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Participants of the 2013 Boston marathon who were victims of the infamous bombings will have the chance to complete their race on the great Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The famous oval also plays host to the Indy 500 this weekend.

"Boston Marathon participants from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan will run approximately one-half mile from Turn 4 to the Yard of Bricks on the front straightaway of the famed IMS oval," a report from the track said.

Some 10 minutes later, the green flag of the Indianapolis 500 will drop.

"The tragedy last month in Boston still resonates with everyone, so we wanted to give runners the chance to finish the race in front of thousands of fans who will appreciate their persistence and determination", commented Doug Boles the IMS chief operating officer.

Audi of America is launching a program targeting military technicians for service department jobs at U.S. dealerships.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: Well, this 2013 Hyundai Sonata Limited certainly was a contrast to the honkin' V8-powered

From the fires of Detroit's descent into near-death, GM, Ford and Chrysler have forged some of the most distinctive designs since tailfins were soaring in the halcyon days of the postwar-era.

DTM reigning champion Bruno Spengler enjoyed a spot of golf in the week following his second place at the Brands Hatch race, round two of his season.

Just outside London, the Canadian took part in a pro-am tournament sponsored by BMW, the manufacturer for which he drives in the German touring car championship.

He played alongside former grand prix driver Derek Warwick, 1992 BTCC champion Tim Harvey, and golf star Sergio Garcia.

From left to right: Harvey, Spengler, Garcia and Warwick (Photo: BMW)

"I struggled a bit with my game today, as I was not hitting the ball well," complained Spengler, despite Garcia's encouraging comments about his game.

"It was great company out there. All three were very nice guys, and Bruno certainly has potential", the Spaniard felt.

Peter Dempsey came back from behind in the last seconds to win the Indy Lights Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Dempsey was fourth when the leaders started the final lap but managed, along with Gabby Chavez behind him, to get the best of both leaders Carlos Munoz and pole sitter Sage Karam coming out of the final corner.

The four drivers were coming toward the finish line four-wide but the Belardi driver was able to get his nose in front of the others to win by a mere 0.0026 seconds.

Photo finish (Photo: Peter Dempsey Racing)

Chavez was second ahead of Schmidt teammate Karam and Andretti racer Munoz.

A surprising ending since the race had been between Karam and Munoz from the outset; the only change came on Lap 12 when Munoz, who will also race in the Indy 500, overtook Karam for the lead.

Title contender Jack Hawksworth was one of only two retirees; the Briton falling out of the race after glancing the wall at Turn 4.

Earlier, Kyle O'Gara lost control and hit the barrier at the same corner.

Racing legend Mario Andretti has an easy way to sum up his view of Canadian James Hinchcliffe: the guy is the total package.

The young driver, who made his IndyCar debut in 2011, recently clinched his first victory, at the 2013 season-opener in the streets of St. Petersburg. Then, a few races into the calendar, he won again in Brazil.

James Hinchcliffe stood tall on the podium in Brazil (Photo: LAT/IndyCar)

The Oakville native is also shining off the track. His outgoing personality, which emerged when he replaced headliner Danica Patrick in the GoDaddy.com-sponsored car, seems to be popular with sponsors.

"You look at sponsors that he represents, for instance. Sponsors want attitude," Andretti, whose famous son Michael is Hinchcliffe's boss at Andretti Autosport, told the Toronto Star.

"You put James in front of a camera and he shines. Then, he goes in the garage, gets in the race car and he wins.

"You want anything better than that?"

James Hinchcliffe at Indy (Photo: Walter Kuhn)

Right now, Hinchcliffe would love to put a victory in the Indy 500 to his name.

"It's one of those events that kind of transcends the rest of the sport," the 26-year-old told the Globe and Mail referring to the fabled race.

Hinchcliffe qualified ninth in the 33-car field, ahead of the 97th edition of the 500-mile sprint.

Cars in video games are nothing new, and it's a fact that developers are going to great lengths to make their games as realistic as possible. For instance, SimCity enthusiasts will now be able to acquire a Nissan LEAF electric car and use the available solar-powered charging stations that can accommodate up to five LEAFs.

