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Ford's Americas boss Joe Hinrichs says it would be risky to mess with the two-tier wage structure during 2015 UAW contract talks. Fiat Chrysler's Sergio Marchionne, meanwhile, says the system isn't sustainable.

For dealers, General Motors' record barrage of safety recalls is a startling, confusing, aggravating logistical headache. It's also potentially lucrative.

Thirty years after getting his first speeding ticket, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis is still nutty about performance. That may be why Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has consolidated its SRT line under him.

The used-car business is hot, prompting franchised new-car dealers across the nation to pay more attention than ever to their used-vehicle operations, in some cases opening used-only stores.

The launch of the redesigned 2015 Honda Fit subcompact -- built in Honda's new $800 million factory in Celaya, Mexico -- is in the midst of a nearly two-month delay because of quality-control and transport glitches.

In the past five years, Sonic Automotive dealerships have slashed average response times to electronic leads to seven minutes. E-sales offices now operating in most of the chain's 105 stores have made the difference.

Dealerships have more than bounced back from the recession. Fewer stores and the recovery in vehicle sales meant record revenues and profits for dealerships last year.

General Motors asserted for a decade that unexpected stalling was not a safety defect, even as its competitors issued about 90 recalls for similar symptoms during the same period and federal safety regulators opened 42 investigations into stalling.

Honda aims to bridge the gap between what dealers want and what the factory can build when it launches a new ordering system this week. It's the result of five years of software coding and deliberations among dealers, the factory and field staff.

From IndyCar.com

Ryan Hunter-Reay, driving the No. 28 DHL car for Andretti Autosport, held off three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves by a hair-raising .0600 of a second -- the second-closest margin of victory in the history of the event -- in a six-lap shootout to claim his first Indy 500 victory.

Hunter-Reay's teammate, Marco Andretti, finished .3171 of a second back for his third third-place finish in nine starts.

"It's a dream come true," said Hunter-Reay, who is the first American winner since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006.

"This (race) is American history. It's where drivers are made; where history is made. I hope the fans loved it because I was on the edge of my seat. The Verizon IndyCar Series, with superspeedways, short ovals, road and street courses is a true drivers championship, which is what I love about it."

2014 Indy 500 photo gallery. (Photos by Jeff Roberts)

There were 34 lead changes among 11 drivers in the fast-paced 200 laps (186.563 mph average; second-fastest in history), with Hunter-Reay regaining the point from Castroneves for good by a scant .0235 of a second at the end of Lap 199.

Carlos Munoz, who finished second last year as a rookie, finished fourth and 2000 Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya was fifth. Kurt Busch, who had 600 more miles of racing left on the day in the NASCAR event North Carolina, placed sixth in his first 500 Mile Race.

Canadian James Hinchcliffe, who started second and led early, was involved in a Turn 1 incident with pole sitter Ed Carpenter on a lap 176 restart.

Sebastien Bourdais, driving the KVSH Racing car that won the “500” last year with Tony Kanaan, placed a career-best seventh in the 500 Mile Race and Will Power finished eighth.

Other Canadians endured a tough afternoon. Former Indy 500 race winner Jacques Villeneuve crossed the line 14th while Alex Tagliani arrived home one spot ahead, in 13th position.

From GMM

Embroiled in a corruption scandal that could end his reign, F1's current 'supremo', Bernie Ecclestone, has hinted that his bosses at CVC could be about to replace him.

"I feel sorry for him," Briatore said on his customary trip with his yacht 'Force Blue' to Monaco, "but if I was Ecclestone, I would have left five or six years ago."

Reports suggested Italian Briatore, who left F1 amid his own scandal some years ago, might be a potential successor for Ecclestone, but the 64-year-old played that down.

Asked if he wants to be the 'new Bernie', Briatore told Auto Motor und Sport: "I prefer the old Bernie."

Pressed as to whether he is interested in the job, however, Briatore just "grinned, turned around and left", recounted correspondent Michael Schmidt.

Bernie Ecclestone on the starting grid in Monaco. (Photo: WRi2)

But before he left, Briatore admitted he knows the kind of person that needs to be running F1.

"What formula one needs is a dictator. He makes the rules and the teams have to follow. If you don't want to, look for another job. Formula one is a strong brand," said Briatore.

"Bernie took 30 years to build it, but without him, it could be that it is destroyed in two or three.

"What is needed now is a man who has a clear plan for the formula one of the future."

Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Daimler, also said that amid the corruption scandal that could end Ecclestone's reign, the next steps for the sport are crucial.

"It is very clear that Bernie Ecclestone is responsible for the success of formula one," Zetsche, whose Mercedes camp is utterly dominating the 2014 season, told Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

"That is why it is in everyone's interest that his incredible work, 'formula one', which he has built up over the years - the story that he wrote - is not damaged," he added.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone gave a clear "no" when asked if France is on the brink of returning to F1.

A week ago, former grand prix venue Magny Cours' boss Serge Saulnier told Infosport: "If the will of a number of people is confirmed in the coming weeks, we are very close (to returning)."

