“This is the place where I want to race,” Sadler said. “I think what we are building here is special and something other drivers and crew members envy.” Yahoo! Sports

Robert Doornbos hoping for  Indy 500 ride  Robert Doornbos, who became an instant star in his rookie Champ Car season last year writes, "My management is still in talks with IndyCar teams to compete in the Indy 500 and maybe to do all the remaining races this season. For me it's important to get into a team where we also have good chances to score in the long term (2009). So keep your fingers crossed a little longer!"

4/24/08 Will Truex leave DEI?
If free agent-to-be Martin Truex Jr. is considering employment with another team, the next two months should help him make up his mind.

His performance to date has been much better than in the first eight races of last year. If Truex decides to bolt, Richard Childress Racing’s new fourth car would be a step up. Truex is a good qualifier and probably wouldn’t sweat too much over the first five races of next season, when he would have to qualify solely on time. Also, Truex would be joining an organization whose current drivers rank among the top eight in points. If Truex’s cars don’t measure up to his expectations during these next two months, the decision to leave will become that much easier. And it would leave DEI without any full-time premier drivers. NASCAR.com

PCM team owner Tyler Tadevic joined Mario Dominguez and representatives of the Mexico City Tourism Board at a press conference in Mexico City this morning.  Mexico City’s Vice Minister of Tourism, Flavio Abed commented on the program, “For the city of Mexico City, this motorsports project represents an extraordinary opportunity to promote another face of our city and to show the world everything this great city has to offer.  Mexico City is one of the more important destinations in Latin America, not only for business, but also for pleasure.  Mexico City is rich with history and features beautiful parks, theatres, museums and cultural destinations.  Mario is very important to this city and we are excited to promote our city to the IndyCar audience through this program.”

Formed in the fall of 2002, PCM joins the IndyCar Series from the Champ Car World Series. 

The German is currently impressing for Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull's B-team, and has been tipped for bigger things.

And Marko told admits it is likely the 20-year-old will be driving for Red Bull by the time the next season starts.

He told Autosport: "I think so, yes.

"He's a special one and he is very developed for his age. He can be very aggressive in the car but he's also technical and well trained.

"Red Bull has been with him for eight years and we have a contract for another couple of years."

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost also had nothing but praise for Vettel.

"He is one of the best young drivers so far," he told Autosport.

Red Bull confirms Allmendinger relacement: Red Bull Racing Team has confirmed that veteran NASCAR driver Mike Skinner will temporarily replace AJ Allmendinger in the No. 84 Red Bull Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series effective this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Skinner, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, currently races full-time in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra. 

"We’re at a crossroads where we need to make a change that will elevate the No. 84 team to success,” said VP and General Manager Jay Frye. “AJ’s our guy and he’s a talented driver, but there’s a lot being asked of him. In order for him to be successful, we have to get this team pointed in the right direction. We hope we can do that with the help of a veteran driver.”

Skinner’s history with Red Bull Racing Team dates back to 2006 when he served as a test driver for the team.  Skinner’s history with Allmendinger also dates back to 2006, when he mentored teammate Allmendinger during the rookie’s part-time ride with Bill Davis Racing NCTS team.  Frye hopes with the help of Skinner, that RBRT will have the program turned around and the ride returned to Allmendinger in no time.

   AJ Allmendinger, No. 84 Red Bull Driver: “Let’s not kid ourselves; I’m a racer and I want to be racing, but I get the big picture here and obviously we need to improve our program. Do I want to be out of the car? No. But, I know Skinner can help both me and my team. All I can say is he better be prepared for me to eat, drink, and sleep with him. Ok, well maybe not the sleeping part, but I’m ready to attach myself to him and learn everything I can.”

   Mike Skinner, Substitute No. 84 Driver: “The first time I ever met AJ, I took an immediate liking to him. He’s not just a great personality; he also has a remarkable amount of talent. He took on a huge challenge jumping into stock cars last year, and I’m glad I can be the one to help him and his team figure out where the glitches are in their program.  This is a positive thing for AJ as a learning experience, for the Red Bull Racing Team to get back on track, and for me to have the opportunity to help another Toyota team that has great equipment and potential.”

Red Bull to remove Allmendinger  Red Bull Racing is considering temporarily pulling A.J. Allmendinger from his Toyota as it reevaluates that struggling program.  Allmendinger failed to qualify for Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, making him 0-for-3 on the season. In contrast, teammate Brian Vickers has made all three races in the other Red Bull car.

"We can't keep missing races. It's just not an option," said general manager Jay Frye, hired in January to turn around the second-year Red Bull program. More at SI.com

Thanks to all the fans who supported us over the years!

