It is now confirmed that Bob Zabady will be part of the new GP team and the GP-777 will be run as the GP-555 “Showboat” in the coming season. Kennedy has previously campaigned his own GP and driven Bob Zabady’s last GP-555 “Showboat.”

1976 British John Player Grand Prix Silverstone Motorcycle Racing Program

An original 1976 British John Player Motorcycle Grand Prix race program ( programme ) for the motorcycle race event held at:

” Silverstone ” on 14-15 August 1976 ”

This 48 page softbound race program ( programme ) is approximately 8 1/4 inches wide by 11 3/4 inches high and is in good condtion.

1976 British John Player Grand Prix Silverstone Motorcycle Racing Program available at www.DadsVintageAds.com in the “ Motorcycle Gifts & Collectibles” category

Search our Magazine Back Issue Index for old Motorcycle Magazine Back Issues for sale.

To search our full inventory of Vintage Motorcycle Advertisements, Articles, and Road Tests CLICK HERE.

To get a copy either email info@regates.ca or call 1-450-371-6144 x232.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8374911.stm

… They better be. F1 see’s two back to back British champions for the first time in forty years, and also it seems that both of those British champions will be in the same British team, that’s the second oldest team in the sport. Not to mention the fact that it was an all British team (Brawn) that won both the Drivers and Constructers titles in 2009, and McLaren won the Drivers title in 2008. So it seems ridiculous to think that there may not be a British Grand Prix in 2010! Britain really is the heart of motorsport, so I hope that it all gets resolved, as the market for F1 in Britain clearly must be at a high that hasn’t been experienced for quite some time.

So in closing… Please Bernie, please don’t forget you and F1’s roots, and where it all belongs. Don’t let your ego and love for money get in the way.

Relevant song lyric of the post: Fleetwood Mac – The Chain

“Chain…keeps us together
(run into the shadows)”

Closing KoLd Quote:

“The home of motorsport is in Britain. Therefore, along with the great tracks that have such a heritage in F1, of Spa, Monza, Monaco and a few more (many not on the calendar these days, unfortunately), a British Grand Prix should be a no-brainer, a secure vote year in, year out. The majority of the true fans don’t want to see a procession around bland, Tilke-built Valencia, they don’t even want to see cars driving around a multi-million dollar Singapore or Abu-Dhabi. They want to see true, wheel to wheel racing, by the best drivers in the world, on the tracks that have proven to be the best in the world. We want to see a true battle between the best. Not a metropolis or a circus, used to distract the public from the poor racing.”

Im kanadischen Kitchener ging am Wochenende mit Skate Canada die Serie der sechs ISU Grand Prix-Wettkämpfe zu Ende – zumindest fast: in knapp zwei Wochen treffen sich die sechs Besten jeder Kunstlaufdisziplin zum Finale in Tokyo.

Mit im Finale sind Aliona Savchenko und Robin Szolkowy, die bei Skate Canada den Paarlaufwettkampf mit 206,71 Punkten gewannen und damit einen neuen “Weltrekord” aufstellten. Nach der verpatzten Kür bei der Trophée Eric Bompard sind die beiden in Kanada mit einer ganz neuen Kür zu “Jenseits von Afrika” angetreten. Wunderschönes Programm! Das fanden auch die Preisrichter: in den Programmkomponenten blitzte bei einem Preisrichter für Choreographie und Interpretation eine 9,75 auf, für die Performance sogar die Höchstnote 10,0. Das gab es seit Einführung des Neuen Wertungssystems meines Wissens noch nicht. Mehr zur rasanten Kürumstellung ist auf den Seiten der FAZ zu lesen. Und hier zum Genießen das neue Kürprogramm:

Zweite im Paarlaufen wurden die Russen Mukhortova/ Trankov mit 185,71 Punkten, dritte die Kanadier Dube/Davison mit 166,93 Punkten. Im Grand Prix-Finale in Tokyo werden Savchenko/Szolkowy gleich auf drei chinesische Paare treffen: Shen/Zhao, Pang/Tong und Zhang/Zhang, außerdem auf die Russen Kavaguti/Smirnov und Mukhortova/Trankov. Es gibt also schon mal einen kleinen Vorgeschmack auf Vancouver.

