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Australia's world champion Casey Stoner won the German MotoGP at wthe weekend to give Ducati its first win in the race and Australian riders their 100th in the top category. Stoner, winning his third successive race, beat home five-time champion Valentino Rossi of Italy, on a Yamaha, while Stoner's compatriot Chris Vermeulen was third on a Suzuki. Rossi took the overall lead ahead of Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, who dramatically crashed out with 26 laps remaining when he was holding a commanding advantage. “I have been feeling sick since Saturday morning and my concentration levels were low,” Stoner said. “I was losing it in all different places. We were lucky to come out of this with the victory.” Rossi, too, was delighted with the result as it saw him move 16 points ahead of Pedrosa — 187 to 171 while Stoner is third on 167. “I am very excited about the result as it has seen me take back the overall lead,” the extrovert Italian said. “I eventually got up to a great pace and very close to Casey. These 20 points are very important.” Pedrosa got a great start in the wet conditions which saw Stoner fail to take advantage of his pole position and drop to third after the first lap as nearly 100,000 spectators literally soaked up the atmosphere. The Spaniard — whose compatriot Jorge Lorenzo had become the first casualty of the race on the third lap — had built up an enormous lead of over five seconds over Stoner, who had moved into second place, by the third lap. However, his storming start came to an abrupt end with 26 laps remaining as he came off the bike and slid into a safety barrier leaving Stoner in front with Rossi hot on his tail while Vermeulen climbed into third.  

Toyota will receive Federal grants of $35 million to produce hybrid Camry vehicles at its Altona plant in Melbourne, the PM says.

 He was in his home country for the birth of his grandchild.The former Ford Australia president became critically ill and died over the weekend with his wife and family by his side, Ford Australia president Bill Osborne said in a statement.He was 60 years old.Mr Osborne said Mr Polites would be remembered as a keen Sydney Swans supporter who was dedicated to his family.His untimely passing had "robbed his family, friends and colleagues of a dedicated, focused and determined man who was an inspiration to everyone he met,” Mr Osborne said."Geoff was home in Australia for the birth of his first grandchild and, unfortunately, became critically ill while here."He passed away with his wife and family by his side.”Mr Osborne said Mr Polites had battled ill-health for the past two years, but remained determined to return the Ford-owned Jaguar and Land Rover brands to profitability."His energy, enthusiasm and support for our business will be sorely missed.”Mr Polites, who had worked in the automotive industry for almost 40 years, is credited with steering the British luxury brands through the ongoing sale process to India's Tata Motors Ltd.He took over the top post with Jaguar and Land Rover in 2005.Ford, in March, announced it was selling its Jaguar and Land Rover businesses to Tata in a deal that was expected to net the US carmaker $US1.7 billion ($A1.82 billion) - about a third of the price it paid for the brands.Ford bought Jaguar for $US2.5 billion ($A2.67 billion) in 1989 and Land Rover for $US2.7 billion ($A2.88 billion) in 2000.A statement from the Detroit-based Ford company also paid tribute to Mr Polites' efforts to turn around the fortunes of the luxury brands."He was a trusted colleague and someone who was much respected, not just by his peers but by all who had the privilege to work with him,” Ford Motor Company president and chief executive officer Alan Mulally said in a statement."Our sympathies are with his wife and family at this difficult time.”David Smith, Jaguar Land Rover's chief financial officer, will take over as the acting chief executive officer at Jaguar Land Rover until a successor is appointed.Mr Polites was born in Melbourne and joined Ford Australia in 1970 as a product planner.He completed training in the US and Europe before again joining Ford Australia in 1975 as marketing and research manager.He held several posts with Ford until 1988, when he resigned to work with the City Ford dealership in Sydney.In 1999, he sold his interests in City Ford and rejoined Ford Australia as its president, presiding over the introduction of the BA Falcon in 2002 and the Ford Territory in 2004. 

Patrick took on Indy Japan 300 after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel on the final laps. Patrick finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Helio Castroneves after leader Scott Dixon went in for a pit stop with five laps remaining. “It's a long time coming. Finally,” Patrick said. “It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it. This is fabulous.” Patrick took the lead from Castroneves on 198th lap of the 200-lap race. Castroneves, who was awarded pole position in line with the points standings after qualifying was rained out, said Patrick running a great race. “With five laps to go, I was saving fuel,” said Castroneves. “When Danica passed me, I realised she was the leader. She did a great job, passed me fair and square and that shows you how competitive our series is.” New Zealander Dixon, who took the lead from Castroneves on the 93rd lap, finished third, 10.0559 seconds behind Patrick. Australian Ryan Briscoe finished a lap down in ninth place. Castroneves continues to lead with 112 points after three races in the 16-round series. Dixon is second on 100 and Patrick has 98 while Briscoe is 14th with 48 points. Fellow Aussie Will Power missed the Japan race to compete in a Champ car event in California. The Grand Prix of Long Beach is the last sanctioned Champ Car race after the recent merger with the Indy Racing League and Power qualified fourth behind English pole-sitter Justin Wilson. Patrick's win in Japan came in her fourth season in the series. She finished a career-best seventh in the standings last year and was second in the race at Detroit's Belle Isle. At the 2005 Indy 500, she nearly won the pole and became the first female driver to lead the race, finishing fourth. It was the best finish by a woman at Indy, and helped her take honours as rookie of the year.  

