THE LINE

July 29, 2009

Michael Schumacher. In a stunning announcement by Ferrari, the BBC is reporting that Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion, 40, retired since the end of the 2006 season, has agreed to drive at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23rd as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa. The Brazilian fractured his skull in Hungarian GP qualifying and will probably be out for the rest of the year. Schumacher, still actively involved with the team and development of Ferrari road cars, said: "For team loyalty reasons I can't ignore this unfortunate situation." His spokesman Sabine Kehm told the BBC on Tuesday that although Schumacher was not willing to make a full-time return to F1 he would not rule out standing in for Massa. "It is true that the Formula 1 chapter has long been closed for me," Schumacher continued. "The most important thing first: thank God, all news concerning Felipe is positive, and I wish him all the best again. This afternoon I met with team principal Stefano Domenicali and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe. As the competitor I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge." The German racing legend has not driven an F1 car since April 2008 and now has just over three weeks to prepare for Valencia. Because of the ban on in-season testing, Schumacher will not be able to drive the 2009 specification Ferrari before the first practice session on Friday, August 21. "Ferrari intends to entrust Michael Schumacher with Felipe Massa's car for as long as the Brazilian driver is not able to race," a statement from the legendary Italian auto company said. Shumacher is close to Massa, and BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator David Croft believes Schumacher is coming back because of his close relationship with the Brazilian. "I think he's coming back because it is to replace Felipe Massa, temporarily. He is very close to Felipe, they've had a great relationship over the years," Croft told 5 Live. "I think it's his way of doing something to help Felipe, and doing something to help Ferrari at the same time, because if you look at the alternatives Ferrari had, they weren't really alternatives. "Who else is there who could come into Ferrari and hit the ground running, who knows the car, who knows the team, who could give them a podium? The European Grand Prix, which was not one we were looking forward to at the start of this year, has now got a real spice to it. Lewis Hamilton against Michael Schumacher for the first time ever? Jenson Button up against Michael Schumacher? How will Kimi Raikkonen respond? It's going to be fascinating." Indeed it is.

Will Power, Team Penske. The best guest driver in the business, WIll Power (No. 12 Penske Truck Rental Dallara/Honda/Firestone), captured his first IndyCar Series win in dominant style at the Rexall Edmonton Indy over Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske D/H/F). The Australian started from the pole and led 90 of the 95 laps run. "I'm very happy," Power said afterwards. "The Penske Racing crew did an incredible job. I'm really enjoying being a part of Penske Racing. I'm not stressed, I'm just taking it one race at a time and doing my best. I've got to thank Roger for the opportunity. Today was a great day." Scott Dixon (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing D/H/F), the 2008 race winner, finished third to retake the series championship points lead, and Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe (No. 6 Team Penske D/H/F) was fourth. Dario Franchitti (No. 10 Andretti Green Racing Vaseline D/H/F) finished fifth, and Canadian favorite Paul Tracy (No. 15 KV Racing Technology Edmonton Honda Dealers/woundedwarriors.ca D/H/F) wound up sixth after starting ninth. Tony Kanaan sustained burns on his thumbs and face during an ugly incident on his Lap 34 pit stop. The fuel hose remained open after the stop, splashing 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol onto the side of the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven D/H/F and Kanaan. The fuel ignited, with Kanaan scrambling to extricate himself from the car as Team Penske and Panther Racing crew members doused the car to retard the flames. Kanaan will be reevaluated by Indy Racing League medical personnel this week. "I have burns on my hands and face," Kanaan said. "In the next couple of days we will know the extent. I could be uglier than I am now. I am glad we are ok, it was a scary moment. I have to thank all the other teams, Penske, the Panther boys and everybody who came to rescue me. It's pretty remarkable and its shows the strength of the IndyCar family. We are competitors over the weekend but when somebody needed help I got it. I am glad I am OK. The fuel probe stayed open, it was open all the way even when the fueler pulled out. When he pulled out there was nothing we could do. It seems like nothing can go right this year." Next up for the IndyCar Series is the Meijer Indy 300 presented by Red Baron and Edy's at Kentucky Speedway Aug. 1. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 8 p.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com.