Den Herrenwettkampf gewann der Amerikaner Jeremy Abbott mit zwei eindrucksvollen Programmen, einem bombastischen Vierfach-Toeloop und super Pirouetten in der Kür (insgesamt 232,99 Punkte), dicht gefolgt von Daisuke Takahashi (231,31 Punkte), der sich damit den Einzug ins Finale sichern konnte. Lachender Dritter wurde der Franzose Alban Preaubert. Nicht eben ein Haltungswunder, aber das macht er durch Ulk und Exzentrik in seinen Programmen wett, und “Clockwork Orange” (das aktuelle Kurzprogramm) ist gar keine so schlechte Musikwahl für ihn. Der Tscheche Michal Brezina kam auf den vierten, Samuel Contesti auf den fünften Platz. Der Kanadier Patrick Chan, zweiter der Weltmeisterschaften des letzten Jahres und eigentlich Favorit des Wettkampfs, erreichte nur Platz 6. Im Kurzprogramm machte er einige technische Fehler, in der Kür stürzte er beim zweiten DreifachAxel ziemlich unglücklich und setzte die meisten der folgenden Sprungelemente in den Sand. Trotzdem zählte Chan zu den besten Läufern am Start und hat in der Olympiasaison schöne Programme im Gepäck. Vor allem seine “Phantom der Oper” Kür ist sehenswert, thematisch zwar ein alter Hut, hier aber in einer musikalisch hörenswerten Version, und vor allem toll choreographiert und gelaufen (jetzt muss man sich nur noch die Stürze wegdenken…):

Im Grand Prix-Finale in Tokyo werden Nobunari Oda, Brian Joubert, Jeremy Abbott, Daisuke Takahashi, Evan Lysacek und Johnny Weir am Start sein.

Den Damenwettkampf gewann, sehr zur Freude des Publikums, die Kanadierin Joannie Rochette (182,90 Punkte) vor Alissa Czisny (163,53 Punkte) und Laura Lepistö (158,52). Vierte wurde Mirai Nagasu, fünfte Akiko Suzuki. Insgesamt gab es bei vielen Starterinnen etliche Patzer und eine Menge Doppelsprünge zu sehen. Ich nehme nicht an, dass das eine Solidaritätsbekundung mit Yu-Na Kim war, die sich bei Skate America in der Kür tatsächlich einmal von einer schwächeren Seite zeigte als gewohnt… Für Suzuki reichte auch der fünfte Platz noch, um sie ins Finale zu bringen. Dort wird sie auf Yu-Na Kim, Miki Ando, Joannie Rochette, Ashley Wagner und Alena Leonova treffen.

Im Eistanzen sicherten sich die Kanadier Virtue/Moir mit einem Sieg den Einzug ins Finale, zweite wurden die Franzosen Pechalat/Bourzat, dritte die Kanadier Weaver/Poje.

Alle Ergebnisse von Skate Canada sind hier zu finden.

The Abu Dhabi police department took the wraps of its latest cruiser on Monday at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ” a 2010 Nissan GT-R carrying a price tag of over $83,000.

Source:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/criminals-beware-abu-dhabi-unveils-police-issue-nissan-gt-r.html

The Abu Dhabi police department took the wraps of its latest cruiser on Monday at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ” a 2010 Nissan GT-R carrying a price tag of over $83,000.

Source:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/criminals-beware-abu-dhabi-unveils-police-issue-nissan-gt-r.html

Every Olympic year, I get really excited for the pre-Games competitions. For figure skating fans, that means the Grand Prix series, consisting of six events and a “win to get in” final. This weekend’s competition is Skate Canada (no, I’m not going to give the sponsors the money by adding their name to the competition name). It’s the last event before the final, and, being the home competition, the one that gets the most TV coverage in Canada.

I’ve been lucky enough to PVR most of the available Grand Prix coverage CBC has shown, and am sitting and watching Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirer skate in the NHK Trophy event as I type this. These two skaters skate out of my former club, so I have to cheer for them But back to Skate Canada, and why I love the pre-Games competitions.

I admit to being skeptical when the Grand Prix circuit was first introduced. But now, I think it is a great series. It gives fans a chance to see top AND upcoming talent from around the World, and it’s early enough in the season that although the skating isn’t always great, the skaters’ improvements from one competition to the next are impressive. Each skater or team only has two events to accumulate points in, based on their placements within the competition.  The skaters with the most points get into the final competition, this year being held in Tokyo, Japan.

