Now all that stood between Herbert and the Countdown was a finals matchup with points-leader Rod Fuller — and the rain. The rain that delayed the race on Sunday came back on Monday. And again on Tuesday. But after two sleepless nights, Herbert finally lined up for his run at the Countdown and he nailed it, turning in the quickest pass of the race, to pass Grubnic by three points. Incredibly, when Herbert crossed the finish line in 4.562 seconds, it marked the only point throughout the entire regular season that Doug Herbert was IN the Countdown and that Dave Grubnic was OUT of the Countdown. In the other three classes, the final playoff berths also came down to the wire, but in each case the eighth-place racer retained his spot when the driver in ninth place lost in the semifinals. The Staging Lane What’s next: Mac Tools U.S. Nationals When: Aug. 29-Sept. 3 Where: O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis ON TV: ESPN2HD (Qualifying Saturday late night 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET; Sunday 2-5:30 p.m. ET and late night 12-1 a.m. ET; NHRA Race Day Sunday at 11 a.m. ET; Final Eliminations Monday at 12-3 p.m. ET and 7-10 p.m. ET) Notable: This is the first race of the four-race playoff that will halve the field of eligible championship contenders from 8 to 4. 2007 NHRA POWERADE SERIES STANDINGS — FINAL REGULAR SEASON The 17-race regular season (11 races for PSM) is complete and only the top 8 drivers in each category remain eligible to win the 2007 world championship(s). Entering Race 18 (of 23), the top eight drivers’ points will be reset in 10-point increments from 2,070 to 2,000; the field of championship contenders will be reduced to 4 after 21 races (14 for PSM) with points again reset in 10-point increments, from 3,030 to 3,000; and the 1 champion after 23 races (16 for PSM). NOTE: Drivers in bold just moved into the Top 8. Drivers with asterisks (*) have clinched playoff berths. TOP FUEL Driver (Ws) Pts/PB *1. Fuller (2) 1255 *2. Schumacher (4) 1071 *3. Dixon (2) 1070 *4. B. Bernstein (5) 1064 *5. Todd (2) 999 *6. Vandergriff 876 *7. Bazemore 817 *8. Herbert (1) 792 9. Grubnic -3 10. Troxel (1) -26 11. McClenathan -56 12. D. Kalitta -85 FUNNY CAR Driver (Ws) Pts/PB *1. Capps (3) 1117 *2. Hight (2) 1039 *3. Force (3) 952 *4. T. Pedregon (2) 952 *5. Beckman (2) 891 *6. Ashley (2) 884 *7. Scelzi (2) 869 *8. Head 803 9. Worsham -38 10. T. Johnson Jr. (1) -82 11. K. Bernstein -116 12. Arend -117 PRO STOCK Driver (Ws) Pts/PB *1. Anderson (7) 1424 *2. Connolly (4) 1252 *3. Coughlin (3) 1231 *4. A. Johnson (1) 996 *5. Line (1) 966 *6. K. Johnson (1) 899 *7. W. Johnson 793 *8. Morgan 766 9. Gaines -11 10. Stevens Jr. -36 11. Yates -106 12. Stanfield -171 PSM (11/16 races) Rider (Ws) Pts/PB *1. Smith (3) 933 *2. Sampey (1) 801 *3. Hines (3) 772 *4. Stoffer (2) 627 *5. Ellis 613 *6. Krawiec 576 *7. Llewellyn 569 *8. Treble (1) 548 9. Rivas -11 10. S. Johnson -40 11. A. Brown -62 12. Guidera (1) -102

