French car manufacturer Citroen has named its 2017 World Rally Championship challenger as the C3 WRC, and released more photos and a video of the car taking shape.

The C3 WRC concept car will be shown to the public at next month's Paris Motor Show and is a clear indication of the direction the final design will take.

Next year's WRC machinery will be significantly faster, with more powerful engines paired with the return of centre differentials and beefed up aerodynamics.

Citroen's statement read: "Very close [to] the finalized car, the C3 WRC concept car hints at the intentions of the Citroen style centre without giving everything away about its final form. Based on the new C3 [road car], it retains all of its curves and fresh appeal.

"The exterior also stands out with a chassis 55mm larger than the new Citroen C3, affording greater aerodynamic freedom such as a spoiler for the front bumper."

In the meantime, Citroen Racing is continuing its test program with the C3 WRC in Portugal this week.

For more photos and video, visit the Racer website.

Tumenas Motorsports, a business that offers performance racing education, is now expanding its program to offer a karts-to-cars system for aspiring drivers, moving them from karting into both the F1600 and F2000 classes, which are operated by Formula Race Promotions.

Tumenas Motorsports has inked a deal with the UK-based One Motorsport, which has a U.S. arm in Apex Kart Sport USA.

“After progressing through karting they would then continue with Tumenas Motorsports to race cars,” said Lenny Tumenas, team owner.

“The first step in cars will be F1600; this series is very critical to driver development. The amount of seat time and the competition level in this class will quickly improve on their existing skills. There is not a better place to learn about mechanical grip of the car and also race craft than in F1600.”

Following that, drivers would move into the team’s existing front-running F2000 program, which is based out of a shop in Massachusetts.

“We offer karts-to-cars all under one roof along with ONE Motorsport/Apex Kart Sport which is perfect for the career minded driver. They will start in our One karts and continue onto racing cars,” Tumenas said.

The NHRA's Youth and Education Services (YES) Program is motorsports' first and only full-time program devoted exclusively to educational programming. The YES Program visits various raceways across the nation to inform the youth what it takes to make it in the auto performance racing industry.

The YES program was created in 1989 as a tool to connect education and drag racing.

The YES Program, presented by the U.S. Army, is an innovative, track-site program, taking place at select NHRA national events, allowing tens of thousands of students from schools across the country to participate annually.

Students from middle schools, high schools and colleges are invited to attend this free field trip and job shadowing activity. The program takes place at the track, usually in the corporate hospitality area.

The 30-minute program consists of speakers inspiring and informing the students about the various opportunities awaiting them if they take the necessary steps to properly prepare themselves for the challenges.

NHRA’s YES Program prospective schedule is listed below. To sign up, visit here. http://www.nhra.net/yes/

NHRA 2016 YES Program Schedule
St. Louis, MO: September 23, 2016
Reading, PA: September 30, 2016
Dallas, TX: October 14, 2016
Pomona, CA Career Fair: Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Pomona, CA YES Program: Thursday, November 10, 2016

Ten years ago, Steve and Becca Bertok took a leap of faith.

Becca, a Lexington native, grew up in a family of rally car racers and knew first hand the addictive nature of road racing. Her father; Julian Watson, is a former rally driver and Becca went to her first race at four weeks old.

Steve had twenty years of experience selling automotive parts and salvage, and wanted to own his own automotive business. So together, the two started Panic Motorsports, selling parts and building rally cars for themselves and others from a garage in their back yard in West Columbia.

“It finally came down to taking that leap,” said Becca from the company’s present garage near Columbia Metropolitan Airport in rural Lexington County. “Steve left his job on a Friday and was selling parts on his own within the week.”

Why did they name the company Panic?

“No reason,” Steve said. “A bunch of us were just hanging out and came up with it. Bar napkin.”

The business’ initial focus was on parts sales to individuals and race shops across the Southeast. After months of market research, Steve planned to focus almost exclusively on parts for Mazda Miatas.

The Sports Car Club of America’s “Spec Miata” racing class has been the hobby club’s largest since its inception in 2000.

“They are great handling,” Steve said of the cars. “They’re sturdy and there are a lot of them. Mazda made a million of them by 2009.”

In 2002, Steve built his first Spec Miata. After earning his competition license and starting to race himself, he was hooked.

With strict requirements for building the cars, the Spec Miata class equalizes performance, making a driver’s talents that much more important, Steve said.

