Kawasaki joins forces with Monster Energy

The Kawasaki Racing Team is excited to announce that it will be joining forces with the meanest energy drink on the planet, Monster Energy, for its assault on the 2008 and 2009 MotoGP World Championships. One of the two leading energy drink brands in the United States, Monster Energy has an undoubted passion for racing, with involvement in many motorsport activities worldwide. The partnership with Kawasaki in MotoGP, the pinnacle of two-wheeled motorsport, is a natural progression for Monster Energy, as they look to expand into the European market following their successful collaboration with Kawasaki's factory road racing and motocross teams in America.

It's an exciting start to a new era for the Kawasaki Racing Team. The two-year partnership with Monster Energy marks the first time that a major consumer brand has appeared on the side of Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machines since the Japanese engineering powerhouse returned to the premier class six years ago, after an absence of more than two decades.

The Kawasaki Racing Team's new livery, complete with Monster Energy branding, will be unveiled for the first time during pre-season testing in Phillip Island, Australia on 29 January, when riders, John Hopkins and Anthony West, continue their build up to the 2008 MotoGP season.


Yoshio Kawamura: Managing Director, Kawasaki Motors Racing B.V.
The partnership with Monster Energy is another important indicator that Kawasaki are now regarded as a real contender in the MotoGP World Championship, and not just in the racing paddock. The fact that we've been able to attract a leading, non-industry consumer brand to the team, and that Monster Energy will use their association with Kawasaki to spearhead their move into the European market, shows just how much progress we've made as a manufacturer since returning to the premier class in 2002. Monster Energy have had an incredibly successful partnership with Kawasaki in the United States, and we are looking forward to equal success as we take the same collaboration onto the world stage over the next two years.

Michael Bartholemy: Competition Manager, Kawasaki Motors Racing B.V.
If we've learnt one thing about Monster Energy since we started talking to them about this partnership it is that they share the same passion for racing that is endemic in Kawasaki. And, of course, they have the same affinity for lime green; I guess you could say it's a perfect match. This is a major departure for the Kawasaki Racing Team, as the partnership with Monster Energy over the next two seasons will mean for the first time Kawasaki will feature an outside industry sponsor on the side of our Ninja ZX-RR machines. We have made big steps forward over the past 12 months, which is what attracted Monster Energy to Kawasaki in the first place, and I hope that if we can continue this forward momentum through the 2008 season then we will be able to persuade them to make the step up to title sponsor for 2009.

John Lee: Director of Sports Marketing, Monster Beverage Company
Monster Energy enjoyed its first foray into the world of MotoGP this past season with John Hopkins and we were very pleased with the feedback we received – especially on an international basis. We view MotoGP as the two-wheel equivalent to Formula One and Monster Energy’s action sports marketing philosophy was built on a motorcycle racing foundation, particularly in American motocross and Monster Energy AMA Supercross. As we move forward with our international marketing efforts, involvement with MotoGP was a logical decision for us and we’re looking forward to following Hopper’s spectacular rides aboard the Monster Energy branded Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR machines.

Scott Sepkovic: Monster Beverage Company
Monster Energy views MotoGP as the pinnacle of two-wheel motorsports. That said, it’s a highly important platform for building the Monster Energy brand. Monster Energy is poised to take on the global energy drink market and what better way to place ourselves than with the Kawasaki Racing Team in MotoGP.

Source: highrevs.net

Loeb clinches record Monte Carlo win

Sebastien Loeb has become the most successful driver in Monte Carlo Rally history by clinching a record fifth win on the event.

The result is the perfect start to Loeb's bid for a fifth consecutive World Rally Championship title.

The Frenchman led from the second stage of the rally on Thursday evening - overcoming an early charge from his Citroen teammate Dani Sordo and then pulling away.

When Sordo retired from second with engine problems on Saturday, Loeb was left with an enormous margin over second-placed Mikko Hirvonen (Ford), ultimately winning by two minutes and 34 seconds.

"For sure it's a great weekend for us to win here again," Loeb said. "It's a big, big victory.

