Motorsports

The future of the Nurburgring circuit in Germany has been in doubt recently with reports that it was on the market after becoming insolvent -- the facility's major owner, the State of Rhineland, had filed for bankruptcy in July 2012. And with a sale looming, there has until now been no indication of whether prospective buyers would maintain it as a performance centre.However for car fans it seems the news is all good. The Nurburgring, including its satellite hotel and other operations, have been bought by car parts brand Capricorn Group for more than 100 million euros ($154 million), who have confirmed they will continue the circuit's current operations.A statement on the Düsseldorf-based company's website confirms they have been the successful bidder for the Nurburgring after a process taking several months, and that they will continue to run the circuit's business operations, including racing and motor events, tourist and test drives, and hotel and holiday facilities.Capricorn Group has about 100 of its total of 350 employees based at the company's Nürburgring chassis tuning test centre, which has been in operation for more than 12 years. "Engines and chassis can be theoretically tested in facilities that artificially simulate natural conditions, but in order to gain a complete impression of the driving behaviour of a vehicle, nothing matches the practical insights that one gains from taking a vehicle onto the racetrack," the company statement says.The company's managing director -- who has a history of track racing and was a winner in the 2000 Ferrrari Challenge -- has confirmed his personal enthusiasm for the circuit. "The Nurburgring has always been a passion of mine. We have identified the enormous potential of this unique race venue and would like to optimise the existing structures, but above all turn the vision of an Automotive Technology Cluster into reality," Dr Robertino Wild said in an official statement.Capricorn says such a development would give the Nurburgring region an enduring prospects for the future, and also offer high-quality automotive employment.However to achieve their plans, Capricorn has already signalled that after it takes over on January 1, 2015, it will shut down the 'ring racer' rollercoaster, and that the Eifeldorf Grune Holle hotel will have to make way for the proposed Auto Tech Cluster.  The 'ring card' payment pass for Nurburgring attractions will also be axed.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

The born-again event will also have a stronger family focus, will include everything from bicycles to classic cars, and is promised to deliver the sizzle that’s been missing as traditional motor shows have died in Australia.The multi-million dollar event is being born from the death of a joint venture that was intended to deliver a world-class Australian show that would alternate between Sydney and Melbourne. Falling attendances and a massive slump in car company support led to the cancellation of plans to continue with an old-school event.Now the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce, which ran the Melbourne Motor Show for generations before its partnership with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, is working flat-out on a revival for 2015.“We’re calling it a motoring festival. It will probably be in March 2015 and we’re looking at a range of venues including Sandown and the Showgrounds,” the executive director of the VACC, David Purchase, reveals to Carsguide.“We need to look at something for everybody. Consumers want more interactive shows and the manufacturers are looking for shorter events, in different venues, and they want them cheaper.”Purchase says the VACC has done extensive research and is using a sellout event in Britain, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, as one of its inspirations.“It needs to be everything on wheels, with something for every member of the family. It will be more broadly based, it will be much more interactive, it will be a combination of indoor-outdoor, and it will have a range of displays and exhibitions."It will have new cars, although we won’t have every brand, and we’ll have to get used to that. I expect that we will have some classic car displays, low-volume production cars, motorcycles, even bicycles.”Apart from the show element, Purchase says the event will be used for the announcement of Australia's Best Car Awards and the VACC’s automotive design awards.“We will have a fashion parade, children's activities, a black-tie Premier’s dinner. It’s a trial in the sense that we’ve never done it before, but the traditional 10-day static motor show has had its day and this may be the future.”This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

