Auto News 5

Fiat may move production of new Alfa Romeo models outside Italy if the carmaker doesn't get clear labor rules in its home market, CEO Sergio Marchionne said.

Fiat-Chrysler factories in the U.S. and Serbia could benefit if Sergio Marchionne carries out a threat to move production of new Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep models outside of Italy unless the carmaker gets clear labor rules in its home market.

The Arkansas Court of Appeals has reinstated a suit against a Ford dealership in Jacksonville by purchasers who were denied financing on a new 2009 Mustang.

Fiat-Chrysler factories in the U.S. and Serbia could benefit if Sergio Marchionne carries out a threat to move production of new Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep models outside of Italy unless the carmaker gets clear labor rules in its home market.

Russia plans to put trade sanctions on Ukraine, penalizing imports of chocolate, coal and glass in retaliation for a Ukrainian emergency import tax on cars.

The fuel tank of the 2013 Honda Accord may have been manufactured incorrectly and could leak, potentially resulting in a fire, Honda Canada announced. Although the recall affects just 36 units, dealers will have to replace the fuel tank altogether.

Meanwhile, on 8,871 Honda Fit hatchbacks from 2012-2013, the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system may not function as intended. In some instances, this could allow the tires to lose traction and the vehicle to skid without intervention by the VSA system. Dealers will therefore reprogram the VSA software.

Source: Transport Canada

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

McLaren will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, which kicks off tomorrow. Alongside the contemporary range of McLaren high-performance sports cars will be a dynamic display of championship-winning models from Formula 1, Can-Am and Le Mans.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Jenson Button and Sergio Perez will also make appearances over the course of the weekend.

Some of the iconic McLaren cars on display include:

• P1 (global debut)
• 50 12C Spider (50th anniversary limited edition)
• MSO 12C (developed by McLaren Special Operations)
• 1974 M23 driven by Emerson Fittipaldi
• 1988 MP4/4 driven by Ayrton Senna
• McLaren F1 LM prototype

A McLaren 12C GT Can-Am Edition will be thrilling the crowds in the run up the famous Hill course, while a static display will take place at the McLaren House stand, adjacent to the Supercar Paddock.

Photo: McLaren

The Jaguar Project 7 Concept will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, which kicks off tomorrow.

Created in just 4 months by a team led by Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum, the roadster is based on the F-Type but also draws inspiration from the legendary D-Type cars that won 3 of Jaguar's 7 victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Sporting an all-aluminum body, the Jaguar Project 7 Concept hides a 5.0L V8 engine that produces 550 horsepower, allowing 0-60 mph (96 km/h) acceleration in 4.1 seconds, as well as a top speed of 186 mph (299 km/h). It will be driven at Goodwood by Chief Engineer Mike Cross.

The Project 7 also features a cut-down windscreen, a lowered composite bucket seat with a 4-point racing harness, side skirts, and 20'' forged alloy wheels with carbon fibre inserts.

Photo: Jaguar

From GMM

A new row is brewing in F1, as teams contemplate the next change to the specification of Pirelli's 2013 tires.

After the tire-exploding British grand prix, F1's official supplier rushed into service the new kevlar-belted rear tire in Germany.

And Pirelli did intend to debut an all-new tire for Hungary and beyond, combining the 2012 tire construction with the 2013 compounds.

But world champion Sebastian Vettel hinted after winning at the Nurburgring that the tire teams will actually race in Hungary is yet to be completely decided.

Lotus, competitive with the Nurburgring-spec tire, is happy to keep things as they are.

"This was a great race," team owner Gerard Lopez told Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper, "showing that the tires performed much the same as in the first third of the season.

"If the tires change radically, it really affects the credibility of the sport. At least now, no one can argue that these tires are unsafe," he added.

Sahara Force India, on the other hand, had no problem with the original Pirelli tire, but struggled markedly in Germany with the kevlar construction and the new rules banning rear tire-swapping.

Sahara Force India VJM06. (Photo: WRi2)

And now, the Silverstone based team is dreading the switch to the 2012 tires.

"If we return to the old carcass," said sporting director Otmar Szafnauer, "we lose our entire advantage about how we use the tires this year. We designed our car specifically for the 2013 tire specification."

He told Auto Motor und Sport that Force India was the first team in 2013 to discover the old trick of rear tire swapping, complaining that other teams triggered the ban by combining the practice with running extreme pressures and cambers.

