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The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series has published its 2013 calendar that will feature 12 dates at 11 different tracks across five Canadian provinces.

The series will kick off the season on Victoria Day weekend (May 19) on the 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, Ontrio.

For the first time since the 2010 season, the Canadian Tire Series returns to the .4-mile oval at Autodrome St. Eustache (Quebec) on July 27.

The series will visit the 2.113-mile airport road course of Mirabel, Quebec's Circuit ICAR on July 7.

Edmonton is not on the NASCAR Canadian Tire schedule anymore. (Photo: NASCAR)

The season will draw to a close and a new champion will be crowned at Kawartha Speedway, the .375-mile oval near Peterborough, Ontario, on Sept. 21.

2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Schedule
Sun., May 19 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile RC)
Sat., June 15 Delaware Speedway (.5-mile)
Sat., June 22 Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (.5-mile)
Sun., July 7 Circuit ICAR (2.113-mile RC)
Sat., July 13 Motoplex Speedway (.5-mile)
Wed., July 17 Auto Clearing Motor Speedway (.333-mile) .
Sat., July 27 Autodrome St. Eustache (.4-mile)
Sun., Aug. 11 Circuit de Trois-Rivieres (1.53-mile RC)
Sat., Aug,. 17 Riverside International Speedway (.333-mile)
Sun., Sept. 1 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile RC)
Sat., Sept. 7 Barrie Speedway (.333-mile)
Sat. Sept. 21 Kawartha Speedway (.375-mile)

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel almost missed the FIA's end-of-season FIA prize giving gala, where he received his trophy for winning the 2012 title for a third consecutive time.

But DPA news agency reports that the Red Bull driver actually touched down in Istanbul without his passport, and initially was refused entry into Turkey.

"Vettel, who arrived on a private jet, had to wait over an hour at the airport," the report read. "It was only after the intervention of the Turkish motor sports federation that he was allowed through customs with a replacement document."

Kimi Raikkonen at the FIA prize giving gala. (Photo: FIA Facebook)

Kimi Raikkonen, who said he "unfortunately" had to attend due to finishing the season in third place, also caused a stir when he showed up at the black-tie function -- wearing a suit but no tie.

"I don't follow the rules," Lotus quoted the inimitable Finn as saying on Twitter, "I just make them."

From GMM

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has admitted he wishes German Michael Schumacher never returned from retirement.

Now, after an unsuccessful three-year comeback with Mercedes, the great German is retiring once again after adding just a single podium to his outstanding former tally of titles and wins.

"I would rather he had stopped as a seven time world champion than stopping now," F1 chief executive Ecclestone told the sport's official website.

"People new to the sport ... will remember Michael now, not as he was. They don't see the hero that he was but the human that can fail," he said.

Bernie Ecclestone and Michael Schumacher celebrating the German's 300th grand prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Ecclestone, 82, said choosing the right moment to quit is "important".

"I hope that's what I can do: when I feel I can't deliver, I will certainly say goodbye," he promised.

Ecclestone acknowledged, however, that it is the fact Schumacher is such a "competitive guy" that meant he could not stay away.

From GMM

Lotus F1 Team is reportedly close to announcing a multi-million dollar title sponsorship deal with Honeywell, the American technology giant.

"It is thought the framework of the agreement is in place and a formal announcement pending," said Sportspro journalist David Cushnan on Monday.

The news follows Lotus' recent signing of a sponsor deal with Burn, the European energy drink label of the American beverage giant Coca-Cola.

Lotus-Renault E20. (Photo: WRi2)

After a five year absence, the United States returned to the F1 calendar this year with a highly successful race on a bespoke circuit in Austin, Texas.

Citing 'informed insiders', Cushnan said the Honeywell deal could be worth $30 million per year to Lotus.

Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus ranked third in this year's F1 World Championship and scored one victory.

Marussia F1 Team, née Virgin, was one of the three new Formula 1 teams that were accepted to compete in the 2010 FIA F1 World Championship. Despite running some promising races, the small outfit has failed to score a single point in three years.

In 2010, Manor Motorsport joined F1 as Virgin. The car was designed from CFD technology by Nick Wirth, but it proved to be unreliable while being penalised by an undersized fuel tank.

Still mated to the underpowered Cosworth engine the following year, the car was a tiny bit faster due to a technical partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies.

Photo: Marussia F1 Team

In 2012, the team took on the name of major shareholders and Russian sportscar makers Marussia. The MR01-Cosworths were one of the very few F1 cars not fitted with a KERS, which complicated the life veteran, Timo Glock, and rookie, Charles Pic.

