COT (Car-Of-Tomorrow/Today) Nets Big Rewards For Rookie

The Car of Tomorrow (CoT), sometimes called CoT or "Car of Today", is the car style for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Larger and boxier than the design it replaced, the Car of Tomorrow is safer, costs less to maintain, and makes for closer competition. /// The car was introduced in the 2007 Cup season at the Food City 500 on March 25 and ran a partial schedule of 16 races. The plan was to require all teams to use the new car in 2009, but NASCAR officials moved the date up to the 2008 season. Image Credit: NASCAR

COT (Car-Of-Tomorrow/Today) Nets Big Rewards For Rookie

This will be the real breakout year for the chassis design that is mandated for use by NASCAR.

Originally run as a test to standardize the chassis and outer skin of a NASCAR race platform back in 2007, 2008 was the first full year where the chassis was run at all tracks.

Standing at the precipice of the 2009 season, the green flag falls on the second full season using the COT this weekend, when NASCAR sets up shop on a 36-week run to November at the Daytona 500.

This is the year teams have all the knowledge of the car and because there are no real changes to the base chassis, attention is brought back to the performance of the drivers and teams. The COT delivers a lower cost chassis and allows new drivers to shine … especially if they are able to hook up with a seasoned and professional winning team.

Joey Logano, sitting in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota COT - Daytona 500 (Daytona International Speedway). Image Credit: Joe Gibbs Racing

This excerpted and edited from autosport.com -

Logano: Duel result earned respect
By Matt Beer, autosport.com - Saturday, February 14th 2009, 13:41 GMT

Teenage rookie Joey Logano believes he proved a point with his fourth place finish in Thursday's Gatorade Duel, and thinks other drivers will now be more willing to work with him during tomorrow's Daytona 500.

Logano has replaced double Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart at Joe Gibbs Racing this season, the 18-year-old having wowed NASCAR when he won the Kentucky Speedway Nationwide Series race last year.
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"I think we accomplished everything we needed to," said Logano. "Our main goal was to go out there and finish the race - that was more than we got in the Shootout.
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When asked if he felt he had now earned the experienced drivers' trust, Logano replied: "Yeah, I think I have a little bit. It's just going to take time.

"I think this run (in the Duel) helped, getting up there at the end helped a lot. But yeah, that stuff just takes time."

He said he did not necessarily expect the established drivers to help him in the draft yet.

"I understand if someone wouldn't, there's an excuse not to," said Logano. "But at the same time, I feel like I'm getting treated fairly. I'm not getting dumped out there or anything like that.

Pretty fair."
Reference Here>>

With the Car-Of-Tomorrow running on a restrictor plate, a device that slows engines down from 900 horsepower to around 450, overall speeds at Daytona will be limited.

As a result, the 43-car field will run in tight formations along Daytona's 2.4 mile high-banked oval. Drafting will be at a premium and this is where a young driver can shine if he is able to tuck in with the right “partners”.

Welcome to this first real breakout year for the Car-Of-Tomorrow/Today!

... notes from The EDJE

F1 - Clarification Of A Diffusing Situation

Combination image featuring the AT&T Williams FW31 and the Panasonic Toyota TF109 at the tests held at Algarve Motor Park, Portimao, Portugal. Image Credits: AT&T Williams/Panasonic Toyota - Combined by Edmund Jenks (2009)

F1 - Clarification Of A Diffusing Situation

Rival Formula One teams are set to request a rules clarification from the FIA about the design of the diffusers on the Williams and Toyota cars, this week's Autosport magazine reveals.

The two outfits are alone in having opted for a different design concept at the rear of the car compared to their rivals.

The diffusers at the rear of the Williams FW31 and the Toyota TF109 appear to exceed the maximum height of 175 mm at their peak through clever aerodynamic shaping of the rear crash structure.

Panasonic Toyota TF109 rear diffuser - Image Credit: f1network.net

Although both teams are confident that their designs are within the regulations, rivals outfits have expressed curiosity in the way their diffusers have been shaped - especially because it could give them an advantage in slow speed corners.

It is understood that several teams are looking at seeking clarification from the FIA about the matter, with Renault the first to confirm it will do so.

Renault executive director of engineering Pat Symonds told Autosport: "They (the diffusers) are certainly interesting, although I don't think I can comment on their legality.

"That's something for the FIA to comment on. We will be asking the FIA about it, but we haven't yet."

