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From IndyCar

Watch the stars of the IZOD IndyCar Series poke fun at themselves or each other.

We can't stress enough how texting while driving is illegal and extremely dangerous. In fact, those who do it are 23 times more likely to suffer a crash.

A number of devices are available to block text messages for drivers. Mashable.com recently listed five smartphone applications that do a pretty good job.

AT&T's DriveMode, automatically sends pre-set replies to incoming texts to let people know you are driving. Once the app is launched, all calls, texts and emails are silenced -- both the ones you receive and those you would try to send.

While it won't block incoming messages, DriveSafe.ly actually reads your text messages, calls or emails aloud. Drivers also have a choice of pre-set replies, or they can respond by voice using the hands-free interface.

Textecution and Text-STAR are two apps that disable texting functions when you are travelling at more than 10 mph (16 km/h).

You like rewards? DriveScribe assesses your driving performance by giving you points, based on how well you stay within the speed limit and obey traffic signals. These points can then be redeemed for gift cards and discounts at certain stores.

Remember: No excuse is good enough, so stop texting while driving now!

Source: Mashable

From Supercar News

The Canadian Supercar Series (Supercar) is proud to announce its 2013 schedule. This first full-season calendar will feature eight races over four weekends on several of the most famous road courses in Canada.

The Canadian Supercar Series (Supercar) is a car racing series for high performance and exotic race cars with typically over 400 horsepower. Supercar provides an environment for drivers to showcase their cars and to challenge other car makes of similar performance. Supercar encourages hard but fair competition under a code of respectful driving.

Opening this first season on May 18th and 19th at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Victoria Day Speedfest weekend will be an exciting challenge for the racers as this event attracts a large audience. Two events are planned in Québec, one of which will take place at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel on July 6th and 7th.

A must stop for Supercar is definitely the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières on August 9th to 11th. In 2012, Supercar presented its inaugural race where the historical Mayor's Cup was rededicated and won by the Trifluvian Jean-François Dumoulin.

The final and fourth event of the season for Supercar will be on September 6th to 8th at Calabogie Motorsports Park.

“Having experienced great success this summer in Trois-Rivières, and with the enthusiasm of the participating drivers, this first full-season calendar answers their wishes”, mentioned John Bondar, President of the new Canadian Supercar Series.

“This series is in development and my expectation for this series is to fill a demand. This first full-season schedule allows for the drivers to get acquainted with the format and the rules that encourage hard but fair competition under a code of respectful driving.”

Supercar 2013 Schedule
May 18-19 - Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Bowmanville, ON)
July 6-7 - Circuit ICAR (Mirabel, QC)
August 9-11 - Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (Trois-Rivières, QC) September 7-8 - Calabogie Motorsports Park (Calabogie, ON)

The team that clinched the previous two Formula 1 World Championships turned the initially cumbersome Red Bull RB8 into a fantastic race-winning machine, and collected a third consecutive title in 2012.

Red Bull Racing started the season as hot favourites, but it quickly became evident that Adrian Newey's lastest creation was really suffering from the ban put in place by the FIA on the infamous exhaust-blown diffusers for this year.

However, like Ferrari, Red Bull Racing worked day and night to solve the problem, and it turned the Renault-powered RB8 into a race leader despite being relatively slow on the staightways.

Sebastian Vettel, triple world champion with Red Bull. (Photo: WRi2)

The team, led by Christian Horner, finished the year with a total of 460 points, 60 more than second place Ferrari.

Sebastian Vettel
World Champion with 281 points
Best place in qualifications: 1st (6 poles)
Best race result: 1st (5 wins)
Retired once

Mark Webber
6th in the Driver's Championship with 179 points
Best place in qualifications: 1st (2 poles, Monaco and Korea)
Best race result: 1st (3 wins, Monaco and Great Britain)
Retired twice (2 consecutive races, Abu Dhabi and USA)

The ban on exhaust-blown diffusers robbed RB8 of a predecessor's dominance. In fact, Vettel scored only one victory in the first 13 races of the season. The German had to wait until the fourth round in Bahrain to score his first pole position, and race victory of the season.

Photo: WRi2

Meanwhile, Adrian Newey continued to push technical boundaries, drawing controversy over floor holes, engine maps, flexible nose cones, and more. Red Bull's season was also marred by a series of very costly alternator failures.

Vettel then managed to score four consecutive victories in Singapore, Japan, Korea, and India. He controled the latter part of the season to beat arch rival Fernando Alonso in treacherous conditions in Brazil; a race that saw Vettel being spun around during the opening lap of the race.

In just 101 Grands Prix and six F1 seasons, Vettel has clinched 26 wins, 36 poles and scored 1,054 points.

