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From press release

Rain, tire gambles and risky overtaking manoeuvres - the second DTM round of the year in the etropolis Motorsport Arena Oschersleben had plenty of action.

After a strategic and driving masterpiece, Christian Vietoris emerged as the surprising winner with his DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. With a margin of 0.6 seconds from defending champion Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) after 44 laps, the 25-year-old Mercedes-Benz driver crossed the finish line as the winner of the race for the first time in his DTM career.

Christian Vietoris (Photo: DTM.com)

“As we currently aren't among the front runners in normal conditions, I obviously hoped for rain. Perfect that it turned out that way. We wanted to use these chances and so we did. We had an ideal strategy. I am overjoyed. What a race,” said Vietoris, who already changed to rain tires after the formation lap, then chased the field from the pit lane and eventually made it through as the only driver with just one pit stop.

Marco Wittmann, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

With his second place, Rockenfeller took over the lead in the drivers' standings. Driving another Audi RS 5 DTM, Edoardo Mortara finished third in the action-packed race. Behind Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz), last year's winner Augusto Farfus came fifth as the best-placed driver of a BMW M4 DTM.

In total, 65,000 fans attended the race weekend in the Magdeburg region.

(Photo: DTM.com)

Race results* - Oschersleben (round 2 of 10)
1 - Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 44 laps 1.15'28"785
2 - Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 0"674
3 - Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Abt - 7"769
4 - Paul Di Resta (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 8"906
5 - Augusto Farfus (BMW M4) - RBM - 9"326
6 - Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Abt - 13"051
7 - Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 20"503
8 - Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 20"597
9 - Martin Tomczyk (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 23"079
10 - Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 24"340
11 - Antonio Felix Da Costa (BMW M4) - MTEK - 24"620
12 - Bruno Spengler (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 26"892
13 - Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 27"201
14 - Maxime Martin (BMW M4) - RMG - 31"032
15 - Joey Hand (BMW M4) - RBM - 39"802
16 - Nico Muller (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 44"324
17 - Vitaly Petrov (Mercedes C-Coupe) - Mucke - 55"493
18 - Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1 lap
19 - Marco Wittmann (BMW M4) - RMG - 1 lap

Bruno Spengler, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Retirements
Lap 27 - Pascal Wehrlein
Lap 22 - Daniel Juncadella
Lap 14 - Timo Glock
Lap 7 - Robert Wickens

Championship
1.Rockenfeller 30 points; 2.Vietoris 25; 3.Wittmann 25; 4.Ekstrom 18; 5.Tambay 16; 6.Mortara 15; 7.Farfus 14; 8.Di Resta 12; 9.Glock 10; 10.Molina 8.

*Unofficial scoring

(Photo: DTM.com)

From press release

Race 1 of the F1600 Duals presented by Juniper Networks is in the books and it was an intense battle involving several young superstars. The Super Series format of bringing together the best racers in the region several times a year is proving to be just what the sport needed.

DeGrand brought us to the green as the pole sitter and quickly jumped out to a bit of a lead over the battling Chase Pelletier, Zacharie Robichon and Max Hanratty.

DeGrand was in control of most of the event but in the latter stages did fall back into the sights of Robichon who managed to slip by with two to go but got passed back the next lap. The two staged a great battle over the closing laps with aggressive but clean back and forth moves.

Robichon made one last effort for a pass in the very last corner but had the door closed and the two would cross the line in first and second respectively. Hanratty overcame several back and forth episodes, once falling back as far as fifth to take the final spot on the podium.

Podium (Photo: Michael Haley)

“I'm really happy with the result, obviously you are happy when you win but the racing was clean and hard and really fun,” said DeGrand. “The team worked really hard this week, it was a good result for them as well and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.”

Robichon commented, “It was a hard fight with Tristan but we both respected each other and gave just enough room to avoid contact. I was just missing a little bit to get the final pass but I know the BGR guys will work hard to give us just an extra little bit to try and make that final pass stick.

