Auto News 5

Audi had a clean run in the Six Hours of Spa, second round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and therefore easily claimed the three first steps of the podium.

Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fässler led the trio of Audi prototypes.

The three men started on pole but lost two positions when Lotterer went wide in the first lap. The No. 1 Audi then lost ground again when it suffered a puncture in the only safety car period of the race. But the reigning champions were able to claw their way back.

In the end, they crossed the finish one minute clear ahead of the sister car driven by Duval-Kristensen-McNish.

The No. 1 Audi (Photo: Audi)

The “Long Tail” Audi R18 driven by Di Grassi, Gene and Jarvis completed the podium, ahead of the solitary Toyota TS030 to finish the race, the one driven by Buemi, Sarrazin and Davidson. Wurz, Lapierre and Nakajima were forced to retire by braking issues on the second Toyota in the fourth hour.

Rebellion was the best private team, placing its two Lola-Toyota coupes in fifth and sixth.

In LMP2, victory went to Pecom's Oreca-Nissan driven by Kaffer, Minassian and Companc, despite a puncture in the last part of the race.

The AF Corse Ferrari F458 driven by Fisichella and Bruni won the GTE class after a great battle with the works Aston Martin driven by Senna, Makowiecki et Bell.

Photo: Audi

Final classification:
1 - Lotterer/Tréluyer/Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - 188 laps (1st LMP1)
2 - Duval/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - + 1 lap
3 - Di Grassi/Gené/Jarvis (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - + 1 lap
4 - Buemi/Sarrazin/Davidson (Toyota TS30 h) - Toyota - + 2 laps
5 - Heidfeld/Jani/Prost (Lola-Toyota) - Rebellion - + 3 laps
6 - Belicchi/Beche/Cheng (Lola-Toyota) - Rebellion - + 3 laps
7 - Watts/Leventis/Kane (HPD ARX) - Strakka - + 7 laps
8 - Kaffer/Minassian/Companc (Oreca Nissan) - Pecom - + 11 laps (1st LMP2)
9 - Pla/Hansson/Brundle (Morgan Nissan) - OAK - + 11 laps
10 - Luhr/Dolan/Turvey (Zytek-Nissan) - Jota- + 11 laps
(...)
15 - Bruni/Fisichella (Ferrari 458) - AF - + 19 laps (1st GTE)
etc.

Augusto Farfus (BMW) has won the opening round of the DTM season presented in Hockenheim, where reigning champion Bruno Spengler (BMW) finished 5th.

Farfus, who started from second position behind Timo Scheider (Audi), took advantage from a great strategy cooked by BMW to move up to first position at the end of both tire changes.

Dirk Werner (BMW), who started from 22nd and last position on the grid, earned his first DTM podium in a BMW 1-2. Third, Christian Vietoris (Mercedes) also earned his first DTM podium. He showed great form all weekend and managed to overtake his teammate and 2012 runner-up Gary Paffett in the last laps of the race.

Bruno Spengler (BMW) finished fifth, behind Paffett. Considering the race he had, it was the best the Canadian could hope for. After a good start where he went from seventh to fourth, the reigning champion was slowed down by tire problems, and possibly also suffered from aero damage, during his second stint.

A good final stint helped him back to fifth, ahead of Scheider, Joey Hand (BMW) and Mike Rockenfeller (Audi).

Augusto Farfus, BMW M3 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Classification :
1 - Augusto Farfus (BMW M3) - RBM - 42 laps in 1h10'11"583
2 - Dirk Werner (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 3"692
3 - Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 9"675
4 - Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 12"613
5 - Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 13"212
6 - Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Abt - 13"753
7 - Joey Hand (BMW M3) - RBM - 14"100
8 - Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 14"477
Etc.

After qualifying at the Talladega Super Speedway was washed out, on Saturday morning, Carl Edwards was awarded pole position for Sunday's race based on his fast time in the first practice session.

In fact the 43-car field was set by that practice.

Edwards took 30 practice laps in a Ford Fusion with a top speed of 199.675 mph, around NASCAR's longest oval at 2.66 miles. That edged the 199.650 mph lap of Martin Truex Jr. As a result, Edwards is on the pole for the first time since last year's season-opening Daytona 500.