Ford drivers turned on each other at the Clipsal 500 yesterday, but Jamie Whincup steered his Falcon clear of the carnage to win the prestigious V8 season-opener in Adelaide.Ford's leading contenders Craig Lowndes, James Courtney and Mark Winterbottom were involved in a dramatic crash that rubbed all three out of the race on lap 56 of 78.Courtney blamed Lowndes, while Lowndes refrained from criticising anyone.Winterbottom was frustrated with driving standards, and believed he was taken out by Whincup in Saturday's opener.Courtney and Lowndes were battling for second place when Lowndes moved past on the outside only for Courtney to make slight contact, forcing the pair to spin into the wall going into the next turn.The Falcon of Winterbottom was also taken out as a consequence.“We could have easily have avoided it had (Lowndes) given me some room but he cut me off and we ended up on the wall,” Courtney said.Lowndes said he expected the incident to be investigated.“I'm sure they'll have a look at it. We think we're in the right but James probably thinks the same.”Whincup eventually beat home the Holdens of Lee Holdsworth and Cameron McConville, who capitalised on Ford's mistakes to finish a respective second and third.Reigning Holden champion Garth Tander struggled again, following up his 23rd on Saturday with 19th before unleashing at Courtney.“The way Courtney was going I wasn't surprised to see him in a huge shunt at the end.“He was out of control all race,” Tander said.“I clipped Steven Johnson and while I was waiting for him to gather it up, Courtney pushed his way through and ripped the front off my car.“Somebody obviously forgot to tell him it was 78 laps, not seven or eight.”McConville was emotional on the podium, saying the result was a huge relief after a couple of difficult years.“How the hell did that happen? How did I get second in the queue,” McConville said.The highly successful event attracted a record crowd of 291,400 over the four days but it was overshadowed by a high speed crash in the second-tier Fujitsu series.Ashley Cooper, 27, remains on life support in Royal Adelaide hospital last night after he slammed into a concrete barrier on the driver's side of the vehicle travelling at about 200km/h on Saturday.The father of two from Ulladulla on the NSW south coast was left with severe head trauma, brain swelling and serious internal injuries.There was also a heavy crash in the V8 Ute series yesterday, with three divers admitted to Royal Adelaide hospital.Twenty-three-year-old Matt Kingsley remained in intensive care in a stable condition, while Colin Corkery, 23, and Craig Dontas, 28, were released after being examined. 

DETROIT: While they may or may not end up in driveways, there were plenty of vehicles turning heads at this week's North American International Auto Show, including Hyundai's new luxury sedan, a Cadillac coupe, Chrysler's green concept cars and a hybrid Toyota pickup.Slumping US car sales did not slow down the action at the grandaddy of the car show circuit, where car makers introduced more than 50 production and concept models in three media preview days. High fuel prices did not play much of a role, either. For every plug-in hybrid or fuel-cell concept, there was a 620 horsepower Chevrolet Corvette or a brand new full-sized sport utility vehicle from Kia. Chrysler promoted a tiny electric concept car as well as the full-sized Dodge Ram, which made a grand entrance alongside 120 longhorn cattle.“The overriding theme was that there was no theme,” says Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, the car buyers' guide.Car makers put a head-spinning variety of fuel-efficient technologies in cars at every price range. There was the $US80,000 ($91,000) Fisker Karma, a plug-in electric hybrid sports car with Maserati good looks that can travel 80km on a single charge. BYD, one of four Chinese car makers at the show, unveiled a plug-in hybrid sedan that will go on sale in China for under $US30,000 this year. Ford introduced EcoBoost, a direct injection, turbocharged engine which it says will improve fuel economy by 20 per cent. Even Ferrari unveiled an ethanol-capable F430 Spider.Diesel engines, which are about 30 per cent more efficient than their petrol counterparts, made a big comeback now that cleaner diesel fuel allows them to meet emissions standards in all 50 US states. BMW unveiled its first diesel-powered vehicles for the US market, the 335d coupe and X5 xDrive35d sport utility vehicle. Audi showed a 500 horsepower diesel super car concept, the Audi R8 V12 TDI, which can go from zero to 90km/h in 4.2 seconds. Daimler offered a diesel option on its GLK compact sport utility vehicle, among others.But diesels were not limited to German car makers. Toyota announced it would soon offer a diesel V-8 in the Tundra pickup and the Sequoia SUV, while Honda said it would put a diesel engine in its Acura sedan in 2010. Chrysler put a diesel hybrid in its Jeep Renegade concept vehicle, while General Motors has a diesel engine in its Saturn Flextreme plug-in concept car.David Champion, the senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Centre, says diesel used to connote pollution and big trucks. He is eager to see if clean diesel has changed that perception, and if US consumers will choose diesel even though it is no cheaper than petrol.“Whether the marketplace is going to endorse diesels remains to be seen,” he says.Other car makers met demands for more fuel-efficient vehicles by downsizing. The Hummer HX concept, a Jeep-like offroad vehicle with a removable roof, would be the smallest Hummer ever if it is made. Toyota's A-BAT concept is the Prius version of a pickup, with a hybrid powertrain and a 1.3m bed. Land Rover unveiled the compact three-door LRX concept, while parent Ford showed the Ford Explorer America concept, a reworking of its phenomenally popular SUV that uses a unibody frame — rather than the traditional truck frame — to save fuel and give the vehicle a more car-like ride.“Explorer has been such an important model for them over the years. Taking that in an inventive direction that's still true to the Explorer name could be a big success for them,” Nerad says.Ford also got kudos for the eye-popping design of its Verve concept, which showed what Ford's subcompact may look like when it hits the US market in 2010.“Here's your proof that good design doesn't cost any more than bad design, but it makes all the difference in the world in terms of buzz,” Global Insight car analyst Aaron Bragman says of the Verve.Other cars generating serious buzz were the Cadillac CTS coupe, a sharp-looking, two-door concept that many analysts agreed was a highlight of the show, and the posh Hyundai Genesis sedan.Hyundai hopes Genesis will help it compete with other luxury makers when it goes on sale this year for just under $US40,000, but analysts aren't sure the bet will pay off, saying the Hyundai name means great value but not luxury. “You don't sell Mercedes-Benz and BMW because they're great value. You sell them because of the cachet and the image,” Bragman says. 

