Corona, Calif. (October 25, 2011)
German Touring Series (DTM)
Audi driver Martin Tomczyk clinches 2011 DTM Championship. VALENCIA, SPAIN (October 2, 2011)—With a third place at the penultimate race of the season, Martin Tomczyk became the 2011 DTM Champion, celebrating the biggest triumph in his motorsport career.
With a 1-2-3-4-5-6 result and an early title win, Audi clearly dominated the 2011 DTM season. Mattias Ekström celebrated his third victory of the year, Filipe Albuquerque scored his first podium finish and Martin Tomczyk took third place to become the new DTM Champion. Tomczyk succeeds Paul Di Resta, who now runs Formula One, as DTM Champion, and has now joined the DTM's club of champions whose members include stars like Bernd Schneider, Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider.
World Rally Championship (WRC)
Hirvonen heads world title race after dramatic finale in France. RALLYE de FRANCE (October 2)—Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver Mikko Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen are tied for the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship following the finish of Rallye de France today.
The Finns finished round 11 of the series in fourth place in their Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, leaving them just three points from the head of the championship. However, Petter Solberg was disqualified from third after his car was found to be under weight, promoting Ford's 31-year-old Finnish driver onto the podium.
The additional points mean Hirvonen is tied for the lead of the drivers' championship with Sébastien Loeb, who retired from the rally in Friday's opening leg with engine problems. Just three points cover the leading trio, with two rounds remaining in Spain later this month and in Britain next month.
Solberg's exclusion promoted Ford Abu Dhabi's Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila to fourth in another Fiesta RS World Rally Car. Latvala lies fourth in the points table.
A.L.M.S.
John Henry Racing clinches 2011 Sunoco American Late Model Series Championship at Eldora. ROSSBURG, OHIO (October 7)—With a strong eighth-place finish in the feature race, John Henry Racing took the ALMS title as well as the Eldora Speedway points Championship. "What an awesome way to end an already awesome season," exulted Henry. "Thanks for all your support throughout 2011, you guys are the reason I continue to be successful! Five straight championships—Man oh man, this is gettin' good!"
LeMans Series
Strakka secures strong second in LMS. ESTORIL, PORTUGAL (September 26)—Strakka Racing ended its P2 program on a high by securing second position in both the 2011 Le Mans Series and the Michelin Green X Challenge. Despite drivers Nick Leventis, Jonny Kane and Danny Watts driving faultlessly, a race win in the Honda Performance Development HPD-ARX 01d wasn't to be, as rubber debris forced a sump- pump belt off, which sent the car into the pits. After two successful seasons in LMS, Strakka Racing now turns its attention to the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, in which it will race a brand new HPD-ARX 03a.
Formula 3 Italia
American Michael Lewis Takes 2nd Win. MUGELLO, ITALY (October 2)—Michael Lewis, of Laguna Beach, California, won his second Formula 3 Italia race of the season today at Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello. A fifth place in the second race brought him to second place in the points, and into the Rookie of the Year points lead.
The race began with a wild start in the first turn as PREMA teammate Raffaele Marciello tried to overtake Michael but went wide into the grass, Michael emerging in 3rd.
Leader Facu Regalia spun, and Edoardo Liberati inherited the lead. By lap 10, Michael was closely behind Liberati and finally on lap 15 Michael made his move on the inside to pass.
Petite LeMans
Falken Tire Porsche finishes strong fifth. BRASELTON, GEORGIA (October 3)—In the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans, the final round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrön brought a fifth place position in GT class for Team Falken and 4th in the final results for the GT Team Championship, and 5th place in the GT Drivers' Championship. With two wins plus four top five finishes out of nine races this year, the Derrick Walker-led team proved it was one to contend with throughout the season.
Solid TRG Season Comes To An End. BRASELTON, GEORGIA (October 3)—While TRG's quest for its American Le Mans Series championship fell short with third and fourth place finishes at the season finale at Road Atlanta's Petit Le Mans, team owner Kevin Buckler couldn't help but look back at the season and call it one of the most memorable and successful in TRG's history. "While things didn't quite work out here the way we had hoped," said Buckler, "we had some amazing wins, comebacks, podiums and some just fantastic racing. During the middle of the season when we reeled off three straight wins including two one-two finishes, well, that was pretty special. We truly have laid the groundwork to build upon for next season where we will again be in position to make a very serious run at a championship - because after all, that's what TRG is all about, winning on all fronts."
SCCA National Runoffs
SportsCar Magazine Project Yaris takes podium. ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN (September 26)— In six SCCA SafeRacer National race starts the SCM Yaris scored five poles, four wins and an H Production lap record at Buttonwillow. This all added up to our second consecutive Southern Pacific Divisional Championship. At the SCCA National Championship we were greeted by rain—with had a driver and car that had never been raced in the wet. What could go wrong? We moved from our 12th starting position to stand third on the podium, and picked up the Sunoco Hard Charger award for the most positions gained during the race.
News and Notes:
AMA Supercross/Motocross
Red Bull/KTM Signs Ryan Dungey to Factory SX/MX Team. MATTIGHOFEN, AUSTRIA (October 1)—KTM announced the addition of 2009 AMA Supercross/Motocross Champion Ryan Dungey to the US Red Bull KTM Factory Race Team for the 2012 and 2013 AMA Pro Supercross and Motocross Championship Series, underlining KTM's determination to conquer its US competition in both SX and MX disciplines.
KTM is a dominant force in the MX World Championships winning the MX1 and MX2 world titles in both 2010 and 2011. Dungey's first official race with the Red Bull/KTM Factory Team will be the opening round of the AMA Pro Supercross Championship Series at Angel Stadium on January 7, 2012 where he will race aboard the KTM 450 SX-F in the premier Supercross class.
"Ryan and I have worked together for several years so we know each other well. Our past should help us get the best out of each other and put us in position to be legit championship contenders in the big-bike class," commented Red Bull/KTM Team Manager Roger DeCoster.