"We never ran with low pressure or too much camber," Szafnauer rued.

Now, Sahara Force India is hurriedly tweaking its car to see how it works with the 2012 tires, which will be tested for the first time at Silverstone next week.

"I am afraid that these tires will mess up everything," said Otmar Szafnauer.

Deer Lake, Nfld. - Chevrolet is the last of the Detroit three to redo their light-truck lineup. Sales have slowed due to the knowledge that an all-new truck would be available on the market soon.

What is a Chevrolet Silverado?
The Chevrolet Silverado is a full-size pickup truck used as a work truck, off-road vehicle, tow vehicle, daily driver, family hauler, and just about any other kind of hauler you can think of.


2014 Chevrolet Silverado Price and Specs
EcoTec3 is the new generation of engines in the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, starting with the standard 4.3L V6 that now produces 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque, while the optional 5.3L aluminum V8 pushes out 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. At the top is the mega-motor 6.2L V8 with 420 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque.

Towing capacity rises from 7,200 lbs with the V6 to 11,500 lbs with the 5.3L V8, and goes up to 12,000 lbs when equipped with the 6.2L. The only transmission available is the 6L80 6-speed automatic, which is available with hill-decent control as well as tow haul mode.

A regular cab 2014 Chevrolet Silverado starts at $25,540 and the double cab (four-door) version starts at $29,435. Crew Cab (four full-size doors) models (which make up about 60% of sales) start at $30,995. Within these cab choices are a few box length choices,2WD and 4WD, as well as seven different trim levels starting with 1WT and progressing through 2WT, LT, LT with Convenience, LTZ, LTZ and Z71 with LTZ trim, winding up with the TLZ Plus. A brand new luxury trim level named the High Country will be introduced in the 4th quarter of 2013.

EcoTec3 is the new generation of engines in the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado. (Photo: Chevrolet)

Driving the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado
Your first driving impression in the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado is of how quiet the interior is at any speed. The second item your senses are going to sort out is how good the brake pedal feels under braking of all types. After that, your brain wakes up to a cacophony of change, all of which are popping into your senses as you go down the road.

Put a load in the back or hook the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado to a trailer and it makes little difference to the 5.3L V8 under hard acceleration. A driver will know that there is a load, but it tows so well with the sway control that many will not realize how much is there. Fortunately, hill decent, tow haul mode, and four very large disc brakes will easily help you keep control while driving.

Due to the size of the Crew Cab, getting around town requires patience and a bit of skill if you intend to park something of this size. Backing up is easy in the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado thanks to large mirrors and the rear parking sensors. A back-up camera is available as part of the Chevrolet MyLink system.

Your first driving impression in the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado is of how quiet the interior is at any speed. (Photo: Charles Renny)

Inside and Out of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado
Unless you put the Chevrolet Silverado beside a previous generation, you are not going to notice the changes to the wheel wells or the fact that on the Crew Cab, the door pillar up 6 or 7 cm to make it easier to get in and out of the rear seat. If you are really sharp, you will notice that Xenon headlamps are available in a redesigned front end and that the tail end has changed as well. Chevrolet claims that there are few, if any, exterior parts carried over from the previous generation.

Before you even turn the key, you are going to notice the changes to the centre console (or 40/20/40 front seat) in the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado. Connectivity is the goal, and multiple USB ports and power outlets adorn the centre stack. Everything is oriented towards the Chevrolet Silverado being used as a work truck, including the locking cabinet in the bottom portion of the centre console.

Seats are truly impressive in quality and comfort. For the first time, heated seats will be available with cloth trim. At the top of the line, perforated leather is standard.

For the first time, heated seats will be available with cloth trim. (Photo: Charles Renny)

Comparing the Chevrolet Silverado
Competition for the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado comes mostly from Detroit-based manufacturers. Ford with the Ford F-150 is ahead in sales, and has been for decades. Ram, with the Ram 1500, is improving by leaps and bounds. The Silverado's twin, the GMC Sierra 1500 goes head-to-head with the Chevy sometimes making it difficult to tell the difference between the two. From outside North America, the Toyota Tundra is a stronger competitor than the Nissan Titan.

From GMM

The son of Damon Hill, who earlier wanted to be F1's first ever third-generation champion, has quit motor racing.