Australia's Marcus Ambrose will start third, Joey Logano fourth and Ryan Newman fifth. Matt Kenseth, who won the Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway last October, will start sixth, with Denny Hamlin, points leader Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne rounding out the top 10.

Defending Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski will start 11th, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. will line up 12th, giving Hendrick Motorsports four cars in the top 12.

According to Edwards, Friday's practice was more intense than usual because the teams knew there was a chance qualifying might not take place.

“It was like a heat race out there,” Edwards said. “Everyone was doing everything they could to get the fastest lap times they could, and it was pretty exciting. We got the fastest lap with about one minute to go. That was our whole mission (Friday) and I'm pretty proud of the fact that we ended up with the fastest time.”

Sunday's race could be another Talladega wild one according to the pole sitter: “We were four-wide in practice once,” Edwards pointed out.

“The cars seem to do a really good job of pulling up and actually passing other cars here. Our car was very fast. I don't know if it's just that our car is real fast or if everyone is like that, but it looks like it's going to be a pretty crazy race. It looked like it was a pretty wide-open practice session, so I think (Sunday) could be any type of race, but I can guarantee you the final couple of laps are going to be insane.”

Truex and Ambrose said they will be “aggressive” in describing their race strategy for the Aaron's 499, and said they believe most other drivers feel the same way.

“My plan coming in here is to be aggressive, to try to stay up front all day long,” Toyota driver Truex said.

“Based on what I've been hearing and reading throughout the week, I think a lot of guys are on that same program. Why not just go out and race and put on a show and try to run up front all day long? That's our plan, our strategy and what we're going to do. We're going to try to stay up front all day and hopefully lead some laps and have some fun out there.”

Ambrose, who also is in a Ford, agreed, saying, “Our plan is to drive aggressive all day and try to stay up there. We know that track position is going to be a big thing for everybody even though it's a plate race. There were definitely more runs (during practice), than what there was at Daytona as far as the cars getting more speed to make things happen out there. So I think it's going to be a great race.”

Auto123.com has learned that both Buddy Rice and veteran Townsend Bell have secured deals that will allow them to take part in the 97th edition of the Indianapolis 500 and that other announcements could also be made in the coming days.

Rice is expected to join Sam Schmidt's squad alongside Simon Pagenaud and rookie Tristan Vautier.

As for Bell, he is scheduled to become a member of the Panther Racing team and partner J.R. Hilderbrand. Bell's car will be sponsored by the DreamWorks' Indy 500-themed movie, Turbo, which will be out this summer.

Furthermore, with Pippa Mann signed for Dale Coyne's third car, Buddy Lazier acquiring a car with his father, and USAC champion Bryan Clauson closing in on enough sponsorship for a ride, there could be up to 36 cars trying to qualifying at Indy - with only 33 spots available on the grid.



Provisional entry list - Indy 500
Count, Car No, Driver, Engine, Entrant

1 1 Ryan Hunter-Reay Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
2 2 AJ Allmendinger (R) Chevrolet Team Penske
3 3 Helio Castroneves Chevrolet Team Penske
4 4 JR Hildebrand Chevrolet Panther Racing
5 NA Townsend Bell Chevrolet Panther Racing
6 5 E.J. Viso Chevrolet Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM
7 6 Sebastian Saavedra Chevrolet Dragon Racing
8 7 Sebastien Bourdais Chevrolet Dragon Racing
9 8 Ryan Briscoe Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
10 9 Scott Dixon Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
11 10 Dario Franchitti Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
12 11 Tony Kanaan Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
13 12 Will Power Chevrolet Team Penske
14 14 Takuma Sato Honda A.J. Foyt Enterprises
15 15 Graham Rahal Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
16 16 James Jakes Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
17 18 Ana Beatriz Honda Dale Coyne Racing
18 NA Michel Jourdain Jr. Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
19 19 Justin Wilson Honda Dale Coyne Racing
20 NA Pippa Mann Honda Dale Coyne Racing
21 20 Ed Carpenter Chevrolet Ed Carpenter Racing
22 22 Oriol Servia Chevrolet Panther DRR
23 25 Marco Andretti Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
24 26 Carlos Munoz (R) Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
25 27 James Hinchcliffe Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
26 41 Conor Daly (R) Honda A.J. Foyt Enterprises
27 55 Tristan Vautier (R) Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
28 NA Buddy Rice Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
29 67 Josef Newgarden Honda Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
30 77 Simon Pagenaud Honda Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports
31 78 Simona de Silvestro Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
32 83 Charlie Kimball Honda Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
33 98 Alex Tagliani Honda Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian
34 TBD Bryan Clauson TBD TBD
35 TBD Jay Howard TBD TBD
36 TBD Buddy Lazier TBD TBD

Current IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) earned pole postion for the upcoming Sao Paulo Indy 300 after an action-packed qualification in the streets of the Brazilian venue.