Day two at the Castrol Victoria Day SpeedFest will see the F1600's take to the track at 10am for qualifying with the race getting the green flag at 5.

McLaren turned a profit in 2013 and plans to remain in the black while adding models over the next three years. The carmaker aims to achieve margins closer to those of Ferrari or Porsche, CEO Mike Flewitt told Automotive News Europe.

U.S. regulators concluded a 2-month probe of GM with a broad condemnation of its ability and willingness to fix dangerous defects. Now GM's autonomy in evaluating safety matters will be restricted for at least the next year.

Audi is applying an unusual level of scrutiny to its supply base, even working directly with raw-material vendors, as it gears up to open the first European luxury auto assembly plant in Mexico.

Chrysler Group began producing new fuel-saving transmissions last month at a 782,000-square-foot plant about an hour north of Indianapolis that it once abandoned.

From press release

Canadian driver and 2012 DTM champion Bruno Spengler said he was not happy with the results of the qualifying session in Oschersleben, ahead of the second race of the season.

He ended up 7th fastest, almost 7 tenths slower than pole winner Miguel Molina. He was only the third fastest BMW driver in the session, behind youngsters Marco Wittman (2nd) and Antonio Felix da Costa (4th).

Bruno Spengler, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: BMW)

"Everything was going very well until the third qualifying session," said Spengler, who drives a BMW M4 DTM.

"But then I was just missing something in the final session. We fought hard and, given the five extra kilograms in the car, the result is ok," he added.

Antonio Felix da Costa, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: BMW)

"I am not entirely happy, but anything can happen (tomorrow)."

BMW's motorsport director Jens Marquardt seemed quite pleased with the performance of his top 3 drivers: "As in Hockenheim, Marco Wittmann, António Félix da Costa and Bruno Spengler were particularly impressive," he said.

From press release

This weekend marks a significant date in motorsports history as two of Canada's leading series come together.

25 competitors from both the Ontario based Toyo Tires F1600 Championship and the Quebec based Toyo Tires Formula Tour will take part in two races at the Castrol Victoria Day SpeedFest at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park May 17 and 18.

Spawned from an initial meeting between the two series promoters (Jason Sharpe and Marcel Lafontaine) early last spring the F1600 Super Series now provides an unprecedented opportunity for young drivers to hone their skills and make a name for themselves against some of the fastest and most experienced club racers in the country.

Photo: Michael Haley

The Super Series became the perfect blend of affordable club level racing and the costly professional touring series by choosing 4 events, 2 from each series so competitors only have to travel on two occasions.

The Victoria Day SpeedFest will be rounds 1 & 2 of the Series, with the rest being the Grand Prix de Montreal, the Honda Indy Toronto and the finale at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

“The format that we came up with has created a lot of excitement in F1600 racing,” said Marcel Lafontaine, promoter of the Quebec series. “We worked very hard to come up with schedules that compliment each other and provide the most opportunity for formula car racers to compete in North America. 24 races in all.

Names like Michel Legrand, Yves Beaudoin, Ghislain Theriault and the very quick young Olivier Bedard are here to go head to head with Zacharie Robichon, Max Hanratty, 15 year old Jeff Kingsley and Tristan DeGrand, who launched himself on to the F1600 scene with a sweep of the first two rounds of the Toyo Tire Championship.

Cars will hit the track on Friday for a full day of testing. Saturday the F1600 Duals presented by Juniper Networks will get underway with qualifying at 9:25 am and Race 1 at 5:10pm. There will also be an autograph session from 1:30-2:00 pm at the Victory Podium. Sunday qualifying will be run at 9:20 am and Race 2 at 5:15 pm.

From press release

Sauber is getting involved in the development of a new kind of bobsleigh, called "mono bobs".

The International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (FIBT) has launched a new racing series for junior athletes featuring “mono bobs”. The company responsible for building the mono bob, SwissBob, has placed its trust in the expertise of Sauber Motorsport AG for the development of the single­design sled. The Swiss design beat off competition from six internationally renowned companies to get the green light from the FIBT.