His teammate, Australian Mark Webber, bounced back from disappointments in 2011, fitter, more motivated, and much more consistent.

Victories in Monaco and Silverstone made him Red Bull Racing's leading title contender at the season's midway point, but second half was not nearly as strong and he ended the year sixth in the standings. It must be noted that Webber's car was often hit by technical issues, especially failures of the KERS during races.

Mark Webber, Red Bull RB8. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

Automakers have fewer reasons to wonder whether online marketing blitzes are translating to sales.

The Treasury's plan to sell its remaining stake in GM is a leap forward for the Obama administration's effort to end a $418 billion bailout program that in four years was transformed from a political albatross to a winning campaign issue.

Frenchman Michel Disdier seemed absolutely unfazed by the perils of the Daytona International Speedway, as he wrapped up his three-day ARCA Racing Series' testing session with the 9th overall time, out of 61 drivers on hand.

Behind the wheel of the Cunningham Motorsports Dodge No.77, Disdier was making a comeback into the series after a three-year absence, which goes to show how good his performance on the super-oval was.

The 38-year-old driver took the time of getting acquainted with the track and finding the right settings in preparation for the upcoming ARCA season on the famous Florida track.

At the same time, he familiarized himself with drafting, a well known phenomenon on tracks like Daytona or Talladega.

Michel Disdier will be back on track February 16th for the running of the Daytona 200, a week before he makes his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series.

MONTREAL, Quebec - Now that the Elantra nameplate is getting some serious attention, Hyundai wisely chose the right time to expand its line-up. There is now an Elantra to please just about everybody in the market for a compact car.


Say hello to the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe as well as the 2013 Elantra GT, a five-door version that will replace the aging Touring wagon variant. Both are trickling into dealerships right now.

The Elantra closed out the 2011 calendar year in 2nd place among top-selling cars in Canada, right behind the Honda Civic. You would think that Hyundai is multiplying Elantra variants in an effort to catch up to its Japanese rival, currently about 6,000 units ahead in 2012 calendar year sales, but no.

The friendly folks at Hyundai tell us they aren't chasing the Civic, knowing very well that they won't close the sales gap. The Alabama, US plant is producing as many Elantra sedans as it can. By the way, the Coupe and GT versions will be built in Hyundai's plant in Ulsan, Korea.

Identical powertrain
The 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe will aim to please buyers who want something with a sportier look than a sedan, but not as dynamic as a Veloster or a Genesis Coupe. Yet sales expectations are modest: about 5% of all Elantras sold should have only two doors, according to Hyundai Canada.

Mechanically, the Elantra Coupe is very similar to the sedan. A 1.8L four that develops 148 hp and 131 lb-ft is the sole engine choice, although you can choose between a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic with manual mode. You also get the sedan's hydraulic power steering, MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension.

According to Hyundai, however, the Coupe benefits from a quicker steering ratio (13.9:1 vs. 14.2:1), modified dampers to improve body motion control, while the rear axle gets an integrated stabilizer bar.

A 1.8L four that develops 148 hp and 131 lb-ft is the sole engine choice. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

On the road, these marginal differences are not readily apparent; at least, not without driving the coupe and the sedan back-to-back, which we didn't have to opportunity to do. On the other hand, it's clear that the two-door Elantra isn't as frisky as the Veloster, nor is it designed to be that way.

Alas, the on-center numbness of the steering felt in the sedan is still somewhat noticeable in the coupe, which means constant corrections on the highway to keep a straight line.

The 1.8L four is still noisy at wide-open throttle, although it doesn't sound unrefined at all. Too bad the Elantra Coupe isn't a tad more powerful than the sedan, though. The Civic has a 201-hp Si version, but then again, Hyundai's got the new 2013 Veloster Turbo to confront it in terms of power and price.

Room for four
The new coupe rides on the same wheelbase as the sedan, and exterior dimensions are virtually identical. The curb weights of both cars are also very close. In short, Hyundai didn't try giving a different flavour or style to the Elantra Coupe. Not that it had to.

Despite two less doors, the Elantra Coupe is still a roomy car, and can easily accommodate four adults comfortably; compared with the sedan, passenger volume is down by only 6 litres (or 0.2 cu ft), while trunk space is identical. Getting in and out is obviously more complicated, although back-bench headroom is not an issue for folks under six feet tall.

The rest of the cockpit is pretty much carried over from the sedan, including its swooping dashboard design with silver-painted trim, and excellent ergonomics.

The new coupe rides on the same wheelbase as the sedan, and exterior dimensions are virtually identical. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

Pricing: Elantra Coupe vs. Civic Coupe vs. Kia Forte Koup
Unlike the Elantra sedan, Hyundai's new coupe will not be offered in a stripped-down base model. The Elantra Coupe GLS will start out at $19,949 and will include 16” alloy wheels, a power sunroof, a 6-speaker stereo with USB port and fog lamps.

