Michael Schumacher returns to F1

Ferrari has issued a statement announcing that seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher could come out of retirement to replace the injured Felipe Massa in Valencia at the end of August. Schumacher will undertake intense training in the following weeks to prepare himself for the event. Schumacher said, "The most important thing first: thank God, all news concerning Felipe is positive. I wish him all the best again.

I was meeting this afternoon with Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo, and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe. Though it is true that the chapter of Formula 1 has been completely closed for me for a long time, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation. But as the competitor I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge.

"Ironically, the announcement came only one day after Schumacher's manager, Willi Weber, ruled out his return. He told The Daily Mail on Tuesday, "Whoever sits in the car at the next race in Valencia, it will not be Michael Schumacher. I am not 100 per cent sure; I am 200 per cent sure. The pressure on him would be huge. He would be expected to win, but he has not driven this car. When Michael was racing he would get as close to perfection as possible. In this case, it would not be perfection; it would be a gamble - and that's not Michael's style."

BMW quits F1

BMW will not continue its Formula 1 campaign after the end of the 2009 season. Resources freed up as a result are to be dedicated to the development of new drive technologies and projects in the field of sustainability. BMW will continue to be actively involved in other motor sports series. The landmark decision to restructure BMW Motorsport's activities was made at the Board of Management's meeting yesterday.

"Of course, this was a difficult decision for us. But it's a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment," explained Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. "Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. In line with our Strategy Number ONE, we are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability. Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us.

Mario Theissen has been in charge of our motor sports program since 1999. We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula One racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this," said Reithofer.

Dr. Klaus Draeger, the member of the Board of Management responsible for development, said: "It only took us three years to establish ourselves as a top team with the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Unfortunately, we were unable to meet expectations in the current season. Nevertheless, our ten years of Formula One experience have had a major impact on our development engineers. We have racing to thank for numerous technological innovations as well as the competitive spirit that drives us to develop mass-produced cars."

Possible redundancies in Munich and Hinwil cannot be quantified at present. "Since we only made this decision yesterday, we cannot provide any more precise information. We will develop and assess various scenarios and do our best to find a solution for the employees in Hinwil and the staff members involved in the Formula 1 project in Munich. We are aware of the responsibility we shoulder and will inform the staff as soon as we can make a clear statement," Draeger said.

"Of course, we, the employees in Hinwil and Munich, would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years," said Theissen. "But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective. We will now focus sharply on the remaining races and demonstrate our fighting spirit and put in a good result as we bid farewell to Formula 1 racing."

BMW will continue its programs in a number of motor sports series: BMW will appear on the starting grid in the touring car series and young driver promotion program in Formula BMW. This will be supplemented by BMW's participation in ALMS, the American Le Mans Series, endurance races and close-to-production customer sports.

BMW Leaving F1?

Is BMW about to leave Formula One? With a hastily announced news conference to take place tomorrow ( Wednesday ) morning at 10:00am at the headquarters in Munich, and among the high level execs scheduled to attend being Dr. Mario Thiessen, head of the motorsport program, it is strongly believed that 2009 may be their last in F1. All the teams are to sign the new Concorde agreement this week which will oblige all the teams to participate until 2012, it seems that BMW have decided to step aside. Stay tuned as we will bring you more as the news comes.

Felipe Massa Seriously Injured in Crash

Felipe Massa is in serious, life threatening, but stable condition following surgery for a head injury he recieved when he was struck in the helmet by a part that had apparently fallen from Rubens Barrichello's car in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Officials from the AEK military hospital, where Massa was airlifted after the accident, say he will be sedated and kept on a respirator at least until sometime Sunday.

During the Q2 qualifying session, Massa came out of turn 3 and a piece of debris bounced up from the track and hit him on the left side of his forehead. He then apparently was knocked unconcious as the car went straight on into the tire barrier at the next turn. The engine continuing to run, Massa just sat still in the cockpit. The medical officials got to him and removed him from the car and he was almost immediately airlifted to the AEK military hospital where he underwent the surgery.

This is the second race weekend in a row that a driver was hit in the head by a foreign object as last weeks F3 race when Henry Surtees lost his young life in a similar accident.

Ferarri will issue another update Sunday morning. Felipe and his family will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Since when is Porsche a peoples car?

About now it seems!

After some years of dreaming big, it appears that Porsche’s ill-fated bid to purchase Volkswagen won’t be happening but a reverse of that just might.