“If you can win in Spec Miata, you can win anywhere,” he said. “And there is nowhere more competitive than in the Southeast division.”

In 2006, Panic turned into a business, building cars for enthusiasts nationwide.

The cars cost “$32,000, ready to win,” Steve said.

Within a year, the Bertoks hired a part-time employee and rented an old shop in South Congaree to hold their expanding business. By 2012, they had moved to their present 4.5-acre location in West Columbia with a large shop and room enough for their growing race car stable.

Today, the company has four full-time employees and two part-time employees.

In addition to building cars for others, the Bertoks own several Spec Miatas for personal use and rentals. But most of the 15 or so cars under their roof are client owned, built and maintained by Panic’s staff.

Panic delivers the cars to tracks up and down the East Coast and the Midwest, traveling more than 30 weekends each year. The tracks include Sebring International Raceway in south Florida, Virginia International Raceway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Watkins Glen International Raceway in New York.

They can even serve as pit crews.

“It’s called an arrive-and-drive program,” Steve said. “We handle everything – race strategy, radios, driver coaching, pit stops. For the bigger races, the client might even get lucky and Becca will feed the drivers and crew.”

Panic now has 20 racing clients.

The company also rents for $450 a day a race car that can be driven on monthly open track days at Carolina Motorsports Park and other tracks. All-day track fees at Carolina Motorsports Park in Lancaster County are $250, and drivers – anyone with a driver’s license, regardless of skill or training – get six to eight 30-minute sessions on the road course, Becca said.

Panic also tests its cars at the Lancaster County track and Virginia International Raceway.

Panic has “a handful” of regular track-day clients who drive just for fun, Becca said, as well as “a host” of customers who use the company to service their street legal Miatas. The company’s parts business also delivers online sales worldwide.

For her part, Becca handles the marketing, web site maintenance, T-shirt designs, race car graphics and the overall look of the company.

The couple’s 11-year-old daughter, Marilyn, wants to follow in their footsteps.

“She wants to be a race engineer and a zoologist,” Steve said. “At least this month.”

Steve said starting his own business was one of the best decisions he ever made.

“I like coming to work every day,” he said. “Most people can’t say that.”

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/business/article102473922.html#storylink=cpy

JN Holding, a French automotive and motorsports leading sector, is known for offering solutions and specializing in the industry and services linked to the automotive world and competition.

Under the leadership of president Jacques Nicolet, JN Holding is changing its name and adopting a new identity as “Everspeed, Ever in motion.”

The Everspeed group has built up over the last 10 years around different companies and around over 400 employees that constitute the group today. Its continued progression will take place through the creation of new synergies amongst its entities.

As part of its continuing development, at the national and international level, the group’s activities are now regrouped around four pillars, according to their site, including Everspeed Motorsport with different automotive companies like Onroak Automotive, Mygale, AOTech, OAK Racing, Marcassus Sport and Les Deux Arbres.

Along with this change of name and identity, the Everspeed headquarters have moved to 19 rue de Prony, 75017 Paris, France.

For more information, visit the Everspeed website. 

The Barcelona RX (September 16-18) forms the ninth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy and the penultimate round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercars, the Super1600 category and the supporting RX Lites Cup. 

Staged at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, also home to the Spanish F1 and Moto GP races, the bespoke rallycross circuit – which features a last corner Joker Lap – constructed within the stadium area of the racetrack will host World RX for a second time.

Last year’s Barcelona RX was said to be a success in what marked the sport’s return to Spain for the first since 1989 and the 2016 edition is shaping up to be even bigger.  A total of 83 entries across four different categories will compete in Barcelona (22 World RX Supercars; 25 Euro RX Supercars; 26 Super1600 cars and ten RX Lites Cup entries).

With only four rounds of the 2016 season remaining, the Spanish RX round could be crucial in the 2016 title chase where series leaders Petter Solberg and Mattias Ekstrom are separated by just five points. Solberg won last year’s inaugural Barcelona RX and will be eager to repeat his winning form from 2015 in order to edge further ahead in this year’s World Championship title fight.

Among the World Championship entries, double DTM Champion Timo Scheider will return to World RX and replace Reinis Nitiss in the Muennich Motorsport squad. Nitiss will race with Olsbergs MSE this weekend after departing from the Muennich Motorsport team where he finished fifth overall at the previous round in France.

