St. Thomas Dragway Releases 2006 Racing Schedule

Courtesy Dave Mathers

Sparta, Ont. - January 31, 2006 – St. Thomas Dragway, an NHRA sanctioned drag strip located in Sparta, Ont, is releasing its tentative 2006 racing schedule. The track operates from the first weekend in April until the last weekend in October each year. Weekend racing starts with Friday Night Street Legal Racing. Saturdays feature club racing, test and tune and special events. Saturday nights see the return of the rapidly growing Run What Ya Brung format. Sundays feature Bracket Races, Club Races and Special events. The bracket series has been expanded to 18 events for 2006.

Featured events for 2006 include the return of the NHRA King of the Hill on May 28 at which an NHRA Wally trophy is up for grabs to the bracket racers. OSCA will be coming July 29 & 30 for their first visit to the track.

The CANUSA Hot Rod Reunion, August 5 & 6 will see the first visit of the PMRA Pro Mods, the return of the wildly popular ONDR Nostalgia classes, the crowd thrilling jet dragsters as well as full bracket racing.

Also new for 2006 is the Windsor Shootout for Essex County residents September 15 -17. All comers will be taking a run at the bounty placed on 2004 Track Champion Dave Fantinato’s wild street legal 8 second wheel standing 555 CID 70 Nova.

The annual Thanksgiving weekend race returns as the National Dragster Challenge on October 7 & 8 with more Wallys up for grabs. Full bracket action along with the Pro Comp class will be racing over the two days.

The ONDR Nostalgia cars will be returning, fighting for their own Wally. The Lightning Power Sports Bike Nationals returns Labour Day weekend and the St. Thomas All Truck

Nationals will return August 19 & 20 raising funds for the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation. This year’s event will include light trucks as well as heavy trucks.

For further information, contact the track at 519-775-2263 or visit the website at www.stthomasdragway.com.

RACELINE RADIO NETWORK IN WINNERS CIRCLE AGAIN!

Courtesy Erik Tomas

February 1, 2006, Burlington, ON: RACELINE RADIO, Canada’s only nationally syndicated motorsport magazine radio program has scored another major international broadcast journalism award, winning the “Best Radio Show” category in the 2005 Journalism Contest staged annually by the Eastern Motorsport Press Association, and sponsored by Performance Racing Industry Magazine.

The entry: “2005 ChampCar Molson Indy Toronto Preview Special” took top honours in the EMPA contest against entries from radio stations and networks across Canada and The United States.

“Since RACELINE RADIO launched in 1993, we’ve entered this very prestigious contest and we’ve been lucky enough to win the radio side or at least finish second in the judging at least a dozen times. Over 14 years on the air, it’s an accomplishment we’re extremely proud of! ”, boasted RACELINE RADIO Anchor, Writer and Producer Erik Tomas. “It’s an award we share with every one of our 18 affiliate stations along the RACELINE RADIO NETWORK. Special thanks also goes to our head Technical Producer Brad Hoffman, Programmers Jeff Storey, Bob Sherwin and the Production and Engineering staff at our Network Flagship station AM 900 CHML Hamilton, and of course to Affiliate Coordinator Wendy Taylor!”, Tomas added.

“As most know by now, we enter these contests to gauge RACELINE RADIO against some of the best motorsport radio shows on the air. Erik and everyone involved has sustained the excellence of the show over an extremely long period of time. Our EMPA contest results over the years speak for themselves!” commented RACELINE RADIO NETWORK Executive Producer John Massingberd. “We also know our sponsors love it when we win these awards. They remind them we never exaggerate when we say we produce the best broadcast properties in the business!”, joked Massingberd.

The RACELINE RADIO NETWORK is aired on 18 radio stations coast-to-coast in Canada. Flagshipped out of AM 900 CHML Hamilton, the show is also heard in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Fredericton, Windsor, London, Kitchener, Sudbury, Niagara Falls, Sarnia, Peterborough, Truro, New Maryland and Oromocto.

ST. THOMAS DRAGWAY RETURNS TO NHRA SANCTION

Courtesy Dave Mathers

Sparta, Ont. - January 30, 2006 - St. Thomas Dragway, Canada’s first purpose built drag strip, is returning to National Hot Rod Association sanctioning for the 2006 season. The track was NHRA sanctioned from it’s opening in 1962 until 2002. However, the events of September 11, 2001 changed the insurance situation with the result that K&K Insurance was derated by NHRA. The track went with Bill Bader’s IHRA sanction but with the retirement of Bader it elected to return to NHRA, the number one sanctioning body for drag racing in the world.