The German paper, Spiegel, was reporting that VW would take over the now laboring Porsche in the good old Texas 2 Step by purchasing 49 percent of the stock now, with the remaining 51 percent at a future date. Latest news is that it will be almost a single purchase foregoing a drawn out double purchase. However all of this changes quicker than a freewheeling Porsche engine at full boost so bear with me. Its the gist that counts.

It all started when Porsche wanted VW and were flying high, bloated with confidence and cash. Cars were selling, customers were happy, races were being won and JD Powers kept on saying that Porsche was a heck of a well built car.

So with that in mind Porsche starts to purchase blocks of VW shares with some interesting loan strategies, all bolstered by Porsche’s strength at the time, when suddenly the world’s economy turned and they were left holding the bag. Oops. Instantly they were in debt to the tune of almost $12 billion dollars.

This obviously created a huge vulnerability with the banks and before you know it, VW comes back with an offer.

Point of all this is that some have their reservations of the purchase, I do not. I will at least give the marriage a chance to show the world what might happen. Recent history has shown that larger companies like VW treat their acquisitions of high end niche car companies with respect and at arms length. They seem to let the smaller company do its thing while lending immeasurable engineering and financial support.

Sadly it appears that Porsche ended up getting stung by the world market. Had they pulled it off how cool would that have been? Regardless I still believe that it will be a good place for Porsche to be a part of.

All I ask VW is this: Can you keep your parts prices down? We often purchase VW parts that are the same as the ones for a Porsche, but at a much reduced rate.

Good luck to both Porsche and VW. The world loves your products.
Later, PC

Chevrolet announces the 2010 Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition

DETROIT - Fans of the new Camaro and the blockbuster TRANSFORMERS movies can now combine their love of the car and the films with the Chevrolet Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition announced today at Comic-Con in San Diego.

"When the first TRANSFORMERS movie was setting box office records, we had countless customers asking to purchase the 'BUMBLEBEE' Camaro," said Karen Rafferty, product marketing director, Chevrolet. "Now, they can buy one with the new Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition. Streets all over North America will be buzzing in no time."

Features such as an EPA-rated 29 highway mpg on the V6-powered Camaro, Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB connectivity, XM Satellite Radio and OnStar combined with TRANSFORMERS design cues add to the car’s status as a 21st century sports car.

“Hasbro is thrilled to team up with Chevrolet and excited to see the Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition come to market for our fans to enjoy,” said Samantha Lomow, Global Brand Leader for TRANSFORMERS at Hasbro. “The yellow Camaro with the black stripes has become so iconic and closely associated with the BUMBLEBEE character that this edition was a natural fit for both companies.”

While the aggressive styling of the Camaro is unmistakable, true TRANSFORMERS fans will notice some of the unique, but subtle features of the Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition includes the following:

AUTOBOT® shield on the driver and passenger side panels
AUTOBOT® shield on each of the four wheel's center cap
AUTOBOT® shield embroidered on interior center console
"TRANSFORMERS" logo on driver and passenger doors' sill plates
"TRANSFORMERS" logo embedded into the hood rally stripes
High-gloss black center rally stripe package
Manufacturer’s suggested retail price of package: $995
Dealers are now taking orders for this car. Customers can order the TRANSFORMERS Special Edition as either a Rally Yellow LT or SS model. The optional RS appearance package can also be added.

The V6-powered Camaro uses a 3.6L engine with variable valve timing to optimize performance and fuel economy. It is SAE-certified at 304 horsepower (227 kW) and 273 lb.-ft. of torque (370 Nm). A six-speed manual transmission is standard with the 3.6L engine; a Hydra-Matic 6L50 electronically controlled six-speed automatic, with TAPshift control, is available.

The high-performance Camaro SS is equipped with a powerful 6.2L V-8, with a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmission-equipped models receive the LS3 engine, SAE-certified at 426 horsepower (318 kW) and 420 lb.-ft. of torque (569 Nm). It is paired with a TR6060 six-speed transmission.

A new, L99 V-8 engine is used on automatic transmission-equipped SS models. It is based on the LS3, but also includes GM’s fuel-saving Active Fuel Management feature. It is SAE-certified at 400 horsepower (298 kW) and 410 lb.-ft. of torque (556 Nm). It is matched with a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed transmission that helps delivers an EPA-estimated 25 mpg on the highway.