(Shawn Payne/IRL) 

Will Power celebrates his victory in Edmonton with his Penske crew.

(Steve Snoddy/IRL)
J. R. Hildebrand (No. 26 AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing ARPRO) leads from the pole (his fourth of the season) and would go on to take a flag-to-flag win in the Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Edmonton last Saturday afternoon. Rookie Richard Philippe (No. 37 Palm Beach International Raceway) finished second. With a third-place finish by teammate Sebastian Saavedra (No. 27 Andretti Green Racing/AFS Racing Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc.), Hildebrand increased his lead in the championship points standings from 51 to 69 heading to the Kentucky Speedway oval on Aug. 1.

(Jim Haines/IRL)
Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet) dominated the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard after taking the lead from Mark Martin (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports CARQUEST/Kellogg’s Chevrolet) on Lap 5 and lost the lead only twice during pit stops until Lap 124, when he was penalized by NASCAR with a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pits. He dropped to 12th for the restart and ended up finishing 11th. Montoya’s dominance was similar to his 2000 Indianapolis 500 win, when he led 167 of that race’s 200 laps. Montoya led three times for a race-high 116 laps last Sunday, including a race record-setting 59 consecutive laps from Lap 34-92. “Actually, it reminded me of the last time I led here,” Montoya said. “It was kind of easy, to be honest. I was cruising. I was super fast.” But it was not to be. Instead, Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe’s Chevrolet) and his team became the first team to win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard two years in a row. Johnson now has three wins in Indy's NASCAR extravaganza, one shy of event record holder and teammate Jeff Gordon, who finished ninth. Martin pulled from more than .7 of a second behind Johnson on Lap 154 to almost Johnson’s bumper as they took the white flag on Lap 160. “I hope the fans enjoyed that race,” said Johnson. “I can’t say enough about this race team and all of Hendrick Motorsports and that battle with my teammate Mark Martin. Damn, he was fast. For an old guy. Those last 15 to 20 laps, man, we had to drive it so hard to stay ahead of the 5. I was better in (Turns) 3 and 4, and he was better in 1 and 2. It was kind of a give-and-take thing going on.” The only time Johnson led was for the final 24 laps, and his average speed was 145.882 mph. He won $448,001, his share of the $9,598,268 race purse. Two-time Brickyard winner and current Sprint Cup Series points leader Tony Stewart finished third in his No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet. We'll leave the last thoughts to Montoya: “It kind of sucks, but it is what it is. I thought I wasn’t speeding. I was on the lights every time. We haven’t had to deal with that before. Once it happens, you can’t change it. It’s pretty frustrating."

(Mark Weber/SCCA)
Randy Pobst (No. 1 K-PAX/3R Racing Volvo S60), of Gainesville, Ga., leading Brian Kubinski (No. 12 Trim-Tex Drywall Products Chevrolet Corvette) on his way to winning the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Grand Prix at Autobahn Presented by Blackdog Speed Shop Sunday. Kubinski ended up third, while Brandon Davis (No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions Ford Mustang Cobra) finished second, 1.793-seconds behind Pobst, who averaged 67.295 mph over the 50-minute time-limited, 16-lap, 56.96-mile race after a major incident at the beginning caused all sorts of chaos. It was Pobst's first win of 2009 at the first-time venue. Davis extended his World Challenge GT Drivers’ Championship lead, with 598 to James Sofronas’ 555. Andy Pilgrim remains third, with 539, followed by Tony Rivera (537) and now Pobst, with 483. Ford closed on Porsche in the Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine. Porsche now leads by seven (38-31). Volvo moved in to third, with 27, followed by Chevrolet (21) and Dodge (15). This race will air Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 2 p.m. (EDT). Next up is Mid-Ohio for Round Seven, Aug. 7-9.

