Auto News 5

Faurecia is expanding its manufacturing in Michigan after winning the business to supply interior modules for the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

France has launched a vigorous protest to the European Commission (EC) concerning what it believes to be a massive increase in passenger vehicle imports from South Korea.

News 6 Aug, 2012

Hi-tech and efficient new Nissan NV200 black cab will take to the capital’s streets by 2014

Pictures 6 Aug, 2012

July new vehicle registrations in New Zealand remained strong, according to the local Motor Industry Association (MIA) which represents new vehicle importers.

Volkswagen is trying to find out whether partner China FAW Group illegally copied a transmission unit, according to a media report. If true, the move could complicate VW's ambitious expansion plans in China.

News 6 Aug, 2012

2012 Mercedes G-Class is available to order now, with prices starting from £82,945

Pictures 6 Aug, 2012

Twenty years after revealing plans to build its first North American assembly plant, in Spartanburg, S.C., BMW is close to a decision to add a second one -- in Mexico.

Chrysler Group is creating advanced three-dimensional digital models of its powertrain plants and the machinery in them to accelerate introductions of new transmissions and engines.

Delphi Automotive may be based in suburban Detroit, but to understand the company's turnaround, consider it a company without borders. For tax purposes, Delphi is incorporated in the United Kingdom. The company's once-vast network of U.S.

Jake Moore, general manager of Country Chevrolet Inc. in Warrenton, Va., has learned that when it comes to used-car sales, the devil is in the detailing -- and reconditioning.

Ivelisse Rosa is the new face of car-buying.

As Dan Akerson nears his two-year mark as General Motors CEO on Sept. 1, executive upheaval has emerged as a hallmark of his tenure. And more may be coming.

The Automotive News guide to top executives in the United States automotive industry. A subscription to the Automotive News Data Center is required.

Ford Motor Co. and its captive finance arm will pilot a program to help dealers buy and finance Ford dealerships, a Ford executive said during a conference for minority auto dealers.

On the surface, the July sales story played out as expected: Japanese giants Toyota and Honda roared back from disastrous quake-shaken figures of 2011 and won back more of the U.S. market share they had lost to General Motors and Ford Motor Co.

In the first half of this year, the LS ran well behind its German rivals, the BMW 7 series and Mercedes S class. So getting the newest version of the LS right is crucial for Lexus.

Jeff Gordon got a little help from his teammate's botched restart and enormous downpour which ended the Pennsylvania 400, at Pocono on lap 98 of the 160-lap race.

Gordon had been in a slump, it had been 31 races since his last victory. This was his 86th career win.

On a restart, on lap 91, his teammate, Jimmie Johnson, got a bit wide in turn one knocking Matt Kenseth into the outside wall. As the field scattered like a break in a billiard game Gordon, who had been sixth, squirted into the lead “Man, I've never seen the seas part quite like that before (laughing) like they did going down into (Turn) one. I got a great restart and was able to dive to the inside in front of Kasey (Kahne) and I saw the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) get sideways and it just took them all out.”

Jeff Gordon leading at Pocono. (Photo: NASCAR)

Later Johnson said a flat right rear tire caused the wreck. He said “I shouldn't feel bad about that but not much you can do with a right-rear flat.”

Kenseth described the incident “ I got a little draft and actually pulled up to his (Johnson's ) door and so I decided to race him through there and we went off into one and I could hear his pipes. I wasn't sure he has lifted yet. He drove in really, really far and spun out underneath me and I got wrecked.”

It was like redemption for the four-time champion who appeared in jeopardy to fail to make the Chase, NASCAR's playoffs. “You can't ever give up. It doesn't matter where you're at. You've got to just try to go out there and win races. For all the things that have gone wrong for us this year, I still can't believe what just happened. But, I think this is the one that makes up for all the ones that have gotten away.”

Kasey Kahne, another HMS teammate, finished second coming back from a pit lane error. “Jeff got a little bit better restart, got in front of me getting into turn one when the field wrecked in front of us, and he won the race,” he said.

Martin Truex Jr leading a pack of cars. (Photo: NASCAR)

Martin Truex Jr. finished third. They way he saw the restart “everybody was throwing rubber off their tires trying to get them cleaned up before we took the restart. So, all that stuff combined into those guys going off into (turn) one, all of them looked like they took off up the track. Fortunately, I was the third guy that didn't slide. The 24 (Jeff Gordon), 5 (Kasey Kahne), and me, we all went down in there and stuck.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. who retired early with a transmission failure continues to lead the points.

Tony Stewart's crew pushing back the car in the garage when the storm arrived. (Photo: NASCAR)

The bad weather affected the fans adversely, too. Officials of Pocono Raceway confirmed that one spectator died and nine others were injured in the storm which ended the race. Another was listed in critical condition at a local hospital.

Quebec drive Andrew Ranger extended his domination of the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres with his fourth win in six races there Sunday in the JuliaWine.com 100.

Ranger won at Trois-Rivieres each year from 2008 to 2010, and finished second in 2007 and 2011.

The Roxton Pond, Quebec native took the lead from J.R. Fitzpatrick on Turn 3 of lap 10 of the 42-lap event around the 1.53-mile course and cruised to a win by 2.096 seconds over local driver L.P. Dumoulin.

Photos: Yanick Gougeon

Fitzpatrick finished third, followed by Robin Buck. Points leader D.J. Kennington had his five-race win streak ended with a fifth-place finish.

It was the Rangers' 16th career win in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and his 13th on a road course.

J.F. Dumoulin was sixth, followed by Scott Steckly, Ron Beauchamp Jr., Jeff Lapcevich and Isabelle Tremblay.

Kennington leads Ranger by 37 points and Steckly by 43 after eight of 12 races.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will return to the track in two weeks with the NAPA Autopro 100 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.