AT&T Williams FW31 rear diffuser outline - Image Credit: Sport Life Press (2009)

The Williams diffuser has a low centre section, well below the 175mm height limit, before a higher steeper element further back creates a second section around the rear crash structure.

The extra area of the Toyota diffuser is based in a 15 centimetre wide zone at the centre of the car where teams are allowed to fit extra bodywork. This has created a longer centre tunnel for air.

This week's Autosport magazine carries a full graphical analysis of the Williams and Toyota diffusers.

Because the regulations have changed so much this year, there is a high chance that further areas of car design will come under scrutiny over the course of the season as teams push to find loopholes in the new rules.

Teams who are concerned that an area they are developing may be questionable, can ask the FIA for a clarification about their design.

Furthermore, rival outfits can also seek answers from the governing body about the legitimacy of design features they have spotted on rival cars and may want to incorporate themselves.

An outright question about the legality of a rival car can only be lodged on a grand prix weekend, when a protest would need to be handed in to the race stewards.
(ht: f1network.net)

Panasonic Toyota Racing is preparing for its eighth season in Formula 1 using its all-new car, the TF109, which features revised aerodynamics and slick tires to comply with the sport's new rules.

The car was launched via the internet on 15 January and pre-season testing began on 19 January. Drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock drove the car on special filming days at the Ascari Race Resort in Spain.

Available video includes rights-free footage of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock driving the TF109 car at the Ascari Race Resort and features short shots of the difusser in action - HERE - [Released 30-Jan-2009].

... notes from The EDJE

Silly Season Nets Another Victim – Rahal Letterman Racing Out Of IRL

RLR On The Hook For 2009 IRL Season - Rahal Letterman Racing’s Dallara of Ryan Hunter-Reay after the accident in turn three at Indy 2008. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

Silly Season Nets Another Victim – Rahal Letterman Racing Out Of IRL

Rahal Letterman Racing has pulled out of the 2009 IndyCar Series because it cannot find a sponsor to support its program.

This action represents what has been a trend in the field of all motorsports where the depressive effects of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and its expansive economic downturn have prompted team mergers, layoffs, and outright cancellation of a team’s racing effort. Major corporations are trimming their advertising and sponsorship budgets much to the demise in the growth of all forms of motorsports.

American driver Ryan Hunter-Reay drove for RLR last season and won the race last July at Watkins Glen.

Spokesmen for Rahal Letterman Racing say it will continue to seek sponsorship as well as concentrate on its sports car alliance with BMW in the American Le Mans Series.

RLR Team Members Out Of Work For IRL 2009 Season - Rahal Letterman Racing team members at work Indy 2008. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

This excerpted and edited from The Columbus Dispatch –

Rahal Letterman Racing won't be in IRL this year
By Tim May, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH - Thursday, January 29, 2009 11:59 AM

Hilliard's Rahal Letterman Racing team -- winner of the 2004 Indianapolis 500 -- likely won't stage an Indy Racing League effort for the 2009 season, general manager Scott Roembke said today, but it's not as if the team is shutting its doors.

The team will foot a full-season effort in the GT division of the American LeMans Series carrying the BMW banner. It just finished three days of extensive preseason testing in Sebring, Fla.
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At the moment, though, the team, whose primary owner is three-time IndyCar series champ Bobby Rahal, has no sponsor for an IRL effort. Its primary sponsor from a year ago, Ethanol, pulled its support in the wake of the recession economy and efforts to land a replacement leading up to the April 5 season opener have been fruitless, Roembke said.

"At this time, we will not be in the IRL for 2009," Roembke said this morning. "But we continue to pursue sponsors for the IRL season and for the Indianapolis 500."
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Rahal Letterman won the 2004 Indy 500 with driver Buddy Rice, and ushered Danica Patrick into the IRL in 2005, during which she was the Indy 500 rookie of the year. She jumped to the Andretti Green Racing team in 2007.
Reference Here>>

UPDATE:

Rahal Letterman Down But Not Totally Out - YET

This excerpted and edited from autosport.com -

Rahal still working on 2009 funding
By Matt Beer, autosport.com - Thursday, January 29th 2009, 21:07 GMT

Rahal Letterman Racing co-owner Bobby Rahal says his team should not be counted out of the 2009 IndyCar Series despite suggestions that they would have to withdraw from the championship due to a lack of sponsorship.
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"As I said in the quote from the story, as of this time we do not have any sponsorship that will allow us to compete in the IRL in 2009, but by no means does that mean that we are giving up," Rahal said.

