Auto News 5

Team Penske's Will Power won a controversial IZOD IndyCar race at Sonoma Sunday as the event main contender, Scott Dixon (Ganassi) was penalised for an incident in pit lane.

For the Australian it was a first victory after a 16-month winless streak and Scott Dixon ended-up the biggest loser, finishing 15th and allowing his title opponents Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay to extend their advantage.

Justin Wilson. (Photo: LAT / IndyCar)

Will Power crossed the finish line 1.1 seconds ahead of Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing).

The incident occurred when Dixon was exiting his pit box and clipped a tire being carried by Power's right-rear tire changer, hitting him and two other crew members.

None were hurt but the Neo-Zealander was penalised and relegated to the 15th spot in a race that he had utterly dominated all afternoon.

For polesitter Dario Franchitti the afternoon had his share of frustration but the Scot still managed to get the third spot. Marco Andretti and Simon Pagenaud completed the top 5.

James Hinchcliffe. (Photo: LAT / IndyCar)

Results - 85 laps:

Pos  Driver  Team/Engine  Time/Gap
1. Will Power   Penske/Chevy  2h20m46.8226s
2. Justin Wilson   Coyne/Honda  +1.1930s
3. Dario Franchitti   Ganassi/Honda  +3.4036s
4. Marco Andretti   Andretti/Chevy  +4.1266s
5. Simon Pagenaud  Schmidt/Honda  +4.7042s
6. Ryan Hunter-Reay   Andretti/Chevy  +5.1074s
7. Helio Castroneves  Penske/Chevy  +8.5383s
8. James Hinchcliffe  Andretti/Chevy  +9.0231s
9. Simona de Silvestro  KV/Chevy   +9.2858s
10. Sebastien Bourdais   Dragon/Chevy  +11.2082s
11. Graham Rahal   Rahal/Honda  +12.0359s
12. Tristan Vautier   Schmidt/Honda  +15.1056s
13. Tony Kanaan  KV/Chevy   +17.7606s
14. EJ Viso   Andretti/Chevy  +18.5207s
15. Scott Dixon   Ganassi/Honda  +20.2165s
16. JR Hildebrand   Herta/Honda  +20.7611s
17. Ryan Briscoe  Panther/Chevy  +29.4788s
18. James Davison   Coyne/Honda  +43.7768s
19. Ed Carpenter   Carpenter/Chevy  +1 lap
20. Charlie Kimball  Ganassi/Honda  +2 laps

Retirements:
Sebastian Saavedra  Dragon/Chevy  81 laps
Lucas Luhr  Fisher/Honda   81 laps
Takuma Sato  Foyt/Honda  67 laps
Josef Newgarden  Fisher/Honda   56 laps
James Jakes  Rahal/Honda  28 laps

The Frankfurt Auto Show will serve as the backdrop for the launch of BMW's new plug-in hybrid X5, the X5 eDrive. With an autonomy of 30 kilometres in 100% electric mode, this rechargeable hybrid can reach a top-speed of 120 km/h without help from the gasoline engine.

BMW has released European fuel-economy ratings of 3.8L/100km and 0-100km/h performances of less than 7 seconds. The X5 eDrive is equipped with a TwinPower turbo 4-cylinder engine and 95 hp electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery.

A number of visual clues have been added to separate the X5 eDrive from the fold including blue grille, air intake and rear bumper inserts, developed exclusively for the BMW i brand.

Although only a concept vehicle at this point, chances are that we may see it on our roads in the not-so-distant future.

Photo: BMW

The 2014 Toyota Sequoia is on sale now in showrooms across Canada and is offered at a MSRP of $52,785. It is generously equipped with numerous standard features including 8 airbags, 7,000 lbs capacity towing package, as well as 10-way adjustable driver and 4-way adjustable passenger front seats.

The entire Sequoia lineup is powered by a 5.7 litre i-FORE V8 that produces 401 lb-ft torque and is mated to a Super ECT 6-speed automatic transmission which delivers an estimated 14.8L100/km combined fuel-economy rating.

• Sequoia SR5 (8 passenger): starting at $52 785
• Sequoia Limited (8 passenger): starting at $59 010
• Sequoia Platinum (7 passenger): starting at $67 675

Photo: Toyota

As Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins sings in Landslide (so do the Dixie Chicks, although it's a far less-cool reference...), “time makes you older even children get older / And I'm getting older too...”