St. Thomas Dragway operates from the first weekend in April until the last weekend in October. It features bracket racing on the one quarter mile track, Street Legal Racing on Friday nights, Run What Ya Brung racing on Saturday nights, Test and Tune days, club racing and special events featuring such popular classes as Pro Mods (PMRA), Nostalgia cars (ONDR), Pro Comp, Street Machines (OSCA) and Sports Compacts (CSCS). As well, the National Dragster Challenge and NHRA King of the Track races will return to the track.

The switch will allow bracket racers to attend the Summit Racing Series Division Three Bracket Finals in Indianapolis. Winners qualify to run in November at the World Finals in Pomona, California to become world Champion, a race won by Les Belle of Springfield in 2002.

For further information, contact the track at 519-775-2263 or visit the website at www.stthomasdragway.com.

World First to Finance Racing Career

Courtesy Michel Poirier-Defoy

Montreal, January 31st 2006. – A 15 year-old professional driver will be the next of a few Canadian racers to reach an open wheel championship in 2006. Maxime Pelletier will enter the Formula BMW USA series, a state-of-the-art single seater that has become the entry-level racing series in North America over the last three years. Even if his racing career started a mere three years ago, the young man who hails out of a Montreal suburb was the youngest selected BMW scholar in North America after training camps that were held at the racing facility in Valencia, Spain. He will be one of the five Junior drivers who will be supervised with a special training program by the series officials all along the season.

In order to help him secure part of his 2006 budget, Maxime Pelletier offers a new and innovative concept in America. Instead of the usual sponsor solicitation, Maxime will be providing pixel blocks on his web site, www.maximepelletier.com, to eventual sponsors and investors who seek publicity in return. This concept was launched in United Kingdom et and was an overnight success. This is the first time a race car driver uses his web site to help support his racing career. This is a very interesting opportunity for sponsors who seek more visibility for the money they invest. Maxime’s web site shows a lot of traffic and the number of visitors will necessarily grow with his successes when he takes to the track.

‘‘This is really a turning point in my career, states the Canadian karting 2005 vice-champion. Since I was awarded the prestigious BMW scholar, I underwent a complete physical program and tested the FB2 Bimmer for many days with Virginia-based Gelles Racing, the team I’ll be racing with this season. I think we have a 15-day testing schedule before a test ban applies before the start of the season. Hopes are high as I enter this series but I still want to spend another year with a kart because I want to get as much experience out of this demanding discipline.’’

‘‘Meanwhile, I think what we offer corporations and supporters on our web site, maximepelletier.com, is a great value for their money. For them, it’s a whole new way of getting involved in motorsports.’’

Pixel blocks available
For those who want to find out about the new pixel block procedure, just log on www.maximepelletier.com and discover how you can advertise on the front page for three years for a minimal amount of money. A pixel block is available for as little as 100$ and the sponsor will be able to post on one or many pixel blocks a company or association logo or picture, a message and a link to another web site. It provides a simple and innovative opportunity to advertise while helping Maxime go on with his racing career. Some pixel blocks are already chosen, but many others are available

A busy 2006 schedule
With training camp attendance with BMW and many testing days coming with Gelles Racing, Maxime will have a busy schedule. He is also entering the Florida Winter Tour with the best karting drivers in North America: the Sunoco Ron Fellows Rotax champion will drive in the very competitive ICC class and Top Ten finishes show the determination of this young man entering a new class. Beginning in March, he will be part of the official BMW test days, will enter Stars of Karting and Sunoco Ron Fellows Canadian series selected events. He also,plans to be part of the Canadian championships later in the season.

DOOLEY SET TO LEAD TEAM MERRITTVILLE INTO NEW FORMAT DUEL ON THE DIRT AGAINST BRIGHTON PRO STOCKS

Courtesy Erica Bicknell

Thorold, Ontario ... Inaugural Duel on the Dirt Overall Champion Mike Dooley of St. Catharines will lead his Daytona Automotive Equipment Challenge Championship Team Merrittville into a new look series against the Brighton Speedway Pro Stocks in 2006.