The Grand Prix circuit gives me a chance to ‘preview’ the skaters we are likely to see in the Olympics. My fiance doesn’t quite understand the idea of doing the same program all year long in front of the same audiences, and often the same judges. But the excitement for me is to see how each team or skater improves over the season. At each competition, there is at least one program that touches my heart with its’ beauty or technical difficulty (or even both!) and I look forward to seeing how it has improved over the season – come March (when Worlds is held), these skaters have been working on it for about eight months to get the programs as perfect as they can be. In an Olympic year, the skaters typically train themselves to peak a month earlier.

So much can go so wrong in a season – a physical injury, a mental scare – and so much can go right – winning your very first Senior gold medal, a career best score. And for these young competitors, one little change in training can tilt the scales one way or the other. And sometimes, the quality of the field in just one of these events, dictates how you are perceived by the judges throughout your season.

Another dance team from my old club, Kharis Ralph & Asher Hill, are working their way onto the national team, participating this year on the Jr. Grand Prix circuit. With a lot of work, they could be on the senior circuit in time for the next Olympic year. I’ll be cheering on all the Canadians on their way to Nationals in January, and then again at the Olympics on home ice.

India’s 18-year old racer Armaan Ebrahim is the youngest in the GP2 series, which is just one level below F1. Perhaps he is the youngest ever to qualify for the series. In the last GP2 series race he finished ninth in the top ten. He may not be able to continue since he cannot afford it, and is running short of just Rs 1.24 Crore.

Armaan has been sending appeals to newspapers and asking them to publish it so that he can get sponsors. “I can then return the help by making it to F1 and winning races,” he promises.

Last month in the GP2 Asia series race at Indonesia he finished ninth in the top ten. To complete the GP2 Asia series he has three more races, but is running short of money, the nearest race being on March 22 in Malaysia. “I am short of 200,000 Euros (about Rs 1.24 Crore. Actually Rs 1,23,81,264. 39 Crore to be precise). We are asking the team to extend the time for the money, but if they insist that the money should be paid before, then perhaps I will have to pull out,” he told MiD DAY.

All Armaan’s competitors in the GP2 have done their pre season testing of six days, but Armaan has been unable to do it. That’s just because it costs 25,000 Euros (nearly Rs 15.48 lakh) per day, which he again could not afford.

 Armaan has his eyes set on the Formula 1 and wants to master racing by participating in the GP2, despite being young. “There are strong contentions that F1 will be in India in 2010. All F1 drivers have at least two years of experience in GP2. I will have gained enough experience to win the F1 till then. That’s why I am participating despite being much younger than the other drivers,” he said. He is unable to participate in the GP2 Europe, since he doesn’t have the funds.

Watching the auction of IPL players hurts him. “Figures running upto US $ 400 million (Rs 1618 Crore). I am not sure if I am hearing it right, for I am told that it is impossible to raise US $ 2 million (Rs 8.9 Crore) to participate in the GP2 Europe. I am unable to raise just Rs 1.24 Crore to complete the GP2 Asia,” he said.

His father Akram Ebrahim, a F3 champion and also a Ranji Trophy cricketer also feels hurt. “I have placed cricket and have been a racer too. Compared to motor car racing, I feel cricket is a child’s game. In racing the driver’s life is at stake. It hurts that there is so much of money in India and thousands of crore is spent on a 44 day season of cricket and there are no takers for motor race,” said Akram.

For the entire year, Armaan is running short of 400,000 Euros (nearly Rs 2.48 Crore). “He can’t sit idle the entire year and has to play in the Formula Renault which costs 200,000 Euros. The entire year’s expenses cots just Rs 2.48 Crore which is meager compared to what is spent on cricket and no one is coming forward. Companies like Ford and Honda have factories in India and are making use of Indian Economics, but are not willing to support an Indian driver. They are supporting drivers in their country,” he said.

Armaan has JK Tyres, Speed, Amaron and Elf as his sponsors, but is still running short of money. Will anyone come forward and help him?

From a 1977 gig in Japan, this is Fleetwood Mac performing their signature song The Chain,  from the album Rumours:

Of course, in the UK, The Chain is more widely known for the long-running use of the song’s bass/guitar solo as the theme tune to the BBC’s coverage of Formula 1 Grand Prix racing. Here are the opening titles from the 1979 season:

And, right up to date, here is the opening to the 2009 season coverage, which marked the return of Formula 1 to the BBC after 12 years during which rival broadcaster ITV held the UK television rights:

Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, Sepang
23, 24 & 25 October 2009

Good Thursday! Here’s a piece of trivia for you: Thursday was named after the Norse god Thur, famous for his ability to cheat at golf. Fact!