Although I am getting older and priorities are changing, one thing will always remain in my case: I love cars.

Of late, I've been quite busy and preoccupied with a number of things (including work) and felt as though I was losing touch with what made me tick. Nearly 18 months ago, I bought my latest toy, my 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX SpecR1 wagon and although I love the thing to pieces, my true automotive love is my 1992 Volkswagen Jetta GTX (Canadian version of the GLI).

Although I don't take it out of the garage or enjoy it as often as I should (some would say never...), I still feel a little tingle every time I walk into the garage and shoot a quick look in its direction. I can proudly say that I, with the help of a few friends, built this car. I bled, sweat and quite nearly cried a number of times working on it, making it my own.

Unfortunately, I'd not spent any “quality car time” with it in a very long time, even after having purchased some crazy-sexy BBS RS three-piece wheels for it over a year ago. On a recent Sunday morning, I decided I was going to put them on the car. One of the reasons I'd waited as long as I did was that these wider wheels were going to require some finagling to fit.

As I get older, I realize I've lost that all-important confidence that enables one to attack certain tasks without ever doubting one's ability to actually complete said task. On that Sunday, I put my shorts on and got down to business.

Only moments after having precariously jacked the Jetta off the floor with two separate jacks in series, the car was floating above the ground and I was ripping things out, waling away at the fender with a hammer and a softball bat (see picture), fixing wires, installing the wheel, dropping the car then repeating the operation on the other side.

In the process of working on the car, I forgot my age, my fears. I did the work and it felt great. Time flew by and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. My passion and desire for this car -- for cars in general -- was fully on. Again, I felt great.

Those lucky enough to live or work (or both) their passion know and understand what I'm going on about. I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to do what I do, and I hope you also have a passion that fuels your being as cars do for me.

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

From Rally America

Hoonigan Racing's Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino built a commanding lead at the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota on August 23-24th, and finished first overall - the first ever career Ojibwe Forests Rally victory for Block and his third straight overall win in the Rally America National Championship.

Block drove a relatively problem-free event and enjoyed being first on the road with a dust-free ahead of him. The other teams were not as lucky as hope for rain never materialized to minimize the dust. Block pushed hard to establish his lead and finished 5m33.2 over second place Subaru Rally Team USA.

Ken Block. (Photo: Alex Haugen)

Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Craig Drew had a chance to lock up the Rally America title, but battled through blinding dust on the first day of the event.

A scary moment occurred on the second day when Higgins lost power steering and injured his hand, which painfully prevented him from shifting the car smoothly. In addition a vehicle rolled over Higgin's ankle during a roadside repair and Higgins walked around service with a noticeable limp. But the team pressed on to a hard fought second place podium spot.

Notable top national teams failed to finish the Ojibwe Forests Rally that gave others opportunities to capitalize. Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team's Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard entered with a new Subaru rally car and held third overall until an electrical failure prevented the car from starting at stage 9.

While the top two Ojibwe finishers were powerful all-wheel-drive Open Class rally cars, a Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) Ford Fiesta R2 took the third podium position. Australian's Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Smyth drove a clean race and capitalized on the misfortunes of those above them to land on the overall podium and won the 2WD category in the process. This is Reeves and Smyth's fourth consecutive 2WD victory.

The Lake Superior Performance Rally - the seventh and final round of the Rally America National Championship- takes place on October 18-19th in Houghton, Michigan.

As the miles clicked by...
The open road is a telling place to be; telling for the passengers who are stuck with each other for hours on end, and telling for the car that's crossing those endless miles. From discovering things you never knew (or wanted to know?) about your travel partner to realizing the car you thought was the ideal road tripping vehicle clearly isn't, vacationing on the open road can be quite the adventure.

My husband and I decided to make the 6+ hour drive to Niagara Falls for a few days to get away from it all -- with our 1 ½-year-old son in tow, of course.

When faced with what vehicle I wanted to take on said journey, I knew I wanted something rather roomy, safe, comfortable and relatively fun to drive. My thoughts landed on Volvo, and I booked a 2013 Volvo XC60 T6 to get us to the Falls in comfort and style.

While there was plenty of good about the Volvo XC60, there was a bit of bad, too. Overall, it's a fantastic crossover that can be worth the dollars if you really want the Volvo logo.


What is the Volvo XC60 T6?
Introduced in 2008, the Volvo XC60 is a crossover vehicle. It wasn't meant to replace anything, but essentially pushed the V70 out as it was already headed out the door thanks to North America's aversion to the wagon.