Henry Surtees dies in crash at Brands Hatch

Henry Surtees 1991-2009


Henry Surtees, the 18-year-old son of Formula 1 World Champion John Surtees, has died after an accident in the Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch. Jack Clarke spun his car at the exit of Westfield, hitting the barriers with the left rear corner of the car. The wheel was torn off and bounced back on to the circuit, hitting Surtees as he arrived at the scene. The car continued on up to Sheene's Curve (formerly known as Dingle Dell) at unabated pace and went straight on into the barriers there. There was no sign of any attempt to brake and the accelerator was jammed on after the impact with the barriers, although the car came to rest as one of the rear wheels had been torn off.
The driver did not move at all in the cockpit after the crash. Medical teams were on the scene immediately and Surtees was taken to the circuit medical centre before being transferred by helicopter to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, one of the foremost trauma units in Britain. His parents John and Jane Surtees were both at the circuit watching the race.
It was perhaps inevitable that Surtees would follow his father into racing. John Surtees was a seven times motorcycle World Champion and won the F1 title in 1964. He went on to run his own F1 team. Henry Surtees was born when his father was 57, but was racing karts at the age of eight. He moved on to single-seater racing in Formula BMW and then moved to Formula Renault in 2008 with Manor Motorsport. He finished 12th in the championship but moved to up to Formula 2 this year and has scored his best result of the year - third - in the race before the accident occurred.
The Formula 2 cars are fitted with wheel tethers and the head protection conforms to the latest F1 standards.
Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

A Shifting Technology

It wasn't so long ago that the quintessential driver drove a manual gearbox. No real driver would be caught dead behind a slush box, and every one of us was measured by how we could shift that box, the gearbox that is.

We spent lots of time perfecting our shifting technique. Earlier transmissions were comparatively fragile, the linkage sloppy and indirect. To drop our ET’s or lap times, we needed accuracy and speed. Some folks even built static machines for us to sit behind and to practice on.

For a while many cars came with a three-on the-tree but this tree (steering column mounted shifter) simply couldn't support the loads of a young gun trying to power shift his car and had a painfully indirect and flexible linkage connecting the lever to the gearbox. All of it terribly slow, imprecise and clunky. We were looking for a quicker way to shift which focused the attention to something we already had. The floor mounted shifter. Four-on-the floor quickly became the standard.

Floor shift cars all sported some kind of lever, but most simply weren't stout enough to support the ugly human efforts to rip it out. The best news was that the lever was often anchored directly to the gearbox itself with relatively short direct links to the shifting forks within. These became so good that you could literally feel the action of the synchronizers and the slick engagement of each gear.

So now we had the tools to get the job done but the race was on for the most resilient, the strongest, the smoothest, and quickest shift on the planet giving rise to the Hurst Shifter. From here on out, during the muscle car era, most cars had a Hurst shifter and eventually the now legendary "T" handle mounted on top.

For the longest time it was as if the shifter mechanism was the only part being looked at as a means to speed up the shift. No one seemed to ever consider how the shift was happening inside the box itself. From some poorly designed synchronizers to even the present dog clutch, gearbox internals simply did not lend themselves to speeding up the process of selecting gears even if all the stars were aligned. There had to be a better way.

Welcome the Twin Clutch Transmission. Even though there are still cars with both a standard automatic (slush box) and a standard shift (with clutch and stick), we now have twin clutch manual gearboxes that are astounding. These boxes are manual in the sense that there is no energy being lost in a torque converter, but other than the driver making a shift demand via a button or a steering wheel mounted lever, they are also automatic in their actuation and performance. Let’s look.

Although it has been my belief that the twin clutch has been around for some time in development waiting for a world debut, others brought their auto-shifting single clutch versions to the market in a rush to be first.

These early gear-boxes had computer controlled single clutches and semi-auto sequential shifting mechanisms within. For the person who wanted a manual but never quite figured out how to use the clutch pedal, this was an OK design but redefined the word slow. The last well known Italian hot-rod I drove with this pseudo manual was so slow I had time to read War and Peace before the box was done getting to 7th. I'm still wondering why they bothered.

