WORLDWIDE MOTOR RACING COVERAGE, OPINION AND ANALYSIS

SHE'S THE MAN! DANICA PATRICK WINS "HONDA 300" AT TWIN RING MOTEGI, JAPAN

To paraphrase Richard Nixon, "They won't have Danica Patrick to kick around anymore". And in a nation where women are traditionally held in much lower esteem than men, perhaps a few more women throughout Japan won't have to ask their dads or husbands or oniichan ("cute older brother") for the keys to the car anymore ... Now that Danica Patrick has become the first woman to win an Indycar race, and she did it in Japan. (Be sure to check our left-hand margin for an all-new Photo Album featuring Danica Patrick's historic win at Motegi, or simply click anywhere on this line!)

And, oh yeah ... America's best open-wheel racers will once again be competing in a single series after this weekend, with Motegi the last IRL-only event and Long Beach's street race the final Champ Car event of all time. So, racing history is being made in more than one way this weekend ... And as we watch it all transpire, live and in HD. What a country! (Photos --- Danica Patrick in Victory Circle at Motegi, Japan, and greeting the media following the race).

She's become the first woman to ever win a major open-wheel series racing event, claiming the checkered flag at Twin Ring Motegi, a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval about 70 miles north of Tokyo in a mountainous area of Honshu, Japan's main island. (Photos --- Danica Patrick at speed on the track at Motegi, Japan, and greeting the media following the race).

Patrick ran at a slow, measured pace after taking on the last 22-gallons of fuel in her #7 Andretti Green Racing team car, a Dallara chassis powered by a 650-horsepower Honda engine and shod with Firestone tires. Taking direction from her pit crew, she saved enough fuel to still be running at a fast pace at lap #200, the final lap of the event. (Photo below --- Perhaps some future Danicas arrive at the track).

After the race, Patrick mentioned several times to various microphones that winning "wasn't hard", that it didn't feel any different from running her "regular" race, if the word regular can be used to describe a sport which consists of driving around a race track at nearly 200 miles an hour with competitors of varying degrees of skill. She seemed somewhat surprised by the relative normalcy of it all. Apparently she didn't have to "dig deep" as Indycar announcer Scott Goodyear opined after the race; Patrick learned that she was fine, but that a complete, very serious team effort is what brings a win. (Photo below --- Danica's hand-in-hand work with her pit crew brought her the first victory ever by a woman in a major US-based open-wheel race series).

And her win meant a lot to Michael Andretti, co-owner, with Barry Green, of a four race car team at Motegi  including Patrick. Another team member, Andretti's son, Marco, went into the wall seconds after the green flag dropped and the cars were building-up to high speeds. He probably correctly blamed his maneuver on the relatively cold ambient temperature, about 59 degrees F. As soon as the 650-horsepower Honda engine began putting much of its power to the car's rear wheels, the tires spun and Andretti, who just turned 21, was into the wall, happily with no injuries, other than to the car, which kept him from continuing in the event. This is why Formula 1 race cars use electric tire-warming blankets; to keep the tires at a warm, usable and consistent temperature.

Click below for more words and lots more photos!

FIA SETS VOTING DATE ON "L'AFFAIRE MOSLEY"; JUST IN: AAA, ACCUS STATEMENTS

Our requests for statements on the FIA/Max Mosley scandal have been answered by both the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS). Both are "member clubs" of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the FIA, which was founded in 1904. While the FIA is perhaps best known as the governing body of Formula One, it describes itself thusly: "The FIA is a non-profit making association which brings together 222 national motoring organisations from 130 countries on five continents. Its member clubs represent over 100 million motorists and their families. This is a powerful mandate which the FIA is proud to defend. On issues such as safety, mobility, the environment and consumer law the FIA actively promotes the interests of motorists at the United Nations, within the European Union and other international bodies." (Photos --- Above, The FIA sanctions the World Touring Car Championship, sometimes called "the NASCAR of Europe", Below, FIA's "Jewel in the Crown" is the Formula 1 World Championship series).