The 22-year-old is the son of 1996 world champion Damon Hill, whose own father was the legendary double title winner Graham.

Josh Hill was also wearing the London rowing club colours on his helmet in European formula 3 this year, but he announced on Tuesday that he is quitting with immediate effect.

"I do not want to compete unless I am 100 per cent devoted," part of the statement read.

Former Williams driver Damon Hill admitted he accepted his son's decision "with some sadness", but "he has my total support as always".

Photo: Renault

Keeping up with appearances
Chelsea Proving Grounds, Ann Arbor, MI - After a complete redo for the 2014 model year, the bran new Jeep Cherokee still had a reputation for Jeep off-road ability and comfort resting on its platform. After a talk with the engineering staff, it sounds as if they have met their target.

It is clear to us that Jeep means business with this new Cherokee. While other highly competitive vehicles in the Cherokee's segment are primed to knock it down, Jeep fully understands the importance of this return.

Knowing how important things like being “trial rated” are to the Jeep brand, competitors may stack up well on pricing and showing well on dealer lots, but by using proven off-road technology, the Jeep continues to have an edge when the pavement quits.


2014 Jeep Cherokee specs
The Jeep Cherokee is an entry-level, All Wheel Drive/4X4, luxury-oriented SUV. The Jeep Cherokee often plays second fiddle to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is similar in name only.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee is slated to be in dealer's hands by the 3rd quarter of this year, which usually means that consumers will get to feel, touch, and drive one by October 2014. Base pricing for the seven models slated for Canada starts at $23,495 for a 2WD Cherokee Sport, and rises up to $32,195 for the Jeep Cherokee Limited 4X4. Naturally, there are both individual and option packages that can send the actual price noticeably higher.

Basic power will come from the new 2.4L Multi-Air, Tigershark inline-4 that produces 184 horsepower and 171 lb-ft of torque. The other engine available in the Jeep Cherokee is the new 3.2L Pentastar V6 that has a power output of 271 horsepower and 239 lb-ft of torque. A class exclusive, 9-speed automatic will be the transmission that backs both these engines up..

Both Active Drive I and Active Drive II 4X4 systems are available depending on the trim level and options chosen. The difference between the two systems is complicated, but centres around single- and two-speed transfer cases.

Preliminary fuel numbers for the I4 are 6.3L/100km on the highway, which is the only number Chrysler as released for the moment.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee at a glance
When you walk up to the 2014 Cherokee, you see what appears to be a smaller Grand Cherokee. Once close enough, you will know that this is a truly distinctive model. The stance is such that the front end has a bit of rake and the design accents this. Overhangs on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee are short to enhance off-road abilities. Ground clearance is good, but you do not need a step ladder to get in.

Once inside, the seats are comfortable and five adults can sit in decent comfort. Instrumentation in the 2014 Jeep Cherokee is front-and-centre for the driver, and is easily read. Over in the centre stack sits a large 15.6 cm configurable TFT display screen. On more basic Jeep Cherokee models without nav or entertainment features the display is a basic 8.5 cm greyscale screen.

Upper versions of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee are available with Napa leather, as well as independent rear-seat entertainment systems with complete connectivity to your choice of electronic device. U-Connect, Jeep's electronic interface program, is available as part of the map/sat/nav system and includes things like upgraded stereo quality, music storage, and Bluetoot connectivity.

Comparing the 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Some would like to say that the 2014 Jeep Cherokee has no competition, but this is the real world and its return to the Jeep lineup puts it in the same market (and price range) with the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage. In many circles, the new Mazda CX-5 and the Honda CR-V are also considered competitors across a large portion of the Jeep Cherokee model line.

Photo: Jeep

From IHRA

Alberta native Tim Nemeth drove his 1977 Pontiac Firebird to a win in the AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car class and in the process ended Tim Boychuk's three-year reign at the IHRA Mopar Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports all on championship Sunday at Castrol Raceway.

With Edmonton native Boychuk riding a three-year winning streak at his home track in IHRA's premier event, Nemeth came out of nowhere and blasted to the No. 1 qualifying position and ran that momentum all the way to an IHRA Ironman, giving the man known better as the “Iceman” his first-ever Rocky Mountain Nationals win.

“This win is for my mom. She is 80 years old and she is here with us this weekend and I really couldn't have done any of this without her,” an emotional Nemeth said.