Enter the Twin-Clutch design: Back in 2003 VW/Audi brought out the first mass produced twin clutch transmission called the DSG. Today all performance minded companies now sell cars with a version of the twin clutch transmission. Not sure where the idea first started, but I saw this in some cars I raced against years ago. The Porsche 956 had one called the PDK (for Porsche-Doppel-Kupplungsgetriebe), so clearly the Germans have been working on this for a while. It is ironic that Porsche were fairly late to the game on the open market, but like a fine wine my guess is they were waiting for the right time to market.

Today, on the street, this is it. Simply stated for descriptive reason the twin clutch transmission has a clutch that connects to the odd ratio gears (1,3,5 etc) and another that connects to the even ratios. From a stop as you release the brakes and start to add throttle , the computer engages the clutch connected to first gear. As the car accelerates the transmission’s computer thinks about what is going on and decides what is most likely to happen next so naturally in this case preselects the next higher gear in anticipation. Here is where the second clutch comes into play as the transmission will now up-shift based on either a request from the driver or when certain predetermined parameters are met (as if it were a true automatic) and it does so by releasing the first- gear clutch, and engaging the second-gear clutch. As you can imagine this happens simultaneously which translates to almost instantly.

The still common manual gearbox where you must use the clutch and row the shifter, it would take a very good and aggressive driver at least .2 of a second (which is 200 milliseconds) to complete the shift. Compare that to the latest DSG gearbox’s .07 of a second (which is 70 milliseconds) to accomplish the same shift and you can see the staggering gains. So consider this: back in the day, to shift from first gear to fourth during acceleration would take a herculean effort to do so in at least .60 of a second (for the 3 shifts). The DSG box can do the same 3 shifts in .210 seconds. Almost two thirds less time.

Along with that you get the added benefit of perfectly matched downshifts as the same computer blips the throttle for you when you slow and downshift resulting in perfectly matched gear selection with no accompanying rear tire chips from a typical human mismatch.

As a decided techno-freak you would think I'd be done with my rant but alas you'd be wrong. You see, I love to work on good shifting technique alongside practicing my heal-toe abilities needed to match the engine speed to the gearbox needs. Nothing stirs my soul more than a well executed downshift while braking hard into a corner without any outward signs of the task beyond the rise and fall of the engine. Marvelous, simply marvelous.

Meanwhile, enjoy the technology. Cars continue to get better with every passing day and I'd expect the latest round of go-green mania will accelerate this further. It will be the next spectacular technology wave and associated growth.

Life still comes at me plenty fast so electronic speed shifting has no real attraction beyond the technology for me. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the simple pleasures of matching the shifts myself.

PC

Beam me up Scotty

For years we’ve all been mesmerized by the laser. From the common pointer, to tools we use daily, the laser has always possessed huge possibilities all of which have only grown in number with time.

My most recent memory of its mention was when Mike Myers’ Dr. Evil spoke of “Lay-Zers” in his infamous rant about sharks with “frickin' laser beams” mounted to their heads. As I said before, their possible uses seem to be endless.

Almost 11 years ago a friend of mine hinted at yet another use as an ignition source for our cars. I’ll admit I forgot about it until 2002 when I heard of it mentioned again. I figured some day there might be technology enough and our ability to build the necessary bits to do this economically. It isn’t far now.

A few days ago Ford mentioned that along with the help of Liverpool University, they have developed a laser ignition for gasoline engines. This is exciting because of what the laser can bring to the game.

• Lasers permit a wider range of mixture ignition possibilities (remember the talk of the stratified-charge engines not too long ago? Very hard to ignite)
• Engineers are limited to placement of the existing spark-plug due to size, and charge tuning is hindered because of the same single point ignition source. Now that direct injection has become common, the possibilities grow rapidly.
• By splitting the beam a laser can have more than one source in each cylinder giving rise to a much greater ability to fire the highly atomized but very lean mixture.
• Laser’s can be used to read combustion as it happens (reducing the need for other sensors to give the same information)
• Lasers will permit much leaner mixtures allowing fuel mileage to go up and emissions down.

So Doctor Evil, we might not have them mounted to living Sharks today, but for the Hyundai Tiberon, it won’t be long now. Does it make you randy baby? Doesn’t it?

Later, PC

BOYD CODDINGTON Exclusive Interviews

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Never-before released interview with hot-rod legend Boyd Coddington. In multiple-parts, in tribute, now through SEMA Show 2009. By Joe Mavilia for The Weekend Drive.

Ever notice life is like a card game and like ‘em or not you have to play the hand you’re dealt or fold? I can hear Kenny Rogers singing, “You gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em…” I think Boyd Coddington must have said, “I’ll play these.” And the farm boy was holding a pair of deuces.