The 2009 Corvette ZR1, the fastest, most powerful automobile ever produced by General Motors, will be unveiled at next month's Detroit motor show. It features an all-new LS9 supercharged 6.2-litre V8 engine targeted to produce a massive 460kW and approximately 800Nm of torque.The ZR1 is expected to be the first production Corvette to make a top speed of at least 320km/h. However, the Corvette's chief engineer, Tadge Juechter, says the 2009 ZR1 may be the last in a long tradition due to new US fuel economy and emission regulations.

In days gone by, finding your way to that great holiday location involved getting the right map, making sure someone could read it and avoiding those front-seat arguments as you head down a dead-end s

Queensland's 3am nightclub lockout laws will be relaxed on the Gold Coast during this weekend's Lexmark Indy Carnival.Liquor Licensing Minister Margaret Keech said Gold Coast nightclubs would be exempted from the state ban from Thursday to Saturday, October 19-21.Ms Keech said the motor racing event was recognised as a "special event needing special arrangements".She said some licensees had also been granted extended trading permits, allowing them to remain open until 7am each day of the carnival.

But James Brock, 30, believes dealing with the public outpouring of emotion for his legendary father has helped him cope with his family's shock loss. James Brock today announced he would pilot his dad's 1984 Bathurst 1000-winning Holden Commodore around the Gold Coast street circuit before the October 21 V8 Supercar support race during the Indy program. Peter Brock, 61, died when his racing car crashed in the Targa West rally near Perth on September 8. James Brock was touched that he had been asked to complete the tribute but admitted it would be "eerie" getting behind the wheel of a car his dad made famous. "There may be some slight apprehension on my behalf in having to confront quite a few people who want to extend their condolences," he said. "I'm a bit more of a private person than he was so that's something that I am not particularly looking forward to. "I'm sure it will (be eerie) ... it's all nice and comfortable and then you get in there look at the thousands of people around you and see how much emotion they have ... but it's an honour." James Brock will also be competing in the V8 Ute series as part of the support program for the October 19-22 Indy event. He also completed a lap at the recent Australian Motorcycle GP in the LJ Torana XU-1 Peter Brock took to three Australian Touring Car championships. He will do it again when he leads nine vehicles in which Brock tasted Bathurst 1000 success as part of a huge tribute at the October 5-8 Mount Panorama endurance race. Peter Brock earned the moniker "King of the Mountain" thanks to his record nine Bathurst 1000 victories and six pole positions at Mount Panorama. "It's difficult, obviously it (Brock's passing) is still fairly recent," James Brock said. "There's still some personal stuff you've got to deal with. "But the support people have shown around the country and across the world has made it a lot more easier. "Even events like this (Indy) has forced me to confront it, deal with it - it all helps. "There will be a few tears I'm sure up there at Bathurst so hopefully at Indy the mood would have lightened and it will be more of a celebration." Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today did not rule out following the lead of Adelaide re-naming a section of its V8 Supercar street circuit in Brock's honour and erecting a permanent memorial at the Indy track. "I wouldn't rule anything out. But we haven't discussed that and wouldn't do that without talking to the (Brock) family," he said. James Brock also welcomed the Bathurst Regional Council's suggestion to erect a statue of his father at Mount Panorama.