The security newsathon begins here: with Brian Sims‘ look at the Government’s Crime and Security Bill, revealed yesterday. Insightful!

There’s also an update on SmartWater and its forensic evidence gloop. Crimebusting!

Axis Communications puts the fun back into Christmas with a warning/gentle encouragement for retailers based around avoiding shoplifting by using high tech surveillance.

Here are three exciting things: Bosch goes to Glastonbury; and also grand prix racing; and ICTS provides access at Lord’s cricket ground. Eventastic!

Tomorrow is Friday. It’s Songs About Security day. What will tomorrow’s be? You will have this answer, and many more – some to questions you never thought worth asking – on your friendly neighbourhood security news hub, info4security.

See you then.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

Det virker som om Mira Craig skal delta i neste års MP, og jeg gleder meg allerede. Både hun og Maria Haukås Storeng er flotte forbilder med de mest fantastiske kroppene jeg vet om!  Jeg liker kvinnerlige former og jeg liker flotte sangstemmer.  Jeg har sagt en gang og to at Mira er drømmedama mi hvis jeg var lesbisk.

Aller aller mest digger jeg Grand Prix.  Det har vært en tradisjon helt siden jeg var liten, og jeg glemmer aldri hvordan jeg og Unni plagde nabolaget i flere måneder med Diggilo diggilei og gullskoene.  Det joma ute på lekeplassen og i gangene i blokka.  Grand Prix handler rett og slett om minner. Gode minner som vekkes når man hører gamle vinnere.  Jeg har hatt to store GP opplevelser.

1. Når Hellas vant.  Jeg gråt og gråt og gråt, ikke bare fordi det var en stor opplevelse i seg selv, men fordi Helena Paparizou er en artist jeg har fulgt i mange år her hjemme.  Med Antique gav hun mine greske undgdomsfavoritter nytt liv i skandinavia og jeg fikk endelig høre disse når jeg var ute på byen også i Norge.

2.Det må jo bli fjorårets finale hvor vi stakk av med hele shiten! Jeg og mini stod i sofaen fra første stund og var begge helt hese etter at land nummer 5 hadde gitt sine stemmer. Opplevelsen var størst fordi jeg delte den med han. Tradisjonen om mor og barn og GP var blitt videreført og jeg både savnet mamma’n min, og gledet meg over gleden til det lille nurket mitt.

Nå er jeg klar som et egg til de norske finalene og skal heie som bare det, på både en og to og tre artister

Tampa, FL—November 17, 2009— Victoria Birdsall, Alex Parrish, Josephina Nor and Taylor Siebel emerged as Conference champions in the regular season of the 2009 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series

The Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series conducted its 2009 series with classes at more than 100 horse shows across the nation, giving competitors an abundance of opportunities to accumulate points throughout the year. The Series featured separate divisions for amateur-owner and junior riders with standings kept separately for East and West Conferences.

For the second year in a row, Victoria Birdsall of Topsfield, MA, and Jerremy, took top honors in the East Conference’s junior division. The pair ended the season with an impressive 935 points. Reed Kessler of Armonk, NY, who had been in a close race for first place with Birdsall for a majority of the season, ultimately finished in second place aboard Ice D’Ancoeur with 755 points. Third place resulted in a tie between Catherine Pasmore, of Whitehall, VA, with Callabonna Z and Jessica Springsteen, of Colts Neck, NJ, with Vornado Van Den Hoendrik, each with 605 points.

In the East Conference’s amateur-owner division, top honors went to Alex Parrish, of Midway, KY, aboard Kadorijke. The pair ended the season with 630 points. Second place went to Denise Wilson of Oconomowoc, WI, and For Elenor, who had 515 points. Marley Goodman of Wellington, FL, and U-2 were third with 510 points.

Also winning for the second year in a row was Josephina Nor, and Chello Z, who took top honors in the West Conference’s Amateur-Owner division. The pair ended the season with an impressive 536 points. Hannah Selleck of Westlake Village, CA, finished in second place aboard Tosca with 355 points. Third place went to Jackie Smith of Phoenix, AZ, and Diego with 290.