Mono bobs are racing sleds that can be pushed off and driven by a single athlete. The FIBT envisages great potential for mono bobs in junior competition in particular. One of the early highlights for the mono bob will come in 2016, when the SwissBob sled slides into action at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer.

Photo: Sauber

SwissBob AG commissioned Sauber Motorsport AG to oversee the development of the concept and the production of the monocoque.

“We're delighted that Swiss Bob AG has entrusted us with this ambitious project, and we're proud to be able to contribute to its success,” says Monisha Kaltenborn, CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG.

“Formula One and bobsleigh racing have a great deal in common, such as the aerodynamics of the bob, the physical principles underpinning the development of the chassis and the process engineering involved in the construction of the monocoque, which is new to bobsleigh,” Kaltenborn explains.

In contrast to the tubular steel chassis which has held sway in bob construction to date, the new mono bob has been designed - like a Formula One chassis - as a monocoque with a sandwich construction. Plus, the flexibility of the regulations has allowed the engineers to explore new directions with the aerodynamics, as reflected in both the dynamic styling of the mono bob and its performance. The new mono bob was victorious in its debut outing at the Swiss championships.

For four years now, Sauber Motorsport AG has also used the expertise acquired in Formula One and its technically advanced infrastructure to handle commercial projects for third parties in various arenas.

From press release

Miguel Molina in the Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline achieved a record lap and a possibly record-breaking advantage in qualifying for the DTM race at Oschersleben.

The Spaniard outperformed the second-placed BMW of Hockenheim winner Marco Wittmann by more than half a second.

Marco Wittmann, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

At 1m 20.007s, Molina set a new track record and was the first DTM driver ever to have nearly broken the magic ‘sound barrier' of 1m 20s at the Motorsport Arena. The Spaniard had immediately presented himself in top form at Oschersleben on Saturday.

He was the fastest driver in the free practice session and the fastest one in two of three qualifying sections. Right at the beginning of the decisive third segment (Q3), he managed to set the record lap that all of his competitors were subsequently unable to match.

Edoardo Mortara, Audi RS 5 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

“Today, we again saw ‘Magic Molina,' as Miguel used to be nicknamed in his team,” said Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport.

“Taking grid position one with an advantage of half a second is a very rare occurrence in the DTM. This achievement and this lap deserve respect! Miguel was immediately strong here and, as before at Hockenheim, our RS 5 DTM is running really well too. Two qualifying sessions and two pole positions in succession - you can't wish for more than that. With four cars on the first three rows we've got a very good starting base. But we're not going to underestimate the competition - and the weather could also be making for additional suspense tomorrow.”

Daniel Juncadella, Mercedes C-Coupe (Photo: DTM.com)

“My third pole position in the DTM, my third one with Audi and Abt: I'm overjoyed,” beamed the 25-year-old Catalonian.

“Everybody knows how difficult the DTM is. That makes us even happier. Audi Sport and Team Abt Sportsline did an outstanding job and gave me a fantastic car. My RS 5 DTM was perfect on each lap and very easy to drive - as a result, this lap time and the unusually large advantage almost happened automatically. I'd like to thank everyone who worked so hard for this.”

(Photo: DTM.com)

Qualifying results* - Oschersleben (round 2 of 10)
1.Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'20"007 - Q3
2.Marco Wittmann (BMW M4) - RMG - 1'20"516 - Q3
3.Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'20"519 - Q3
4.Antonio Felix Da Costa (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'20"582 - Q3
5.Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'20"668 - Q3
6.Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'20"676 - Q3
7.Bruno Spengler (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1'20"703 - Q3
8.Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'21"113 - Q3
9.Augusto Farfus (BMW M4) - RBM - 1'20"663 - Q2
10.Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'20"668 - Q2
11.Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'20"767 - Q2
12.Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'20"788 - Q2
13.Martin Tomczyk (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1:20"801 - Q2
14.Maxime Martin (BMW M4) - RMG - 1:20"904 - Q2
15.Nico Muller (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1:20"957 - Q2
16.Joey Hand (BMW M4) - RBM - 1:20"973 - Q2
17.Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'21"082 - Q2
18.Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'21"322 - Q2
19.Timo Glock (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'21"439 - Q1
20.Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'21"595 - Q1
21.Paul Di Resta (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'21"795 - Q1
22.Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'21"915 - Q1
23.Vitaly Petrov (Mercedes C-Coupe) - Mucke - 1'22"132 - Q1
*Unofficial results