Offering up more driving dynamics and a higher ride height, as well as good cargo space, the Volvo XC60 placed well in the lineup alongside the likes of the  XC90.

2013 Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus Price and Specs
There are two engine choices and three models to choose from in the Volvo XC60 lineup. The base Volvo XC60 3.2 FWD starts at $39,350. My particular tester, a 2013 Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus with a few options rang in at $53,800 (with a starting price, sans options, of $49,150).

The Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus features Volvo's 3.0L I6 turbocharged engine that's good for 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque along with a 6-speed automatic with Sport Mode and
AWD.

While we did do a great deal of highway miles in the crossover, the overall 10.4L/100km reading at the end of the journey was highly impressive. (Photo: Volvo)

Driving the 2013 Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus
After putting close to 2,000km on the Volvo in just seven days (spending close to 27 hours in the XC60's plush, cream-coloured seats), I can truthfully say I like the way this crossover drives. The 3.0L delivers despite the crossover's weight and throttle response is good.

Steering could have been a bit more on-point, but otherwise handling and manoeuvrability were good. Ride comfort was also good.

The laser-guided cruise control is also a godsend on wide-open stretches of boring highway. It's hard to let the car do the braking for you, but the Volvo XC60 T6 handled stop-and-go situations like a pro and kept us all safe.

Where the 2013 Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus really shone, in my opinion, was in fuel mileage numbers. While we did do a great deal of highway miles in the crossover, the overall 10.4L/100km reading at the end of the journey was highly impressive.

After putting close to 2,000km on the Volvo in just seven days (spending close to 27 hours in the XC60's plush, cream-coloured seats), I can truthfully say I like the way this crossover drives. (Photo: Volvo)

Inside and Out of the 2013 Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus
There's no denying that the Volvo XC60 T6 is a good-looking CUV. With just the right amount of ride height and a rugged, manly exterior design, this Swede is sophisticated without being prissy, and rugged without being classless.

Inside, the cream interior did frighten me a bit with a 1 ½-year-old, but the comfortable leather seats were easily wiped down when stray milk and juice made its way onto surfaces.

Cargo space was more than adequate. With a large running stroller, portable seat, playpen, overnight bags, food and other bits and bobs the 873 litres of trunk space was eaten up. My son did not have to share the rear bench with anyone except his riding companion, Piglet.

Now, here's where we discovered a bit of the bad with the 2013 Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus. There are a lot of technological gadgets in this CUV from blind spot monitors to front-crash sensors. One such feature was the automated lift-gate. We discovered if you try to do the work for the car it doesn't appreciate that. The lift locked in the open position and we had to have it towed. It was fixed in less than 24 hours, but proved how too much technology may be just that: too much.

Cargo space was more than adequate. With a large running stroller, portable seat, playpen, overnight bags, food and other bits and bobs the 873 litres of trunk space was eaten up. (Photo: Colin Styker/Miranda Lightstone)

Comparing the 2013 Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus
This Volvo crossover has some stiff competition from the Germans in the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLK. We mustn't forget the Japanese either; the Lexus RX350 is a worthy contender as well. Who should take your dollars home? Well, that will come down to your priorities. Some offer better driving dynamics, others more safety features.

As a complete package, I think the 2013 Volvo XC60 T6 Premier Plus comes close.

From GMM

Red Bull is playing down expectations Sebastian Vettel will continue his dominance next weekend at Monza.

Although some insiders thought Mercedes would have the upper hand on the long Spa-Francorchamps straights, German Vettel dominated the Belgian grand prix from start to finish.

Monza is an even higher-speed and lower-downforce circuit, but Vettel is not so sure the RB9 will continue to dominate in Italy.

Sebastian Vettel in Spa-Francorchamps. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

"It's very difficult to predict," said the reigning triple world champion, whose points advantage over Fernando Alonso is now 46 points with eight races to go.

"We had some painful years (at Monza), where we just got hammered down the straights, and we've had years where the loss down the straight was limited, so we could come back in the corners. How it turns out to be this year is difficult to say," added Vettel.

Designer Adrian Newey is also unsure.

"I think Monza could be a difficult circuit for us," he is quoted by Italy's Autosprint. "There are a lot of straights and not so many corners."