In the West Conference’s junior division, top honors went to Taylor Siebel, of Woodside, CA, aboard Thunder-Ball. The pair ended the season with 280 points. Just behind Siebel in second place, in what might have been the closest finish the Series has ever seen, was Jocelyn Neff of Newport Beach, CA, and Blue Shot Baco with 279 points. There was a tie for third place between Richard Neal of Pasadena, CA, aboard Larina and Lucy Davis of Los Angeles, CA, aboard True Love. Each finished with 260 points.

The Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series also held its 2009 Year-End Championship at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament featuring the 126th National Horse Show in Syracuse, NY, earlier this month. Victoria Birdsall and Jerremy emerged as the winners, besting a field of over thirty of the nation’s top horses and riders who were invited to compete in the Championships based on their performances throughout the year.

The Year-End Championship was decided based on an overall score which was compiled after four rounds of intense jumper competition. Riders qualified for Sunday’s final two rounds based on their performance in Thursday and Friday’s preliminary rounds. Scores were carried forward throughout the competition and were included in determining the final standings. Rounding out the top three at the Year-End Championships were Reed Kessler and Flight and Saer Coulter and Chalan.

“We would like extend our congratulations to all of these riders on their accomplishments in the 2009 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series,” said Philippe Collard, President of Cavalor, Inc. “This was a very successful year for the Series, and we wish everybody luck in the 2010 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series!”

The Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series is designed to give amateur-owner and junior riders an opportunity to compete at higher levels and serves as a proving ground for many riders who aspire to someday represent the United States in international competition.

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame was organized to promote the sport of show jumping and to immortalize the legends of the men, women and horses who have made great contributions to the sport. The Show Jumping Hall of Fame conducts the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, held under Grand Prix rules and specifications. The Show Jumping Hall of Fame has moved from its long-time home at Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL. An announcement about the Museum’s new home will be made early in 2010.

Over the past 20 years, Cavalor has built an international reputation as the world leader in equine nutrition for high performance horses. Today, Cavalor products are sold and used in 45 countries by champion riders like Jos Lansink, Eric Lamaze, Anky Van Grunsven and Steffen Peters. Cavalor products include a complete line of feed, supplement and care products. All are the result of years of intense research and development, thorough testing, selection of the highest quality ingredients, strict manufacturing and quality control processes. Please visit the Cavalor website at www.cavalor.com.

Any horse show offering a class that meets all the criteria set forth in the 2010 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Series specifications and has prize money of at least $1,000 is eligible to be part of the Series.

Philippe Henry, the Walloon regional Minister of the Environment, Planning and Mobility, has signed a new decree granting the Spa-Francorchamps a new circuit licence. This means that the track can be included in the definitive Formula 1 calendar which will be published in around two weeks from now. The decision comes as a result of criticism of a previous decision to take away the track’s licence because of noise pollution. Spa will still have to deal with tighter restrictions but the Grand Prix will not be included in the new restrictions as the local politicians accept that it is an important economic event Wallonia. The new decree means that there must be at least two weekends in the summer months when there will be no racing at all at the circuit. A committee has been set up to make sure that there is adequate communication between the regional government and the local community. In addition an independent company has been charged with monitoring the noise produced by the circuit and its findings will determine whether or not the circuit will be granted a permit beyond March 2011.

Have your say and share your views in the comments  – get writing now…

Reference Source: grandprix.com

Syracuse, NY—November 17, 2009— Victoria Birdsall and Jerremy emerged as the winners of the 2009 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series Year-End Championship at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament featuring the 126th National Horse Show in Syracuse, NY.

The 2009 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series included classes over 100 horse shows across the nation. The Show Jumping Hall of Fame conducts the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, held under Grand Prix rules and specifications, to give amateur-owner and junior riders an opportunity to compete at higher levels and serves as a proving ground for many riders who aspire to someday represent the United States in international competition.

Birdsall bested a field of over thirty of the nation’s top horses and riders who were invited to compete in the Championships based on their performances throughout the year. The Year-End Championship was decided based on an overall score which was compiled after four rounds of intense jumper competition. Riders qualified for Sunday’s final two rounds based on their performance in Thursday and Friday’s preliminary rounds. Scores were carried forward throughout the competition and were included in determining the final standings. Rounding out the top three at the Year-End Championships were Reed Kessler and Flight and Saer Coulter and Chalan. Birdsall also won the 2009 East Conference Junior Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series with Jerremy for the second year in a row, topping the season-long standings with 935 points.

The Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series is designed to give amateur-owner and junior riders an opportunity to compete at higher levels and serves as a proving ground for many riders who aspire to someday represent the United States in international competition. The Show Jumping Hall of Fame was organized to promote the sport of show jumping and to immortalize the legends of the men, women and horses who have made great contributions to the sport.

Over the past 20 years, Cavalor has built an international reputation as the world leader in equine nutrition for high performance horses. Today, Cavalor products are sold and used in 45 countries by champion riders like Jos Lansink, Eric Lamaze, Anky Van Grunsven and Steffen Peters. Cavalor products include a complete line of feed, supplement and care products. All are the result of years of intense research and development, thorough testing, selection of the highest quality ingredients, strict manufacturing and quality control processes. Please visit the Cavalor website at www.cavalor.com.

The 2009 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series is also sponsored by the Lake Placid Horse Show Association, Practical Horseman, Langer Equestrian Group, Taylor Harris Insurance Services and Stadium Jumping, Inc.

Any horse show offering a class that meets all the criteria set forth in the 2010 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Series specifications and has prize money of at least $1,000 is eligible to be part of the Series.

For more information about the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, please visit the Show Jumping Hall of Fame website at www.showjumpinghalloffame.net.

The latest news sweeping the online world is that Jenson Button has signed a 3 year deal with McLaren worth £6 million a year. I must stress that at this time this is not confirmed, but heavily suspected to be true. After yesterday’s news of Mercedes buying into Brawn GP, Jenson Button moving to McLaren seems more likely than ever. The signing of Jenson Button will save McLaren a fair few millions of pounds a year than if they’d signed Kimi Raikkonen.

Jenson Button – soon to be driving the #1 car for McLaren?

I’ve had some feedback which suggests that I have been unfair when talking about Jenson Button and that he has far more fire in his belly than I have given him credit for. Admittedly my judgement of Jenson Button is only based on the past few seasons where before last season he was almost non-existent, and last year I was pretty unimpressed despite him winning the World Championship. I’m more than willing to be proven wrong and if I am, and this move to McLaren is actually happening, then that’ll mean more championship points for the team I love and more positive blogging to be done!

I can’t help thinking that Mercedes GP are making a mistake in letting Jenson Button go, because as much as I don’t see his apparent driving skills, he’s a better proposition than either Nick Heidlfeld or Nico Rosberg. The former is consistent but unspectacular and the latter is a wiz in qualifying but never seems to translate that to podium finishes. It’s all very well Mercedes wanting an all German line up of drivers but shouldn’t the potential to succeed be the bigger factor in signing a driver?

Mercedes have said they will announce their drivers for 2010 in the next week or so, but if Jesnon Button is announced as a McLaren driver before then I think Mercedes will be forced into bringing their announcement forward – it would be as obvious as the Ferrari signing of Fernando Alonso earlier in the year.

As for Kimi Raikkonen, well this leaves him taking that money spinning sabbatical that he has spoken about. He has maintained that he will only drive for the right team and with no competitive drive options left one can only assume that the 2007 world champion will not be on the grid in Bahrain next March.

Eric Lamaze

Twenty-five of the best show jumping riders from around the world were invited to contest the Global Champions Tour Final in Qatar where €1.4 million in prize money was on the line. The top 18 riders from Thursday’s Qualifier went forward to the €900,000 Global Champions Tour Final on Saturday night, which was broadcast live on Eurosport.

On Thursday, Cavalor Champion Eric Lamaze was competing out of 13th position in the order, which proved to be anything but unlucky for the Canadian star. Lamaze and Hickstead were clear over the course designed by Conrad Homfeld and stopped the clock in 72.25 seconds to move into the lead. Bernardo Alves came the closest to beating Lamaze’s time with Chupa Chup, but 73.13 would leave the Brazilian in second place. Dutch favorites Albert Zoer and Oki Doki placed third with a clear round in a time of 75.63.

The Global Champions Tour is comprised of eight of the highest caliber show jumping events around the globe. To earn their ticket to the Global Champions Tour Final in Qatar, Lamaze and Hickstead were a close second in the €285,000 Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July, and fourth in the €285,000 Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, in August.

Another Cavalor Champion, Jos Lansink, and Valentina Van T’Heike placed second in The Global Champions Tour Final in Doha, Quatar. Lansink was only 0,13 seconds slower then Michel Robert, who took home the €300,000 price money.