"We had a very good lead, we were faster than everybody on the whole rally. But last year it was the same and the rest of the season was a lot more complicated."

Hirvonen was disappointed with his form in the Thursday evening stages and settled for a points-gathering second once it became clear that Loeb was unstoppable. Well aware of Loeb's Monte Carlo reputation, Hirvonen was content to begin his year as Ford's number one with a runner-up finish.

"Of course when you start the season you hope you can fight for the win," Hirvonen said. "But we saw quite early in the rally that the Citroens were going to be really fast so this is definitely a fantastic result for me."

The main excitement in the rally was Chris Atkinson and Francois Duval's weekend-long contest for what became third place. Subaru driver Atkinson was ahead throughout, but Duval - returning to the series for what could be a one-off appearance with Stobart Ford - closed inexorably and was just 1.1 seconds behind going into the rally-ending Monte Carlo street stage.

The duo then set absolutely identical times in the superspecial, allowing Atkinson to clinch the second podium finish of his WRC career, and Subaru's first since Greece last year.

"It's cool, amazing," said Atkinson. "It's been a few years and it's good to be back on the podium. My first tarmac podium, too.

"I hoped for a top five coming into the rally, and I expected guys like Francois and Gigi (Galli) to do well. Duval had me on my toes, and it was tough."

Atkinson's teammate Petter Solberg completed a promising season-opener for Subaru by taking fifth place.

Returnee Gigi Galli improved his pace throughout his debut event for Stobart Ford and fended off a mid-rally challenge from French privateer Jean-Marie Cuoq to take sixth position.

The final point went to Junior champion PG Andersson on his first appearance in the new Suzuki SX4 WRC. Although both Andersson and teammate Toni Gardemeister had mechanical problems with their cars at times during the weekend, a trouble-free Saturday allowed Andersson to show the SX4's full potential with a charge from outside the top ten to eighth, where he would remain.

Gardemeister had briefly held eighth earlier in the rally and looked set to at least recover to ninth before an overheating engine forced him out late on Saturday.

Stobart Ford's Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson completed the top ten, with Sordo and works Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala using the superally system to take 11th and 12th.

Latvala had a difficult debut for the factory Ford squad - clipping a wall and puncturing a tyre in the very first stage. He lost four minutes in that incident, then dropped more time with hydraulics problems before damaging his suspension and having to retire from day three.

Works-assisted Citroen driver Conrad Rautenbach had an even more troubled start to his season. The Junior series graduate crashed in both the first and last stages of the rally - spinning into the barriers at the final corner of the Monaco street course while heading for 21st place.

Leading results:

Pos  Driver     Car      Time
1.  Loeb       Citroen  3h39:17.0
2.  Hirvonen   Ford     +  2:34.4
3.  Atkinson   Subaru   +  2:58.6
4.  Duval      Ford     +  2:59.7
5.  P Solberg  Subaru   +  4:40.9
6.  Galli      Ford     +  8:46.5
7.  Cuoq       Peugeot  + 10:24.8
8.  Andersson  Suzuki   + 11:19.5
9.  H Solberg  Ford     + 12:43.6
10.  Wilson     Ford     + 14:00.1

Source: autosport.com

Ganassi closing on Rolex 24 win

Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas are closing on victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, after the rival No.6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley had to pit from the lead with a mechanical problem.

With less than three an a half hours remaining, the No.6 car driven by Burt Friselle started smoking heavily when approaching the chicane on the backstraight. The car had experienced a bell-housing failure that forced MSR into a long pitstop in their garage.

Montoya was running second at the time after a pitstop for fuel and tyres had put his Ganassi team behind the No.6 car. The Colombian was closing the gap on the leaders before the incident and now enjoys a healthy lead of over four laps to the No. 99 Bob Stallings Pontiac Riley, which has Grand-Am series co-champion Alex Gurney at the wheel.

"It looks pretty good," Montoya said after his last driving stint, which had lasted for nearly three hours.

"It was getting a little hot. We had a five-lap lead, so we decided just to back off and bring the car home. We've got enough of a lead, we can just cruise along.