FYI, SimCity is one of the longest-running series of video games. It allows players to build and run a virtual city, with the various payoffs and consequences that come from the many decisions players make.

In this case, the LEAF solar charging stations improve the happiness of nearby businesses, happiness to the Sims who use it, and produce no sewage or garbage for your city's trash collectors to deal with.

Source : www.greencarreports.com

Adapted from GMM

1996 world champion Damon Hill thinks Nico Rosberg is finally emerging from Michael Schumacher's shadow -- with a new benchmark.

Local boy Rosberg, whose Finnish father Keke won in the Principality exactly 30 years ago, put his Mercedes on pole on Saturday -- his third qualifying triumph in as many attempts.

"When he was teammate to Michael, the thinking was that Michael was past his best and it was difficult to judge Nico," said the former Williams driver to the Mirror.

"Well he's got a new benchmark now and shown he's not that bad. In fact he's bloody good."

German Rosberg's new benchmark, of course, is Briton Hamilton -- the highly-rated 2007 world champion who was tempted to switch from McLaren over the winter.

Pros*
This new 2014 Ford Fiesta ST handles the road well and delivers impressive power without guzzling down too much fuel.

Price
The price for this 2014 series has yet to be revealed in Canada.

Here's an overview of the technology offered standard or as an option.

Standard: a voice-activated SYNC system which includes USB and Bluetooth connectivity, ambient and exterior lighting as well as an Easy Fuel capless fuel filler.

Option: the SYNC MyFord Touch system with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, rearview camera, 100-watt nominal output Sony audio system, Intelligent Access with push-button start as well as heated exterior mirrors.


Fuel Economy
The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is rated at around 6.9 L/100 km.

New in 2014
Brand-new model

Exterior Styling
This 5-door hatchback sub-compact now features more tapered headlights, a larger grille and a redesigned rear. Now 15 mm closer to the ground than the base model, the Fiesta has a dual exhaust, a pronounced spoiler and 17-inch wheel rims.

Interior
The Recaro partial leather-trimmed seats are embroidered with the ST logo and the leather-wrapped steering wheel adds a touch of luxury to this small, sporty number.

ST Special Features
Here are a few of the Fiesta ST's nice improvements:

• A few special components help increase wheel camber and quicken steering.
• A twist-beam rear axle helps increase rear roll stiffness.
• A lower centre of gravity helps increase overall stability.
• The ST's summer tires, springs and shock absorbers help improve road handling.
• The electronic differential lock optimizes performance.

Drivetrain
The Fiesta ST features Ford's most recent technology: a 4-cylinder, 1.6-litre Ecoboost turbo engine that packs 197 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque. The engine is coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Cargo Capacity
This hatchback sub-compact has 286 litres of trunk space.

Safety
The Fiesta is equipped with seven standard airbags, including side-curtain airbags both in the front and in the rear. These airbags use roll-fold technology and are designed to inflate between the window glass and the passenger's head. Side-curtain airbags will not interfere with a child-safety seat.

As an option, 2014 Ford Fiesta ST also offers a driver's knee airbag, which inflates between the driver's knees and the instrument panel, offering extra protection in a collision.

Comparable Models
Chevrolet Sonic RS, MINI Cooper S

Photo: Ford

*References
www.ford.ca

Nico Rosberg has claimed his third consecutive pole position and the second front-row lock out in a row for Mercedes.

It is also thirty years this weekend since his father, 1981 world champion Keke Rosberg, won the race behind the wheel of a Williams.

The German had dominated the free practice sessions in the principality, and continued his strong form into qualifying, where he finished ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton by 0.091 seconds.

Despite his best efforts, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel will line up only third, some 0.104s off of Rosberg's time of 1m13.876s.

Despite the qualifying hour beginning in drizzly conditions, by the end of the session, the drivers had elected to run with the Pirelli Super-Soft compound, such was the dry nature of the track.

Kimi Raikkonen was fifth, one place ahead of Fernando Alonso.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E21 (Photo: WRi2)

However, both drivers' teammates endured difficult sessions after they shunted in the third and final free practice session; Grosjean will line up 13th, whilst Massa will line up 22nd and last, after the Ferrari mechanics failed to fix his car in time for qualifying.