“Since we switched to the new chassis and body last year everything has really come together for us. We have found a window to work in and the car has really been responding well to the adjustments. To be honest she is just really fun to ride right now.”

Joining Nemeth in the winner's circle on Sunday was Bobby Lagana Jr. in Top Fuel, Joey Steckler in Rocky Mountain Nostalgia Funny Car and Nathan Gagnon in Nitro Harley.

Sportsman winners from Sunday's Summit Pro-Am Tour presented by Amsoil competition were Rob Murphy (Top Sportsman), Jodi St. Arnaud (Top Dragster), Mark Faul (Super Stock), Ed Matiejewski (Stock), Mike Shannon (Quick Rod and Super Rod), Chad Barclay (Hot Rod), Zackary Pelrine (Junior Master), Tim Sletto (Junior Advanced) and Daniele Modersohn (Junior Beginner). ET winners were Braden Halina (Top), Kalim Menzel (Mod) and Mike Evanyshyn (Motorcycle).

Next up for the IHRA Nitro Jam series is a stop at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario as the series continues its Canadian tour July 19-21.

The IndyCar Series will confirm Friday in Toronto that it will turn over control of the struggling Indy Lights series to Dan Andersen, who already owns both the USF2000 and the Pro Mazda Series.

Andersen first founded the USF2000 series in the 1990s, then sold it and bought it back a couple of years ago as well as recently acquiring the Star Mazda that is now known as Pro Mazda. He is the owner and CEO of both series.

The Firestone Indy Lights series was once was a very successful championship but in recent years it has suffered a severe dip in participation both in terms of drivers and teams. Only eight car-and-driver combinations participated in Saturday's race at Pocono Raceway.

Andersen, who has owned teams in the series, is committed to lowering costs, particularly as it relates to the engines and the tires.

He also believes there should be a limit to the number of oval tracks young drivers should race on before they reach the IZOD IndyCar series.

Honda Indy Toronto will mark the second of three doubleheaders on the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule. The series will race a pair of 85-lap races Saturday and Sunday on the 1.75-mile temporary street circuit.

Out of the 25 entries, only two are Canadians. Veteran Alex Tagliani will be driving car No. 98 for Bryan Herta Autosport. The other Canadian in the field is James Hinchcliffe, the driver of the No. 27 GoDaddy.com car.

James Hinchcliffe attended every Honda Indy Toronto since he was 18-months old. This year, the Toronto native returns to his hometown race as a favorite to win. Can “Hinch”, who leads the series with three wins, visit Victory Lane in his hometown for the first time?

Photo: LAT for IndyCar

Entry List

Number  Driver  Car name  Engine  Entrant
1 Ryan Hunter-Reay  DHL  Chevrolet  Andretti Autosport
3 Helio Castroneves  Hitachi Team Penske  Chevrolet  Team Penske
4 Ryan Briscoe  National Guard  Chevrolet  Panther Racing
5 E.J. Viso  PDVSA Citgo  Chevrolet  Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM
6 Sebastian Saavedra  Dragon Racing  Chevrolet  Dragon Racing
7 Sebastien Bourdais  Dragon Racing  Chevrolet  Dragon Racing
9 Scott Dixon  Target Honda  Target Chip Ganassi Racing
10 Dario Franchitti  Target Honda  Target Chip Ganassi Racing
11 Tony Kanaan  Hydroxycut  Chevrolet  KV Racing Technology
12 Will Powe r Verizon  Chevrolet  Team Penske
14 Takuma Sato  ABC Supply  Honda  A.J. Foyt Enterprises
15 Graham Rahal  Midas/Big O Tires  Honda  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
16 James Jakes  Acorn Stairlifts  Honda  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
18 Mike Conway  Dale Coyne Racing  Honda  Dale Coyne Racing
19 Justin Wilson  Dale Coyne Racing  Honda  Dale Coyne Racing
20 Ed Carpenter  Indianapolis Fuzzy's Vodka  Chevrolet  Ed Carpenter Racing
25 Marco Andretti  Dr Pepper  Chevrole t Andretti Autosport
27 James Hinchcliffe  GoDaddy  Chevrolet  Andretti Autosport
55 Tristan Vautier (R)  Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
67 Josef Newgarden  Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
77 Simon Pagenaud  Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Honda Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports
78 Simona De Silvestro  Nuclear Entergy Areva Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
83 Charlie Kimball  NovoRapid FlexTouch Honda Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
98 Alex Tagliani  Barracuda Racing Honda Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian

After finding, and confiscating, the roof flap spacers from 16 Sprint Cup and 15 Nationwide cars at Daytona last week NASCAR has come to the unusual determination of no penalties for non-compliant parts.