The new format will see two Home Track events at Merrittville, (Monday May 22 and Monday August 7) and two at Brighton (Saturday June 10 and Saturday July 1). There will also be two combined events - Saturday September 3rd and Saturday September 10th at Brighton and Merrittville Speedways respectively.

"There will be points awarded to drivers for all 6 events," relates (Merrittville Speedway GM) Erica Bicknell, just in from shoveling around the flagpole proudly flying the Daytona Champions Banner, " our drivers were really proud of their achievement ...they'll be tough to beat again this year."

"I don't know," adds Brighton's Operations Manager Mark Rinaldi, " the D-shape at Merrittville is different ... but my Pro Stocks are quick learners and they'll be back with quite a vengeance."

"I knew this would happen ... as soon as last year's event ended - my guys were at each other all over again," says Joe Dennison, President of Daytona Automotive Equipment in Brighton Ontario.

Dennison's employees are two very big racing enthusiasts. Terry Kaiser is the Niagara area representative for Daytona Automotive Equipment while Dave Culford - who races a car at Brighton, is a Daytona Service Advisor.

"The new format should provide some great action at both tracks," says Dennison, "the excitement's going to build all season."

"Merrittville Speedway is celebrating its 55th season this year and the Hoosier Stocks will surely want their efforts to be a highlight of the year," boasts Kaiser, "last year we saw quite an exciting group of drivers ... both events were first class."

"But Terry you're forgetting," Culford steps in," you aren't a real driver until you have won a Pro Stock feature at Brighton Speedway ... the fans at both tracks were overwhelming and the finale - what a race ... 36 laps before caution slowed the hectic pace"

To date, drivers participating in the 6 event Duel on the Dirt Series will share in more than $15,000.00 in purse and point fund money monies. In addition to the Daytona Automotive Equipment $1000 Team Award, two other Brighton-area businesses Environmental Remediation Contractor D.L. Services and Lawns We Do provided funding in 2005.

"The corporate support for this event has just been phenomenal and it keeps getting bigger," relates Merrittville co-owner Nancy Bicknell, " Mark and I are proud that the Daytona Automotive Equipment Team Award is returning - drivers and fans from both tracks rallied together and made some new friends - the team concept is just awesome."

Daytona Automotive Equipment - with Head Offices and a warehouse facility in Brighton, Ontario - manufactures a line of automotive lifts, tire changers, wheel balancers and auto body frame machines for the automotive service and repair industry.

Merrittville Speedway's Duel in the Dirt portion September 9th is part of a 3 day Season Finale that features Friday Night and Sunday Afternoon action. The Rose Webber Memorial presented by J&S Heating attracts top Mod Lite and Dwarf Car teams from across Canada and the US for Friday and Saturday's events while a 100 lap Enduro and Demo Derby close out the weekend Sunday - a presentation of Konzelmann Estates Winery.

Brighton Speedway Pro Stocks are welcome to come up for Friday's Hoosier Stock Event - although not part of the Series - it will provide the eastern Ontario race teams with some valuable track time. The 25 lap event pays $300 to win and boasts a total purse of more than $1,500.

Free Camping is available for the entire weekend.

"I was up for the Friday night event last year," relates Rinaldi, " but had to return to Brighton ... from what I saw though - the camping area resembled that of a Super Speedway ... and the party continued all weekend."

Shouldice Stone ALSTAR Series on the Radio

Courtesy Sauble Speedway

Great news race fans, the SHOULDICE STONE ALSTAR SERIES Super Event Weekends will be broadcast live on AM 560 CFOS, and 98 The Beach FM, and on the internet www.radioowensound.com

Each lap of the 100 lap feature events will be covered live. Listen to your hosts in 2006 ALSTAR Announcer Dave Middleton, and Sports Director of Bayshore Broadcasting Fred Wallace, for Canada’s only Live Racing Broadcast.