Paul di Resta (Photo: DTM.com)

From press release

After earning 2 victories in the final 4 races of the 2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule, Jason Hathaway was regarded by many within the NCATS community as the hottest driver on the roster at the closing of the season.

Now, after months of reflection, Hathaway and his Team 3 Red/Ed Hakonson Racing team are ready to get back to business, and get back to victory lane.

"This whole team was incredible at the tail end of the season", says Hathaway. "It felt like everything was going our way. We didn't want the schedule to end. We would've raced until November if they'd let us!"

After enjoying a 2013 campaign that kept his team at the forefront of championship contention, Hathaway is quick to note it all started with a podium finish at last year's season opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

"We started 2013 off strong with a podium finish, and it really gave our whole program a shot in the arm", states Hathaway. "That confidence followed us all season long"

"My team is one of the most dedicated and underestimated in the business", continues the amiable veteran. "We just go out and get the job done, week in and week out"

"I love flying under the radar and getting results"

Hathaway will also enter the Pinty's presents the Clarington 200 with some added motivation for success, after inking a deal with Roto-Static Carpet Cleaning just prior to the event's test session.

"Opening the season with Roto-Static on our quarter panel is huge", explains Hathaway. "I appreciate their support more than I could explain. And the best way to thank them would be to put this #3 Rockstar Energy Drink/Roto-Static Chevrolet in Victory Lane!"

From press release

Romain Grosjean scored his first points of the season, last weekend in Spain. He is now looking forward to the Monaco Grand Prix, which he considers to be his "unofficial" home race.

Grosjean finished eighth in Barcelona, behind the wheel of the upgraded Lotus E22. Last Wednesday, his teammate Pastor Maldonado topped the timing sheets, during a collective test.

So the Enstone team is definitely showing sings of improvements after a rocky start to the 2014 campaign. The Monaco track, however, may not suit the E22.

Still, Grosjean always liked racing there, and this year is no exception.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E22 (Photo: WRi2)

"The emphasis at Monaco is on low speed corners, which is not our greatest strength," noted Grosjean.

"But the team worked with Monaco in mind during the Barcelona test. Bumpy straights and a low grip surface are the other main Monaco characteristics and how well you adapt to them can make or break your weekend. We'll do our best with set-up.

"It was great to see so much French support last year, with all the flags and banners. Then there are the unique challenges of such a special circuit.

"It's a crazy week with all the focus and attention, but everyone loves Monaco."

GM warned its engineers against using the words "safety" and "defect" when identifying product risks, and explicitly told them not to use inflammatory terms including "widow-maker" and "Hindenburg," according to company documents released by the U.S.

Nissan will replace the timing chains in more than 104,000 Nissan Juke subcompacts from the 2011-13 model years sold in the United States and Canada as part of a voluntary service campaign.

Nissan will expand its 370Z Nismo package for 2015 with the first offering of an automatic transmission and an onboard navigation system.

Detroit classic-rock station 94.7 WCSX started this year's Stone Soup Project for charity last month, and things with the 1970 Pontiac Firebird are going swimmingly.

The federal judge who once steered the future of bankrupt GM set out rules today for a fight over billions of dollars in claims tied to the company's ignition-switch defects.

A refined Nismo 370Z debuted today with moderate changes that Nissan is calling and#8220;and#8230;a solid progress.

The Bricklin SV-1 was supposed to be the safe sports car. It had big 5-mph bumpers.

The closure of Opel's factory in Bochum, Germany, is set to cost at least 550 million euros ($754.41 million), sources said.