As expected, following modifications made to the tracks that allowed for faster speed, Hunter-Reay set a new track record of 1m20.4312s, still 0.3 seconds ahead of his team-mate EJ Viso.

Ganassi's Dario Franchitti was third fastest alongside local favorite Tony Kanaan (KV Racing), who had to enter the weekend with injuries on his right hand sustained during the Long Beach event.

Sao Paulo is Hunter-Reay's second consecutive pole (Photo: IndyCar)

Another Andretti ace, James Hinchcliffe ended up fifth while Franchitti's sidekick Scott Dixon was the last of the Fast-Six contenders.

But the story of the day was the elimination of both Penske drivers Will Power and Helio Castroneves in the opening phase.

Having chosen to start late in the session, they were unable to make a decent run when James Jakes's car broke down on the circuit and brought out the red flags.

Difficult weekend also for Tristan Vautier (Schmidt) he launched himself over the Turn 1 kerb and went straight into the Turn 2 wall during the first segment.

That brought out the red flag and the Frenchman was therefore stripped from his two best laps for causing the stoppage; the next qualifying phase was briefly delayed while the barrier was repaired.


Qualifying results - Sao Paulo (IndyCar)
1.Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'20"4312 - Fast Six
2.Ernesto Viso (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'20"7380 - Fast Six
3.Dario Franchitti (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'20"8922 - Fast Six
4.Tony Kanaan (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 1'20"9812 - Fast Six
5.James Hinchcliffe (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'20"9893 - Fast Six
6.Scott Dixon (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'21"1183 - Fast Six
7.Sebastien Bourdais (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 1'20"8210 - Q2
8.Simona de Silvestro (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 1'20"9390 - Q2
9.Justin Wilson (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 1'21"0570 - Q2
10.Marco Andretti (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'21"1716 - Q2
11.JR Hildebrand (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther - 1'21"2961 - Q2
12.Takmua Sato (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Foyt - 1'21"3618 - Q2
13.Oriol Servia (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther DRR - 1'21"7963 - Q1 Gr. 1
14.Ed Carpenter (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Carpenter - 1'24"0203 - Q1 Gr. 2
15.Alex Tagliani (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Herta - 1'21"8636 Q1 Gr. 1
16.Ana Beatriz (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 1'24"8864 - Q1 Gr. 2
17.Charlie Kimball (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'22"2482 Q1 Gr. 1
18.Helio Castroneves (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 1'25"1734 - Q1 Gr. 2
19.Graham Rahal (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 1'22"2998 Q1 Gr. 1
20Sebastian Saavedra (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 4'00"2612 - Q1 Gr. 2
21.Tristan Vautier (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 4'20"5417 Q1 Gr. 1
22.Will Power (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 4'05"5886 - Q1 Gr. 2
23.Simon Pagenaud (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 4'23"1097 - Q1 Gr. 2
24.James Jakes (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - no time - Q1 Gr. 2
25.Josef Newgarden (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Fisher - no time - Q1 Gr. 1*

*Penalized for engine change

Audi broke ground on a $1.3 billion assembly plant southeast of Mexico City, marking a push into North American production that will put the Q5 crossover closer to customers in the United States.

Audi broke ground on a $1.3 billion assembly plant southeast of Mexico City, marking a push into North American production that will put the Q5 crossover closer to customers in the United States.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: If I had to choose between this and the Subaru BRZ, I would take the Subie.

An emerging generation of tech-savvy consumers has changed the way GM and its rivals approach in-car entertainment and navigation systems.

Sebastien Loeb (Citroën) inherited first position in rally Argentina after Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen) made a small mistake while leading the event.