Dave and Fred have been calling the action of the ALSTAR Series since 2000. If you can't be there, you won’t miss a lap of the excitement at Steelback Sauble Speedway. For more details see: www.alstarseries.com

Speedorama back where it all began

Courtesy Gary “The Big Kahuna” Wallace, Speedorama Shows

February 1, 2006, Toronto, ON - Once again, the wheels of some of Canada’s finest Hot Rods, Street Machines, and Custom Cars will grace the fabled floors of the Automotive Building at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

On February 3 - 5, 2006, Speedorama returns to its roots, the Automotive Building, the place where it all began. In the early 60s, car shows were in their infancy but the events held here were legendary. The greatest cars of the time were displayed in this building. “We are going to celebrate those early triumphs with our return to this venue,” said Gary Wallace the Big Kahuna of Speedorama Shows “this years event will offer our car owners, enthusiasts and fans the greatest show on wheels”.

The Automotive Building was constructed in 1929 by architect Douglas Kertland at a cost of one million dollars, an astounding sum at the time. It was purpose built to display the fruits of the growing automotive industry and in the years since has been the home to many unique automotive events. “Our return to this fabulous building with two display levels will allow us a more intimate and exciting presentation that will only enhance our show,” noted Gary.

To ensure that Speedorama 2006 is a huge success, and to kick off what will be a full year celebration, the Roadmates, celebrating 50 years as one of Canada’s oldest functioning car clubs, will also return to the building where they hosted many of the shows during the 60s and 70s. Once again, the club will be out in full force, displaying many of their vehicles and acting as host for this memorable event. “We are proud to be able to host once again in the place where it all began for both our club and the car show industry in general,” said Derek “Duke” Brown, president of the Roadmates Car Club.” We invite all our friends and car enthusiasts to come out to see what we have in store for the whole year”.

Speedorama, always a car crazy event, will continue its leadership as the event to see and be seen at. Once again car owners will vie for the BIG PRIZE,” The Dean” a tribute to the pioneer of Canadian Custom Car Show Promoters, with a whopping $10,000.00 in cash. There will be an additional $20,000.00 in other cash awards and prizes up for grabs.

Speedorama is famous for bringing to Toronto first, the very finest and the hottest cars and celebrities of the year. 2006 is no different.

For information about Speedorama call 416.462.0132 or visit online at WWW.SPEEDORAMACARSHOWS.COM

SPEEDORAMA 2006
AUTOMOTIVE BUILDING
EXHIBITION PLACE, TORONTO
FEBRUARY 3, 4 and 5, 2006

FEATURING:

- CHIP FOOSE, World Famous award winning designer and builder, Host of the hit TV series OVERHAULIN’ appearing Saturday and Sunday
- COURTNEY HANSEN, Former co-host of hit TV series OVERHAULIN’ and now Host of Spike TVs weekend Power Block automotive shows, and present FHM superstar and monthly writer of Courtney’s Garage
- Relive Harvey’s “The original Home of the Hot Ones”, the place to be cool in the late sixties and seventies
- A nostalgic walk back in time of the first car shows in Toronto, club jackets, pictures, trophies, t-shirt, and other nostalgic novelties
- The original General Lee from the hit TV series “The Dukes of Hazard”
- Limited FREE Parking
- Reduced ticket prices with Themed Days:
Friday - Guy’s Night Out
Saturday - Take a Kid to the Car Show
Sunday - Guys and Gals
- Each day with a coupon, you can enter the show at a reduced rate of $15.00 - Except for Sunday, it is $15.00 a COUPLE (one male one female)
- Kids 12 and under get in FREE with paid adult
- FREE collectible Hot Wheels to the first 1000 kids under 12 Saturday and Sunday
- FREE collectible Hot Wheels to the first 500 adults Saturday and Sunday
- FREE posters
- Friday night the 21st Annual Miss Auto World Bikini Pageant
- Saturday night Miss Legs Competition
- HO scale replica of the world famous Lemans track
- Over 100 commercial exhibitors including 12 Speed and Performance Shops
- More rods and customs than the Automotive Building has ever seen before

GOODYEAR - TIRE CHOICE OF NEW ENGLAND & QUEBEC LATE MODELS

Courtesy Marjorie Mulligan Fay

Waterbury, VT - The 8" tire short track special tire developed by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company with input from Tom Curley and the American-Canadian Tour (ACT), has been selected for use in 2006 by the 14-event Serie National Castrol (Quebec, Canada) and by the Late Model weekly divisions at both Maine's Oxford Plains Speedway and Seekonk Speedway in MA.