Jos Lansink

When he entered the room with his confident style, it became the crowning moment to a spectacular evening. Ravel was among his fans and friends.
 
On November 5, guests gathered at the home of Cavalor Champion, Steffen Peters and Ravel – Arroyo Del Mar Farm in San Diego – to relive the team’s accomplishments of the year, including a clean sweep of the Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage Finals and the World Equestrian Festival CHIO. The event lived up to its promise to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime event featuring a rare video, commentary by Peters, and a visit from Ravel.
 
Proceeds from “Honoring Ravel” benefited the Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF), a nonprofit that provides assistance for basic medical needs funding for those in the equestrian community suffering from catastrophic illness or injury.
 
“I am happy that Ravel can make a contribution to the larger equestrian community and especially those in need,” said Akiko Yamazaki, Ravel’s owner.
 
Guests were treated to a full evening of surprises. Starting with champagne and hors d’oeuvres served in unexpectedly elegant surroundings that Team Peters barely recognized. Designer Tim Ballengee of Menlo Park, California, transformed the covered arena into an upscale cocktail lounge and intimate dining room created from 500 yards of natural muslin, artwork, candles, linens and floral arrangements featuring hydrangeas, curly willow branches and crisp green apples.

After enjoying images of Ravel projected on a large screen, R. Scot Evans, president of the EAF, discussed the importance of the team’s accomplishments. “While honoring a horse that has made U.S. Dressage history, it seems only fitting to reflect on the people that come with horses and the team behind the scenes,” Evans said.

The Road to Hong Kong, a video diary created as a gift by Jerry Yang for his wife Yamazaki’s 40th birthday, follows Ravel’s trials and triumphs with interviews and performance footage.
 
President of Cavalor, a Peters’ sponsor, Philippe Collard traveled all the way from Montreal, Quebec to be part of the festivities. He said, “I was happy to be there because I think we played a part in this year’s success of Steffen and Ravel.”
 
Peters introduced the video of his two World Cup tests, including the freestyle featuring music by Cold Play and the Rolling Stones. Donated by Carr-Hughes Production, the video re-created a celebration that had guests cheering. 
 
Then the real celebration began. Quietly standing off to the side, out of sight, Ravel waited. As Peters had envisioned, the lights went up after the video and the grand horse made his entrance to a jubilant crowd.
 
Yamazaki said, “It is very special that he can be present himself!”
 
Peters then introduced his team, including Ravel’s owners, groom, veterinarian, Peters’ wife Shannon and all the people who share their days on the farm.
 
As guests danced and talked over the music, they each received an autographed keepsake book – Steffen Peters and Ravel – created for the event with hand-selected photos by Yamazaki. Photographers from around the world donated their images from Ravel’s first day in quarantine at UC Davis to Princess Haya’s presentation at Aachen. The limited edition hard cover book includes donated images from professional photographers Sheryl L. Ross, Susan J. Stickle, Valeria Streun and Thomas Rubel. It also includes a few personal photos of Yamazaki’s, like her young daughter feeding Ravel a carrot during the 2008 Olympic Trials.
 
The evening was made possible by the generous contributions of benefactors The Riggio Foundation and Dogwood Hill; event sponsors Cavalor, Back on Track, Elegant Events Catering Co., Respond Systems, Horse Tech, Custom Saddlery and Mary’s Tack and Feed. Donations were also made in Ravel’s honor by Jessica Ransehousen and Ashley, Connie and Rick Schrempp.
 
“We are fortunate to have such an organization as the Equestrian Aid Foundation,” Peters said. “It was wonderful to be a part of a night benefiting a great charity and honoring such an amazing horse.”

India is set to become another nation to host a F1 GP in 2011. Here is the link to the original article.

The circuit in the Jaypee Greens Sports City bears the usual hallmarks of a Hermann Tilke-designed track. But from this first impression it seems to have some of the open, flowing corners that many modern tracks often lack.

It looks like a circuit in two halves, with several slow corners before and after the main start/finish straight. These are surely intended to increase opportunities for overtaking, something F1 car designers have been demanding recently.

But the other half of the track includes several longer-radius corners and some quick-looking bends. It’s impossible to get any sense of gradient from this flat map, however.

It is an unusually short track – slightly under 5km (3.1 miles). That would make it shorter than any track on this year’s calendar bar the Circuit de Catalunya, Hungaroring, Interlagos and Monte-Carlo.

Source: F1fanatic.co.uk