The $25,199 Elantra Coupe SE will add a sport suspension, 17” wheels, a navigation system with rear-view camera, leather upholstery, aluminum pedals, an intelligent key system, climate control and a 360-watt sound system.

The Elantra Coupe GLS will start out at $19,949. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

In comparison, the Civic Coupe includes a cheaper LX trim, and the $20,240 EX has about the same list of features as the Elantra GLS; the $24,890 Civic EX-L actually costs less than Hyundai's SE trim.

The Kia Forte Koup EX is quite the deal at $18,995, while the $24,595 SX Luxury with navigation also beats out both the Honda and the Hyundai in regards to features for the price.

I'm puzzled by the fact that the Elantra Coupe SE will only be available with the automatic, as opposed to the base GLS who'll offer both gearboxes. But Hyundai says the take rate for manuals in uplevel trims is usually marginal.

Gorgeous, with a spacious cabin and a fuel-efficient engine, there are plenty of arguments for choosing a 2013 Elantra Coupe over a Civic Coupe. I wonder why Hyundai created this two-door version in the first place; its driving experience isn't any different or better than the sedan, they're not expecting to sell in very high numbers and it might interfere with Veloster sales.

They just did it because they can.

The American Le Mans Series P1 champion team, Muscle Milk Racing completed two days of this testing, earlier this week at the the new Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

The Austin (Texas) track welcomed in last november the first Formula One race in the United States since 2007. Organizers had to rush to get the installations ready in time, but the event was hailed a success by drivers and media alike.

Monday and Tuesday of this week, Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr had the chance to sample the new circuit at the wheel of their championship-winning No. 6 HPD ARX-03a. They also completed a number of laps aboard HPD's new ARX-03c.

"I think it is a very good track for an ALMS race," suggested Luhr.



His teammate seemed to agree with him: "The layout of the COTA track is really amazing."

"The first sector from Turn 1 to Turn 9 is impressive and both very challenging and technical. My favourite corner though is the triple right-hander from Turn 16 to 18.  When we first arrived I couldn't believe how steep the hill up to Turn 1 is. That is a very unique corner.

"This track will be known for that approach to Turn 1, thinks the German."

The 2013 ALMS season starts March 16, with the presentation of the 61st 12 Hours of Sebring.

Aston Martin won't be the only automaker celebrating 100 years in 2013: MINI's Oxford plant will reach the milestone on March 28th.

The facility has employed tens of thousands of people and built more than 11 million cars over the past century, including Austin, Healey, MG, Wolseley, Riley, Austin, Mini, Vanden Plas, Princess, Triumph, Rover, Honda, Sterling, Morris and MINI models.

Today, Oxford produces the MINI hatchback, Convertible, Clubman, Clubvan, Roadster and Coupe -- 80% of which are exported to over 100 countries worldwide.

A centenary exhibition at the plant will incorporate stories and pictures from employees past and present.

Photo: MINI

Jean-Philippe Dayraut (MINI) secured victory in both rounds of the Trophée Andros presented in Alpe d'Huez, which means he is pulling away in the title chase. For his return in the championship, Jacques Villeneuve took a 5th and a 12th place finishes.

On Friday, Dayraut dominated the qualifying rounds, then took win in his Super Finale Elite.

The MINI driver took win on overall classification of the first day ahead of Olivier Panis (Dacia Lodgy) and Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Renault Clio III). Jacques Villeneuve (Citroën) made a strong return in the Trophée Andros as he classified 5th in the qualifying rounds, then took third position in his Super Finale Elite, to secure 5th place overall for Saturday's round.

On Saturday, Dayraut was back on top, dominating the qualifying rounds again before he took another overall victory on day 2 after he won his super finale Elite. Dayraut concluded the day ahead of Panis and Andrea Dubourg (Renault Clio III), Jean-Philippe Dubourg's brother.

Day two was tougher for Villeneuve, who placed 9th in qualifying round before crashing with Hervé Knapick's BMW his finale. The Canadian concluded the day 12th overall.

Dayraut now stands 19 points ahead of Panis, who moves up to second position ahead of Benjamin Rivière. Villeneuve, who missed the first four rounds, stands 22nd in championship classification.

One of only 140 Lamborghini Miura P400 S units manufactured from December 1968 to March 1972 is currently up for sale through Coys. With a 370-horsepower V12 engine, it was the most powerful production car at the time.

This Miura was originally purchased in the early 1970s by shipowner Aristote Onassis and passed on to his friend and rally driver Stamatis Kokotas as a gift. However, the engine had to be shipped back to the plant to fix recurring problems. The twist is that it never returned to its owner... and the car remained in an underground parking lot at a Hilton in Athens for nearly 40 years!