2005 to 2007 Honda Accord Hybrid

Photo: Honda

The Draw: All of this generation Honda Accord's sensibility and style was available powered by a high-performance hybrid system for a short lifespan. The big draw here was the Accord using its available hybrid system as a performance enhancement -- as it was only available with the V6 engine and turned up the performance a notch, netting 255 horsepower or an improvement of 15. Other than the extra power and badging, the Accord Hybrid functioned, looked, and operated like a standard Accord, which is a good thing.

The Common Issues: Perhaps the most common issue reported dealt with a vibration or “tone” emitted from the Accord Hybrid's engine compartment. This appears to be caused when the vehicle's “Active Noise Cancellation” circuitry conks out, thereby failing to cancel out unwanted engine noises when the V6 runs on three cylinders to save fuel. If you notice any strange or unwelcome noises like these from the engine compartment on a test drive, be sure to find out why.

Further, some drivers report a “clunking,” “surging” or “vibration” from the transmission when shifting gears, though it's not completely clear whether this is normal -- given the nature of hybrid models and how they blend gas and electric power to propel the vehicle. If the Accord Hybrid you're considering doesn't feel like it's shifting properly, be doubly sure to have it inspected by a hybrid-certified dealer mechanic.

Photo: Honda

Continue reading Part II: Used Hybrids at a Glance

From press release

Lucas di Grassi and Nico Müller will get the opportunity to test the Audi RS 5 DTM this week at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg (Austria).

Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz complete a multiday test at the race track in Styria in preparation for the final spurt beginning at Oschersleben on September 15.

Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller starts the final dash as championship leader with a 35-point advantage. Rockenfeller and Mattias Ekström are in action for Audi in Spielberg. At the same time, Audi Sport offers two young racing drivers the chance to test the Audi RS 5 DTM.

The former Formula 1 driver and GP2 runner-up Lucas di Grassi belongs to Audi's sportscar driver line-up since mid 2012. The Brazilian clinched a podium position on his Le Mans debut in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro in June 2013.

Nico Müller had previously impressed Audi at the wheel of an Audi A4 DTM at a driver test for budding talents in spring 2012. The 21-year old Swiss now receives the opportunity to drive a current DTM racecar for the first time. Müller currently races in Formula Renault 3.5 and won the series' highlight of the season in Monaco this year. 
 

“We are intrigued to see just how Nico (Müller) and Lucas (di Grassi) get to grips with our RS 5 DTM,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “Nico is a promising young driver whose career we have followed with great interest for some years now. Lucas has impressed our sportscar team with his speed and knowledgeable technical feedback, which is why he is regarded as excellent test driver.”

Stewart-Haas Racing has notified the media of a 2pm press conference on Tuesday to announce a team expansion.

Most likely that involves hiring Kurt Busch, the 2004 Sprint Cup champion, as the fourth driver and, likely, adding Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 55 crew chief Rodney Childers.

The SHR lineup for 2014 would include the recuperating, three-time champion, Tony Stewart, the returning Danica Patrick and Kevin Harvick who is leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of the year.

Kurt Busch, who won the title with Roush Fenway Racing, then went to Penske Racing is currently with the one-car Furniture Row Racing.

Furniture Row Racing General Manager, Joe Garone, issued the following statement on Kurt Busch's decision to sign with Stewart Haas Racing.

“It was always our intention to extend Kurt's contract with Furniture Row Racing. We made him an offer last week to continue as the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet in 2014 and beyond. Though he did not accept our offer we respect his decision and wish him future success. His driving skill and being a dedicated team player will always be appreciated at Furniture Row Racing. But for right now the main focus for Kurt and the team is to qualify for the Chase and contend for the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship.

“Furniture Row Racing's technical and engineering programs along with a talented road crew have made great strides this season, which have been evident with the consistently fast race cars that we have brought to the track week in and week out. We, along with our technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, are deeply committed to continuing the work in progress. We are currently in a search process for a new driver in 2014, one who shares the same commitment and winning attitude that we all do at Furniture Row Racing.”

Kurt Busch was on the threshold of qualifying for a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but had a setback in Bristol on Saturday night. He still has two more opportunities to improve his points' position before all the spots are filled.

Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel has taken his 31st career victory at the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix, held Sunday on the longest circuit of the year - Spa-Francorchamps.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing. (Photo: WRi2)

Vettel's latest win means that he draws level with Nigel Mansell in terms of overall victories.

