Industry News
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<< November 07
News for 5th December 2007
Audi to take on Peugeot in 2008 LMS
Ingolstadt, Germany based Audi Sport has confirmed that it will compete in the 2008 Le Mans Series sportscar racing championship in direct competition with a factory backed Peugeot team.
In an announcement made at the recent Essen Motor Show it was confirmed that the German Team Joest organisation would run a team of diesel engined Audi R10 racecars in the European based LMS programme in addition to its existing commitment to racing R10s in the US based American Le Mans Series.
Peugeot Sport won the 2007 Le Mans Series with its diesel powered 908 TDiFDAP model.
Audi's head of motorsport Wolfgang Ullrich said, "Stable regulations with the clear positioning of the LMP1 sportscar as top category and good TV marketing in Europe are conditions for Audi's factory involvement in both of the Le Mans series."
VAG appoints Stuck
The Volkswagen Audi Group has appointed Hans-Joachim Stuck as its new motorsport representative.
In his career as a racing driver Stuck took part in 74 Formula One races from 1974-1980 and won the Le Mans 24 Hour race in 1986 and 1987 in addition to numerous other successes in Formula Two, sportscar and GT racing and touring car racing for various manufacturers including Audi, BMW and Porsche.
According to a spokesman Stuck has been hired to advise VAG on the "strategic development of new motor sport opportunities for the Group brands."
Stuck’s appointment has led to renewed speculation that VAG is considering an entry into Formula One, a category in which it has thus far refrained from competing.
Force India recruits technical staff
The Silverstone, UK based Force India Formula One team has appointed Mark Smith as its new design director and hired Ian Hall as the project leader for its 2009 F1 car.
Smith and Hall both previously worked for the team when it raced under the Jordan Grand Prix banner. Smith was most recently with the Milton Keynes, UK based Red Bull Racing Formula One team while Hall joins from the Cologne, Germany based Toyota Motorsport F1 organisation.
Force India chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne said, 'It's great to have Mark and Ian back with the team, especially as both were instrumental in the successful Jordan era of 1999. I have worked with both since then, with Mark at Renault and Ian at Toyota, and I am sure that they will fit very well into the new structure. With James and Mark I think we have a strong top management structure and I look forward to challenging the teams above us on the grid.
'The reorganisation comes at the same time the wind tunnel at Brackley has finished its commissioning process and is due to switch to 24 hour running. With these advantages we now have a great chance to expand our operations and I am confident we can move up the field very quickly next year.'
Chevrolet to race in BTCC
The Newcastle, UK based Robertshaw Racing team will become the first to run the Chevrolet Lacetti model in the British Touring Car Championship, starting in 2008.
The team will field two 2007-spec cars as raced in the FIA World Touring Car Championship by the factory backed RML team.
Team boss Gary Robertshaw said, "This is a long-term project, although I'd certainly like to think we can begin rattling the bigger teams' cages towards the end of next season and into 2009."
Tony Fall passes away
The British born former works rally driver, successful team manager, and motorsport safety company founder Tony Fall has died at the age of 67.
As a driver Fall competed for BMC, BMW, Datsun, Porsche and Volkswagen before working in management roles with the UK based Dealer Opel Team, which he founded, and the German based GM Eurosport organisation.
In 1990 Fall established the UK based company Safety Devices which specialises in motorsport safety equipment and roll over cages in particular.
MIA Education Forum at PRI show
The UK based Motorsport Industry Association will stage its fourth International Motorsport Education Forum (IMEF) in America at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show which takes place in Orlando, Florida this week.
Previous IMEF events which aim to bring together motorsport educators and industry representatives from as many countries as possible, so they can learn from each other and help the industry strive towards universal standards for all, have been held alongside Formula Student and other such high profile international motorsport related events.
The MIA's John Kirkpatrick said, "Motorsport is a global industry and it is important for employers anywhere in the world to be able take on staff of any nationality, knowing that they will have been trained to a certain minimum standard. This is not yet the case, but IMEF is helping towards the goal of internationally agreed qualifications."
The meeting will take place on December 6 and is expected to attract delegates from all over the world. Speakers will include Guy Faulkner from Indiana State University and the meeting will be moderated by MIA founding director, John Kirkpatrick.
ACU signs up as EEMS Campaign Partner
The Auto Cycle Union, the governing body of British motorcycle sport, has become a campaign member of Motor Sport Development UK’s Energy Efficient Motor Sport initiative.
ACU business development manager Dave Luscombe said, “Because we are involved in an industry that is reliant on fossil fuels, we need to actively seek out alternatives in terms of energy efficiency which will secure a long-term and environmentally aware future for our sport.
“The ACU needs to continue to be ahead of the game and, as such, we have already demonstrated our commitment to change by altering our regulations to allow for the use of biofuels in our race programs. In fact, one of our affiliated clubs, Short Track UK, has already set up a championship that runs exclusively on biofuels and is achieving great results.