Auto News 5

From GMM

Sauber and Toro Rosso have become the latest teams to reveal details of their 2014 plans.

Swiss team Sauber said the C33 will be revealed online on January 26, which is two days before the start of winter testing at Jerez.

And Toro Rosso's 2014 car, the STR9, will be rolled onto the pitlane for the media on the evening before the Jerez test kicks off with Jean-Eric Vergne at the wheel.

Meanwhile, although McLaren's launch plans are already known, there are reports the new MP4-29 is still yet to pass all of its mandatory FIA crash tests.

The tests must be completed before the team's last Mercedes-powered car can debut at Jerez.

But a McLaren spokesman told Germany's motorsport-total.com that it is "normal" that teams push the envelope at this time of year "in order to achieve the best possible performance".

Jeff Gordon's 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup car will make its Canadian debut in the Canadian Motor Speedway display at the Canadian Motorsports Expo. The 8th annual CME takes place February 7, 8 & 9 at Toronto's International Centre.

For the fourth year in a row, the Canadian Motor Speedway (CMS) exhibit at Canada's Ultimate Racing Show will feature one of Gordon's cars. Racing fans in attendance at this year's show are in for a special experience as the CMS booth will present - for the first time anywhere in Canada - the 2014 paint scheme that will appear on Gordon's brand new #24 Axalta Chevrolet SS NASCAR Sprint Cup car when he takes to the track, one week after the Expo, to qualify for the season opening Daytona 500.

The car's new paint scheme is being kept under wraps until Hendrick Motorsports and Axalta unveil it at the end of January in Charlotte, NC. The timing of the embargo will give Canadian racing fans who visit the Canadian Motor Speedway booth at the CME an exclusive opportunity to be among the first anywhere to see Gordon's new ride in person.

Photo: CME

“The fan interest in an actual NASCAR Sprint Cup show car - especially that of a driver as popular as Jeff - really gets the cameras clicking! We are always honoured to have the #24 with us at the CME,” commented Canadian Motor Speedway Partner and Executive Director Azhar Mohammad.

In addition to seeing the #24 car, visitors to the Canadian Motor Speedway will also be able to meet John Bickford, the Vice President and General Manager of Jeff Gordon, Inc. Bickford is Gordon's stepfather and is widely credited for much of the on and off-track success achieved by the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion during his illustrious career. Gordon, one of NASCAR's top racers, is the designer of Canadian Motor Speedway. John Bickford will greet fans at the CMS booth on Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8.

About the CME
The 8th Annual Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track Motorsport News takes place February 7, 8 & 9, 2014 at Toronto's International Centre, adjacent to Pearson International Airport. The show features motorsport content geared to racers, fans and automotive enthusiasts.

NASCAR Sprint Cup racer Ryan Newman will be at the CME on Saturday, February 8. For information about the show, including news, exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, call (416) 962-7223, or emailinfo@CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com. The CME's website is located at www.CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has played down his exit from the F1 board, insisting he is still in charge of the sport.

Whilst continuing to run the day to day business, the long-standing F1 'supremo' has relinquished his directorship pending the outcome of the criminal bribery trial in Munich.

But he told the BBC: "The minute the court case is over I'll be back on the board again.

"Everybody on the board is more than a million per cent supportive. They just want me to get on with doing what I always do."

However, the holding company Delta Topco's statement explained that while Ecclestone remains chief executive for now, he will be more closely monitored.

Ecclestone responded: "For Formula One Management it's the same as before. There is no change at all.

"It's just that if I wanted to buy something I can't do it without board approval.

"But when it comes to races, circuits, it will be as we've always done. It will be the same thing," he added.

From Rally America

The 41st running of the Sno*Drift Rally once again kicks-off the eight-round 2014 Rally America National Championship season on January 24-25, 2014 in Montmorency County, Michigan.

Sno*Drift is a performance rally that features prepared 2-wheel and 4-wheel-drive production cars on closed down timed sections of wintery roads It is the only planned snow event on the Rally America National Championship schedule attracting more than fifty domestic and international teams as well as legions of dedicated rally fans.

Last year's Sno*Drift winner and 2010 Rally America National Champion, Antoine L'Estage, is back to attempt a repeat victory in his trademark Mitsubishi Evolution X after he beat Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins on the very last stage in 2013.