He said Magny Cours, located a remote 250 kilometres from Paris and absent from the calendar since 2008, is heading for a comeback race next year.

"We are still in negotiations with FOM," said Saulnier, referring to F1's commercial rights company that is run by chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

But in Monaco, when Ecclestone was asked about those French reports, the Briton told Reuters: "No.

"They'll knock at the door but I don't think we can do anything," he added.

From GMM

Team owner Gerard Lopez has added his denial to reports Lotus could be set to lose its new lucrative PDVSA backing.

The Enstone team secured the deal with the state Venezuelan oil company when Pastor Maldonado moved over the winter from Williams.

In Monaco, however, Maldonado had to deny reports that his PDVSA backing will end, after the Venezuelan sports minister said he will allocate "not one dollar more" to motor racing due to a scandal.

He said the media story about PDVSA pulling out was a "very big misunderstanding", because the comments were made by the sports minister, not the oil company itself.

"PDVSA, as with Maldonado, is staying with us," Lopez, the founding partner of the Lotus owner Genii, is quoted by the Swiss newspaper Blick.

"In Venezuela, it is this company (PDVSA) that has the final say, not the government," he insisted.

Pastor Maldonado, Lotus E22-Renault, Monaco. (Photo: WRi2)

From press release

Three top drag racing series will compete in their second round of 2014 at the upcoming Super Chevy Show and Night of Thunder at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan May 30 - June 1.

The Pro Modified Racing Association, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and the Pro Bike & Sled Series are proud to return to the Michigan facility for the third time, and are proud to be a part of this spectacular weekend of drag racing action.

Along with the Super Chevy Show, racing, car corral and a swap meet, there will be a bevy of jet cars at US 131 Motorsports Park, including three of Al Hanna's jet cars, the GoJo jet Funny cars, and the Queen of Diamonds jet car. The weekend will also feature nitro Fuel Altereds and nostalgia Top Fuel cars.

Along with regular teams from the PMRA, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and the PBSS, Michigan-based teams are expected to compete over the weekend in the series.

Presently leading in the Championship Point Award Series in the PMRA is three-time champion Bruce Boland of Stoney Creek, Ontario. In the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, presented by NAPA Auto Parts, the Top Dragster entry of Glen Vardy of Burlington, Ontario leads at present. And Pro Bike Rider Dan Cryderman of Thamesville, Ontario heads up the PBSS, presented by Wiseco Performance Products.

There will be a Test and Tune session Friday, May 30, and a qualifying round held Friday evening. All three series will run three qualifiers on Saturday May 31, with eliminations scheduled to take place Sunday June 1.

For more information visit www.us131msp.com.

The Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA), www.PMRA.ca enters its 10th season of popular Pro Modified racing this year, while the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, presented by NAPA Auto Parts, www.Quick32.ca will begin its sixth season, and the Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) presented by Wiseco Performance Products, www.PBSS.ca begins its fourth year of operation. Several times during the race season all three series compete at the same weekend events, offering a colourful, diverse, and exciting package of drag racing action.

Canadians endured a difficult day at the Indy 500 Sunday.

Front row starter James Hinchcliffe of Toronto led early, but was involved in a Turn 1 incident with pole sitter Ed Carpenter on a lap 176 restart.

James Hinchcliffe and Ed Carpenter. (Photo: IMS)

Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Quebec started 24th on the grid. "We had a good start, we settled in, and then all of the sudden we got loose with the car," Tagliani said. "I really didn't know if it was our tire balance or the aerodynamics, but we started with a lot of aero, and the car was a bit slow in the straightaways."

The No. 68 team hoped to pit under caution to take out wing, but the green flag flew for the first 149 laps of the 200-lap race. Tagliani led laps 171-173 during the pit stop cycle, the fourth consecutive year he has led at least one lap in the "500."

"It takes a lot of time to take wing out and we kept pitting under green," Tagliani said. "We continued to trim the car until finally the car was balanced and quick enough to follow. We made some passes on restarts and had good pit stops to make up time."

Alex Tagliani. (Photo: SFHR)

Former Formula 1 World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve gained 13 positions to finish 14th in his first appearance at "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" since winning in 1995.

"Today went according to plan," Villeneuve said. "I started toward the back, so I took a very easy start and didn't go for broke on the first lap. Early on, I wasn't happy with the car, so I hung back and focused on not losing a lap."

Unfortunately, Villeneuve's No. 5 car lost a lap to the race leaders. But Villeneuve regained his lap thanks to the multiple caution periods in the last 125 miles of the race.

"During the pit stops, we steadily improved the car, and luckily we got our lap back," he said. "At the end of the race, I felt that my car was really starting to catch its stride, and I drove more aggressively."

Jacques Villeneuve. (Photo: IMS)

From press release

For the first time, Brockville Ontario Speedway will host the opening round of the Big Block Modified Super DirtCar Series this coming Wednesday night along with a regular show for the Sportsman.