As it turns out, the engine was proudly sitting inside the Lamborghini museum in Sant'Agata. Both the Miura P400 S and the V12 are now on the trading block, and their estimated worth amounts to £370,000 (approx. $595,000).

Photo: Simon Clay / Coys

Prodrive World Rally Championship (WRC) outfit has opted out of the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo. Instead, the team's MINI racers will start their season at round two, in Sweden.

Having lost MINI's backing at the end of the 2012 season, Prodrive has had cut back on its involvement in the WRC. Its only representative at the Monte-Carlo rally will be Michal Kosciuszko's Motorsport Italia entry, as Autosport pointed out.

"There's no financial support from MINI," Prodrive's Richard Taylor reminded everyone on WRC.com. "Whatever we do has to stack up commercially."

Last season failed to yield the success the team was hoping for. So in a bid to regain the lost form, head of states opted to downsize their calendar, and wait until the MINI is 100% ready to attack again, which means February's Rally Sweden.

"We're [...] optimistic we'll get to Sweden and we're positive the car will be capable of setting good times," added Taylor. "[We want] to do a reasonable number of rallies with a car capable of winning."

Meanwhile, rivals are gearing up for round one of the season.

As France's Auto Hebdo noted, 84 cars have registered for the Monte-Carlo rally, among which are the winners of the last four editions of the event: Sébastien Loeb (2012), Bryan Bouffier (2011), Mikko Hirvonen (2010) and Sébastien Ogier (2009).

Team Sahlen, which had already signed star driver Simon Pagenaud to drive in the twice-around-the-clock race, has now added Bruno Junqueira to its lineup.

The team also signed veteran Tomy Drissi.

Junqueira is well known in North America for his string of open-wheel successes. He most famously took the pole at the 2002 Indianapolis 500, and the 1997 South American F3 championship. The Brazilian also raced in Europe, where he took the 2000 Formula 3000 championship.

As for Drissi, he experienced about every form of sports car racing in the States, including NASCAR, Grand-Am, ALMS and World Challenge competition. Throughout his career, Drissi even came across Team Sahlen before, for two races in Grand-Am. It was in 2005.

Both men competed most recently in the ALMS, in 2012.

The other drivers who form Team Sahlen's lineup aside from Pagenaud, Junqueira and Drissi are Joe, Will and Wayne Nonnamaker and Joe Sahlen.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne won support from Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti yesterday for the carmaker's latest effort to shore up domestic operations. The political cameo in southern Italy will do little to overcome the plan's challenges.

Two trade deals and a shift in Korean consumer sentiment have cut domestic sales of Hyundai, Kia and the country's three other automakers by 5.2 percent this year, according to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association.

General Motors., trying to end losses in Europe, said it agreed to sell a French transmission plant to Punch Metals International.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne won support from Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday for the carmaker's latest effort to shore up domestic operations. The political cameo in southern Italy will do little to overcome the plan's challenges.

2012 Formula Renault 2.0 champion Stoffel Vandoorne has taken Robin Frijns' seat at Fortec Motorsports in the bigger 3.5 series.

The Belgian will also try to emulate Frijns' success.

The Dutchman became the first Fortec driver to win the championship last year, - controversially - edging ahead of Jules Bianchi in the final duel for the title.

He is now a reserve driver for Sauber's F1 team.

The future does look promising for Vandoorne who, in a recent FR3.5 test at Aragon, managed to break Frijns track record.

Vandoorne sampling Formula Renault 3.5 power (Photo: Stoffel Vandoorne@Facebook)

"My choice was quite easy between the teams I have tested for in the FR3.5," the Belgian said.

"I felt very good with Fortec straight away, and we showed some really good speed during the post-season tests. I'm happy that finally the deal is done, and I can start focusing on next year."

In 2012, Vandoorne was also named "Belgian Driver of the Year" by the Royal Automobile Club de Belgique.

The IZOD IndyCar series has inked a new deal with its long-time tire supplier Firestone.

The deal runs through 2018, and makes Firestone the only tire manufacturer of the championship until then.

"Firestone performance and safety have been synonymous with Indy car racing for more than 100 years," Firestone Racing executive director Al Speyer reminded everyone.

The deal also boosts Firestone's role within IndyCar.

Will Power, Penske Racing (Photo: LAT for IndyCar)

Starting in 2014, the Bridgestone fold will participate through "technical support, investments in advertising, event promotions, at-track signage, hospitality, race title sponsorships and other programs," the official IndyCar website says, as well as through supplying the tires.

As far as the IndyCar's Indy Lights feeder series is concerned, the title sponsorship and official tire status is good until 2013.

Firestone has been involved in the series since the league's inception in 1996.