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When Williams gave Susie Wolff a chance to drive their FW36 during free practice of the British and German grands prix, many said it was just a marketing ploy.

But Wolff is adamant she was actually put in the cockpit because of her performances as a driver and not because of her gender.

"Frank Williams would never put someone in his car if he didn't believe that they are good enough," the 31-year-old said on Formula1.com.

Susie Wolff, Williams FW36 (Photo: WRi2)

"So I know when I'm not good enough I'm out, because my performance counts more than my gender does. They gave me the chance and we can be proud that we have achieved something special together."

Wolff also said that, as a kid, she was not even aware she was evolving in a sport dominated by boys.

"When I was a kid I didn't think that I was doing something unusual for a girl. My parents were very good in not making me believe that I was doing something unusual," shed added.

As a result, she doesn't consider herself any different from whoever she comes across on the race track, like at the 2000 world karting championships in Portugal.

Wolff says she gets "bad hair" from wearing a helmet, so she wears a cap when she's not in the car (Photo: WRi2)

"After the final I was quite happy finishing 15th as the last race was really tough and I delivered a good finish," she remembers.

"The podium ceremony was going on when suddenly there was the call, 'Susie Stoddart, please come to the ceremony'. I thought that's very strange because I haven't finished in the top three.

"They called me up to the podium for being the top female driver! And I remember thinking I am not here to be the top female driver - I am here to be the best driver."

Auto123.com is sad to report the death of 20-year-old rally driver Timothy Cathcart.

Cathcart was driving a Citroen DS3 R3 in the top class of the British Rally Championship. He went off during the third stage of the Ulster Rally and was killed in the crash.

His co-driver Dai Roberts is injured, and still receiving treatment in the hospital.

"It is with deep regret that the Northern Ireland Motor Club can confirm that twenty-year-old Timothy Cathcart from Enniskillen, was sadly killed when his car left the road on the Fardross stage of the Ulster Rally," said a statement from the Northern Ireland Motor Club.

The rest of the event has been cancelled.

Auto123.com's thoughts and condolences are with Cathcart's family and friends and we wish Dai Roberts a speedy recovery.

From press release

For the second consecutive week, Jeff Gordon will start the race as the pole sitter.

In the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS, Gordon qualified first at Michigan International Speedway Friday.

It marked his 76th career pole.

The cars were qualifying at such high speeds that in the second round, Gordon set a new track record at 205.885 mph and a time of 34.971 seconds, and by the third round Gordon broke his own record with a speed of 206.558 miles per hour and time of 34.857 seconds.

Jeff Gordon, Michigan International Speedway (Photo: Brian Lawdermilk/NASCAR via Getty Images)

"I knew that we were really strong here the last time we were here and what our team is doing right now, it's just phenomenal how they continue to improve race cars and just the whole effort," Gordon said.

"I'm just so proud of them. You don't go around this place like that, that fast without a really good race car. Thanks to Axalta, Drive To End Hunger, Pepsi, Chevrolet, everybody that made this possible. I'm so excited about the way our race team is performing right now."

From press release

Max Verstappen had a perfect start as a Red Bull Junior Team member: at the Nürburgring, the 16-year-old won his first outing in the colours of the Austrian Formula 1 World Championship-winning team.

On a drying track, the Dutch rookie scored his eighth win of the season and was thus able to reduce the gap to the championship leader, Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who finished sixth.

"We knew that the track here dries out quickly," said Verstappen.

Max Verstappen (Photo: F3 Euro Series)

"So therefore we opted for slick tires. I reckon that this was the right choice, even though the first few laps with slicks weren't easy. When Richard Goddard overtook me, I was well aware that his rain tires wouldn't last that long anymore, because at that time, he was already trying to cool his tires all the time.

"Therefore, I didn't defend my position too heavily against his attacks and I just tried not to let him pull away too much."

From press release

The day before practice began at Michigan International Speedway, the No. 48 Lowe's road crew made a pit stop.

Alongside Lowe's Home Improvement, the crew helped renovate the entrance to the Boys & Girls Club of Lenawee.

The renovation focused on landscaping, and by the end of the afternoon, the club had a brand new rain garden.

"We have the best pit crew out there with our team 48, and I think that they're going to do a great job," said Sarah Verlinde, store manager of Lowe's of Adrian, as the event was kicking off. "I can see them already digging in and partnering up with the kids and they're doing awesome."

Lowe's support of Boys & Girls Clubs is centred around ensuring that local clubs remain safe and inviting places for the youth who need them most.