Timo Glock
Best place in qualifications: 18th (once, Japan)
Best race result: 12th (once, Singapore)
Retired 1 time

Charles Pic
Best place in qualifications: 19th (twice)
Best race result: 12th (Brazil)
Retired 5 times

Under the guidance of technical director, Pat Symond, the Marussias made a small amount of progress throughout the season, and both drivers managed to collect a twelfth-place finish.

Glock seems to have lost quite a bit of motivation after years of fighting in the queue of the pack. He is still fast, but driving such a slow car is undoudtedly demoralizing, especially for someone who's driven for Toyota in the past!

Photo: Marussia F1 Team

Despite his lack of F1 experience, rookie Pic caused quite a stir. He arrived with a reputation of a paying driver (with money from Groupe Lagardère), but he proved to be fast in qualifying and ran several inspired races, even beating his teammate Glock on occasion.

The three smaller teams on the grid all face the same problem of running two cars for a full season on a shoestring budget. They have huge difficulties attracting major sponsors due to their lack of results -- it's a catch-22.

Next season will be Marussia's last year with the Cosworth CA 2012 V8 engine. For the moment, there's no news about what turbo unit they'll use in 2014.

After eight seasons with Mercedes, British driver Jamie Green will contest the next season of the DTM under Audi's colours.

The Briton clinched the F3 Euroseries title in 2004 and made his DTM debuts with Mercedes the next year.

Green contested 83 DTM races so far, taking eight wins and six pole positions. In 2012, he had his best championship result as he finished third behind Spengler (BMW) and Paffett (Mercedes).

Jamie Green. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

"Audi is a fascinating brand with fantastic products," says Jamie Green in a press release.

"And I'm convinced that with Audi, I'll be able to achieve what I've been deprived of so far: to win the DTM title. I really owe my previous employer a lot and making the change after so many joint years has certainly not been easy for me. But I carefully considered this step and look forward to a new challenge - I can't wait to sit in the Audi A5 for the first time.”

Ford is launching a new 3.2L five-cylinder turbodiesel engine in North America. Combining performance with exceptional fuel economy, this addition to the Power Stroke family will debut in the all-new 2014 Ford Transit.

Ford Transit 2014. (Photo: Ford)

Smaller than the existing 6.7L Power Stroke V8 in the F-Series Super Duty trucks, it marks the only application of a five-cylinder diesel engine in a commercial van in North America.

While power has not been certified yet, European ratings amount to 197 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque.

The 3.2L diesel engine will join Ford's increasingly efficient lineup, which is set to grow from four to eight vehicles achieving 40 mpg or higher next year.

From GMM

The chances Austria could return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2013 are rising.

With the Turkish government ruling out state support for Istanbul Park's return, the former A1-Ring - now called the 'Red Bull Ring' - has emerged as the favourite to fill the reserved twentieth spot on next year's calendar.

The energy drink company's motor racing chief Dr Helmut Marko told Speed Week: "We have made the FIA aware that we have a track with a full F1 license."

As for who will pay the bill, the Austrian answered: "There is the province of Styria, and the republic of Austria."

Another stumbling block could be a lack of accommodation in the Spielberg area, but Marko insisted: "Nonsense, there was enough in the 70s and 80s."

A DTM race at the Red Bull Ring. (Photo: Red Bull)

And he said Graz, Austria's second largest city after Vienna, is not far away.

The A1-Ring, totally refurbished since then, hosted F1 until 2003.

But what about the difficulties or organising a grand prix at such short notice?: "No problem," said Marko.

And the small media centre?: "It can be expanded," he promised.

From GMM

There will be three pre-season tests prior to the 2013 season, reportedly all in Spain.

Peter Sauber revealed last week that the Swiss team's 2013 car, the C32, will be launched on the first day of official pre-season group testing next February 5, at Jerez.

The Italiaracing website said that will be a four-day schedule at the southern Spanish venue, before Barcelona hosts the second test of the winter period between February 19 and 22.

Barcelona will also host the third and final pre-2013 season test, again over four days, beginning on February 28. The venue, Circuit de Catalunya, confirmed the news.

The third test will conclude on 3 March, precisely two weeks before the 2013 championship kicks off in Melbourne.

Mercedes AMG F1. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

With the Rolex deal freshly under his belt, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that a vodka label and a mobile phone operator could be the next in line to conclude major sponsorship deals with formula one.

"We are chasing one or two people that want to be involved," the sport's chief executive told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt.

"We are looking at phones and drinks," Ecclestone is quoted by the Telegraph. "People like vodka and things like that, they are out there."

Sylt said Belvedere, a luxury Polish vodka, is in pole position for the official spirits deal, even though its president Charles Gibb insisted "there are no discussions taking place with F1".