The 26-year-old Red Bull driver, who also set the fastest lap of the race, claimed the lead from second on the grid and now extends his championship advantage to 46 points over Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Lewis Hamilton of the Mercedes-AMG team finished in third place.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Photo: WRi2

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus. (Photo: WRi2)

Ford plans to bring the Fiesta ST to the United States from Europe before the end of summer, adding another performance subcompact to tangle with the likes of the Chevrolet Sonic RS, Fiat 500 Abarth, Hyundai Veloster Turbo, Mini Cooper S and Honda...

From GMM

Environmental activists Greenpeace on Sunday staged an audacious protest against race sponsors Shell at the Belgian grand prix.

Shell is the Spa-Francorchamps race's high-profile title sponsor, as well as backing the famous Italian team Ferrari.

First, paragliders took to the skies with banners protesting the oil multinational's Arctic oil drilling plans.

Abseiling activists then mounted the roof of the main grandstand and unfurled a huge banner that read 'ARCTIC OIL?  SHELL NO!'

Photo: savethearctic.org

After the race, as Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton took their trophies, another abseiling protester tried to get onto the podium, amid the boos of the crowd and the resistance of the Shell-branded grid girls.

Although unsuccessful in their final bid, the activists did manage to place another Shell-branded banner prominently in front of the podium, reading 'Save the Arctic'.

From WRC.com

Dani Sordo secured his first WRC victory after almost 10 years of trying when he won an enthralling ADAC Rallye Deutschland today.

The Spaniard was the ‘nearly' man of the WRC after 34 podiums from 106 starts. However, the 30-year-old came good to beat Thierry Neuville by 53.0sec following a final stage showdown that was only settled when the Belgian went off the road 3km from the finish.

After the demise of early leader Sebastien Ogier, who broke his Volkswagen Polo R's suspension after crashing early in the second leg, team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala led with Sordo and Neuville dueling behind.

Dani Sordo, Citroën DS3 WRC (Photo: WRi2)

Neuville had the better of Friday's second leg to build a 19.0sec advantage. But the roles were reversed yesterday and when Latvala crashed, Sordo ended the penultimate day with a lead of just 0.8sec to set up today's thrilling finale.

Sordo's victory, after four-days and 371.86km of asphalt action in the vineyards and military roads of south-west Germany, means Citroen maintained its unblemished record here, having won every year since the rally entered the championship in 2002.

Thierry Neuville, Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Photo: WRi2)

Second for Neuville, in his first full WRC season, extended a superb run of results which netted two seconds and a third before this event. Mikko Hirvonen finished third in another DS3, 1min 43.1sec behind Neuville, to seal a strong weekend for Citroen.

Martin Prokop matched his career-best result in fourth in a Fiesta RS. The Czech driver was 8min 00.8sec behind Sordo, but kept out of trouble as many more-fancied runners went off the road.

WRC 2 winner Robert Kubica and second-placed Elfyn Evans completed the top six, in a Citroen DS3 RRC and Ford Fiesta R5 respectively.

Sebastien Ogier salvaged three points by winning the final Power Stage and the Frenchman holds a 75 point lead in the drivers' standings over Neuville. Latvala is third, 11 points behind, with four rounds remaining.

Sébastien Ogier, VW Polo R WRC (Photo: WRi2)

Results - Rallye Deutschland (WRC)
1. Sordo-Del Barrio (Citroen DS3 Wrc) in 3.15'19”4
2. Neuville-Gilsoul (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) a 53”0
3. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) a 2'36”1
4. Prokop-Ernst (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) a 8'00”8
5. Kubica-Baran (Citroen DS3 Rrc) a 9'01”3
6. Evans-Barritt (Ford Fiesta RS R5) a 9'14”2
7. Latvala-Anttila (VW Polo Wrc) a 9'55”0
8. Paddon-Kennard (Skoda Fabia S2000) a 13'01"2
9. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) a 13'28”1
10. Novikov-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) a 15'17”9

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed reports from Spa-Francorchamps this week that Michelin wants to return to formula one.

"They do want to get back in," the F1 chief executive is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport, "but we have had contracts with Pirelli for some time."

Ecclestone is referring to commercial arrangements that have already been made with the sport's existing supplier.

But there is no such contract between Pirelli and F1's governing FIA beyond 2013.

That has ramped up the pressure on the already-frustrated Italian company, who said moves to change F1's supplier now would be "farcical".

"If Michelin wanted to return why didn't they come out and say so last September?" motor sport boss Paul Hembery told the Telegraph.