"We are continuing to search for sponsorship to run the 2009 season and to run in the Indianapolis 500 and we feel that there is still time for us to put something together that will allow that to happen."

RLR's Indy Lights programme in conjunction with Andersen Racing is already confirmed for 2009.
Reference Here>>

... notes from The EDJE

New York Times Selling Its Stake In NASCAR

The New York Times and NASCAR – About the only support that the NYT shows for its investment in NASCAR is found on its New York Times Store page. Funny, they do not even feature models of the team that they have a financial stake in, Roush Racing. Image Credit: The New York Times Company

New York Times Selling Its Stake In NASCAR

It was not widely publicized, but the New York Times Company had a financial stake in one of the most recognized racing teams in NASCAR, Roush Racing.

The Gray Lady (or as some have nick named the paper, Fish Wrap) acquired an interest in this motorsports venture when the Boston Red Sox owner John Henry aquired the team and unveiled the car at Fenway Park prior to last June’s Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire.

The NYT, through its motto printed in the upper left-hand corner of the front page, "All the News That's Fit to Print", never revealed that it had invested in a leading NASCAR team … and if it had, may have actually bolstered its image outside of the upper west side of Manhattan and slowed down its demise in subscriptions.

They could have changed its motto to “All The News For The Everyman” … not just an elitist rag anymore



Painted to resemble a baseball with red stitching and “Red Sox” emblazoned across the hood above a “Lumber Liquidators” sponsor logo, the red and white car slowly made its way into the park. It carefully rolled along the warning track in right field, made a right turn at Pesky’s Pole, and came to a stop along the first-base line. Image Credit: Roush Racing/Sox & Dawgs

This excerpted and edited from Full Throttle -

Roush Racing and the New York Times
By Marc, Full Throttle • January 28, 2009

Hard as it is to keep up with the current financial tentacles that are becoming more convoluted with each merger or “alliance” of NASCAR teams it’s understandable some things sail under the radar of daily news.

We’re all familiar with the investment Boston Red Sox owner John Henry took in the Roush Racing team.

It was all very high profile with Roush and Henry presiding over the unveiling of the #99 Red Sox/Lumber Liquidators Ford Fusion at Fenway Park.
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Henry acquired a 50 percent stake of Roush’s racing empire for $62 million, that added to Henry’s own empire that includes the Fenway Sports Group - a wholly-owned subsidiary of New England Sports Ventures, the ownership group of the Red Sox, Fenway Park, and New England Sports Network.

However, there was another financial player involved with a 17.75 percent ownership interest in New England Sports Ventures.

That player, unknown to this itinerant blogger and usually referred to as the “Fish Wrap,” (one of many) is the New York Times.

This has come to light with the news the Times is searching for a buyer the New England Sports Ventures portion of its investment portfolio and has retained Goldman, Sachs & Co. as its financial advisor for the possible sale.
Reference Here>>

ChampCar Vet, Neel Jani Wins In Taupo

Neel Jani At Speed - A1 Team Switzerland claimed its second win of the season in this afternoon’s Feature race in A1GP Taupo, New Zealand. Image Credit: A1GP – SUI

ChampCar Vet, Neel Jani Wins In Taupo

Neel Jani drove for the PKV Racing team in the Champ Car World Series in 2007. He ended the series in ninth place with a total of 231 points. After choosing to focus on the 2007-2008 A1GP season rather than stay in ChampCar/IRL for 2008 season (the series was absorbed by the IRL).

Jani has not been linked to any 2009 IRL rides to date. PKV Racing became KV Racing Technology upon the transition phase of ChampCar into the IRL at the beginning of the 2008 season.

Neel Jani On The Podium - He got ahead the pole-sitter, A1 Team Ireland’s Adam Carroll, in a crucial moment in the second round of pit stops, when it was slightly slower in getting away than Jani’s Swiss machine. Jani then controlled the race, surviving a late scare when the field close up after a late safety car period. Image Credit: A1GP – SUI

This Excerpted and edited from Autosport –

Jani wins Taupo feature race
By Mark Glendenning - Sunday, January 25th 2009, 04:53 GMT

Team Switzerland's Neel Jani took advantage of a Team Ireland pitlane mishap to win the feature race in this weekend's A1GP round at Taupo.

After a brilliant start from fifth, Jani had been running second behind Ireland's Adam Carroll until the pair made the second and final of their compulsory stops.

Both pitted on the same lap and the Irish crew was able to release Carroll into the lead, only for the car to suffer a problem with its anti-stall and stop momentarily in the pitroad.