(Mark Weber/SCCA)
Jason Saini (No. 74 MAZDASPEED/Stoptech/ProParts MAZDA6), of Fort Worth, Texas, led from the pole to take his second SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car win of the season in the Grand Prix at Autobahn Presented by Mazda. Peter Cunningham (No. 1 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX ), of Milwaukee, Wis., and Pierre Kleinubing (No. 42 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX), of Coconut Creek, Fla., completed the top three. Saini cruised to a 1.149-second victory in the 17-lap, 60.52-mile race, averaging 74.679 mph for his third career win, the second of 2009. Saini now has a 52-point lead (613 to 561) over Cunningham, followed by Kleinubing (557), Seth Thomas (529) and Kuno Wittmer (517). Behind Acura by eight points just two races ago, Mazda has now tied its rival atop the World Challenge Touring Car Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine, with 43 apiece. BMW is third, with 24. This race can be seen on SPEED, Aug. 18 at 2 p.m. (EDT). Next up is Mid-Ohio for Round Seven, Aug. 7-9.

(SCCA/Mark Weber)
Todd Lamb (No. 84 AMG/Traqmate/Luna-C Racing MX-5), of Atlanta, Ga., dominated Round Six of the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup handily and set a new series record by winning his fifth race in a row. Lamb won the 15-lap, 53.4-mile race by 2.124 seconds, averaging 76.346 mph, with Joliet, Ill., driver Zach Ply (No. 27 Team MER/Insight Beverage Co. MX-5 ), and Marc Miller (No. 28 Team MER/MOCA/RaceNowforAutism MX-5), of Holland, Mich., completed the podium at Autobahn Country Club, site of the Harrah’s Autobahn Grand Prix Presented by Mazda. Next up is Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, for Round Seven, Aug. 14–16.

Alabama Racing Fans. The IndyCar Series and Barber Motorsports Park have announced a three-year partnership that will bring the "Indy Grand Prix of Alabama" to the facility outside of Birmingham beginning April 9-11, 2010.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Allstate is ending its sponsorship of the stock car extravaganza at The Speedway, which instantly eliminates one of the most cumbersome and irksome race titles in the sport. Hey, we have an excellent idea, why not just call it The Brickyard 400 and be done with it?

(ALMS)
Peugeot confirmed that it will send two of its beautiful diesel-powered Peugeot 908 prototype racers - the reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans champions - to compete in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on Saturday, September 26. This has fueled even more speculation that the Audi R10 TDI prototype team will be returning for the Petit Le Mans too. The race is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. EDT at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta layout. Pedro Lamy, Nic Minassian, Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin will make up the driving lineup for Peugeot. Tickets for the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 are available by calling (800) 849-RACE or online at roadatlanta.com.

Formula 1. This is just the opening salvo in what could be serious trouble for F1. All of Max and Bernie's shenanigans had to catch up to them eventually. We expect BMW's pullout of F1 at the end of this season to be just the beginning as manufacturers scramble to meet increasingly severe environmental demands. Here's what BMW had to say in a statement released today: The BMW Group will not continue its Formula One 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.

(Ford Racing Photo)
Publisher's Note: This facsimile of the "Mustang" will be Ford's official new racing look in the NASCAR Nationwide Series when it begins a limited rollout of its new car in 2010. Readers of this site know that I have long advocated that NASCAR get rid of their clown cars (aka the dreaded "CoT") and stuff all of that developed technology for the CoT into stock dimension "pony" cars (Camaro, Challenger, Mustang & the Toyota du jour) for the Sprint Cup series. This would 1. Bring manufacturer recognition - and fan interest - back to the sport, and 2. Reestablish at least a vague connection to the production vehicles that these manufacturers actually sell in their showrooms. This attempt by Ford to approach that notion is somewhat laudable - and bringing the Mustang name back into a higher-visibility presence in racing is a good thing - but the reality is that this funny looking "Mustang" is no more a Mustang than the "Fusion" CoT Ford teams use in Sprint Cup is a Fusion. In other words, not even remotely close. Will the day come when these manufacturers really force NASCAR to put the "stock" back into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing? The short answer? Notgonnahappen.com, because no one at these manufacturers has the cojones to do it. - PMD

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