"It is unclear with which telecoms company F1 is in talks," Sylt added.

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has launched a special website to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Fans can go to toyota-global.com to learn about the Japanese automaker's storied past, which started back in 1938 with the opening of the Koromo assembly plant.

Over the following decades, TMC has spread across the globe and gone on to become the world's largest automaker a few years ago.

On a related note, Toyota Canada will celebrate 50 years of automotive production in 2014.

Photo: Toyota

Prindiville, a British tuning house known for its work on premium sports cars, has just created an all-electric version of the late Hummer.

Much smaller than the original at 3 metres long, 1.4 metre wide and 1.4 metre tall, the Prindiville Electric Hummer is a three-door, rear-wheel-drive SUV with seating for two and, more importantly, zero emissions. It uses a 72V electric motor and nine 8V batteries that provide a range of 40 miles (64 kilometres) with a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h).

Electric Hummer. (Photo: Prindiville)

According to Prindiville's website, the Electric Hummer starts at £14,000 (equal to $22,200). A carbon fibre-trimmed model is available at £25,000 ($39,700).

Should the vehicle remain on the other side of the Atlantic, here's hoping that the idea behind it will at least make it across.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency says it will review Consumer Reports' data and findings that showed Ford's two newest hybrid models fell below the company's promise of 47 mpg.

The UAW and union members opposed to Michigan becoming a "right-to-work" state plan major protests in the state capital this week to try to stop Republicans from restricting labor unions in the cradle of the unionized American auto industry.

Automakers are expected to easily meet the European Union's CO2 emissions target to 130 grams per kilometer by 2015. They also are on track to comply with the tougher 2020 fleet goal of 95g/km, a report shows.

Norwegian rally driver Andreas Mikkelsen was confirmed as Jari-Matti Latvala and Sébastien Ogier's teammate in Volkswagen's Word Rally Championship effort.

The 23-year-old from Oslo has been in the Volkswagen fold for some time now. In 2011 and 2012, he was crowned champion of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge aboard a Skoda Fabia S2000. His record also includes a win in the 2008 Rally Norway. At the time, Mikkelsen was only 18 years old.

In 2013, his season kicks off at the Rally Portugal, fourth round of the WRC. Before then, the team is only fielding two cars.

Volkswagen's Red Bull-sponsored Polo R WRC (Photo: Volkswagen Motorsport)

As far as expectations go, Jost Capito, VW's head of motorsport, admitted it might take some time before the team is fully up to speed in the championship, despite the Polo R WRC's promises.

"The WRC is pretty new for the team," he said.

"We learned through the season in 2012 and our target through next season is to get in a position to challenge for podium positions and be prepared for the 2014 season when we want to fight for wins."

Moreover, Red Bull, which has already partnered VW in its Dakar adventures, was confirmed as a major sponsor for the WRC bid.

Here is a short clip of Kimi Raikkonen whishing, in his own style, a merry Christmas to every F1 fan!



Source: Official Lotus F1 Team TV

Porsche's preparation ahead of its 2014 return in LMP1 competition is kicking in to high gear, as the first car is set to rollout of the factory in mid 2013.

Although in a new department of its own, headed by former BMW's F1 program boss Fritz Enzinger, the LMP1 program will be run at Weissach, by the factory itself in a dedicated brand new workshop and office complex, recently completed.

"The car will be run by our own works team based here at Weissach," said Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Research and Development, also revealing that the first outing of the prototype was due soon.

"The first rollout of our new LMP1 car is planned for mid-2013," he said.

Moreover, Porsche also announced it recruited Jean-Karl Vernay to add to its works driver line-up. The 25-year-old Frenchman was a test and reserve driver in Peugeot's LMP1 program in 2011, who prior to joining the French manufacturer, won the Indy Lights series in the United States, and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in the LMP2 class.

This year, he will continue his learning in Porsche's Mobil 1 Supercup.

The last time Toyota built a rear-drive sports car, Lenny Kravitz was topping the rock charts, Bruce Willis was fighting evil space asteroids in Armageddon, and Justin Bieber was still in diapers.

That was some time ago, and the mighty Toyota Supra is now enjoying retirement on YouTube videos and used-car ads.

Today, the Japanese automaker with a penchant for sensible, economical cars is once again hitting the sports-car scene with a new model called the Scion FR-S.


Platform sharing for fun and profit
Admittedly, it's not quite a Toyota. In North America, it's sold under Toyota's youthful Scion brand, and it was co-developed and is built by Subaru. Subaru calls their virtually identical version of this platform-shared car the BR-Z. Other than badges and minor cosmetic changes, they're basically the same.