He was speaking at Spa-Francorchamps, where after Friday's punctures for Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, he had to show photographs to journalists to prove the problems had been simply caused by debris.

"We can't even get a flat tire now?" Hembery is quoted by Autosprint.

From GMM

A mischievous Mark Webber on Sunday gave away the name of his successor at Red Bull.

While the frenzied 'silly season' rumour-mongers wonder if Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button or even Fernando Alonso might still be in the running, Australian Webber said it is his younger compatriot who has secured the plum 2014 seat.

Team boss Christian Horner has insisted all weekend that a decision has not been made, and that an announcement is not due at least until Monza in two weeks.

Daniel Ricciardo, Mark Webber (Photo: WRi2)

But the Le Mans-bound Webber said at Spa-Francorchamps: "The decision's made.  We all know who it is.  I'm happy with that decision.

"It's good for him and good for Australia," he told Channel 10.

Matt Kenseth's hopes for a second Sprint Cup title got a boost as he held off a furious charge of Kasey Kahne for the win Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

By many people's reckoning Kahne had every right to wreck the 2003 champion to take the win away only the duo raced cleanly, if intensely, over the final 12 laps.

Four times this year Kahne had been taken out by one or another Joe Gibbs Racing teammate where Kenseth works.

"Kasey's as good as they get and he's a clean driver," said Kenseth. "He raced as hard as he could -- we ran out of room off (turn) four there.  We were both digging as hard as we could to try to get it.  I got real tight on them old rights (tires) and had just enough to hold on."

It was the third time this season that Kahne finished behind Kenseth. At the tight .533 mile oval payback is typical, but, not for Kahne.

"I don't know," said Kahne. "I just ... I think at the end of the day, I just don't wreck people."

"I had the better car," Kahne added. "The guys did an awesome job in the pits and I feel bad we didn't win. We needed this; this would have been big for us.

"If I tried to get there, but I probably would have wrecked both of us (and) there would have just been a wreck. I just tried to pass him as clean as I could and race him as hard as I could. We were rubbing all the way down Turn 4 and I just didn't clear him.

"I just didn't get it done and I'm upset with myself for not figuring out how to win tonight."

Matt Kenseth (Photo: Brian Czboat/autostock USA)

With a season-leading fifth victory Kenseth takes the virtual points lead going into NASCAR's playoff's called the Chase due to points for wins. Five-time champ, Jimmie Johnson, whose car was wrecked, has four wins.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who was told two weeks ago he wouldn't be returning with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, was third, Brian Vickers finished fourth, followed by Joey Logano, Paul Menard, and Jeff Gordon.

There were a number of accidents, but, the most significant one occurred on lap 451 when Vickers got into the pole winner, Denny Hamlin, collecting eight cars including 2012 Champion Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Casey Mears and David Stremme.

The race to the Chase battle shuffled again with two races remaining until the points reset.

Logano, who won last week at Michigan, was the biggest winner, climbing to 10th in the standings while Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman each had problems and dropped in points. Keselowski and Busch fell out of the top 10.

With Kahne back in the top 10 in points, Truex and Newman still hold, for now, the two wild-card spots because neither Keselowski, Busch or Jeff Gordon—who are 11th-13th in points—have a win this season. Truex and Newman, 14th and 15th, respectively, have one win each.

Chevrolet has recalled 44,789 2011 and 2012 Cruze compact sedans to prevent possible brake failure.

The power-brake boosters in vehicles equipped with the DOHC 1.4 litre turbocharged engine and 6T40 automatic transmission may potentially malfunction because of an electric vacuum pump problem, causing brake failure. Drivers may need to apply extra effort in order to immobilize the vehicle if this problem occurs, thus increasing the risk of collision and injury.

Dealers will have to inspect and replace a micro switch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly.

Source: Transport Canada

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Sam Bird took a dominant victory in the feature race presented this weekend in Belgium, as part of the GP2 series' visit to Spa-Francorchamps. His countryman James Calado then went on to win the sprint race Sunday.

Bird, whose first place was never really in danger, drove superbly from pole position to claim his fourth victory of the season on Saturday, ahead of Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi.

Sam Bird (Photo: GP2series.com)

Championship leader Stefano Coletti had an up and down race which featured a slow puncture and a collision with Dani Clos. His rival in the title hunt Felipe Nasr collided with his teammate Jolyon Palmer, which meant neither Coletti nor Nasr got to score points.