Dixon Gets Back To The Winner’s Circle; Scelzi, Coughlin, Hines Also Nab Wins by Rob Geiger, NHRA.com 6/10/2007 Larry Dixon tied legend Kenny Bernstein with his 39th career Top Fuel win Sunday, beating points leader “Hot Rod” Fuller with a 4.579 at 322.11 mph to capture the crown at the 10th annual Torco Race Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals. Dixon and family shared a raucous winner’s circle with fellow former POWERade champions Gary Scelzi, who won Funny Car, and Jeg Coughlin jr., who scored in Pro Stock. Reigning pro Stock Motorcycle champ Andrew Hines also joined in the celebration. It had been 37 races since Dixon last won a Wally, dating back to September of 2005 in Indianapolis, so his unbridled joy was tempered with a strong dose of relief. Scelzi also seemed relieved to win once again as he made a little history of his own by becoming just the fourth racer in history to ring up double-digit wins in both nitro categories. Like Dixon, Coughlin last won in 2005, but after missing most of ’06, his time between victories spanned just 11 races. Hines ninth career win came at the expense of points leader Matt Smith. Dixon’s 39th win in his 275th race was the first for crew chief Donnie Bender, who took over crew chief duties at the start of 2006. It was also the first for new sponsor SkyTel, who joined Don “the Snake” Prudhomme Racing in December. Fuller got a great jump in the final, leaving Dixon with a .029-second reaction time to Dixon’s .063-second launch, but that was the last thing to go right for Fuller as his Fabick Caterpillar dragster lost traction almost immediately, allowing Dixon to streak away for the win. “This was Donnie’s first win and I’m really glad to be a part of it,” Dixon said. “We didn’t have the greatest car when Dick-o (former tuner Dick LaHaie) left and Donnie got that promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach. I think we all expected it to take a little time for him to find a groove. I’m glad ‘Snake’ stayed with us and kept the faith. “It’s awesome to give SkyTel a win. We were sitting there in December without a sponsor and we were all wondering what the future held when SkyTel came in there and took a shot with us. I hope they really enjoy this win.” Fuller returns to the POWERade points lead for the third time this year. It was fairly easy to regain the lead here after former No. 1 racer Brandon Bernstein failed to qualify for this event. Fuller now leads Bernstein by 31 points. Scelzi had a familiar opponent in the Funny Car final, facing teammate Ron Capps, who had beaten him in two out of three previous final-round tilts. Capps even entered the final as a favorite and enjoyed lane choice, but Scelzi’s Mopar/Oakley Charger was up to the task and he outraced Capps’ Brut Test Drive Dodge Charger down the quarter-mile, winning with a 4.838 at 321.42 mph to Capps’ 4.850 at 318.39 mph. This was Scelzi’s 35th career win and 10th in Funny Car, which placed him next to Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, and Mike Dunn as the only drivers with double-digit wins in both nitro categories. “We hulked up on that one and just got after it,” Scelzi said. “Zippy [crew chief Mike Neff] told me he was going for it and I said, ‘Don’t throw it away,’ but as usual he knew exactly what to do and the car went right down the middle. It really accelerated from halftrack on and I knew we needed that because you can always count on Capps to have a great light. He’s awesome. “God, I love this place. The track’s been great to me and it’s exciting to win one for papa Don [Schumacher, team owner] in his hometown. I know that means a lot to him. We started the year with a win and then we’ve been flat and you start to think you might be done. This has definitely given us life again.” Both Capps and Scelzi got quicker as the day went along. Capps posted a 4.862, a 4.842, and a 4.823 in reaching his 50th career final, while Scelzi carded slightly slower times of 4.892, 4.886, and 4.881 in racing to his 56th career final. Helped by second-place points earner Robert Hight’s first career DNQ, Capps extended his lead in the POWERade points to 140 points, a nice rebound from his DNQ last weekend in Topeka, Kan. Entering the Pro Stock final as a slight underdog, Coughlin knew he’d need a great reaction time to upset reigning series champion Line and he delivered with a near-perfect .002-second launch, his best light of the day. The tactic worked as he took the win light on a holeshot, crossing in 6.658 seconds at 207.37 mph to Line’s 6.656 at 208.07 mph. “How about that!” Coughlin shouted as he climbed from his Jegs.com Chevrolet Cobalt. “This is the ultimate feeling. I took almost a year off and raced Sportsman stuff and was lucky enough to win some big races but nothing compares to winning a Pro Stock race. I’m proud of my team and Victor Cagnazzi [team owner]. He finally has the team he’s dreamed of and I’m happy to be a part of it. “My crew chief, Roy Simmons, and the guys gave me the best car I’ve ever had in a single race weekend. We won the Full Throttle award for having the most consistent car in qualifying and I had a great ride under me again today. It’s huge for a driver to know he has the car to win and we had it all weekend. This was Coughlin’s 48th NHRA national event win and his 35th in Pro Stock. His win moved him around his Victor Cagnazzi Racing teammate Dave Connolly into second place in the rankings and now finds himself 179 behind leader Greg Anderson, who lost in the first round to former NBA star Tom Hammonds. After struggling in the first four races of the year, Hines was overjoyed to break-through for his first win of the ’07 season, especially with all the executives from Harley-Davidson in attendance. Hines could clearly see final-round opponent Smith during the race as the Torco Buell rider shot off the line with a .008-second light to Hines’ .024-second start, but his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod made a move at halftrack and Hines was able to pass Smith and win with a 6.959 at 192.11 mph to Smith’s 7.014 at 187.18 mph. “My team pulled together 100 percent over the past month, did a bunch of testing, and totally turned this year around for us,” Hines said. “This was a huge win to let us know that all the hard work we’ve done has paid off. Plus, Jim McCaslin, the president of Harley-Davidson, and a bunch of other people were down from Milwaukee so it was cool to give them a big win. “Our goal at the start of the season was to get into the top eight so we’d be in the Countdown to the Championship field. Now we’re fourth, I think, so we’re solidly in there. The V-Rod is running hard right now and I hope we can stay in this mode for the rest of the year.” Smith, who has now been in four finals in five races, extended his lead in the POWERade points to 80 over Angelle Sampey, who is now in second place. Hines jumped from a tie for ninth to fourth place with his ninth career win.