"Having two more historic New England tracks and more than 50 additional race teams moving to the Goodyear tire in 2006 is in keeping with the universal rules concept formulated by ACT. The tire transition is the final step in effecting the rules package which will simplify cost efficient weekly and Tour racing across the Northeast United States and eastern Canada. Unifying a state of the art tire with the Late Model community in our region will certainly be a great benefit to both the teams and tracks," ACT President Curley explained. In only two years under ACT's leadership, the inclusion of Quebec's Serie Castrol brings the number of Touring series to two, and the addition of Oxford and Seekonk brings the number of tracks to five, who have chosen to convert exclusively to this Goodyear product.

Vermont's Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, along with New Hampshire's White Mountain Motorsports Park and Lee USA Speedway, and the ACT Tour, helped pioneer the Goodyear D2472 and D2682 tire in 2005.

Cris Michaud, who will look for his third consecutive Late Model "King of the Road" title at Thunder Road in 2006 enthusiastically stated, "The Goodyear tires were awesome!" The Williamstown, VT driver continued, "I think they're especially good for weekly racing where there's apt to be more contact. We found that we could rub each other, and Thunder Road's infamous front stretch wall, and not cut down tires - they held up well."

Quinney Welch, a regular competitor at White Mountain in N. Woodstock, NH agreed, "The Goodyears are quite durable, they lasted longer than other tires I've run, plus they showed good repeatability." Welch, who also tested the ACT Tour waters five times in 2005 added, "As a team we found it easier to find set-up problems with our chassis, the tires were so consistent we knew we had to look elsewhere. I know there are other teams from White Mountain who found that true as well," the Lancaster, NH resident concluded.

Steve Reny from Boothbay, ME first put the Goodyear tire on his car in an ACT Tour event at his home track, Oxford Plains Speedway. "I was impressed by the numbering system on the tires - you don't have to measure every tire, which makes race day much easier and allows for more time to work on the car." Reny, who has filed a full season entry with the ACT Tour in '06 continued, "The tires we ran in the ACT 100 lapper at Oxford lasted forever, they're really durable and I picked up quite a bit of time on them. I really liked the tires and so did the other drivers from Oxford who ran that race and the other Tour show later last year."

The ACT Late Model Tour's 12-race season will be highlighted by three $10,000 to win ACTion Super Series events including a return to Quebec's Sanair Super Speedway, July 8-9. The Tour opens at Thunder Road, April 29-30 with the seventh annual Merchants Bank 150.

ROYAL PRO XTREME TEAM TAKES THREE OF FOUR AT NATIONAL EVENT

Courtesy Mark Royal

The CSRA national tour unloaded in Peterborough, ON for a three day event this past weekend. Friday night heats were run under the lights and provided all kinds of excitement.

Team spirit in the Royaldistributing.com hauler was high all week after a clean sweep in the opener at Owen Sound the previous weekend. The HUGE Peterborough Friday night crowd was all the motivation the boys needed as Joey Sagan and Iain Hayden piloted both their stock 440 and Open Mod Factory Recreation Ski-Doo Rev's to 4 out of 4 heat wins. It was a great night for Team Royal, with Joey taking his SEMI-PRO 440, and OPEN MOD heats, and IAIN dominating his PRO 440 and PRO-OPEN Heats in front of a huge crowd. Joey headed straight from the track to bed at the hotel, feeling like he was coming down with something.

On Saturday under bright sunny skies, both Joey and Iain were fighting some sort of flu bug, but soldiered on. Iain fought his way to a 5th in a PRO 440 heat, got some rest and then promptly laid down 3 more 1st's in the remaining PRO 440 and PRO OPEN heats in the afternoon. Joey fought with very hard charging Peter Raymer and his Cat to muscle out a 1st and 3 2nds in his remaining heats on Saturday. The Sunday finals were marred by rainfall and overall bad weather conditions.

Joey Sagan #202 and Peter Raymer had a battle in SEMI-PRO OPEN that saw a few lead changes and on the last lap Joey, still fighting the flu, ran out of steam and crashed hard while under pressure in a tough section trying to stay in the lead. Joey came back to win SEMI PRO 440 to cap off the weekend. Iain toughed out the day and a strong competitor in Carl Kuster to win both the PRO 440 and PRO OPEN classes.

Overall a great weekend for the Royal Pro Xtreme Team as they took home 3 of 4 premier classes. Thanks to Factory Recreation, Ski-Doo, Kimpex, FXR clothing, SPY goggles, IPONE oil, HMK boots, and Stud Boy Traction.