Ogier hold the lead at the end of Thursday, but a small mistake in the very first stage on Friday dropped him down in order as he lost about thirty seconds, which allowed Loeb to move up in first place.

The Volkswagen driver was closing on his rival at the end of the day, but he lost several seconds after a puncture in the last stage of the afternoon, which put him 40,3 seconds behind his fellow country man before Saturday's stages.

Meanwhile, Mikko Hirvonen (Citroën), who was holding third position behind Loeb suffered a puncture that cost him about 40 seconds, before electric problems dropped him down to sixth position. Jari-Matti Latvala (Volkswagen) was on his way to second place, but he also suffered puncture, and lost two positions, as he concluded the day in fourth position.

Behind Loeb and Ogier, Evgeny Novikov (Ford) was happy to complete the provisional podium finish, after his team mate Mads Ostberg was forced to retire on Thursday.

Friday was not a good day for the Citroen driver, Mikko Hirvonen. (Photo: WRC)

From GMM

Formula one chiefs will meet next weekend in Barcelona to discuss a potential demerit-points system that could lead to drivers facing race bans for repeat misbehaviour.

Reports, including by the news agency AFP and the British newspaper the Times, said the FIA's Charlie Whiting will meet with team bosses to talk about the new regime.

The reports said the new system could replace the mainly grid penalties and fines that are currently levied against drivers for on-track misbehaviour.

The new system would see drivers tote up demerit points against their mandatory super license, with multiple indiscretions to add up to race bans.

"It's a complex question," Whiting is quoted as saying, "and we need to get the balance right because banning a driver is a serious issue.

"We need to make sure a driver genuinely deserves any ban.

"We will be monitoring offences and running a (hypothetical) system in the background to see how it would all work if put into practice."

Highlights*
Interior room, ergonomics, reliability, fuel economy, and quiet operation are all areas in which the 2013 Subaru Impreza shines. Of course, its main selling point continues to be Subaru's acclaimed all-wheel drive system, which delivers grip and handling any day of the year.

Lowlights*
The poor sound system, noisy CVT, and somewhat uninspiring lines are some of the knocks against the new Impreza. Also, the manual transmission has five gears only, and its shifter lacks precision.

(Photo: Subaru)

Pricing
The 2013 Subaru Impreza starts at $19,995 in 4-door sedan configuration, and $20,895 as a 5-door hatchback.

In both cases, buyers can select a Touring Package (16” alloy wheels, heated front seats, automatic headlights, etc.), a Sport Package (17” wheels, power sunroof, dual zone climate control, etc.), or a Limited Package (multimedia system, navigation, rearview camera, leather seats, etc.).

A fully equipped 2013 Subaru Impreza retails from $26,895 (once again, add $900 for the hatchback).

Fuel consumption
With the manual gearbox, all Imprezas achieve 8.3L/100km in the city and 5.9L/100km on the highway. Opt for the Lineartronic CVT, however, and these ratings drop to 7.5L and 5.5L/100km, respectively, making the 2013 Subaru Impreza the most efficient AWD vehicle in Canada.

Styling
The Impreza was completely redesigned for 2012 and returns virtually unchanged in 2013. The exterior design features the trademark hawk-eye headlights, powerful wheel arches and hexagonal front grille. Customers have a selection of 15”, 16” or 17” wheels.

(Photo: Subaru)

Powertrain
The 2013 Subaru Impreza uses a 2.0L 4-cylinder BOXER engine that's good for 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. As mentioned earlier, the 5-speed manual transmission can be replaced with a Lineartronic CVT offering a 6-speed manual mode and paddle shifters on certain models. Completing the equation is the legendary symmetrical full-time AWD system.

Cargo capacity
The sedan boasts a 340-litre trunk, while the hatchback's cargo area expands from 638 to 1,485 litres when you fold the rear seats down.

Safety
Did we mention this car has AWD? Safety also comes in the form of Vehicle Dynamic Control (with lateral-g and yaw-rate sensors), traction control, collapsible pedals and steering column, along with seven airbags. Now you understand why the 2013 Subaru Impreza received a “Top Safety Pick” award from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Competitors
Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla/Matrix, Volkswagen Golf.