Despite also crashing in FP3, Adrian Sutil managed to split the two McLarens in eighth.

Adrian Sutil, Force India VJM06 (Photo: WRi2)

Jean-Eric Vergne put in a notable performance to qualify 10th and make it into Q3 for the first time in his career. The young Frenchman also starred in the wet part of the session.

There were also surprises further down the grid, with Caterham's Giedo van der Garde finishing 15th, one place ahead of Williams' Pastor Maldonado.

The result will come as a disappointment to both the Venezuelan and the Grove squad, after they finished at the top of the timing sheets in Q1.

The Caterham team took advantage of a strategic error by Force India in Q1 after the team failed to bolt on a new set of intermediate tires onto di Resta's car. As a result, the Scotsman will line up 17th.

Van der Garde's teammate, Charles Pic, will line up 18th in the updated Caterham ahead of Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez and Max Chilton.

This is the first time the Briton will finish ahead of teammate Bianchi, after the Frenchman's failed to complete a lap following an airbox fire at Mirabeau.

Sergio Perez, McLaren MP4-28 (Photo: WRi2)

Qualifying results* - Monaco Grand Prix (Monte Carlo)
1.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'13"876 - Q3
2.Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'13"967 - Q3
3.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'13"980 - Q3
4.Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'14"181 - Q3
5.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'14"822 - Q3
6.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'14"822 - Q3
7.Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'15"138 - Q3
8.Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'15"383 - Q3
9.Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'15"647 - Q3
10.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'15"703 - Q3
11.Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'18"331 - Q2
12.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'18"344 - Q2
13.Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'18"603 - Q2
14.Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'19"077 - Q2
15.Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'19"408 - Q2
16.Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'21"688 - Q2
17.Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'26"322 - Q1
18.Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'26"633 - Q1
19.Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'26"917 - Q1
20.Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'27"303 - Q1
21.Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - no time - Q1
22.Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - no time - Q1

*Unofficial

From GMM

Williams' move from Renault to Mercedes power for 2014 is set to be announced.

Earlier, we reported rumours from the Monaco paddock that the deal for the British team could be on the cards, because Renault was charging multiple millions more than Mercedes for a turbo V6 package.

Mercedes' V6 engine (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

"The decision is made and it will be announced this weekend in Monaco," said Swiss newspaper Blick's veteran correspondent Roger Benoit.

Germany's Michael Schmidt, of Auto Motor und Sport, is reporting similarly.

The Mercedes link is also an obvious one for Williams, with team co-owner Toto Wolff now the German marque's executive director.

And Wolff's wife Susie is the Williams test driver.

It is Williams' fifth different engine partner since 2005, hot on the heels of BMW, Cosworth, Toyota and Renault.

A bill that would further regulate the relationship between New Hampshire auto dealers and their factories is a step closer to becoming law despite opposition from automakers.

An Interview With Paul Walker

If you think The Fast and the Furious is silly, star Paul Walker understands.

The Fast and the Furious is the most successful car-movie franchise of all time and is a cultural phenomenon among young enthusiasts. For star Paul Walker, it has brought fame and enough fortune to amass a serious car collection. We spoke with him ahead of the opening of the sixth installment, Fast & Furious 6.

Photo Gallery: Interview With Paul Walker - Automobile Magazine

An Interview With Paul Walker | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

There aren't many ways in the video game world to one up the and#8220;Gran Turismoand#8221; series, but and#8220;

Ford plans to retain 1,000 jobs at a plant in southwest France after striking a deal today with local authorities to share the burden of new investments needed to keep the factory operating.

If only we could step back in time to 1968 and pick up a noninflation-adjusted Porsche 911S or

Ford will retain 1,000 jobs at a transmissions plant in France after striking a deal with local authorities to share the burden of new investments needed to keep the factory operating.

Sonic Automotive is back in the dealership acquisition market with the purchase of large BMW and Mercedes stores in Denver.

Imagine that it's the very beginning of the summer, 1947. You're starting to enjoy some of that storied postwar prosperity, and Detroit's automakers are standing by to put a shiny new automobile in your suburban driveway.