Round 7 – A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Durban, South Africa

Courtesy A1 Team Canada

Qualified: 9th / Sprint Race Finish: 12th / Feature Race Finish: 10th / Series standing: 10th (32pts)

A1 Team Canada salvaged a point with tenth place from this afternoon’s Feature race as President Thabo Mbeki joined 22,000 fellow South African’s to witness a lively afternoon of A1 Grand Prix action on the streets of Durban in Round 7 of the ‘World Cup of Motorsport’. Canadian racer Sean McIntosh missed out on back-to-back top-ten finishes for A1 Team Canada as a puncture in the earlier Sprint race left the Feature as the sole opportunity for points. A1 Team Canada remains tenth in the A1GP Nations Standings with 32 points.

Sprint Race (Winner – A1 Team France)

Having qualified ninth on the grid for the 20-lap Sprint race Sean held station for the majority of what was a fairly processional opener on the 3.2km temporary street circuit. Wrestling an ill-handling car since the second lap, the cause of which was later determined to be a slow puncture, McIntosh fought valiantly to keep ahead of Germany directly behind in tenth. Despite briefly dropping out of the top-ten in the latter stages Sean successfully climbed back to sit tenth overall with one lap remaining until the puncture blew his front right tire, demoting him to 12th at the checkered flag and out of the points.

Feature Race (Winner – A1 Team Netherlands)

A1 Team Canada’s decision to take their mandatory pit stop on just the second tour of the 40-lap Feature race looked set to pay dividends for Sean McIntosh as he ran third on track behind Switzerland and Germany of the team’s already pitted. The 20-year-old’s hopes of a second career A1GP podium finish were dashed early on lap nine however as contact with Portugal at Turn1resulted in a second trip to the pits, this time for a new nose cone. Back on track Sean set to work climbing up the order, looking to recover something from what had so far been a luckless weekend. Pushing hard, racing wheel to wheel with his A1 rivals, Sean guided A1 Team Canada’s entry as high as eighth before a broken steering column relegated him to a tenth place classified finish and a solitary point for his efforts.

Sean McIntosh:

“An unfortunate series of events really cost us here today because all things considered I think we had a good package. The car had pace and the team worked really well. We had an awesome strategy for the Feature race and it could have paid off if the Portuguese car hadn’t surprised me at the first turn and taken out my front wing. At least we came away with a point! I was sidelined out at Turn4 for the last couple of laps in the Feature but we had done enough to claim tenth. Hopefully we can piece everything together next time out in Indonesia and improve our standing.”

Indonesia hosts Round 8 of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations at the Sentul Circuit, 10-12 February 2006.

Standings: 1st France (120), 2nd Switzerland (92), 3rd Brazil (63), 4th Great Britain (58), 5th New Zealand (54), 10th Canada (32)

Sauble's 2006 Schedule is here!

Courtesy Sauble Speedway

The ultimate entertainment centre continues to build for 2006, with a great mix of cars, stars and Guitars. Sauble Speedway President Joe Chisholm is very pleased to announce that the “STEELBACK Canada Day Music Fest” will be held on Friday June 30th, and Saturday July 1st - Canada Day at Steelback Sauble Speedway. This popular music festival is in its 3 year and for the first time will be held at the speedway.

The Steelback Canada Day Music Fest will feature 2 days of blockbuster international music artists. In the near future president and CEO of Steelback Brewery Frank D’Angelo will announce details of this Steelback Canada Day Music Fest.

Also please find enclosed a copy of the Steelback Sauble Speedway Schedule of events for 2006.

Direct Link to 2006 Schedule: http://www.saublespeedway.com/Sauble_Speedwa/Schedule_Steel.html

A1 GRAND PRIX OF NATIONS, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

Courtesy Stuart Morrison Public Relations

Durban - The A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Durban, South Africa, attended by President Thabo Mbecki and just over 100,000 people over the course of the weekend provided one of the most spectacular races of the season to date.

As the cars left the starting grid and streamed down to the first corner, it was A1 Team Switzerland who got the best start and led A1 Team France out of the tight hairpin. However, the best start was definitely made by A1 Team Netherlands who were up to XX by from sixteenth on the grid by the end of lap one. The start wasn't without dramas as A1 Team Czech Republic stalled on his fifth position on the grid and so causing the cars behind him to take avoiding action.