In the game of life you’ll also notice there are big deals and little deals and everyone is looking for a ‘good’ deal. Well, I was excited about meeting Boyd because he’s a big deal in the auto industry. Just goes to show you what you can do with a pair of deuces if the rest of the world doesn’t pair up in the hand you’re playing.

When I was a young teenager my dream car was a custom ’32 Ford and I suspect every young guy had a similar favorite. There is a strange perception that our manhood depends on how cool we look in that perfect car that will surely put us on Route 66 to somewhere or even nowhere. It doesn’t matter. It’s the ride that counts. Well, this is a story of a guy who started out nowhere in the Midwest and ended up somewhere at the end of Route 66 … Huntington Beach, California, the land of sun, sand, surf and oodles of custom rods. It would be there Boyd would realize his dream and become King of the Road of custom rods.

Yes, Boyd grew up on a farm in Idaho, but from his early days he began cutting and shaping existing steel on old cars into what he thought they should look like. It was Thomas Edison who said, “Sometimes, all you need to invent something is a good imagination and a pile of junk.” Later, at the top of his game Boyd would be seen as an American Idol. You know, those people who ride out the inevitable storms of life because they are survivors. Generally, they are self-made. And we common people love to raise them up on our shoulders so we can live vicariously through their successes. At the end of the day, we’re more interested in guys like Boyd Coddington because we can relate to them. We, too, can win a hand and feel the exhilaration of being a winner and finding our own pot of gold.

Photographer, Peter Linney, known around the world for his work, which is featured on magazine covers in a dozen countries, sent me some photos of a custom rod Boyd had just finished and Peter had photographed. He wanted me to get the story behind the car. The name of the car is the Whatthehaye. What? Yes, said Peter in his thick Norwegian accent. No, what’s the name of the car? I retorted. What – the – haye! Ok, I thought, forget any explanation, I will have to ask Boyd about the story behind the name and perhaps I’d warm up to it as I did the photos of the car.

Anyway Whatthehaye is a work of art and as easy to fall in love with, for me, as the beauty of the image of the Greek sculpture of Venus De Milo. For the ladies it might be like looking upon the statue of David who would become king and was sculpted from another piece of stone by Michelangelo. The Whatthehaye is also a sculptured work of art and does not only have beautiful flowing lines, it is functional as well. Whatthehaye is not a restoration. It is new from the ground up and you don’t have to be a car lover to appreciate such an accomplishment. Creative people can turn a hunk of meaningless stone or flat sheets of metal into classic forms.

So who is this man behind the art and the machine? A myth, a legend? – Perhaps. But unlike Michelangelo, Boyd is still alive so we can talk with him and about him to dispel the myths. I drove to his Garage in La Habra to learn more about the man. But as things turned out, I also learned as much about him from others who know him from TV, visiting his showroom or being a neighbor. I met those people a week following my meeting with Boyd. I was attending my nephews wedding aboard a boat in Newport Harbor… a big boat. The setting was private, elegant and peopled by movers and shakers. You always find people like that on a road less traveled. It was just the setting where you’d expect the name Boyd Coddington would be known.

PART 2 OF INTERVIEW POSTING SOON

Harvick and Shell to Stewart-Haas

Kevin Harvick has told RCR CEO Richard Childress that he wants out of the last year of his contract in 2010 to go with his pal Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing. Problem is that Shell / Pennzoil, whose contract with RCR ends this year, will go with him. Before you get to upset with Harvick remember racing is a performance based business. Either you perform at the highest levels or you are left in the dust of those that do. That's true at any level of motorsport and RCR is struggling this year at all levels. We'll see what happens here but I say it is a good bet that both Harvick and Shell / Pennzoil will be in the Hendrick fold at Stewart-Haas next year.

Mosley will stand down...again.

In a letter sent to all the clubs that make up membership in the FIA, Max Mosley has confirmed he will not stand for re-election in October. Although I will believe this when I see it, it is the news many F1 fans have been waiting for. Now maybe we can get on with the important stuff. Racing. With this news it appears that a new Concorde agreement will be signed today between the teams and FOM, the commercial rights holder for F1 as the teams had stated that they would not sign until they had a concrete agreement that Mosley would stand down. Following is the letter from him.