2007 Fantasy Racing with racingwisconsin.com It’s NASCAR racing time again and, time to sign up for the racingwisconsin.com Yahoo! Fantasy Racing League. This is our fifth year having a Fantasy League. Once again, we are going to give away prizes. Nothing huge, as this is still planned to be a fun and free league with just your pride on the line.  Prizes will go to the Overall Season Champion, First Half and Second Half Champion, Team with the most wins, Team that had the best week of the season and a few other random reasons.  Last year Rondo and Jack Daniels led the league.  This year, let’s give them some competition. In this game you will need to pick drivers from three separate groups.  The “A” group contains the top tier drivers, based mostly on last years results, and you will pick two for each race.  The “B” group is filled with the mid range of drivers and you will pick four.  The “C” group has the rest of the drivers and again you will pick two drivers.  You will need to pick the drivers before qualifying and you will receive qualifying points if any of the eight drivers you picked is in the top four.  Before the race, you will need to decide on your Active drivers (1 “A”, 2 “B” and 1 “C”) who will receive points for the race.  The trick is that you can have a single driver active for only nine races in the season. Oh, and the other trick is to have the active drivers finish well in the race that you picked them. This is a free game with the only requirement being that you’ll need to set up a Yahoo! ID.  This is a fun league with no fees, just good old friendly competition.  We will announce the weekly winners and league leader by their team name on the front page of racingwisconsin.com So…what are you waiting for…sign up now!

In order to join the group, just go to http://racing.fantasysports.yahoo.com/auto, create a team and choose to Join a Private Group. Then, when prompted, enter the following information…

Group ID#: 4631
Password: rw2007

Rockford, IL- Rockford Speedway was set to open its 60th Anniversary Season with a bang this Saturday night during the O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Smash-O-Rama. Old Man Winter had other plans as the Stateline Area is predicted to see temperatures barely reaching the thirties by Saturday with lows well into the teens mixed with the chance of snow.  “The simplest way to put it is, water can’t run when it is this cold, without running water, we can’t run an event with spectators,” stated Speedway Operations Manager Max Dickson.  Anyone that had purchased advance tickets for this event is invited to use those tickets during the Friday Night Fright event scheduled for Friday, May 25 at the Rockford Speedway. Discount coupons which had been distributed will be honored on that night as well as on Saturday night April 21 during the Coca-Cola NASCAR event.  Rockford Speedway will have cars on the track from noon until four this Saturday afternoon for an Open Practice which will see multiple divisions of cars preparing for the season ahead. Pit gates will open at 10AM for this practice session. 

The 60th Anniversary Season will attempt to begin next Saturday and Sunday with the running of the 30th annual Spring Classic featuring the Wisconsin Challenge Series in a 150 lap Championship Feature.  For a complete schedule of events and additional information, visit www.rockfordspeedway.com  or call the Speedway Box Office at 815-633-1500.