No rest for the wicked

After barely getting a chance to catch their breath for the past 10 months, you’d think a NASCAR crew would savour the opportunity to relax in the shop without worrying about the next trip.

But, when normal is go-go-go every weekend, kicking your feet up doesn’t come easy, even at the end of a gruelling 36-race season.

“It’s hard to get used to and you get kind of anxious,” says Brian Vickers’ No. 83 Red Bull Toyota team crew chief Ryan Pemberton.

More at: Red Bull International

He's baaaaaaack!

It's official, seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher will make his racing return in 2010 with Mercedes team.

Schumacher has 248 Grand Prix starts, 91 victories, 154 podium finishes and 68 pole positions, the 40-year old German needs no introduction following an illustrious and record-breaking Formula One career from 1991 to 2006 at the Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari teams.

The seven time f1 champion began his racing career in the Mercedes Junior Programme in 1990. He will partner with Nico Rosberg.

"I am convinced that together we will be involved in the fight for the Formula 1 World Championship next year and I am already looking forward to getting back onto the race track," Schumacher said. "For me, this partnership closes the circle. Mercedes supported me for so many years when I began my Formula 1 career and now I can hopefully give something back to the brand with the star."

Kenseth to appear at Canadian Motorsports Expo

2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth will be coming to Toronto’s International Centre on Saturday, January 23, 2010 to meet with fans and sign autographs at the Canadian Motorsports Expo.

A winner in 18 Sprint Cup races, Kenseth is the defending champion of the Daytona 500 which he won last February. It was the first win for the Roush Fenway team.

Kenseth drives the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing.

In addition to his championship, Kenseth was the series’ top rookie in 2000.

Further details of Kenseth’s appearance will be released soon.

2010 F1 grid

It seems that the 2010 Formula One grid is almost locked up. Only a few spots remain open and some of those already look filled.

One seat that's been in the spotlight of late is the second cockpit at the former Brawn outfit, now Mercedes, where it is thought that seven time world champion Michael Schumacher may land in un-retirement.

Renault is also set to announce its future plans in F1 on Wednesday and word is that might coincide with the return of 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve to grand prix racing.

Here's a look at the grid as it stands today...

McLaren
1. Jenson Button
2. Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes
3. Nico Rosberg
4. Michael Schumacher*

Red Bull
5. Mark Webber
6. Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari
7. Felipe Massa
8. Fernando Alonso

Williams
9. Rubens Barrichello
10. Nico Hulkenburg

Renault
11. Robert Kubica
12. Jacques Villeneuve*

Force India
14. Adrian Sutil
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi

Toro Rosso
16. Sébastien Buemi
17. Jaime Alguersuari*

Lotus
18. Jarno Trulli
19. Heikki Kovalainen

Campos Meta
20. Bruno Senna
21.

USF1
22. José María López*
23. TBA

Virgin
24. Lucas di Grassi
25. Timo Glock

Sauber
26. TBA
27. TBA

*Rumoured

Family guys

My latest story for Red Bull about its NASCAR team:

With a gruelling 36-race season running from February to November, downtime is not something in abundance for anyone competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Once you get past the more than 10,000 miles of racing at 24 different tracks, hundreds of pitstops, and thousands of hours of travel and preparation time, there’s little time left for much else.

Anyone who doubts the dedication of NASCAR crew need only to hear about the drama that unfolded in the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota pit shortly after the team’s first stop for fuel and tyres in October’s NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Read more at: Red Bull International

World Motor Sport Council decisions on F1

F1 Stewards

A smaller permanent group of F1 Stewards will sit with experienced former F1 drivers to provide a permanent panel of three FIA stewards, together with one steward representing the National Sporting Authority, to deal with F1 at each Grand Prix.
There will no longer be a non-voting Chairman and each group of stewards will elect their own Chairman amongst themselves for each race. Utilising video and radio exchanges they should aim to reach decisions very efficiently.

The current observer programme for F1 stewards will continue, and training, distribution of decisions, and an annual meeting will be encouraged to raise the quality of decisions in this permanent group.

FIA F1 Ambassadors

An FIA F1 Ambassador will be appointed from the membership of the World Council for each event. The Ambassador will liaise with the National Sporting Authority (ASN) and organising team at the circuit. He will also meet with the ASN President, FIA VIP guests, Formula One Management, F1 Teams and other stakeholders and act as an Ambassador of FIA sport.

Points

Due to the expanded grid of 13 teams, and further to the recommendation of the F1 Commission, a new points system will be in place for the 2010 season.

It's official, Montreal is an F1 town again

The World Motor Sport Council approved the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar.

The Canadian Grand Priox is officially back on June 13.

14/3   Bahrain
28/3   Australia
4/4     Malaysia
18/4   China
9/5     Spain
16/5   Monaco
30/5   Turkey
13/6   Canada
27/6   Europe (Valencia)
11/7   Great Britain
25/7   Germany
1/8      Hungary
29/8    Belgium
12/9    Italy
26/9    Singapore
10/10  Japan
24/10  Korea*
7/11     Brazil
14/11   Abu Dhabi

*Subject to the homologation of the circuit

Danica Patrick to drive in both NASCAR, IndyCar

My latest column in the Globe and Mail:

The IndyCar Series may be about to lose its most marketable quantity, Danica Patrick, to NASCAR.

JR Motorsports announced Tuesday that the 27-year-old will race in NASCAR's season-opening weekend, participating in the Automobile Racing Club of America event at Daytona in February. She will also drive in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series, although no dates were announced.

“It's been a long time coming,” she said of her NASCAR deal. “I have always said I love to drive, and if I could make it work to race in both IndyCar and NASCAR with the right sponsor ... then I'd love to drive in NASCAR.”

More at: Globe Drive