Geneva, 15 July 2009
Dear President,
Since my announcement on 24 June that I was not going to seek re-election, I have received almost 100 messages from FIA member clubs urging me to think again. This absolutely unprecedented level of support is very rewarding and I am deeply grateful.
Following the World Motor Sport Council meeting on 24 June, we were expecting to extend the 1998 Concorde Agreement with a few minor amendments. In the event, we received a completely new draft. However, after three weeks of intensive negotiations (including weekends and evenings), Nick Craw, (as deputy president, sport) and I feel that, with the help of our lawyers, we have negotiated an agreement which brings to Formula One the new teams and lower costs which were so urgently needed.
At the same time, again largely thanks to Nick, we now have very satisfactory contracts for the World Rally Championship and the new World Championship for GT cars. In addition, a new structure is evolving on the mobility side which I believe will greatly strengthen the FIA in this area.
From a personal point of view it would be very difficult for me to change my mind and stand again. I began some months ago to rearrange my family life with effect from next October. I also informed senior FIA staff that I would not be a candidate. To continue now would greatly complicate my domestic arrangements and be inconsistent with my obligations to my family, particularly after our recent loss. Also, I have felt for some time that I would like to work less. After all, I will be 70 next year.
Therefore, with these new arrangements in place, extremely grateful though I am for all the letters, emails and messages I have received, I have decided to reconfirm my decision. I will not be a candidate in October.
I believe the objectives of those who have been kind enough to support me can be achieved if you elect a strong, experienced, competent team, one which will maintain the independence of the FIA and ensure that both the sport and the mobility side are properly run. As an ex officio member of the Senate, I hope to play a modest role myself.
I believe the right person to head that team would be Jean Todt.
Jean is unquestionably the outstanding motor sport manager of his generation and arguably of any generation. Teams run by him have won the World Rally Championship, Cross Country rallies including Paris-Dakar, the Le Mans 24 Hour Race and, in the last 15 years, one Formula One World Championship after another.
He has also been CEO of a successful car manufacturer. He thus has experience in charge of a large and complex organisation, something which is an essential qualification for any future president of the FIA. From his road car experience, he has a thorough understanding of the unseen but vital work of the FIA away from the race track and the special stage.
Most recently he has been involved with his partner Michelle Yeoh in FIA road safety and environmental campaigns all over the world, thus demonstrating a commitment to the major public policy initiatives which are such an important part of the FIA's work.
Finally, I must emphasise he would not in any way be a motor industry candidate. He would have no special relationship with his former company, Ferrari, nor with Peugeot Citroen, the manufacturer behind his former World Rally, Cross-Country and Le Mans teams. He would preserve the independence of the FIA.
If he agrees to stand, I think he would be the ideal person to continue but also to extent the work of the past 16 years. He can be relied on in all ares where the FIA is active. I very much hope you will give him your support.
Finally, thank you once again for your support and for the trust you have placed in me. I have enjoyed the last 16 years as president of the FIA and I believe that together we have made much progress with an organisation of which we can all be proud.
Yours sincerely,
Max Mosley

Peugeot says "game on" for 2010

After its historic win over Audi at Le Mans, Peugeot has indicated it will defend its title in 2010. That defense will likely include a return to Sebring as well. Audi has also vowed to return to Le Mans to recapture the top spot on the podium. "Obviously, we are a little disappointed by the result," stated Audi Motorsport Chief Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "We didn't manage to extract the full potential of the Audi R15 TDI in the race ... we will analyze the problems we had to ensure we come back stronger in 2010."

David Brabham, who drives the Patron Highcroft Acura in the American Le Mans Series, drove the winning Peugeot at Le Mans. "It's such a great feeling to have won," stated Brabham. "Peugeot did a tremendous job, it's a great team and they gave us a 100 percent reliable car."

Formula One Update

Mark Webber gets his first pole position in his 130 Grand Prix career. Sebastian Vettel starts 4th as the Red Bulls have the Brawns surrounded in 2nd and 3rd. Lewis Hamilton has his best start of the recent past in 5th. With the very unpredictable weather in the eiffel mountains it should be an interesting race tomorrow which will be carried on tv at 3:00 est on your local Fox affiliate. Here is the starting grid.