"I don't even want to think about winning. We're doing good and everything is going our way. Until the fat lady sings, it's not over."

If the No.1 Ganassi car can hold on to the lead, it will be the team's third consecutive Daytona 24 Hours victory - a new record for the event. It will also be a second consecutive Rolex 24 win for Montoya and Pruett, who shared their car with Salvador Duran last year.

The No.9 Penske-Taylor Pontiac Riley is up to third place, having faced overheating issues in the early hours of Sunday. It is currently running seven laps behind the leaders and on the same lap as the No.76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley of Nic Jonsson, Ricardo Zonta and Darren Turner.

Raphael Matos continues to consolidate the GT class lead with his No.70 Speedsource Mazda RX-8 and enjoys a four-lap gap to the No.66 TRG Porsche GT3.

Both cars currently round up the top ten on the overall leaderboard with less than two hours of racing left before the chequered flag.

Source: autosport.com

Pedrosa hoping to return soon

Dani Pedrosa is hoping to return to MotoGP action soon, but the Spanish rider admitted his main priority right now is to recover well from his injury.

The Repsol Honda driver underwent surgery on Wednesday following his accident during testing at the Sepang circuit, where he broke his hand when he lost control of his bike.

If everything goes well, doctors expect Pedrosa to be able to ride again in three weeks, but the Spaniard says he wants to make sure he is perfectly recovered before he's back in action.

"The injury is obviously more important," Pedrosa told a news conference. "We don't know exactly when I will be able to ride again, but I want to recover and I have hopes that I'll be okay soon.

"Doctor Mir and his team, as everybody knows, are excellent professionals and that will make my recovery easier.

"I won't force (my return) in order to avoid problems at the start of the championship. My hand is more important than the bike right now, and I need to recover well because I can't change that.

"The bike's progress is halted for me, but that's not important."

Pedrosa said the fall was not his fault, and he reckons something failed in his bike.

"There was something on the bike that failed. It was a quick fall and there was no reason for me to fall. I simply touched the brake and I went down. The mechanics are looking at what happened."

Source: autosport.com

New Impreza debuts in Monte Carlo!

All Subaru fans awake now? No, the works drivers still have to wait for their new WRCar. But it is true. Swiss privateer Olivier Burri makes the surprise perfect turning up at Rallye Monte Carlo 2008 tests with a new "GE" generation Subaru Impreza WRX!

This is the groupN version of the new car. But still a surprise. On last year’s Rally Japan we saw both groupN dominators showing us new cars, when the new generation Subaru Impreza (GE) WRX-Type RA STI N14 as well as the new generation Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX were driving the stages as course opening cars.

Though Olivier Burri at Monte Carlo 2008 is definitely the World Rally competition debut of the new shape Impreza!

Olivier Burri is a rally icon maybe lesser known outside Switzerland, but a Rallye Monte Carlo expert nevertheless. He finished in the top10 overall of the Rallye Monte Carlo no less than 4 times: 1993 = 7th in a Ford Sapphire Cosworth 4x4 groupA; 1997 = 7th again in a Subaru Impreza 555 groupA, 2000 = 8th in a Toyota Corolla WRC and 2004 = 8th again in a Subaru Impreza WRC03. His strongest showing was probably 2002, when he was setting 5th and 6th fastest times in a Peugeot 206 WRC until a minor elctrical fault sidelined him.

For all this it seemed surprising for 2008 Olivier Burri entered in a groupN car, but now it turns out the competition debut of the new shape Impreza will be to his credit.

As far as Subaru goes, maybe on this event there is no real benchmark. Rallye Monte Carlo 2008 not being a round to the PWRC, nor the JWRC, and also looking through the entry list, there seems no real competition to compare the new car to.