Souvenir from the day Hendrick Motorsports stopped at the Boys & Girls Club de Lenawee (Photo: Hendrick Motorsports)

From press release

BMW driver Marco Wittmann remains on course for the DTM title. While his main rival Mattias Ekström only ended up in 22nd place, the German secured his third pole position of the season.

Photo: DTM.com

“For us, that was a very good qualifying. In the sessions before, we had a few problems, so I am all the more surprised by this result. It was great fun, because the car was perfect. Focussing entirely on this single lap in qualifying is one of my strengths,” Wittmann enthused.

The best-placed driver of an Audi RS 5 DTM, Edoardo Mortara will be starting from the front row of the grid alongside Wittmann. The Italian came 0.145 seconds short of the fastest time.

Photo: DTM.com

“Second place on the grid feels like a victory. The past few weekends were really tough for me and now, being back among the front-runners again is nice. I know that our car is generally working very well in the race. That is making me confident for Sunday,” the 27-year-old explained.

Next to Mortara, four other Audi drivers managed to make it into the final qualiying segment.

Photo: DTM.com

Mattias Ekström was dealt a major blow in the battle for the title. The Swede, Marco Wittmann's fiercest rival as runner-up in the drivers' standings, already was sidelined after the first qualifying heat. Ekström has to start only 22nd into the seventh round of the year.

“There are no excuses for the weak performance. Today, our timing simply wasn't the best. It would be nice if we could turn this around in the race, but that will not be easy,” the disappointed two times' champion explained.

Photo: DTM.com

Qualifying results - Nürburgring
1.Marco Wittmann (BMW M4) - RMG - 1'22"780 - Q3
2.Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'22"925 - Q3
3.Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'22"951 - Q3
4.Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'22"996 - Q3
5.Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'23"048 - Q3
6.Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'23"163 - Q3
7.Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'23"221 - Q3
8.Paul Di Resta (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'23"354 - Q3
9.Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'23"338 - Q2
10.Nico Muller (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'23"405 - Q2
11.Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'23"421 - Q2
12.Maxime Martin (BMW M4) - RMG - 1'23"495 - Q2
13.Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'23"565 - Q2
14.Augusto Farfus (BMW M4) - RBM - 1'23"592 - Q2
15.Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'23"593 - Q2
16.Timo Glock (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'23"691 - Q2
17.Bruno Spengler (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1'23"770 - Q2
18.Martin Tomczyk (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1'23"841 - Q2
19.Antonio Felix Da Costa (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'27"479 - Q1
20.Joey Hand (BMW M4) - RBM - 1'27"568 - Q1
21.Vitaly Petrov (Mercedes C-Coupe) - Mucke - 1'27"714 - Q1
22.Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'28"504 - Q1
23.Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'29"612 - Q1

Photo: DTM.com

A federal judge has appointed two lawyers who led cases against Toyota, and a plaintiffs' attorney from Texas, to lead litigation against General Motors related to a faulty ignition switch that prompted the recall of millions of vehicles this year.

Electric carmaker Tesla Motors said the drive unit warranty for its Model S sedan has been increased to match that of the battery pack and will now be covered for eight years and "infinite" miles.

Ford has issued its 11th recall on the 2013 Escape crossover, this time because a wiring problem could cause the engine to hesitate or stall.

Chevrolet has signed another three-year contract as presenting sponsor for the Woodward Dream Cruise, which is taking place Saturday north of Detroit on a 16-mile stretch of Woodward Avenue.

The number of automotive brands making an appearance at the classic-car events in Pebble Beach, California, this week reflects the increasing number of automakers fighting for a piece of the luxury new-vehicle market.

South Korean smartphone camera makers are tapping the surging yet more technologically demanding market for vehicle cameras to dull the impact of slowing growth in global handset sales.

The news this week was a mixed bag with some positives and negatives.

Japanese automakers and their suppliers added jobs in the United States at a slower pace in 2013 than in 2012, as they continued to expand in Mexico and elsewhere to reduce the impact of currency fluctuations.

News 16 Aug, 2014

McLaren reveals its P1 GTR – a “design study” for ultimate drivers’ car – at the Pebble Beach show

Pictures See all 15 pictures 18 Aug, 2014

For all the BMW collectors who might want to add a limited-edition 30th Anniversary M5 to the portfolio, good luck.

News 15 Aug, 2014

SEAT's new 'Sub8 Performance Pack' for the Leon Cupra 280 marks record-breaking Nurburgring run and is on sale now for £2,025

When they started their company four years ago, the founders of the Silicon Valley startup Renovo Motors saw a hole in the market for a pure electric supercar.

A General Motors executive said next year will be a "fantastic year for Cadillac" as he confirmed plans for a new rear-wheel-drive sedan and a redesigned SRX crossover.