Having missed France for national championship duty, Sweden’s Kevin Eriksson will also return to World RX action in Barcelona, in his regular OMSE prepared Fiesta. British-based team JRM Racing will field two MINI RX Supercars for Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit and Englishman Guy Wilks.

Wilks, a regular commentator on the official World RX TV show, is delighted to swap TV duties for driving in Barcelona: “I’ve been to many of the World RX events this season to commentate and, while that’s great fun and has given me a chance to assess the competition at close quarters, there’s nothing like the buzz of competing,” admitted Wilks.

The FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX) returns to Barcelona for its fourth and penultimate round of the year. It is currently led by Sweden’s Kevin Hansen, who has won all three Euro RX rounds so far this season. Hansen is 23 points ahead of Tord Linnerud in the overall standings and needs to extend his lead over the Norwegian by just three points in order to secure the 2016 title.

Hungary’s Krisztian Szabo leads the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Super1600 after his win in France at the start of the month. He is just seven points ahead of Denmark’s Ulrik Linnemann who will be vying for a victory in Spain to retake the championship points lead.

Andorran Olympian Albert Llovera will be the most local driver racing in Barcelona and will compete in the one-make RX Lites Cup.  Eager to build on experience, gained in his first two appearances in Norway and Sweden, Llovera is aiming for a spot in the final.

For more information or the September 16-18 World Rallycross Championship schedule, visit FIA.com.

Jaguar has unveiled its entry into the electric world of Formula E this week with the debut of the I-Type. The factory team will kick off its E-racing efforts with the 2016-2017 season.

Along with revealing I-Type, Jaguar Land Rover announced that Panasonic will be the title sponsor for its racing effort, and introduced its three drivers: Irishman Adam Carroll, New Zealander Mitch Evans and Chinese racer Ho-Pin Tung.

The first race that Panasonic Jaguar Racing will compete in will come in October -- Formula E's third season -- with the team having wrapped up its public test at the Donington Park Circuit just a day before the debut of the car and the driver lineup.
"We want to be successful on and off the track. We know that the challenge will be strong -- our competitors have a two-year head start," said Panasonic Jaguar Racing Team director James Barclay. "We will be keeping our expectations in check in our first season. Ultimately we’re here to win but we’re here to innovate too."

Carroll, 33, one of the team's drivers, did most of the testing in the run-up to the public debut of the I-Type, bringing his experience in F3, A1GP, IndyCar WEC and GP2 to the track.

"It's a real privilege to be racing for Jaguar in Formula E," Carroll said. "You only have to look at the caliber of the other drivers in the series to see the level of competitiveness and prestige that this championship now has."

Carroll's teammate Evans may be only 22, but he brings 24 Hours of Le Mans experience to the team, in addition to several open-wheel and karting championship titles.

Tung, meanwhile, has competed in IndyCar, F3, A1GP WEC and GP2, and also drove in three races in the first FIA Formula E Championship; he brings the most Formula E racing experience to the table.

"Today is a proud moment for myself and the entire Panasonic Jaguar Racing team at our official launch," said Panasonic Jaguar Racing Team director James Barclay. "Everyone has worked very hard over the last nine months to prepare for our debut in the Championship. I am delighted to welcome Adam, Mitch and Ho-Pin, Panasonic, Lear and all of our new fans into the Jaguar family."

Originally posted by Auto Week.

The Formula 3 European Championship is to relax its unpopular engine-change grid-penalty rule for 2017, according to Autosport.

Since the new generation of powerplants was introduced in 2014, drivers have been hit with three 10-place penalties for any engine change during the season as part of a cost-cutting drive by the FIA.

That was modified this year, so that where it could be proved that an engine failure was not the fault of the driver or team the penalty would be just one 10-place grid drop.

For next year, it will be one 10-place penalty for every engine change.

Over the past three seasons drivers and teams have complained that the three-race penalty has been too draconian.

The most-recent victim was Red Bull junior Sergio Sette Camara, who was fastest in qualifying last weekend at the Nurburgring but started from 11th on the grid as this was the second race of his trio of penalties imposed for an engine change during the previous round at Spa.

The revised rule is up for vote at the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on September 28, along with other F3 changes.

These include a move to revamp the race-weekend format whereby second qualifying is moved from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon, after the first race, with the second race being pushed back to Sunday morning and the third to Sunday afternoon.

This format - which will be used on a one-off basis for the next round at Imola - was standard for the series up to and including 2014, but was changed for '15.