Saturday, James Calado got to start on pole for having finished eighth in the feature race. Like Bird, he won after starting first, but had to fight with Julian Leal, who finished a close second, for the prize. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs completed the podium.

James Calado (Photo: GP2series.com)

As both Coletti and Nasr failed for the second consecutive race to score any points, the situation at the top of the standings remained the same. But Fabio Leimer is now only one point behind Nasr, and seven behind Coletti.

Feature race results - GP2 (Spa)
1 - Sam Bird - Russian Time - 25 laps 52'55"642
2 - Marcus Ericsson - Dams - 7"001
3 - Alexander Rossi - Caterham - 8"242
4 - Fabio Leimer - Racing Engineering - 13"950
5 - Tom Dillmann - Russian Time - 15"353
6 - Julian Leal - Racing Engineering - 18"643
7 - Stephane Richelmi - Dams - 26"086
8 - James Calado - ART - 27"559
9 - Robin Frijns - Hilmer - 28"425
10 - Adrian Quaife Hobbs - Hilmer - 30"497
11 - Mitch Evans - Arden - 33"190
12 - Simon Trummer - Rapax - 33"341
13 - Stefano Coletti - Rapax - 33"837
14 - Johnny Cecotto - Arden - 48"970
15 - Jolyon Palmer - Carlin - 49"347
16 - Daniel Abt - ART - 52"471
17 - Jake Rosenzweig - Addax - 57"102
18 - Vittorio Ghirelli - Lazarus - 57"982
19 - Rio Haryanto - Addax - 1'03"628
20 - Dani Clos - MP Motorsport - 1'20"316
21 - Ricardo Teixeira - Trident - 1'27"365
22 - Nathanael Berthon - Trident - 1'28"885

Sprint race results - GP2 (Spa)
1 - James Calado - ART - 18 laps 36'21"338
2 - Julian Leal - Racing Engineering - 0"447
3 - Adrian Quaife Hobbs - MP Motorsport - 1"532
4 - Stephane Richelmi - Dams - 17"905
5 - Fabio Leimer - Racing Engineering - 29"053
6 - Jolyon Palmer - Carlin - 33"284
7 - Johnny Cecotto - Arden - 37"321
8 - Tom Dillmann - Russian Time - 40"052
9 - Felipe Nasr - Carlin - 40"455
10 - Mitch Evans - Arden - 43"421
11 - Simon Trummer - Rapax - 44"373
12 - Sergio Canamasas - Caterham - 45"170
13 - Nathanael Berthon - Trident - 45"987
14 - Sam Bird - Russian Time - 47"459
15 - Marcus Ericsson - Dams - 50"141
16 - Daniel Abt - ART - 50"726
17 - Daniel De Jong - MP Motorsport - 50"818
18 - Vittorio Ghirelli - Lazarus - 53"466
19 - Dani Clos - MP Motorsport - 54"532
20 - Rene Binder - Lazarus - 59"796
21 - Jake Rosenzweig - Addax - 1'03"052
22 - Alexander Rossi - Caterham - 1'18"035
23 - Stefano Coletti - Rapax - 1'21"639
24 - Ricardo Teixeira - Trident - 1'27"956
25 - Rio Haryanto - Addax - 1 lap

Championship
1.Coletti 135; 2.Nasr 129; 3.Leimer 128; 4.Bird 121; 5.Calado 111; 6.Ericsson 82; 7.Richelmi 71; 8.Palmer 68; 9.Lancaster 65; 10.Dillmann 64.

Model: 2010 to 2012 Lincoln MKZ

Vehicle Type: Luxury Sedan

The Verdict: The Lincoln MKZ appears to be a relatively solid bet in a used car with no major issues apparent with major components. Ensuring proper maintenance was carried out -- and checking the proper operation of all high-tech systems -- is key to finding a good used model.

Price: Pricing starts around $15,000 for an earlier, higher-mileage unit, with newer, low-mileage MKZ's commanding up to $30,000. Shoppers will find plenty of selection in the $20,000 to $30,000 range.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

What Owners Like: Lincoln MKZ owners typically rave about the model's world-class ride quality and noise levels, available THX stereo system, and radar and camera-based safety systems which provide added confidence. Richly upscale feature content, unique looks, and overall comfort round out the package.

What Owners Dislike: Typical complaints include poor fuel mileage, sometimes-fussy infotainment controls, and some interior squeaks and rattles as the Lincoln MKZ ages.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

Continue reading 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ Pre-Owned