It's a Subaru hatchback of course, but it is really hard to tell when was the last time a Subaru hatchback has been rallied at World level. Subaru’s first try at the Rallye Monte Carlo was when Shekhar Mehta started in 1984 with a 1st generation Leone Coupé model. Though the result was a disappointing 14th place, being beaten by many 2WD cars in snow. We further note that on the 1993 Safari Rally the Japanese STI arm of the Subaru works team started with 3 tiny, supercharged 600cc Vivio fleas. Probably the last time a Subaru hatchback – in the far sense – started at World level, was when local Patrick Njiru retired early with engine failure in the Safari Rally 1997 in a somewhat curious choice: a Subaru Impreza Wagon (Estate)!

Source: rallye-info.com

Loeb on course for record victory

Sebastien Loeb moved closer to a record fifth Monte Carlo Rally win by establishing a lead of over two minutes during the penultimate leg of the event.

With his Citroen teammate - and only realistic challenger - Dani Sordo having retired with an engine problem in SS11 this morning, Loeb was able to take a relaxed approach to this afternoon's loop. Despite having no need to push, he still won two of this afternoon's three stages.

"It's really good," said Loeb. "I tried to drive very fast all day, but not to take too many risks in some places. I just tried to have fun in the stages.

"The stages are really nice, there's a great atmosphere. It's perfect."

Sordo's retirement also allowed Mikko Hirvonen to back off. The Ford driver had been frustrated by his inability to catch the second-placed Spaniard, but inherited the position once Sordo stopped. With no chance of catching Loeb and a comfortable margin over the rest of the field, Hirvonen has switched to conservative mode for the rest of the event.

"Sebastien's far away and Chris (Atkinson) is quite far behind, so I can just cruise and have a look at how they're doing," he said.

Hirvonen's Ford teammate Jari-Matti Latvala's troubled rally got even worse when he stopped with suspension damage in SS12 and had to retire from the leg. Latvala was already running nine minutes off the pace at the foot of the top ten having lost time with a puncture on the opening evening and then hydraulic problems this morning.

Although the lead battle appears settled, there is still a close contest for the final podium spot - although Atkinson (Subaru) did his best to break the pursuing Francois Duval's challenge by putting on a charge through this afternoon's loop.

Atkinson won stage 12 and will take a 20-second cushion over the Stobart Ford driver going into the deciding day.

"Twenty seconds is quite a lot for tomorrow," Duval admitted. "But today was not so bad, some very good times in fact."

Atkinson's Subaru teammate Petter Solberg remains a lonely sixth, with Gigi Galli (Stobart Ford) now more secure in seventh after easing clear of Peugeot 307 privateer Jean-Marie Cuoq.

"This morning apart, when I was slipping, everything is going okay," Galli said. "We're trying to enjoy the car and get to know him."

Suzuki are enjoying an extremely promising start to their first full season with the SX4 WRC, with drivers PG Andersson and Toni Gardemeister ending day

three in eighth and tenth positions, having each set top six stage times during the leg.

"A very good day - six perfect stages without any problems and very good times," Andersson said. "We're very pleased."

After being delayed by myriad technical problems in the first half of the rally, Gardemeister made great progress this afternoon and looked set to overhaul Henning Solberg (Stobart Ford) for ninth by the final stage.

However concern over rising engine temperatures encouraged him to back off, leaving the Suzuki six seconds behind Solberg.

Leading positions after day three:

Pos  Driver        Car      Time
1.  Loeb          Citroen  2h50:38.8
2.  Hirvonen      Ford     +  2:10.6
3.  Atkinson      Subaru   +  3:02.6
4.  Duval         Ford     +  3:22.7
5.  P Solberg     Subaru   +  4:11.8
6.  Galli         Ford     +  7:39.7
7.  Cuoq          Peugeot  +  8:19.7
8.  Andersson     Suzuki   +  9:31.8
9.  H Solberg     Ford     + 11:17.0
10.  Gardemeister  Suzuki   + 11:23.4



Source: autosport.com

SX4 sets top ten times on Friday

At the end of Suzuki’s first full day of World Championship rallying, both cars are safely at the finish with some valuable lessons learned for the future. The SX4 WRC has again set top 10 times today, with P-G Andersson finishing 11th overall and Toni Gardemeister 14th.