David Higgins with co-driver Craig Drew went on to secure the 2013 Rally America title for the third consecutive year and are expected to return to Sno*Drift to extend their streak.

Dave Higgins, Craig Drew, Subaru Rally Team USA (Photo: Scott Rains)

The competition will be crowded with a large contingent of Super Production (SP) cars led by 2013 SP Champions David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski. The SP battle is expected to be tight with the entrance of Lauchlin O'Sullivan and Dillon Van Way, whom both are familiar with top podium finishes.

Although he won't be at Sno*Drift, four-time Rally America champion Travis Pastrana is returning to the sport he loves in 2014. His season starts at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood on February 21-22nd in Salem, Missouri. 

"We're striving to put on a world class rally again this year and we're pleased to be able to do this in Montmorency County, it's a great place for an event of this caliber," said Don Rathgeber, Sno*Drift Rally Chairman.

The Sno*Drift Rally begins in downtown Lewiston, MI at 1:00 PM on Friday, January 24 at the Parc Expose where spectators will have a chance to view the rally cars on display, as well as get autographs from the many drivers and co-drivers prior to the start of the day's action.

Saturday starts once again in downtown Atlanta, MI at 8:00 AM, January 25, 2014 with another Parc Expose and opportunities to meet the drivers. After the day's action awards and the victory celebration will take place at the Hillman Community Center at 6:30 PM.  

There are also opportunities to see the drivers up close as well as watch all the amazing service crews repair damage to the race cars at the TRF sponsored service areas. On Friday it will be in downtown Lewiston and on Saturday at the Atlanta High School.

Spectator guides and event schedules are available for free download on the Sno*Drift website and at www.rally-america.com. Hard copy spectator guides will be available at Parcs Expose and at service areas. 

Officials of the United SportsCar Championship (USCC) have modified the regulation slightly to level the playing field in the top Prototype class.

They found the performances of the LMP2 and DP cars that form the field to be uneven during pre-season testing.

One modification IMSA introduced aims to limit the power of the Daytona Prototypes with a small diameter air restrictor. The sanctioning body also reduced the fuel capacity of the LMP2 cars from 75 to 72 litres, in order to make their stints shorter.

"The balance wasn't quite close enough, so what we are doing is making a very slight power reduction to the DPs to try to close the gap a little bit to the P2s," said Scot Elkins, technical boss of USC sanctioning body IMSA, is quoted saying by Autosport.

"We had a relatively significant lap time difference and we also had a difference in terms of top speed, so hopefully the power adjustment will compensate for that a little bit."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has closed its investigation into fire risks in 2.7 million older Jeep vehicles, ending a rare public standoff between U.S. regulators and an automaker over whether a safety recall is justified.

Toyota has renewed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Milwaukee Brewers Major League Baseball club, the company said today.

Now that Fiat has almost closed its deal to buy the portion of Chrysler it does not already own, one of the main items on the to-do list of CEO Sergio Marchionne is expanding the global reach of the Jeep brand.

Barrett-Jackson will play host to what could be one of the most valuable Mustangs ever to be sold at auction. The event takes place in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Mary Barra, General Motors' new chief executive, will be paid up to $4.4 million in cash and stock compensation this year, GM disclosed in a federal filing on Friday.

Former Los Angeles dealer Michael Kahn, who was shut down when Nissan Motor Acceptance ended his finance arrangements during the 2009 economic meltdown, has won a new trial in his lawsuit against the company.

Tony Kanaan, winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500, was presented with the BorgWarner Championship Driver's Trophy on Wednesday night at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.

Scottsdale and Kissimmee aren't the only locations holding classic car auctions this month.

European automotive supplier body, CLEPA, is hailing breakthrough talks this week in Detroit that could see flagship projects set in place to establish global common standards.

American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings said its backlog of new and incremental business beginning from 2014 through 2016 is estimated at $900 million.

Nissan will produce at least one of the IDx concepts shown at the

The media preview day for AutoChina 2014 was Sunday 20 April.

The media preview day for AutoChina 2014 was Sunday 20 April.

The media preview day for AutoChina 2014 was Sunday 20 April.

The media preview day for AutoChina 2014 was Sunday 20 April.