POS DRIVER NATIONALITY ENTRANT TIME
1. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault 1:32.230
2. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn-Mercedes 1:32.357
3. Jenson Button Britain Brawn-Mercedes 1:32.473
4. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault 1:32.480
5. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1:32.616
6. Heikki Kovalainen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.859
7. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes 1:34.316
8. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari 1:34.574
9. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari 1:34.710
10. Nelson Piquet Brazil Renault 1:34.803
11. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber 1:42.310
12. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault 1:42.318
13. Kazuki Nakajima Japan Williams-Toyota 1:42.500
14. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota 1:42.771
15. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Toyota 1:42.859
16. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber 1:32.190
17. Sebastien Buemi Switzerland Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:32.251
18. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Force India-Mercedes 1:32.402
19. Timo Glock Germany Toyota 1:32.423
20. Sebastien Bourdais France Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:33.559

Tokyo - here we come!

So... I have just sent my RSVP to the Tokyo Motor Show this coming Fall. It's a great spectacle of motor shows, and I particularly enjoy Asian shows because they give me a glimpse into the future of North American products and trends.

The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association - a small group with just a few members (like Toyota, Honda, etc) invited me to the show as their guest just today. Thier e-mail note to me included the photo - promising "the finest models you will expect from Japan and Asia."

Ahemm... I've been to Asian motor shows... and yes, Mitsubishi does have some fine models these days!!

Will it ever end?

F1 is back in deep trouble as the FOTA Teams were told in their meeting today that they were only spectators and had no input on the new rules changes. Remember, the rules changes that they ( FOTA and the FIA ) aggreed on just 2 weeks ago. Following is the FOTA statement:

Representatives of all FOTA teams attended a meeting of the Sporting Working Group at the Nürburgring today.

During the course of this meeting, the team managers were informed by Mr Charlie Whiting of the FIA that, contrary to previous agreements, the eight FOTA teams are not currently entered into the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and have no voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations thereof.

It will be remembered that all eight active FOTA members were included on the “accepted” entry list as endorsed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and communicated by FIA press statement on June 24.

In light of these claims, the FOTA representatives requested a postponement of today’s meetings. This was rejected on the grounds that no new Concorde Agreement would be permitted before a unanimous approval of the 2010 regulations was achieved.

However, it is clear to the FOTA teams that the basis of the 2010 technical and sporting regulations was already established in Paris.

As endorsed by the WMSC and clearly stated in the FIA press statement of 24 June “the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to 29 April 2009”. At no point in the Paris discussions was any requirement for unanimous agreement on regulations change expressed. To subsequently go against the will of the WMSC and the detail of the Paris agreement puts the future of Formula 1 in jeopardy.

As a result of these statements, the FOTA representatives at the subsequent Technical Working Group were not able to exercise their rights and therefore had no option other than to terminate their participation.

The FOTA members undertook the Paris agreement and the subsequent discussions in good faith and with a desire to engage with all new and existing teams on the future of Formula One.

The FIA has once again has a different opinion of what took place today as their "official statement" reads that the FOTA teams walked out of the meeting. Of coarse they walked out after they were told by Smax's representative that they had no say. Here we go again!

From Blacktop to Laptop, the "Tune-Up" has changed

It is not in me to divulge how long ago "back in the old days" might be, but suffice it to say I will stick to this:

"Back in the old days"...when I was growing up the phrase tune-up was an exciting proposition to a budding hot-rodder since it was probably a Friday afternoon just before you went out to challenge your buddies to a race at the strip. Regardless you were messing with your car which was always good.

After gathering all the acutrements of the pending job your afternoon started by looking at the carburetor. More often then not I re-set the float level, reset the idle mixture and on some days poured a can of carb cleaner down the carb throats as the engine tried it's hardest to continue to run. This invariably irritated your parents, killed some bugs and messed up the plugs which is why it was important to do first.

From here I check the points for wear, checked the points gap opening, clean and gap the spark plugs if not replace them all together. Look over the distributor rotor and cap for fouling and carbon tracks, check the plug wires for cracks and other signs of break down. I'd then pull the valve covers and set the valve clearances which by some miracle were never quite the same as I'd left them. Finally everything would go back together with a last check of the air cleaner by holding it up to the sun. If any light came through it had to be clean enough to continue using it right?

At best, and I mean if all the stars aligned and you stood on your tippy toes just so, the tune-up was spot on. You'd be able to count on it for a good fortnight if not a whole month and it never took longer than 20 minutes to clean the decidedly carcinogenic crud from your hands and beneath your fingernails. Now that is living the life.