The FIA has set a date for a meeting open to all member clubs and other members of the organization, in which the membership will decide what actions, if any, will be taken resulting from the expose' of FIA President Max Mosley's "relationship" with five prostitutes while engaged in Nazi-themed sadomasochism. Here is the complete announcement from the FIA, dated April 9th, 2008:

"Senate Decision
09.04.2008    
   
The FIA can confirm that the members of the Senate have unanimously approved the proposal of the President of the FIA, that further to the recent press coverage relating to his private life, an Extraordinary General Assembly should be convened.

The meeting will be held on June 3, 2008, in Paris. The General Assembly will include a vote of confidence by secret ballot." (Photo --- FIA also sanctions the World Rally Championship).

"Extraordinary General Assembly"? Maybe it loses something in the French-to-English translation, but the name reminds me of the old John Belushi movie, "Animal House," and the scene when the university president threatened Belushi's fraternity with "Double Secret Probation".

This announcement, issued under the FIA's official letterhead and on their website, seems to say that the FIA, as a body, has already made a tacit, but important, decision and distinction, by referring to "recent press coverage referring to his (Mosley's) private life". As a statement in and of itself, this seems to say that Mosley's actions, which, by the way, he has not in any way denied, bears no relationship to his public and professional actions or responsibilities. Perhaps some in the FIA will see fit to change this wording in the announcement.

Statement from the American Automobile Association:

"Recent events involving the leadership of the FIA have been very distressing and embarrassing. While this matter may be viewed as private by some, the damage to the image of FIA and its constituents is clearly public. For an organization--and its leader--to exercise the moral authority required to represent millions of motorists and sanction the activities of motorsport they must uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior. AAA recognizes that Mr. Mosley has dedicated many years of his life to advancing the interests of mobility and motorsport. However, after careful consideration, AAA has conveyed to Mr. Mosley that it would be in the best interest of all concerned if he were to step down."

The Automobile Competition Committee for the United States, ACCUS, was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in the Denver, CO area. They describe themselves in this way: "The Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS) is the National Sporting Authority (ASN) of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for the United States.
ACCUS is comprised of the eight major motorsports sanctioning organizations (known at the FIA as "member clubs"): Champ Car, Grand Am, IMSA, Indy Racing League, NASCAR, NHRA, SCCA and USAC, each nominating two directors to its Board. Additionally, a number of independent directors are elected annually. The World Karting Association (WKA) is an associate member."

Here is the statement provided us by ACCUS:

"The FIA has called an Extraordinary General Assembly for June 3 in Paris.  At that time, both the mobility/touring and sports clubs (some 200+ in all) will hear the evidence, cast their votes and render a decision. While many would like to address this earlier, the FIA Statutes govern the notice period."

We appreciate AAA and ACCUS responding so quickly to our requests; they clearly appreciate the critical nature of not only the June 3rd meeting in Paris, but also everything which happens between now and then, in public and private, regarding Mosley. And we'll let you know what we know, just as soon as we know it.

HITLER ATTENDED MOSLEY'S PARENTS WEDDING; AAA, ACCUS, CAA MEMBER? YOU HELPED PAY FOR MOSLEY'S PROSTITUTES!

Max Mosley is president of the International Federation of the Automobile (FIA), the worldwide sanctioning and organizing body for almost 30 major motor racing series, including Formula 1 and World Rally, which lobbies governments for motorists and motor racing and helps set European standards for mileage, emissions and safety among other very serious jobs. Mosley was recently videotaped in the company of five prostitutes, engaging in Nazi-styled sadomasochism. Click anywhere on this line to read the TIME Magazine story on this issue, which has created a worldwide uproar.

What we know now: Adolf Hitler was "a guest of honor", TIME magazine reports, at the wedding of  Max Mosley's parents, held in 1936 at Joseph Goebbels' Berlin home (Goebbels headed the Nazi propaganda machine). By 1936, Jews had already been "purged" from every government and corporate job in Germany and were imprisoned, and, just before the start of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Romanian "Gypsies" in the Berlin area were arrested and sent to concentration camps. (Photo --- F1 leader Bernie Ecclestone (l) and Max Mosley, president of the FIA).

While the FIA is perhaps best known as the governing body of Formula One, it also serves as a lobby for more than 100 million motorists in 130 countries on five continents through member clubs. The FIA is an international sporting organization, one of the largest and most-powerful lobbying groups in the world. (Photo --- Lewis Hamilton leads the F1 pack in the 2008 season-opener in Melbourne, Australia).