Andersson had a clean run throughout the day, although he encountered a small gear selection
problem in the morning and also stalled at the start of SS5. Gardemeister’s progress was not quite so straightforward, as he had to cope with a loss of boost pressure in the morning (which was fixed by the Suzuki mechanics at midday service in Valence) and then a lack of engine response in the afternoon.

Today’s roads were mostly dry, with only a few damp places and a number of flat-out sections that pushed drivers and cars to the limit. In these rapid conditions, the Suzuki SX4 WRC proved itself capable of setting top 10 stage times once more, underlining its clear potential for a points finish on its debut.

Car news – Suzuki SX4 WRC n.11 (Gardemeister), n.12 (Andersson):

Gardemeister had limited turbo boost throughout all three of the morning’s stages, which held him back on the tricky mountain roads – especially during the long uphill sections. The Suzuki mechanics traced it to a small electrical problem at service, but the Finn then suffered an unrelated problem in the afternoon that affected the engine response.

Andersson left service four minutes late this morning as a result of some differential adjustments, which led to a 40-second road penalty. However, he had no real problems at all throughout the rest of the day and made excellent progress on what is only his first-ever World Championship event in a World Rally Car.

Driver news:
Toni Gardemeister: “We had a few issues today but nothing major: it’s already clear that we have a lot of potential so I’m happy and I know where we can improve. I’m actually surprised by how quick we have been already when things are working well. There’s a very long way still to go on this rally, so tonight we will get the car back to perfect order and see what we can do: tomorrow’s stages are very nice. ”

P-G Andersson: “Today has been very good for us, as we’ve had no real problems and we’ve been able to set some good times. The encouraging thing is that we have already been able to go
quicker than some cars and drivers with more experience. I’m going to stick to a steady pace,
because the priority for me is to finish.”

Team news:
Osamu Honda, Suzuki Senior Managing Executive Officer: “At what is still the start of our first
event, we are finally living our dream in one of the toughest forms of motor sport. Competition is in Suzuki’s DNA, from motorbikes to cars. We are finding out of course that the top category of the World Rally Championship is extremely challenging, but competition like this is the best way for us to express our deep passion for our cars. Like the slogan says, for us it is a Way of Life!”

Source: rallye-info.com

Same race, different continent? - Chile offers to host Dakar Rally

The Chilean authorities will back a proposal to get the Dakar Rally to South America later on terrorist threats pushed the cancellation of the off-road endurance race traditionally arranged crosswise the Sahara desert.

The chief of the Chilean Tourism Service, Oscar Santelices, said a formal letter will be directed following week to the France-based rally organizer Amaury Sports Organization stating Chile's interest to host it.

Santelices assured local media, even so, that no financial support would be charged.

Chile's deputy sports minister, Jaime Pizarro, as well said the authorities would be interested because "the idea appears on the line with the official policy of hosting important international sports events."

The reaction in Chile came after the Spanish sports newspaper As reported that South America was being viewed instead to the African territory, and that the epic motorcycle, car and truck race, presented each year since 1979, may cross through Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

In Chile, the rally would go across the northern Atacama desert, the world's driest, where a local rally known as Patagonia-Atacama is staged annually.

Local media reported that over the Andes in Argentina, organizers of the annual Rally of the Pampas are as well interested in hosting a part from the Dakar Rally.

Carlo De Gavardo, a Chilean motorcycle rider who has competed in the Dakar Rally a few times, told a major advantage for South American lands hosting the rally is the security they offer in the territories where the race would be staged.

He said a conclusion on the new situation would probably be made in February, and that other likely choices are Australia, Russia and China.

Suzuki present 2008 livery

Barely a few weeks later on declaring their driver lineup for their first full season, the freshly Suzuki WRC team have nowadays presented their livery for the 2008 series. The more traditional Suzuki yellow features strongly here as contrary to the all-white livery in which the SX4 ran in Corsica and Wales last year.

Markko Martin signs as SWRT test driver

Markko Martin has signed as the official test driver for the Subaru World Rally Team, as the team intensifies its testing programme in preparation for the launch of its all-new Impreza World Rally Car.

