Customer Cars issue to boil over?

As previously mentioned, the thorny issue of chassis cloning in Formula 1 seems far from resolved, with F1 Constructors Williams and Spyker being the most upset about this…

It will be interesting to see what happens after the unveiling of the rival team’s new car launches. Sir Frank Williams has been even more outspoken on the issue by publicly declaring that he finds customer chassis to be illegal…

While Super Aguri seems willing to go through the extra hoops to remedy the situation, Scuderia Toro Rosso’s co-owner Gerhard Berger seems more flamatory towards the topic…

And while the Concorde agreement gives all of the Constructors definitive instructions for the 2007 regulations, the future is a totally different matter as the binding agreement expires at the end of the year…

I found Ray Madden’s “Layman’s” blog article even funnier as he mentioned that you could either read the 400pg Autosport article or his summarized version where Berger’s response towards Williams & Spyker was “Go FUCK yourselves!”

Ford QUITS Champ Cars

Although several teams running at Sebring featured Ford’s blue oval logo on the engine cowlings during the start of the Sebring tests, these logos were immediately replaced by Coswort decals after the surprise announcement that the Ford Motor Co. was ending its long standing association with Champ Cars…

After three decades of sponsorship, Ford claims it no longer feels that Champ Cars reflects its marketing strategies with Champ Cars decision to pull the plug on the pace car program in favor of running Paul Stoddart’s fleet of 2 seater Formula 1 chassis...

Champ Cars goes to Europe

Although it had been speculated that Champ Cars would fill the large gap left in its 2007 calendar with a pair of races in Europe, the two events have finally been announced. And while Holland still has its race, the rumored German event has been switched to Belgium

Phoenix gets Title Sponsor

This year’s upcoming inaugural Phoenix Champ Cars race has just announced it’s new title sponsor, with First Data Corp. signing up for 3 years…

As part of a deal previously made in conjunction with the Las Vegas event, First Data Corp. will now add its name to the Phoenix street race with the event renamed The First Data Grand Prix Arizona…

RuSPORT keeps Brit

The RuSPORT team has finally announced that current team leader Justin Wilson will return with title sponsor CDW for 2007…

Although RuSPORT plans to campaign a second car alongside Wilson’s #9 CDW Entries, with Briscoe jumping to the ALMS its unknown who’ll become his partner. Interestingly Mario Dominguez will test the team’s #10 entry at Sebring, yet there’s no confirmation on who’ll be driving in Las Vegas…

PKV gets Bullish

Although it had long been rumoured that PKV would reap some of Red Bull’s millions… PKV has finally confirmed the terribly kept secret of Red Bull becoming the team’s new title sponsor…
Red Bull PkV Racing also announced Champ Car Rookie Neil Jani as the pilot of the team’s #21 entry. Jani spent 2006 as Scuderia Toro rosso’s test driver along with competing in selected A1 GP races for Team Switzerland

Penske’s new “Aussie”

While it was hoped for that Australian Ryan Briscoe would return to Champ Cars RuSPORT team for 2007, Briscoe has signed to drive for Roger Penske instead…

Briscoe will pilot one of Penske’s two Porsche RS Spyder’s in this season’s hotly contested ALMS LMP2 category which will pit three Acura (Honda) powered teams vs. two Porsche factory backed efforts…