The latest news, from TIME Magazine, is that Mosley's parents, both outspoken Hitler and Nazi supporters and leaders in pre-war UK, were married in 1936 at the Berlin home of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda master, and that "a guest of honor ... was none other than Adolf Hitler". (Photo --- That's Max Mosley's dad, front and center; he spent all of WW II in a UK prison for his Nazi-sympathizing, and his wife, Diana Mitford, was a celebrity British Nazi sympathizer in the prewar years).

If you are a member of the Automobile Association of America, or one of its regional groups (for instance,  the Auto Club of Southern California, or ACSC), you may have helped pay for Mad Max's playtime. The AAA is listed on the FIA's website as a "member club" of the FIA.

Also "member clubs" of the FIA are: The American Automobile Touring Alliance of San Jose, CA., and the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States FIA Inc. (ACCUS). The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) is also a "member club" of the FIA.

TWO HORRIFIC RACING WRECKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WORLD; DRIVERS WALK AWAY UNINJURED

NASCAR and Formula One have a lot more in common than their fans might have realized, at least when it comes to driver safety. This was proven not on a Sunday race day, but in qualifying runs for this Sunday's races, April 6th. NASCAR was at the so-very-American 1.5-mile high-banked oval located between Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas, and Formula 1 was running on a 3.3-mile road course in Bahrain, UAE. Two incredible high-speed wrecks, the kind which, in the not-very-far past, would have caused severe injuries and quite possibly driver deaths, happened at both tracks, but both drivers were able to walk away from their shunts.

People who don't understand motorsports say, "The only reason people watch these races is to see the crashes!" And you know what ... they're right, to a point. There's definitely a minority of fans (don't know how many exactly, but I like to think it is a minority) who somehow "enjoy" the twisting, crashing, smoking hulks of metallic missiles which race cars can become in a split-second or so, after getting airborne and slamming back down to earth, colliding with another car or two or three or simply smashing into a guard rail or wall. And even the most erudite racing observer feels the shot of adrenaline when witnessing one of the horrific scenes; if they say they don't, they're lying. It's the same reason everyone slows to see a wreck off the side of the road. (Photos --- Above, F1 ace Lewis Hamilton extricates himself from his car after he crashed during timed practice, and, Below, Michael McDowell is "along for the ride" as his Sprint Cup car is caught in the middle of no less than eight somersaults which occurred after hitting the wall at 165 miles an hour ... Both drivers escaped serious harm).

Over time, there have been amazing advancements in safety for race cars and passenger cars as well. This racing weekend is not over yet, not for another 24 hours or so, yet we've all been witness to the strength and agility of these cars and their drivers, especially when things go wrong. Also, these two wrecks, one occurring during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, the other during Formula One practice on the 3.3-mile road course in Bahrain, showed the excellent physical condition these drivers must be in to not only compete in races two hours and longer, with cockpit temperatures over 130 degrees (although ... believe it or not ... NASCAR drivers have air conditioning in their drivers' suits and power steering to help them along) and to survive these types of breath-taking crashes.

In Bahrain, the high cockpit sides of the McLaren-Mercedes F1 race car protected Lewis Hamilton from serious injury in a shunt which destroyed his car. Being so far from their home base in the UK, the team doesn't have any extra cars on-hand, which they would if they were on the European continent, so they got to work using a lot of spare parts and probably having parts flown by chartered plane from the UK ... if not an entire race car.

Lewis Hamilton was unharmed after crashing out during free practice ahead of this Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, a session dominated by the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. With just over nine minutes of the second practice session at the Sakhir circuit remaining, Hamilton slammed his McLaren sideways into a tire wall.

The 23-year-old McLaren driver said it was his mistake that led to his session ending early and leaving Ferrari to dominate and take pole position.

"I made a mistake. I got caught out by the kerb and it spun me around. That kerb it is quite spiteful," he said. "If you hit the wrong part of it is spits you off. That barrier is quite close to the side of the track. That's racing. It won't happen again."

Hamilton said the accident would not have any negative effects on him, his car or his race this weekend.