The thirty-two year old Estonian, who won the Bettega Memorial Rally at the end of last year driving an SWRT entered Subaru Impreza WRC2007, has an arrangement that will see him responsible for the ongoing testing and development of Subaru’s freshly WRC competitor throughout 2008.
Martin’s first WRC event with the Subaru World Rally Team was Rally Australia in 2000, where he sat beside co-driver Michael Park. The duo contested nine issues with the team in 2001, with a best finish of 5th on Rally Finland. Martin owns a wealth of experience on which to draw, having competed on the world stage for Subaru and a few other top teams, and is excited about his comeback to a major role in the WRC with Subaru.

Markko Martin noticed: “For me it’s a great challenge that I am really looking forward to. Having been with the team before, it’s a privilege to come back and be able to help. I’m sure the team has changed a lot since 2001, but the colour is still the same!

“It is crucial for me to understand what the car needs to be, and to find the common language with the engineers. The trickiest bit is that before I was used to setting the car up for myself, but now I also have to remember that the car has to work for other drivers. I think that my own preference is quite neutral though so I hope it will more or less work for everybody.

“For sure there is pressure in this role. It’s clear that the new car has to be competitive, and I feel now a part of the team that has to perform. But that’s what I’m here for, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

SWRT Managing Director, Richard Taylor, added: “As a winner of five WRC events and having gained competitive experience in a wide range of World Rally Cars we are delighted to welcome Markko back to the Subaru World Rally Team and are confident that he will play a key role in the successful launch of the 2008 Impreza in a few months time. We look forward to working with Markko again and hope that this will be the beginning of a long term relationship.”

Ducati launch new bike in Italy

The Ducati team officially launched on Tuesday their new bike, the Desmosedici GP8, for the 2008 season.

World champion Casey Stoner, alongside new teammate Marco Melandri unveiled the new bike during the press ski meeting at Madonna di Campiglio.

The two riders broke an ice sculpture to reveal the new bike in its 2008 livery.

"This is such a wonderful event," said Stoner. "I'm happy to be here although it meant celebrating my first wedding anniversary on a flight from Australia!

"I'm happy to begin a new season with the same bike and the same team, it's a first for me since I started to race. The feeling is just perfect with everyone at Ducati: Claudio, Filippo, Livio and all of my team, I wouldn't change a thing.

"As for my bike, I haven't suggested any big changes either, because we already had such a competitive package.

"We are only going to work on a few details. Winning a World Championship has taken a big weight off my shoulders: all my parents' sacrifices, all the hard times in the past, it's all behind me now.

"This year, I'll continue to work in order to try and repeat my performance of last year and be even stronger and faster, but I'll be able to do that in a very different spirit."

Melandri, joining the team from the Honda Gresini squad, was delighted during his first official appearance as a Ducati rider.

"I feel great in red," said the Italian. "I'm so happy to have become part of the Ducati family. I'd dreamt of riding a Ducati ever since I first saw one. When I tried on my new leathers yesterday, I felt quite emotional.

"I'm aware of the big opportunity I have been given this year. It's not going to be easy, but it will be exciting and I'm ready to commit entirely to reward all those who wanted me to be here. I'm really impressed with how people work at Ducati. Although they've already achieved the greatest goal, winning the world championship, they have continued to work relentlessly.

"After my first tests, I gave feed-back to the engineers so that my bike could be adjusted to match my requirements and now, I can't wait to hit the track again to train for this season. As soon as we manage to fine-tune the bike we'll be very competitive."

source: autosport.com

Red Bull Air Race goes full speed ahead in 2008

In 2007, over four million people turned out to watch the Red Bull Air Race World Series where the world’s best pilots race through a low-level aerial slalom course, at speeds reaching 400 km/hr while pushing up to 10 Gs. The international motor sports championship is continually evolving and now into its fourth season, is set to become even more exciting and challenging.