The important part? The 2013 Scion FR-S ticks all the right boxes as a great sports car. You can visit your local cruise night and show off the sculpted, compact and energetic styling to your pals. It has import-tuner appeal and that attention-grabbing factor right out of the box.

Snarly boxer power
Up front, a 2.0L boxer engine is mounted widely at the bottom of the engine compartment, lowering the centre of gravity, making for better handling. With 200 horsepower and a redline well over 7 grand, it's a boatload of fun.

The 6-speed manual shifter in the 2013 Scion FR-S is tight and well sprung, and the clutch has plenty of positive grab. It's not a wimpy, soccer-mom clutch. It holds lots of power for fast off-the-line launches and doesn't feel like it's made of cheese whiz.

If you have to get the automatic 2013 Scion FR-S, you'll get responsive and fun-to-use paddle-shift performance, too.

The FR-S isn't about goodies and high-tech features or posting record-setting lap times. It's about making you feel good with an affordable little riot of a sports car. If you're after a true driver's machine priced well shy of $30 grand, consider this one a priority test drive.

Enthusiasts will love the setup, and the fact that the Scion FR-S is rear-wheel drive and has a traction control system that can be turned down, or turned off, depending on what you're up to.

Opened up, the 2013 Scion FR-S growls along fiercely, but isn't so fast that it denies all full-throttle enjoyment in fear of a dangerous skid or speeding ticket. It's not incredibly fast, but in 99% of driving, it offers a “just right” amount of power Along with plenty of low-end torque and throttle response in traffic, too.

With 200 horsepower and a redline well over 7 grand, it's a boatload of fun. (Photo: Lexus)

Athletic appointments
Drivers of the 2013 Scion FR-S watch their revs via a tachometer with a blinky LED shift-indicator which takes centre stage in a cockpit that's sport-snug, and coloured and trimmed with more sophistication than its price suggests.

The 2013 Scion FR-S seats are great, as are the driving position, small steering wheel and sporty metal pedals which are ideally placed for heel-and-toe shifts.

All controls are within easy reach, simple to operate and logically laid-out. It's a simple, no-B.S. sports car cabin in the 2013 Scion FR-S even if I did wish for a sunroof and some leather seats.

All controls are within easy reach, simple to operate and logically laid-out. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Sporting first
The 2013 Scion FR-S is undeniably tight and sporty while driving. On uneven surfaces, it can be a busy and rough ride, but it's balanced well between comfort and grip. Steering is beautiful -- quick to react, loads up nicely, and conveys great feel from the road while directing the FR-S around with minimal fuss and maximum urgency when pushed.

Brakes are a touch stiff at initial application, but stopping power inspires confidence alongside easy modulation and good feel. The reflexes and driving dynamics, at every turn, are well done and rewarding. And unlike most of its competitors including the Civic Si and MINI Cooper S, this Scion was designed as a sports car not an economy car from the get go. That shows here, massively.

It's also very light, making it great on fuel. I was delighted at a test average of under 8L/100km.

The usual gripes
Standard sports-car complaints apply: Rearward visibility is limited, rear seats are useless for grown-ups, and the trunk (though large enough) has a small opening.

Other gripes weren't major, though I did wish for a quieter ride at highway speeds as well as some covered storage in the cabin of the 2013 Scion FR-S. The stereo screen is hard to read if the sun is out, and I have a right arm that would have been happy with an armrest.

You'll love this car
This is a machine with its eggs in the right basket. If you ever loved or owned a 240SX, Prelude, Tiburon, MX6, AE86 Corolla, MR2 or any other imported '90s-era sports car classic, you'll love the recipe here.

Austria's Red Bull Ring has entered the race to the spot left open by the FIA on the Formula One World Championship 2013 calendar.

Up to now, France and Turkey had been the two most likely venues to inherit the July 21st date. Both countries have staged F1 races before and are seeking a comeback.

Now that Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport guru, has spoken however, Austria is also on the shortlist of European countries likely to return to the calendar.

DTM crowd at the Red Bull Ring (Photo: DTM.com)

"We have made the FIA aware that we have a track with a full F1 license," the high profile consultant is quoted saying by ESPNF1.

The track he is referring to is the Red Bull Ring, formerly known as the A1 Ring, which hosted the Austrian Grand Prix between 1997 and 2003, before shutting down. It was bought back by the energy drink company in 2005, revamped and then reopened in 2011.

Marko is adamant amenities in the surroundings of Spielberg, where the Red Bull Ring is located, are sufficient to host a grand prix.

"It worked in the 1970s and 1980s," he points out on Autosport.com. "And we have a full amount of hotels in Graz."