"There is no impact on the weekend. There are no bruises to report from me and we completed most of the session, making some good steps forward," he said. "Ferrari look very quick, but you don't know what fuel loads they are on. I'm hoping that fuel corrected it is a lot closer than things seem. Ferrari did a good job in the last race. We just have to focus on our own work. Pace-wise I feel quite comfortable. We saw from Malaysia that we had the pace to run with them in the race."

For the photos and story on Michael McDowell's incredible crash, click on the link below.

FIA's MAX MOSLEY "EXPOSED" AS SEX-CRAZED FASCIST; HE MUST GO, AND NOW!

When an Arab country dis-invites you from their F1 race because of your sado-masochistic Nazi tendencies being made public, then you know things are bad. And that's what the leader of Bahrain did this week in a letter to Max Mosley.

Max Mosley must quit his position as president of the FIA, and do it now. And Bernie Ecclestone, who runs F1 directly, must also take himself out of the sport and the public eye because of his (apparently singular) support of Mosley. And, as pointed out on SPEED's coverage of the F1 event in Bahrain this weekend, Mosley has written --- while claiming this is a "private" matter, but using official FIA letterhead, no less --- of receiving "support" from the world of motor sport. But he didn't mention any names. Instead, he should heed the call of almost every manufacturer involved in F1, including Toyota, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and more, that Mosley seriously consider if staying in his position would benefit the sport. There's a world-level sport to consider here, and the outrageous arrogance of Mosley and Ecclestone show, truly, that F1, and perhaps the FIA itself, have been little more than playthings to the two.

Here's how "News of the World," the UK tabloid which broke the news, and had the tapes, described Mosley's behavior:

"The son of infamous British wartime fascist leader Oswald Mosley is filmed romping with five hookers at a  depraved NAZI-STYLE orgy in a torture dungeon. Mosley— a friend to F1 big names like Bernie Ecclestone and Lewis Hamilton— barks ORDERS in GERMAN as he lashes girls wearing mock DEATH CAMP uniforms and enjoys being whipped until he BLEEDS. (Photo --- Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley).

The multi-millionaire son of Sir Oswald, who was a pal of Adolf Hitler, plays a concentration camp commandant in a FIVE-HOUR torture chamber video.

Mosley—the most powerful man in motor-racing—barks orders in German as he WHIPS two hookers dressed in striped uniforms reminiscent of AUSCHWITZ garb while girls in Nazi uniforms look on.

At one point the wrinkled 67-year-old—who publicly likes to give the impression he has put his father's evil legacy behind him—yells "she needs more of ze punishment!" while brandishing a LEATHER STRAP over a brunette's naked bottom." (end of NOTW report)

According to Canada.com: "Mosley's fall from grace is particularly sensitive because of his real-life links to fascism - his late father, Oswald Mosley, founded the pre-war British Union of Fascists, and Adolf Hitler is reported to have attended his wedding in Joseph Goebbels's home." Oswald Mosley was imprisoned in the UK during WW II for his pro-fascist and pro-Hitler activities. (Photo --- Max Mosley's father, Oswald, front and center in this photo of members of the fascist, pro-Hitler organization he founded in the UK before WW II; Mosley was imprisoned during the War).

While the FIA is perhaps best known as the governing body of Formula One, it also serves as a lobby for more than 100 million motorists in 130 countries on five continents through member clubs. The FIA is an international sporting organization, one of the largest and most-powerful lobbying groups in the world. Even if Mosley's sexual antics were not so outrageous and deplorable as they are, anyone stupid enough to put themselves in the position of having their fantasies taped for all the world to see should not hold office of any import.

Last night on SPEED, during their coverage of the F1 practice sessions from Bahrain, the announcers, including Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett and Peter Windsor (the one SPEED reporter actually at the events, while the other three sit in a studio in Connecticut watching the same TV and computer info we at home see, yet they all mesh together very well) did themselves proud. But you had to feel for Bob Varsha when he said, for the the purposes of "full disclosure", that SPEED and "News of the World", the UK tabloid which broke the Mosley story, "share ownership", which would be that of "News Corporation" the gigantic worldwide organization controlled by Rupert Murdoch, which also owns "FOX News" in the USA. (Photo --- Sir Jackie Stewart said on SPEED TV that Mosley can not remain head of the FIA, that his position has become "untenable").