The top stars of the series will be on hand including eight-time and defending series champion Brett Hearn, three-time series champion Matt Sheppard, reigning Syracuse 200 winner Billy Dunn, "The Natural" Dale Planck, Jimmy Phelps and local favorite fresh off his first ever big block modified win Matt Billings will be among tour stars coming to the fast quarter mile.

The BOS's own crop of 358 Modified drivers will be on hand to challenge the big block invaders including Pat O'Brien, Danny O'Brien, Stephane Lafrance, Ryan Arbuthnot, Jordan McCreadie, Kyle Dingwall and Bobby Herrington among others.

This will be the seventh appearance for the big blocks at The BOS and five of the six previous races have been won by a big block, in 2010 Danny Johnson was the first driver to win a series race using a 358 modified.

Other winners include Alan Johnson in 2006, Pat O'Brien in 2007, Billy Decker won the 2008 event. Brett Hearn won the series race here in 2009, rain was victorious in 2011 & 2012 and Billy Decker became the first two-time winner with a victory in last year's 1000 Islands RV Fall Nationals.

Gates open at 4, hot laps at 6 and the first heat will be set to roll at 7pm.

The BOS is on the web at: www.wbrockvillespeedway.com.

Pickup trucks and environmental protection don't usually go hand-in-hand. The all-new 2015 Ford F-150 changes all that by making extensive use of recycled and bio-based materials.

For instance, recycled cotton and blue jean production scraps provide sound insulation, plastic bottles find new life in the cloth seat fabric, the wiring harness includes 10% rice hull content, while soy-based polyurethane is on the seat backs, headliners and seat cushions.

Check out this infographic and you'll see how the 2015 Ford F-150 is much greener than meets the eye.

Photo: Ford

From WTCC

It's still Citroën ahead of everybody in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

The French cars took two wins on the fast and tricky Salzburgring, with Yvan Muller imposing himself in Race 1 and Jose Maria Lopez in Race 2.

For both, it was their third personal success this season. 32,700 spectators visited the track over the weekend.

At the end of the weekend, though, Lopez, who was third in Race 1, went home with a 41-point lead on Muller and 45 on Loeb, while after the morning race his advantage had been reduced to 16 units.

This proved that, despite the step forward made by Lopez during the weekend, things can change quickly.

Jose Maria Lopez, Citroen. (Photo: WTCC)

Yvan Muller had an almost undisturbed journey to victory in Race 1, where Tom Coronel, at the wheel of the ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet, put the show, resisting fiercely to Lopez, who lost second after going straight through the chicane, with Loeb finishing fourth.

Race 2 was completely different for Muller, as the Frenchman had to retire following the accident at the start, which also eliminated the LADA cars of Huff and Thompson.

Honda could not use the advantage of having four cars in the first two rows, as Tarquini, who led most of the race, could not resist to Lopez. Honda still placed three Civics in the top four, with Monteiro third ahead of Michelisz. Loeb could not do better than 7th.

Franz Engstler continued his triumphant march in TC2, by taking two wins almost at home, beating in both cases Filippi and Di Sabatino.

The championship will resume at the Moscow Raceway, on June 8 for rounds 11 and 12.

From GMM

Sauber on Sunday plumbed the depths of its "embarrassing situation", according to veteran Swiss correspondent Roger Benoit.

The Hinwil based team has had a dire 2014 season so far, but in Monaco Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez were among the very backmarkers, and then they both crashed out of the glamorous street race in separate incidents.

"That was certainly the most painful mistake in my formula one career," admitted Mexican Gutierrez, who clumsily clouted the barrier.

Adrian Sutil, Sauber-Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Capitalising on the chaotic race, however, was the backmarker Marussia, whose Jules Bianchi went onto score the struggling team's first ever F1 points.

The fact Sauber still has zero points in 2014, behind Marussia, is "embarrassing" for the Swiss team, Benoit wrote in the newspaper Blick.

Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn, however, insists Sauber has in fact made a "step forward" in recent races.

"Maybe then the next discussion should be about the drivers," wondered Benoit.

"Many fans have long been demanding that Dutch reserve driver Giedo van der Garde gets a cockpit," he added.

The highly experienced Felipe Massa began his career at Sauber some twelve years ago, and he used the race seat as a springboard to his long Ferrari career.

Asked about Sauber, the Brazilian said in Monaco: "They are not in a good way," he is quoted by 20min.ch.

"It is tough times for them. What can I say? They're behind us," said the Williams driver, "so it's okay."

From press release

Mahindra Racing Monday announced that India's own Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna will be the team's drivers for the inaugural season of the FIA Formula E Championship.

The duo will represent Mahindra when they line-up on the grid at the start of the world's first ever fully electric championship in Beijing later this year.

Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok (Photo: Mahindra Racing)

Neither Chandhok nor Senna are strangers to international racing fans, both having competed at the top level of the sport in Formula 1.

Preparation for the season is already underway, with the team's first car having been delivered to Mahindra Racing recently.

This brand new Formula E car has already been painted with the team's new livery - a stunning combination of Mahindra red and the colours of the Indian flag.