*Based on expert reviews.
Fillion Nadine, Le guide de l'auto 2013, Montreal, Les éditions de l'Homme, 2012, p.552
Laguë Philippe, L'annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montreal Transcontinental, 2012, p.544
www.subaru.ca

Summary
This year, 2013, marks the introduction of the 250 BlueTEC version of the famous GLK mid-size luxury SUV. This version is powered by a 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine that goes a long way towards 'greening' this vehicle when compared to its standard gas-powered sibling that consumes nearly 15 L/100 km. The GLK has been thoroughly civilized.

Pros
Good visibility, practical format, quiet interior.

Cons
The ECO system is not available in the BlueTEC version.

Price
The MSRP starts at $43,500.

Fuel Economy
Fuel-economy ratings are a reported 7.5 L/100 km city and 5.8 L/100 km highway.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

New and Improved
Certain small exterior design changes have been applied such as those to the grille as well as an elegant LED strip that has been added above the headlights. The interior has been slightly updated but not overhauled. The outstanding feature of the 250 BlueTEC is, without a doubt, its engine. A Mercedes 4-cylinder diesel engine has finally made it back to our shores after a 28-year absence.

Exterior Styling
Strong mass-appeal design.

Cargo Capacity
The GLK 250 BlueTEC has 450 litres of trunk space which expands to 1,500 with lowered seats.

Drivetrain
An inline 4-cylinder 2.1 litre twin-turbo engine that produces 190 hp and 369 lb-ft torque.

Safety
Anti-lock braking system with brake assist and electronic stability program.
Lateral collision test score: 5/5
Frontal collision test score: 5/5
Airbags: 7

Tip
Even though the GLK is an all-terrain vehicle with four-wheel drive, few drivers will take this $40,000 unit off-roading. The 250 BlueTEC is a Mercedes all-terrain offering that is suited for its true purpose: urban cruising.

Comparable Models
'Green' models: Volkswagen Tiguan
Others: Audi Q5, BMW X1/X3, GMC Acadia, Acura RDX

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

References
L'Annuel de l'automobile 2013

Le Guide de l'auto 2013 (www.guideautoweb.com)

The World Endurance Championship travels to Belgium this weekend, for round 2 of the season.

Audi, which won the race last year, secured pole position ahead of the 2013 event.



The Ingolstadt manufacturer also won the first race the year, last month in Silverstone.


Source: LeMansLive.com

Timo Scheider (Audi) grabbed pole position, ahead of the opening round of the DTM championship in Hockenheim. Canadian Bruno Spengler (BMW) is only 7th.

Rain helped the former champion storm up the field.

Mattias Ekstrom congratulates teammate Scheider for his pole position (Photo: Audi)

The German driver set the best lap time in the Super pole session ahead of Augusto Farfus' BMW, and both Mercedes C-Coupé driven by Christian Vietoris and Robert Wickens.

The drying track conditions penalized several drivers who went out early in the session, drivers like Bruno Spengler. The reigning champion sailed through Q1 and Q2, but was left stranded at the end of Q3.

Drivers who, unlike the Canadian, put in one extra fast lap were able to improve their time.

18-year-old Pascal Wherlein impressed in his debut at the wheel of the Mercedes C-Coupé. The rookie clocked the second fastest lap in Q1, and eventually managed 8th on the grid.


Qualifying results - Hockenheim (DTM)
1. Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'35"918 - Q4
2. Augusto Farfus (BMW M3) - RBM - 1'36"034 - Q4
3. Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'36"194 - Q4
4. Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - no time - Q4
5. Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'40"005 - Q3
6. Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'40"496 - Q3
7. Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 1'41"184 - Q3
8. Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupé) - Mucke - 1'41"337 - Q3
Etc.

From GMM

Williams has played down reports it suffered a financial loss last year, insisting instead that it is gearing up to expand.

Listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange, the British team this week revealed a pre-tax loss of almost $8 million last year, having turned a profit in 2011.

But spokesman James Francis said the financial report could not include almost $15 million in formula one income.

"If that figure had been included we would have turned a loss into a profit," he told the Oxford Mail.

How profitable is racing to Williams? (Photo: WRi2)

"It would have been a smaller profit (than 2011), but a lot of investment has happened."

The Williams spokesman said building work on a new research and development department is still scheduled to start.

The team is yet to score a point in 2013.