Under NASCAR rules the roof flaps, which are designed to open to let air out of the cockpit and help keep a car from flipping or spinning, must use the all the parts which come in the NASCAR-supplied kits.
The discovery of the non-regulation parts occurred during a pre-qualifying inspection.

Teams, apparently, manufactured their own spacers.

Inspection of the Toyota of Michael Waltrip. (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

In making the ruling NASCAR said, in a statement:

“We examined this from every aspect we possibly could and determined that there would be no penalties involved,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition.

“Based upon our inspection and subsequent review, it was our determination that the functionality and safety aspects of the roof flaps were not compromised and the on track competition would not be impacted. Moving forward we will work with the roof flap manufacturer and the race teams to evaluate and optimize the associated installation hardware, review the process in its totality and communicate in a timely manner to the garage area any revisions that we determine need to be made.”

Ordinarily NASCAR does use the effect of a non-compliant part or the intent to break a rule as a factor in determining penalties. Confiscation of non-regulation parts usually come with penalties with looking at fault.

The Sprint Cup teams affected by the non-ruling were Joe Gibbs Racing entries (Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth), three Roush Fenway Racing entries (Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.), the three Michael Waltrip Racing entries (Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and Michael Waltrip), both Roger Penske Racing entries (Joey Logano and defending series champion Brad Keselowski), both Richard Petty Motorsports entries (Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola as well as those of Jamie McMurray (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing), Trevor Bayne (Wood Brothers Racing) and Casey Mears (Germain Racing).

From GMM

Lotus could enter the 2014 season with an all-new driver lineup.

It is already known that Nico Hulkenberg is the leading candidate to join the Enstone based team next year, should lead driver Kimi Raikkonen switch to Red Bull.

Team owner Gerard Lopez, however, thinks the 2007 world champion will stay.

"We know that Red Bull is replacing the second driver next year, but I think Kimi is no second driver," he told Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat.

One problem for Lotus could be money, with boss Eric Boullier admitting the team fell behind in paying Raikkonen recently.

"It (Raikkonen's salary) was paid late, yes," he told the BBC. "But it has been paid. We have to if we want to keep him."

Eric Boullier and Kimi Raikkonen. (Photo: WRi2)

Even so, more than one driver is being linked with Lotus for 2014, including Williams' Pastor Maldonado and Force India's Paul di Resta.

"Yes, I know the rumours," Lopez said. "Lotus is a fascinating team, Kimi has not decided what to do, and maybe we will have a place open with (Romain) Grosjean's agreement running out.

"Romain has driven well but no one can know at this point whether we will have one place open, or two, or none at all," he insisted.

Eric Boullier also admitted that both Raikkonen and Frenchman Grosjean could depart.

"A lot of drivers are talking to us," he told F1's official website, "so should the 'white sheet' situation occur I have a plan B but I will not share that now."

Romain Grosjean and Eric Boullier. (Photo: WRi2)

Auto123.com had the unique opportunity to spend some time with members of the Renault Sport F1 Team to experience the thrill of starting a V8 Formula 1 engine.

Just a quick reminder: All F1 engines must be normally aspirated, 2.4L, 90-degree V8s that can rev up to a maximum of 18,000 rpm. Power figures are not released by the manufacturers, but it is estimated to be around 800 horsepower.

Unlike our everyday road cars, an F1 engine cannot be started from cold due to the very tight bearing and piston-to-bore clearances.

The heating unit can be seen on the left, sitting on the floor. (Photo: René Fagnan)

Step 1 - Warming up the engine block
“We start by warming the engine up to a temperature of 80°C by circulating hot coolant through the engine and radiators,” says Henry Saint-Michel, engine technician at Renault Sport F1, who is responsible for Kimi Raikkonen's car at Lotus F1 Team.

“We then add compressed air in the bottle located inside the sidepod. This compressed air is used to counterbalance any leak the pneumatic valve system may suffer from,” he adds. “We also check the oil level and temperature. At this moment, there's almost no oil in the engine; it's mostly located inside the oil tank.”