The pit stops started early with the leader and second placed A1 Team France coming in at the end of lap two. This pit stop proved the start of an uncharacteristically troublesome race for Series point's leader France as a 53 second pit stop dropped them down the field and this was not helped by the fact that later in the race the team were given a drive through penalty for a pit lane infringement.

Unfortunately the first safety car period was when the race was only three laps old. This was to remove the cars of A1 Teams USA and Australia that had tangled in turn one when the American driver tried what proved to be an unsuccessful overtaking manoeuvre. A1 Team Great Britain didn't have any better luck than France as a slow pit stop was followed by a second one on the next lap because the air gun had become wedged in the back of the car and this obviously had to be removed.

When the safety car came in at the end of lap six it was A1 Team New Zealand leading helped by the fact they had yet to make their compulsory pit stop.

Despite the tightness of the track, there was plenty of overtaking but A1 Team Canada suffered when the racing was a little too close and they lost their front wing in turn one only to run over the debris a lap later before having the opportunity to pit for a new nose which they did at the end of lap 10.

The second safety car period started on lap 12 when A1 Teams India and Indonesia collided. The cars were removed and racing began at the end of lap 15 with Brazil leading at this point although again due to not having pitted. At this point in the race, A1 Team Ireland's hopes of a finish disappeared after lying as high as second on lap two and then spending time in the pits with a problem. On lap 15 Ralph Firman parked the car on the side of the track after developed a severe handling problem caused by a broken anti-roll bar.

The crowds witnessed A1 Team Malaysia overtaking A1 Team South Africa on lap 16 and after the re-start the racing continued with at one point, three cars abreast trying to go into a corner with A1 Team Lebanon being the filling in the sandwich. A1 Team Malaysia were the next culprits to bring out a safety car after spinning and partly blocking the track on lap 26, narrowly being missed by A1 Team New Zealand. This period lasted for three laps with Brazil still leading when the safety car pulled off at the end of lap 29.

A podium position for A1 Team Germany looked certain until the car hit a wall on lap 36. However, A1 Team Switzerland looked set to notch up win number two as when Brazil pitted at the end of lap 37 they moved into the lead. Jos Verstappen was in an amazing second place but it was obvious again he was not going to give up the chance of a win until the chequered flag. As the cars were on their last lap, Jos took his opportunity and passed the car with the red and white flag on it which seemed to be slowing although not enough to allow third place A1 Team Portugal to get by.

Race winner Jos Verstappen said 'I'm very happy. I had a fantastic start, and was battling with people all the way through. Both I and Alvaro made mistakes but I managed to get past and stay ahead, then Germany went into the wall and I know Brazil still had to pit.'

Speaking about his courageous overtaking manoeuvre on the last lap of the Feature race, Verstappen said: 'In the Sprint race second position was good, but I tried to overtake and it didn't work out as I wanted. This time I was in the same position, and Neel was running wide. I used my PowerBoost and managed to overtake. I'm really pleased for the guys because they worked very hard and the fans as well. It was quite tough to come here with a new mechanic and a new race engineer, there were quite a few things different, but right from the start when I got in the car, it felt good here and I felt confident.'

A disappointed Neel Jani said: 'It looks like we always have problems in the race, I had no brakes at all in the last few laps. What can I say? For sure I am disappointed; we lost in Dubai through bad strategy and here through brake failure. I'm not too happy. Out of the last six races we could have won 5. When you have made a mistake it is bad enough but when it isn't your fault it is even worse. I probably won't sleep very much tonight.'

Portugal's Alvaro Parente commented: 'I'm very pleased, especially after qualifying. We had really good pace in free practice and qualifying was a disappointment. I attacked the Sprint race and managed to finish eighth, a good position for the start of the Feature race. It was an interesting fight and overtaking is hard on a street track like this. It's great to have so many people watching the race, thanks to the crowd for their support. I'm delighted for the team who have worked really hard. Now we have to work for a win.'

A1 Team South Africa finished fifth which equalled Alex Yoong's record for best finish at a home race. For all their efforts, Brazil gained the bonus point for the fastest lap being the only driver to record a sub 1.19 time of 1.18.178 which obviously is now the official lap record for this circuit at an average speed of 151.2km/h.