"There is still a way to go for the team to get to where we should be," said Sir Frank Williams, "but improvements on previous seasons are evident."

Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup champion, will get his second taste of Indy car when he wheels one of Andretti Autosports' Dallara Chevrolets at the famed Brickyard next Thursday.

Busch, 34, recently tested his Gen-6 Sprint Cup Furniture Row Chevrolet at the 4-kilometre oval.

Said Andretti: "I had the chance to get to know Kurt last year when we were working on another racing project. I respect his talent and am happy to give him the opportunity to experience the raw speed of an Indy car. It's a unique feel and perspective - it will be totally different than what he is used to driving each week on the Cup circuit."

The project Andretti was referring was a bid to start a NASCAR team to keep Dodge, a division owned by Fiat in the American stock car series.

Busch left open the door to compete in "The Double" - racing in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day - in the future.

One of Andretti Autosport's Dallara-Chevrolet (Photo: IndyCar.com)

"I am looking forward to this test and experiencing IMS at the speeds the Indy cars run," Busch said.

"Let's see how the test goes, and then I can look at the opportunities that could be beyond this coming Thursday. Running the Indianapolis 500 would certainly be a highlight, and doing another 600 miles in a Cup car on the same day would make for a special weekend."

Only three drivers have attempted the Memorial Day weekend "Double": John Andretti, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon.

Busch has experience with Champ Car machinery, having tested one of Bobby Rahal's Lola-Ford at Sebring prior to the 2003 season.

The Las Vegas native showed his versatility as he tested an Australian V8 Super Car in Austin, Texas last month. And he drove an NHRA pro stock car in 2011.

The Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 prototypes set a 1-2-3 in qualifying ahead of the Spa Six Hours, second round of the World Endurance Championship.

The pole position was set by Lotterer-Treluyer-Fässler, with an average of 1'59''961 from the two best lap times set by both Lotterer and Fässler, who were nominated by the team for qualifying. They lead their team mates Di Grassi-Gene-Jarvis and Kristensen-Duval-McNish. Both Toyota TS030 classified 4th and 5th ahead of both Lola-Toyota Rebellion, first of the private teams.

Photo: Audi Motorsport

In LMP2, the best performance was set by the Pecom Racing's Oreca 03-Nissan driven by Perez Companc, Minassian and Kaffer.

In GTE Pro, the pole was set by the works Aston Martin Vantage V8 driven by Senna-Makowiecki-Bell, which was quickest ahead of the AF Corse Ferrari F458 of Bruni and Fisichella. Aston was also dominant in the GTE Am qualifying, with the pole set by the Vantage driven by Nygaard-Poulsen-Simonsen.

Photo: Aston Martin Racing

From GMM

The latest cream of Red Bull's junior driver programme insists he is ready to step up to formula one.

With Mark Webber's contract at Red Bull Racing set to expire, it is now strongly rumoured that fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo is in pole position to replace him.

That would leave a vacancy at Red Bull's second F1 team, Toro Rosso.

The obvious favourite for that seat is Antonio Felix da Costa, a 21-year-old from Portugal.

Da Costa drove for Red Bull at a previous "Young Driver" day (Photo: WRi2)

Currently a frontrunner in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, da Costa has already been drafted into Red Bull's F1 programme, replacing Sebastien Buemi as reserve driver in China while the Swiss was racing sports cars in the UK.

And it seems likely da Costa will be the Red Bull and Toro Rosso reserve once again in Singapore, when Buemi will be racing in the US.

"I am very happy with this strategy," the Portuguese told APA news agency.

"This is a key year -- we're very close to formula one now and my goal is clearly to be there next year.

"For this I want to win the (Renault) world series. The timing is perfect and I feel very well prepared."

Da Costa is, however, already trailing three drivers in the points standings, including McLaren youngster Kevin Magnussen and Caterham driver Charles Pic's brother Arthur.

As ever with Red Bull's junior programme, then, the pressure is on.

"After a weak season (with a junior driver)," Dr Helmut Marko warned this week, "we end the cooperation."

Da Costa said: "I have had to deal with pressure from day one. It only makes me faster."

One of the odder things about living in "the future" is that things develop so gradually, hardly any of the really amazing things we're exposed to every day seem amazing or futuristic.