The engine ECU is connected to the laptop computer of the technician. Various sensors for position, temperature and pressure send data to the laptop.

The Renault engine bolted to the Red Bull chassis. (Photo: WRI2)

Step 2 - Building up oil pressure
Once the temperature of the engine has reached 80 degrees, the hoses from the heating system are disconnected.

The next step is to crank the engine without firing it. “Using the electric starter, we crank the motor so the oil circulates through the galleries to ensure that the pistons, rings, bearings, con rods, and other internal components are covered with a thin film of oil,” Saint-Michel explains.

To prevent the engine from firing, Saint-Michel holds down a red button located on his work desk. A Lotus mechanic cranks the engine with the electric starter.

“On the screen, I see the oil pressure building up and the engine getting ready,” he continues. “When all systems are go, I tell the mechanic who works the starter to fire up the engine. By releasing the red button, I allow the starter to fire up the V8.”

The engine comes to life and idles at approximately 3,000-4,000 rpm. The water temperature immediately drops to 60°C (due to water circulating through the cooling system) but it quickly climbs back to 80°C at a rate of about one degree per two seconds.

Saint-Michel can rev the engine using the joystick, called the “pit pedal.”

Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus in the garage. The electric starter can be seen on the far left. (Photo: René Fagnan)

“The Lotus guy in charge of electronics then runs a fully automated warm-up software program. Another mechanic, sitting in the driver's seat, changes gears, engages the clutch, and turns the steering wheel from left to right to bleed the power assist circuit,” he tells us. “Once this is done, he gives me back control of the procedure. I rev the engine up to 7,000 rpm for 5-7 seconds before stopping it. This is to ensure that the engine is fully scavenged of oil, with the maximum possible amount of oil returned to the tank. We then perform an accurate check of the oil level.”

The engine remains at its operating temperature all day long since the car is taken to the track on a regular basis. If necessary, a short fire-up may be carried out to warm the engine in order to keep it at the correct temperature.

In Part 2, we are going to start the engine ourselves!

From GMM

Niki Lauda thinks F1's governing body should stop short of overreacting in the wake of the Nurburgring pitlane incident.

The FIA has reacted immediately to the hospitalisation of FOM cameraman Paul Allen, who was struck by Mark Webber's bouncing wheel during the German grand prix.

Bernie Ecclestone has reacted by banning his camera crews from the pitlane, while the FIA said only "event marshals and team personnel" are now allowed in the pitlane during qualifying and the races.

"Access for approved media will be confined to the pitwall," the FIA said.

Photo: WRi2

The Paris-based federation also wants to fast-track scheduled changes to the 2014 regulations so that the rules are imposed immediately.

They include the requirement for "all team personnel" during pitstops to wear helmets, and the reduction of the pitlane speed limit from 100 to 80kph.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh backed the safety push, admitting F1 had "become a little bit complacent".

But triple world champion Lauda said a rule requiring everyone in the pitlane to be wearing a helmet would be "crazy".

"I'm all for safety," he told Osterreich, "but that would be an overreaction."

From nascar.com

Morgan Shepherd, 71, is scheduled to become the oldest driver to start a race in NASCAR's Sprint Cup this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway near Loudon, NH.

Shepherd is listed as the driver of the No. 52 Toyota owned by Bob Keselowski in Sunday's Camping World RV Sales 301.

The entry list, released Monday by NASCAR, has 43 cars entered for 43 starting spots; barring a late entry or substitution, Shepherd will break the record.

Sports-car racer Jim Fitzgerald holds the record at 65 years, 6 months and 22 days when he finished 17th in a Rick Hendrick-owned car at Riverside International Raceway on June 21, 1987.

Hershel McGriff, a long-time West Coast competitor, also made one Sprint Cup start at Sonoma Raceway at 65 years, 5 months and 2 days on May 16, 1993.

Stock-car veteran James Hylton attempted to start in the 2007 Daytona 500 at age 72, but failed to advance to the starting field in a qualifying race.

Shepherd -- born in 1941, less than two months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor prompted the United States' entry into World War II -- made his most recent Sprint Cup start at age 64 on Sept. 17, 2006, also at New Hampshire. He wound up 42nd in the 43-car field, retiring after 61 laps with overheating trouble.