And Sir Jackie Stewart, in a short interview, audio-only, with Peter Windsor, proved once again why,   despite his diminutive size, he is still very much the biggest man in world motor racing. He said one word when Windsor asked him how he viewed Mosley's position in the sport given these revelations: "Untenable", said the Knighted Stewart. "If this had been any other sport, any other organization, any other company, he would have already been gone," continued Stewart, as he reminded Windsor and the SPEED audience that motor racing is a worldwide movement which is supposed to "bring people together", not drive them apart, and the sport is able to transcend different cultures, religions and moralities between them because of its inclusive nature. Stewart and others mentioned golf, baseball, football ... and all other major world sports ... and said if Mosley had been in-charge of any of them, he'd be gone. Stewart also brought up the "Governor of New York State, George Pataki" and how his tenure was over within two or three days of the public learning of his liaison with a high-priced hooker.

If Mosley is somehow able to remain in his position, then Ecclestone's departure becomes even more necessary. If Ecclestone is unable to convince the man he has called "his best friend" to resign and leave the FIA and public scrutiny, then Ecclestone's position becomes "untenable" as well. And there are more than a few car-makers who wouldn't mind seeing them both go; this latest "L'affair Mosley" only adds napalm, not gasoline, to the fire over their actions and statements whch have been questioned for many years. (Photo --- Lewis Hamilton, F1's biggest star sensation, is of Black heritage; one must wonder what Mosley thinks of this young man).

Incredibly, many American-based websites which cover the motoring world were very reserved in their criticism of Mosley, if there was any criticism of him at all. Born of the same magazine industry which "never met a car they didn't like," these websites continue a sad tradition with editors and writers who are so meek, so afraid of offending their advertisers, that they do not even have the balls to criticize an outrageous and now self-professed pro-fascist, pro-Nazi like Mosley ... But "twas ever thus". Most Jewish journalists, and the few Jewish executives who have reached the upper levels of the Detroit Three and their affiliated businesses, learned a long time ago that the "restricted country club" culture, whose members controlled the auto industry in the US for so many decades, might officially be gone --- But just a slight scratch of some corporate executives finds anti-Semitic, if not outright pro-fascist and pro-Nazi feelings, which are still there, only slightly under cover.

PLANE CRASH CLAIMS UK RACING GREATS

A plane crash in the UK this past week killed the five people on-board the business flight, and three of those were figures in world motorsports. Two of them, David Leslie and Richard Lloyd, were well-known. Also killed were the craft's pilot and co-pilot and Christopher Allarton, 25, a race team data engineer. With reports culled from several sources, we're able to report this sad story. Although not well-known to most American racing fans, Leslie, Lloyd and Allarton were on their way to test a Jaguar racing car in France when their plane crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday afternoon, March 30th. The pilot and co-pilot, Mike Chapman and Mike Roberts, were also killed. The house the plane hit was unoccupied as the owners were on vacation; they arrived home just hours after the crash occurred, unaware of the event until they saw their ruined house. (Photos --- Above, Crash site in the UK; Below, Bentley "Speed 8" at the 2003 "24 Hours of LeMans").

Former Grand Prix racing champion Damon Hill knew Leslie and Lloyd for many years through their involvement with motor racing, and described them as "lovely guys".

The twin-engined Cessna Citation I crashed on Sunday at Farnborough, about 25 km (15 miles) southeast of London, and burst into flames. Nobody on the ground was injured as the couple who lived in the house were on holiday.

Mr Leslie was best known for his wins in the British Touring Car Championship at the height of its popularity in the 1990s, and more recently he was working as a racing commentator on Eurosport. The 54-year-old, from Banbury, Oxon, leaves behind a wife, Jane, and two sons.

Mr Lloyd ran the Bentley Le Mans 24-hour team earlier this decade and helped Audi win saloon car and touring car championships in the 1990s.He was also once a former driving partner of Sir Stirling Moss.

The 63-year-old was principal of Apex Motorsport, based in Buckinghamshire, and also once worked for Decca records in the 1960s, managing Cliff Richard and the Shadows. He lived with his wife Philippa, 56, and three daughters close to Silverstone race track in Northamptonshire. (Photo --- From upper left and clockwise, Richard Lloyd, Mike Chapman, Mike Roberts, David Leslie).