The knock out format which proved so successful in 2007 will stay in place for the semi final and finals, but a new race format in 2008 will mean all twelve pilots will have the chance to show their skills on race day and they’ll be under pressure to achieve top results in each of the race sessions to ensure success.

Qualifying day will again take place the day before the race. Each pilot will compete in two qualifying sessions where the better results counts and determines the line up for race day.

The fastest eight pilots in qualifying will make it through to the ‘Super Eight’ round where they’ll be competing for a place in the semi finals. The last four pilots in qualifying will compete in the ‘Point One’ round where they will battle it out for one crucial World Series ranking point and an overall ninth place position in the race. Ranking points will be awarded to the top nine pilots, with the winner receiving a total of nine points.

Race day will kick off with the Point One round followed by the Super Eights. Racing straight after each other, the pilots will be going all out for the fastest time and least number of penalties in order to achieve the best position for the semi finals.

The fastest four from the Super Eight round will make it through to the semi finals. Timing and skill are crucial as the fastest pilot will gain the advantage of racing against the slowest pilot in the semis and the second fastest will take on the third fastest. Competing in knock out rounds, two pilots will be pitted against each other as they race individually against the clock.

The final will be a showdown between the fastest two in the semi finals. The slowest pilots from the semi finals will compete in the ‘3rd place fly-off’ to determine who else will make it to the podium.

The new race format will include all the elements to ensure nail-biting, non-stop action. Safety is paramount in the Red Bull Air Race and pilots will now only fly a maximum of three times.

“This improved race format fulfils the new safety requirements that were discovered throughout the 2007 season. Pilots will now fly a maximum of three flights per day to counteract the fatigue”, said Aviation Director Heinz Moeller. The race format in 2007 meant that some of the pilots ended up flying four times throughout the course of the day which can be extremely demanding on them.

“But the most exciting thing about this format is that the crowds will now get the chance to see all pilots perform on race day”, Moeller added.

source: redbullairrace.com

Security fears see Dakar cancelled

The Dakar Rally was cancelled on Saturday due to security concerns in Mauritania where four French tourists were killed last month, organisers said.
France-based Amaury Sport Organisation, in charge of the 6,000km rally, said in a statement they had been advised by the French government to cancel the race which was due to begin on Sunday from Lisbon. They said direct threats had also been made against the event by "terrorist organisations".

The race, originally known as Paris-Dakar, has been held uninterrupted since 1979 although stages have been cancelled in the past for safety reasons. "The organisers of the Dakar have taken the decision to cancel the 2008 edition of the rally scheduled from the 5th to the 20th of January between Lisbon and Senegal's capital," Amaury Sport said. "Based on the current international political tension and the murder of four French tourists, but also mainly the direct threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organisations, no other decision but the cancellation of the sporting event could be taken."

France warned the Dakar organisers on Friday against holding stages in Mauritania because it said "the terrorist risk" cannot be ruled out. Three attackers, who authorities suspect were linked to al Qaeda, gunned down four French tourists and injured a fifth as they enjoyed a Christmas Eve picnic by the roadside in the south of the country, near the border with Senegal.

Gunmen killed three soldiers three days later in the remote and sparsely populated north of the country, bordering Algeria and Morocco's breakaway territory of Western Sahara.

Serious blow

A spokesman for Mauritania's National Tourism Office, Hamady Samb Ba, played down France's concerns however. "It is a surprise," he said, before the race was cancelled." "It would deal a serious blow to the image of the country. Their concerns are unfounded."

The rally, one of the toughest and most dangerous challenges in motorsport, had been due to arrive in Mauritania on Jan. 11 with eight stages in that country until Jan. 19. Organisers cancelled two stages in Mali last year after French security services said participants risked being kidnapped or ambushed by Algerian rebels. Some 570 teams had registered for the 30th edition of the event with Mitsubishi seeking their eighth successive win in the car category.

Competitors included France's former downhill skiers Luc Alphand and Carolle Montillet, Olympic and world boxing champion Brahim Asloum and former Formula One drivers Tiago Monteiro of Portugal and Japan's Ukyo Katayama.

source: tvnz.co.nz