Moving the second qualifying session to Saturday will make things easier for drivers, who currently have 80 minutes of free practice and two 20-minute qualifying periods on Fridays.

Van Amersfoort Racing boss Frits van Amersfoort said that the revival of the system would help rookies in the same way as it did Max Verstappen, who the team ran in his sensational 2014 F3 season.



It is also understood that a principle of data-sharing between teams in order to peg back the advantage of the bigger established teams is being debated, although the details are yet to be decided.



Teams are optimistic that European F3 can bounce back from its low of 17 cars last time out at the Nurburgring.



"I think Wally Mertes [the series promoter] and the FIA are doing their best to make it better and I'm quite convinced it will be," added van Amersfoort.


America's most iconic muscle cars have a birthday next year, and it's a big one. General Motors Camaro & Firebird will be 50 years old in 2017 and the celebration will be in Memphis, Tennessee.

All six Generations are included, and any stock, street, pro street or drag race setups are welcome. This event will have the feel of a giant family reunion, with plenty of activities for you and your closest friends. The F-Body Nationals will hold a gathering for the iconic muscle cars on September 15-17, 2017.
 
There will be a Show-N-Shine car show for anyone that wants to come and enjoy the event. There will also be designated parking and judging with trophies for those who like to take it to the next level. The JEGS F-Body Nationals Drag Racing will include Fun Runs and Grudge Matches with competitive DOT Street, JR Eliminator & Super Eliminator classes. There will also be some special Exhibition Runs.

The F-Body Nationals will have thousands of used parts, equipment & memorabilia for your F-Body and other General Motors vehicles. If you're looking to buy or sell, locate hard-to-find parts, looking for a great deal, or just want to see what kind of treasures you can find, the Swap Meet will be a great place to start.

If you're looking to buy your next F-Body or sell your current one, the Car Corral will have a huge selection of Camaros and Firebirds to choose from. One fan might even win the Golden Star Giveaway 1967 Camaro.
 
This event will be held at Memphis International Raceway in Millington, Tennessee. This historic track is nestled in the countryside just north of Memphis. 

For more information, visit www.fbodynationals.com.

After six years, Chicagoland Speedway president Scott Paddock understands the magnitude of being the official starting line for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase.

But even as experienced as he has become in overseeing the year-round planning that goes into hosting the first of 10 playoff races that lead up to the Nov. 20 finale at Homestead, Paddock still feels some pressure to make a good first impression.

Paddock acknowledges he likely won’t sleep much this weekend, one that he and his staff began planning for as soon as last year’s Chase kickoff race weekend ended. Although he is well-versed in the routine, Paddock is constantly on the lookout for innovative ways to make the atmosphere better than it was the year before.

“We know as our weekend goes, it kind of sets the table for the next nine weeks of the Chase,” Paddock said.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 on Sunday will headline four days of racing at the Joliet racetrack. This weekend marks the first time the track will host four races, including the ARCA series, NASCAR  Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series.
In the Sprint Cup Series, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski pace the 16-car field that eventually will be cut down to four and that pundits say is wide-open.

Even drivers who will race in Joliet before the main event understand that the pressure-cooker environment surrounding the Chase will be evident all weekend.

“It’s like the playoffs,” said Elliott Sadler, who sits atop the XFINITY points standings heading into the series’ final regular-season race before its Chase begins next weekend in Kentucky. “Everything is always ramped up. Everybody is on a level playing field, and it has a playoff-style feel to it.

“The intensity is going to be better, the racing’s going to be closer. Everybody’s bringing their best stuff. You feel it big-time.”

So does Paddock, who knows that Chicagoland Speedway has developed a unique sense of character in its 15 years. The 1½ mile D-shaped oval has become known as a track that offers passing lanes and gives drivers plenty of room to operate.

Paddock equates the environment to the Kentucky Derby, an event known for its pageantry as much as the race itself.

Close to 1,000 race-day workers will help the weekend run as smooth as possible, which Paddock said will alleviate some of the pressure that goes into hosting the event. But after a year of planning, he’s ready to add to the reputation of a track that has become a staple on the NASCAR circuit.

“I think we’ve built equity in it, and I think people now recognize Chicago as the home to the Chase kickoff,” Paddock said. “When you can take an event like that and put it on a stage like Chicago, it takes a big event and just makes it bigger.”

Originally posted by Chicago Sun Times.