Forsythe Racing out of merger - Paul Tracy without a ride
You heard it here first, Gerald Forsythe has told Tony George his team will not be moving to the IRL, leaving Paul Tracy, Champ Car's best known star, without a ride for the merged series. This would bring the number of cars down to 6-8 cars moving to the IRL. Will Tony George step in to entice Forsythe, or another team to run PT?

“A hundred could be life-threatening to our team,” Gordon said before Friday’s first practice. “If this sticks I don’t know what our plan will be. I think [IRL and CART are] back together, and I think I can drive one of those cars.”

Still unknown (waiting on official word from Indy Car) is how the Long Beach GP will be ran. Speculation is that officials for the race in Motegi, Japan were not willing to move their race, meaning that both races (sanctioned by Indy Car) will be ran on the same weekend, with Champ Car teams running their Panoz Champ Car's at Long Beach, but still receiving full Indy Car points as the Indy Car's in Japan.

The highly popular Toronto GP is also left in the dark for 08 as it's race date is the same as the sparsely attended Watkins Glen. Speculation is that Toronto is desired by the IndyCar series for 2009 or maybe even offering a different weekend of 2008? The Cleveland GP is also missing from the schedule with no speculation at this point on it's long term future. The Cleveland GP is another highly successful race with 26 years of competition.

Keep an eye out for more details in the coming days.

George will talk with officials at Twin Ring Motegi about moving their Indy-car race from April 20 to allow the Long Beach Champ-car Grand Prix to be staged that weekend as scheduled as part of a Indy-Champ series merger.  more at Yahoo Sports

As part of the agreement, Gordon will field Dodges instead of Fords this season. Gordon will also use GEM-produced engines. Yahoo Sports.

Bill Elliott to drive Wood Brothers #21 at Daytona  Bill Elliott will drive the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 at Daytona before eventually turning the team’s entry over to Marcos Ambrose and Jon Wood for most of the races.

“I’d just as soon run a good bit at the start and then let Ambrose and Jon run as time goes on here,” said Elliott, the 1988 Winston Cup champion. “I kind of like that plan. Let’s get started and run a little bit. Really, it’s a perfect world for me, and I can’t argue with it.”

Having won the Daytona 500 in 1985 and ‘87, Elliott said, “It’s exciting to be a part of the history of this race track. … Daytona is what stock-car racing is, and there are no ifs, ands or buts.”

NASCAR likely to change gear rule before Daytona 500  NASCAR is still evaluating data, but it looks as if there likely will be a change in the gear rule when competitors return in February. Teams currently have a choice of a 370 gear or a 375 gear, but their RPMs are above what NASCAR is looking for.

A change in gear - likely a 364 gear - would reduce RPM. That would make the engines more durable. It could even make the cars faster.

"If we change the rule, we won't do it officially until all of testing is completed," NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said Wednesday during testing. "I think all of the teams are already anticipating a change. I know a lot of teams last week tried a 364 gear and a lot of teams here have got 364s in."

NASCAR would like to keep the RPMs below 9,000, Darby said. Darby said no one has reached 9,000 RPM.

"We're getting too close to that," Darby said. "The key to it is if 10 cars are drafting and they see 8900, when we put 43 out, they're going to be over 9000."

Darby said NASCAR is fine with the overall speeds, which have hit 188 mph in drafting.  Scenedaily.com

"I'd be very disappointed if we don't win at least four, to be honest," he said. "I mean, I just look at the races that we had problems with last year, and we were running in the top three and in contention. That's the biggest thing in this sport, is you've got to put yourself in contention and anything can happen in any of these races. That's all we've got to do. We've got to make the right calls and be in the right position at the end of races and we can win those races.

Martin and DEI announces '08 schedule  Mark Martin will race in 26 Sprint Cup events in 2008, including 24 point races and two non-point events. Martin will kick off the 2008 season and his tenure in the No. 8 U.S. Army/Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet with his record-extending 20th-consecutive Budweiser Shootout. Highlights of Martin’s 2008 schedule include the 50th running of the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and Sprint Cup All-Star event.

Martin will share the No. 8 ride with rookie Aric Almirola, who will run the remaining 12 events in the car. Martin will enter in the first four point races of the season before handing the wheel over to Almirola at Bristol (March 16) and Martinsville (March 30).

Kenny Siwieck comes over from Newman/Haas/Lanigan. Neil Micklewright will no longer have direct involvement with Tracy's car, but will oversee the teams 2nd car and possibly a 3rd entry.

Sam Hornish locked in to start season  Sam Hornish (who failed to qualify for almost all races he attempted at the end last season, will enjoy being locked in the field for the first 5 races. Hornish can thank Kurt Busch as the team has been allowed by Nascar to transfer car owner points from Busch to Hornish. For those who disagree with the 35 & 8 rule, this only increases the criticism of a system that renders qualifying almost meaningless and makes running a new or lesser funded team almost impossible.