Ironically, it stopped right beside the Swiss pit crew, who were just completing their own stop, and by the time Carroll had got his car moving again Jani had already gone past.
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Neel Jani On The Podium - Two other ChampCar refugees (Robert Doornbos, Dan Clarke) and one IRL driver (Marco Andretti) were in the field as well. Image Credit: A1GP – SUI

How the field finished (ChampCar/IRL drivers in bold):
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Pos Driver Team Time
1. Neel Jani Switzerland 1:06:19.574
2. Adam Carroll Ireland + 1.047
3. F. Albuquerque Portugal + 2.379
4. John Martin Australia + 10.593
5. Robert Doornbos Netherlands + 14.402
6. Loic Duval France + 17.423
7. N. Karthikeyan India + 20.215
8. Marco Andretti USA + 20.799
9. Edoardo Piscopo Italy + 23.156
10. Adrian Zaugg South Africa + 23.347
11. Fairuz Fauzy Malaysia + 26.832
12. Felipe Guimaraes Brazil + 1 lap
13. Dan Clarke Great Britain + 1 lap
14. C. van der Drift New Zealand + 1 lap
15. Cheng Cong Fu China + 1 lap
16. Salvador Duran Mexico + 7 laps
17. Satrio Hermanto Indonesia + 8 laps
18. Clivio Piccione Monaco + 17 laps
19. Daniel Morad Lebanon + 49 laps
Reference Here>>

Dan Clarke is confident that he will return to racing full-time this year, and expects to secure a drive in the IndyCar Series.The Briton lost his drive when the Champ Car World Series merged with IndyCar on the eve of the 2008 season, and spent last year on the sidelines. But he has returned to action with Team Great Britain at the Taupo A1GP races this weekend, and while he wouldn't rule out more A1GP appearances, he said his priority was getting an IndyCar seat. "I'm still living in Indianapolis, and we're still gearing up for a season in IndyCar," Clarke told autosport.com. Caption and Image Credit: Autosport

... notes from The EDJE

F1 Season Begins For The Toyota TF109

The TF109 - Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

F1 Season Begins For The Toyota TF109

Yesterday marked the first day Panasonic Toyota Racing debut its new sled that will campaign for the title of the 2009 Formula 1 open wheel motorsports racing season.

The team's eighth season in Formula 1 sees major rule changes so the new TF109, revealed exclusively on www.tf109-premiere.com, looked considerably different to its predecessor, featuring wider front wings and narrower rear wings among other modifications.

The test, yesterday, completed an exhaustive development process which began in October 2007, when the 2009 regulations were confirmed. The TF109 began pre-season testing at Algarve Motor Park in Portugal.

Despite the TF109's fundamentally different appearance, Panasonic Toyota Racing's ambitious goals remain, as Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina states: "Our target this year is to fight to win the first race for Toyota in Formula 1."

Kamui Kobayashi in the garage at Algarve Motor Park Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

The significant progress shown in 2008, when the team hit its targets of returning to the podium and significantly increasing its points total, has bred confidence.

Panasonic Toyota Racing achieved two podiums, one front row start and, with 56, scored more points than in 2006 (35pts) and 2007 (13pts) combined. A Toyota was in the top 10 on the starting grid for 14 of the 18 Grands Prix, finishing in the points 12 times, with nine top-six finishes.

President John Howett says: "We have gained a huge amount of knowledge and improved considerably. There are many elements of our team which are at the very highest level so the challenge now is to fill any gaps and ensure the entire organisation is performing at the very top. Then we must put all the elements together and deliver the success we are all fighting so hard for."

Kamui Kobayashi leaves the garage in the new TF109 at Algarve Motor Park - Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

This excerpted and edited from the Panasonic Toyota Racing team website -

THE SEASON STARTS HERE
Portimao Test - Day 1 - Monday 19 January 2009
Location: Algarve Motor Park, Portimao, Portugal
Drivers: Kamui Kobayashi

Panasonic Toyota Racing got its 2009 testing programme underway today at a new venue for the team; the Algarve Motor Park in Portugal. Kamui Kobayashi was at the wheel for the first pre-season tests of the TF109, which was unveiled for the first time on www.tf109-premiere.com last week. After conducting a successful and trouble-free roll-out of the TF109 yesterday, Kamui continued to work on the team's kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), which is being used on track for the first time this week, as well as performing systems checks and gathering information about the new car. Unfortunately, wind and rain, particularly in the afternoon, disrupted the programme. Jarno Trulli takes over from Kamui tomorrow.

Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

Kamui Kobayashi - Chassis TF109-02
Best Lap Time: 1min 50.989s
Position: 5th
Total laps: 46
"Today has gone well and I am happy with the new car. It has been an interesting experience to drive with KERS for the first time and we are understanding more about the system all the time. This is my first time driving at this track and I have to say I am very impressed; the lay-out is really exciting and quite challenging for a driver. The weather was far from ideal, especially in the afternoon, so that meant we could not spend as much time on track as we planned."

Kamui Kobayashi in the new TF109 taking a corner at Algarve Motor Park - Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis
"It is always a very exciting moment to see your new car begin pre-season testing and that is especially true this year after such a significant regulation change. Overall I am very pleased with the initial results from the TF109 and I believe we have good reason for optimism. Of course, it is very difficult to make comparisons to the other teams in the winter, and that is particularly true when the weather is not very good. In addition to the usual challenges of testing a new car, we worked with the KERS system again today. This is a new technology to Formula 1 so there is a huge amount to learn but our hard work in the factory meant we were quite well prepared for this first test and we have collected a lot of important information."
Reference Here>>

Cost-saving is high on the Formula 1 agenda and Panasonic Toyota Racing in the design of the TF109 was committed to reducing expenditure while maintaining the sport as the pinnacle of motor racing.

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) have agreed significant reductions for 2009, including a ban on in-season testing, wind tunnel restrictions and factory closures for six weeks a year.

So, heading into a fascinating Formula 1 season, Panasonic Toyota Racing is completely committed to success on and off the track. The 2009 season starts with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 29 March, while the 17th and final race is the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 1 November.

... notes from The EDJE

A Taupo, New Zealand Summer Run For A1GP

A1GP Race Start At Taupo Motorsport Park, NZ In 2008 - Now in its fourth season, A1GP takes in a mix of established world-famous venues plus exciting new state-of-the-art facilities and tight twisty street circuits, delivering high-speed adrenalin fuelled action at every turn. Image Credit: A1GP

A Taupo, New Zealand Summer Run For A1GP

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport prepares to hit the track for the first races of 2009 as Round 4 of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport takes place at Taupo, on the North Island of New Zealand, from 23rd to 25th January.

For the third visit to the Taupo Motorsport Park, the series will break with tradition and the Sprint race will have a standing and not a rolling start.

The decision was taken on safety grounds, as in the past there have been collisions due to the tight "S" bend close to the start.

This excerpted and edited from Citizen Media -

Taupo Motorsport Park gearing up for first event of New Year
By A1GP, TAUPO, NZ

Current championship leader, A1 Team Ireland, is enjoying being top of the tables heading into the Christmas period. Its star driver, Portadown’s Adam Carroll, was honoured by Ireland's motorsport media with their Manley Award for International Driver of the Year last Tuesday (9 December). Carroll's race performances in A1GP saw his name added to the prestigious trophy, which has been won in the past by Formula One drivers Eddie Irvine and Martin Donnelly in the past.

"It was a nice surprise," said Carroll of his award win. "I wasn't expecting it and it's an honour to see my name included on the trophy alongside so many great names from Ireland's motorsport past. It's been a great start to the season for us and, while the job is far from finished, it's nice to be receiving recognition for our achievements."
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Taupo Motorsport Park is gearing up for the first event of the New Year with Managing Director David Steele saying that everything has been done to make the 2009 A1GP Taupo, New Zealand event the best yet.

The circuit has done a lot of work over the past year to help eradicate the dust problems at the first and second races, but Steele believes they have it under control.

“We have taken measures both inside on the circuit and track boundaries and outside the circuit to minimise dust issues experienced during the last event and, on top of that, the circuit has one more year’s growth and maturity, so that has helped as well,” said Steele. “Even with the extreme and unusual weather we saw in 2007 and 2008, we are confident we are as much in control as we can possibly be.”
Reference Here>>

The balance of the 2008/2009 A1GP racing season is as follows:

4) 25 January 2009 - A1GP Taupo, New Zealand
5) 08 February 2009 - A1GP Jakarta, Indonesia
6) 22 February 2009 - A1GP Gauteng, South Africa
7) 15 March 2009 - A1GP Mexico City, Mexico
8) 29 March 2009 - TBA
9) 12 April 2009 - A1GP Algarve, Portugal
10) 03 May 2009 - A1GP Brands Hatch, Great Britain

... notes from The EDJE