Fast forward to now and it is difficult to understand how far the automobile has come. A tune up? Huh? Not today. Cars are so good today that parts last a virtual lifetime in comparison. There aren't anymore carburetors (good ridance even though I was good at it), no distributor, points, rotor or caps. Plug wires? Well yes in a manor on some cars but not all. Adjust the valves? I don't think so. Many engines control the cam timing and valve lift negating the need to ever look at the mechanisms much less adjust them so put away your feeler gauges as them days are gone.

So forget all this tune-up talk today. With the advent and perfecting of the ECU (the Engine Control Unit, a computer) we can now see what needs tweeking or replacing before we even open up our hand-tool box as the ECU will rat out any malfunctions it finds. Just plug into the OBDII port and read the results. OK, this too takes a computer but that is what I'm talking about. This is remarkable to say the least.

To add icing to this already tasty morsel of cake everything the engine is doing or is being asked to do can be displayed real time. Like right now. Glory be and haleluya! This saves tons of time looking and all of that high falutin' mental ciphering that went along with the guessing back then. Did I say that?

Some folks will rightfully argue that what I describe just isn't the same today since anyone could fix a car from "back in the old days". I can't disagree but none of those cars ever run as long or as well as most any modern computerized car of today. The tune stays sharper for much longer all the while the ECU is monitoring everything and making minute adjustments. If it fails the ubiquitous CEL (Check Engine Light) will call attention to the problem but the ECU will not let us down. It will find a way to let us get back home one way or the other. How great is that?

So what might be called a tune-up today is better described as a check over with the ability to modify some of the engines ECU controlled parameters if needed or desired. In many cases you don't even have to open the hood. Did I say I love it?

Ok, to us forty-somethings this computer stuff and how it all is interconnected can all be overwhelming at first but these newbies get it. They are intrinsically able to connect their computers to the car's ECU and with a few key strokes find out what is ailing their ride or make some significant changes to the engines behaviour.

These new hot-rodders are blessed with remarkable computer skills and the understanding of what is going on inside their car's ECU. They come from their mom's wombs somehow knowing how the interaction of TP (Throttle Position) , MP (Manifold Pressure) MAF (Mass Air Flow) EL (Engine Load) IAT (Intake Air Temperature) EGT (Exhaust Gast Temperature) FP (Fuel Pressure) RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) AFR (Air Fuel Ratio) IK (Ignition Knock) ST (Spark Timing) CT (Cam Timing) VL (Valve Lift) WT (Water Temperature) all relate and that these things should be addressed all together as a single cohesive functioning group all with the expectation of greater performance. One can always hope anyways.

Today we are having a ball with the current crop of tuner cars. These cars generally have some sort of forced induction (though not always the case) which give rise to some serious power when accompanied with the right ECU adjustments and/or hardware all of which attract the new hot-rodders because of the relative ease and huge reward.

The modern computer has brought nirvana to this industry and as stated is almost beyond comprehension. Today we can watch in real time all that is happening at that instant. Marvelous, simply marvelous.

In the end, it is because of this new breed of young people that I get to see this. The future is apon us and I enjoy, above all else, seeing the enthusiasm and desire to do what I did as a kid. Only these guys do it better by any definition.

Until next time!

PC

(Editor's Note: if you're looking for a good selection of vehicle underhood books, visit the book section at The Gear Store , our online catalog, with nearly 500 titles of books at discount prices).

I just finished road-testing and reviewing the 2010 Lincoln MZK and said in the review that the MKZ carried the torch for the Lincoln Versailles - among the first successful mid-sized luxury cars from Detroit, joined by the Cadillac Seville.
This photo shows a 1979 model in factory photo, in Wedgewood Blue (top selling color), with alloy wheels and trunk treatment.
Few luxury cars today can link so firmly a connection to history like Lincoln.

Happy 233rd Birthday USA!

Happy and Safe 4th of July to all! If you are motoring over the weekend, drive safe!

Pony Car revival - Camaro and Mustang!

Glad to have the "Pony Cars" back! Just this week, GM announced that the 2010 Camaro sales surpassed the Ford Mustang in June, and that demand and orders are exceeding factory capacity. That's great news for BOTH Ford and GM... excitement in pony cars will help both the Mustang and the Camaro. In this economy, I'm less concerned about the rivalry and I just want them BOTH to survive, and thrive!

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