They bring glitz and glamour to the Clipsal 500 - but there's more than meets the eye when it comes to these grid girls. JESSICA (23) Usual occupation: Marketing co-ordinator at Stamford Hotels. How long have you been a grid girl? Three years.Why did you decide to be a grid girl? Having the chance to be involved with such an iconic Adelaide event as the Clipsal 500 is an amazing opportunity and every year I can't wait for February to come around.Best thing about being a grid girl? Working with such beautiful and amazing girls and meeting lots of interesting people.Worst thing? It only comes around once a year.Tell me about your usual day job: Busy!How different is your day job to being a grid girl? I work in a corporate environment, so it's nice to get all glammed up for the Clipsal 500 weekend.How do you think grid girls are perceived? For the most part, quite well. Clipsal always choose the girls who can best represent their company as well as themselves, and it shows through the amazing girls we have on the team. There will always be those few negative people no matter what you do.Do some people have the wrong perception of grid girls? Everyone in the team has and is achieving great things in their life. There is definitely more than meets the eye.V8 team of choice? It has to be Holden.What type of car do you drive? Hyundai Excel. KARA (25) Usual occupation: Miner/trades assistant/student.How long have you been a grid girl? Two years.Why did you decide to be a grid girl? When I was in high school I saw them and thought what a glamorous and amazing job that would be.Best thing about being a grid girl? The atmosphere and excitement of the Clipsal 500 is an amazing experience.What's the worst aspect? That Clipsal 500 only lasts four days and the week flies by too fast.Day job? I work at a mine site 600km from Adelaide, doing shutdowns as a gas tester and standby person. The site has both below ground and above ground plants. My job involves testing atmospheres where people will be working to make sure it is safe for them to do their job and to implement any precautions if necessary. When I am not in the mines I work as a trades assistant in Adelaide for a company that installs, repairs and maintains bore pumps. I am also studying my diploma in Occupational Health and Safety to gain a more permanent position in the mining industry.How different is your day job to being a grid girl? Extremely! I go from no hair and make-up, being hot and sweaty, dirty and wearing baggy overalls and a hard hat, to wearing gorgeous outfits made by an amazing South Australian designer with full hair and make-up and lots of people wanting to take photos.How do you think grid girls are perceived? They're an exciting addition to the racing scene, adding glitz and glamour.Do you think some people have the wrong perception of them? People will always have their own perceptions. But we get a positive response from the fans and spectators and we thoroughly enjoy what we do.V8 team of choice? Holden. Craig Lowndes for Red Bull Racing is always exciting to watch and is a real gentleman.What car do you drive? A 1993 Mazda MX5 Clubman.BRITTANY (20) Usual occupation: Sammy D Foundation volunteer, student, bartender at Sky City Adelaide.How long have you been a grid girl? Three years.Why did you decide to be a grid girl? I wanted to be a grid girl since I attended Clipsal 500 with my dad from a young age. Seeing the girls in their outfits looked like so much fun. Best thing about being a grid girl? Being on the grid and the Harley Davidson lap.Worst thing? Early mornings!Tell me about your day job? I volunteer on the Sammy D Foundation's Great Night Out blog-a-van, which goes around SA collecting video blogs from young people on their thoughts about alcohol-fuelled violence and what must be done about it. Several years ago a good friend, Sam Davis, was king-hit and died in an unprovoked attack, so it's good to spend time supporting the Sammy D Foundation set up in his memory, and help educate young people to understand why it's important to make good decisions, look after mates and ways to avoid violence. I'm also studying psychology and criminal justice at Flinders Uni.How different is your day job to being a grid girl? Being a grid girl we get to meet many different types of people, which is quite similar to what I do every day, just with less glitz.How do you think grid girls are perceived? Too often we're seen as being a bit 'ditzy".Do people have the wrong perception of them? I think some do. Most of us are either studying or in careers, as well as knowing a lot about the race.V8 team of choice? Holden.What car do you drive? Holden Barina. 

Neither a box on wheels nor a DIY flatpack, Volvo blew away all those Swedish gags at the unveiling of the V8 Supercar it will debut at Clipsal 500 in two weeks.In distinctive blue and dominant Valvoline livery, the two-car, factory-backed entry running under the Volvo Polestar Racing banner made its grand entrance to the 2014 V8 Supercars paddock at Sydney Harbour yesterday morning.Featuring a stumpy boot true to its road-model companion, the final look of the S60 racecar powered by a 478kW Polestar-built 5.0-litre V8 engine had been a closely guarded secret."It's a very mean-looking car," driver and last year's V8 Supercars rookie of the year Scott McLaughlin said. "The front is a little bit shorter and the boot's a bit shorter as well, so it actually makes it look quite phat."It's awesome.""I'm just honestly looking forward to getting out there and giving it a red-hot crack." It's entry under new car of the future specifications makes Volvo the fifth manufacturer in Australia's most popular motorsport category, joining Ford, Holden, Nissan and Mercedes. The national touring car series has not been so diverse in terms of makers since it ran under previous international rules in 1992.The cars, to be piloted by McLaughlin and Robert Dahlgren, have had only straight-line aerodynamic testing of their Volvo shell ahead of tomorrow's official test day at Sydney Motorsport Park."This is a historic day in the history of Volvo Car Australia," Volvo Car Australia managing director Matt Braid said. "As the first luxury car manufacturer to enter V8 Supercars with a factory team, we're delighted to reveal our Volvo S60 race car to meet the challenge of the world's toughest touring car series and strengthen the presence of the S60 model line - and Volvo brand - here in Australia." The season begins at the Clipsal 500 on February 27.

It's a stinking hot Bathurst day at Mount Panorama, the ferocious sounds of race cars engulf all we can hear as qualifying takes place for the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour."I have to pinch myself quite a lot to realise what's happening," says Wolfgang Reip, one of the drivers in this year's Nissan GT-R entry. "I never thought in my life I would be in Australia, let alone be racing here," the 26-year-old Belgian said.Reip didn't start his career the typical way, coming up though the ranks of amateur Formula Ford races or race sport sedans. In fact, the most racing experience he had came from the indoor go-karting he did when he was a kid.Although he always dreamt of pursuing a career as a professional race driver, the high costs of the sport stopped that dream from becoming a reality. That was until he heard about the GT Academy.The international competition  gives Gran Turismo players the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a real-life professional driver. Any player who can prove their driving skills in the virtual world can compete on a real track in a real car to win a spot on the Nissan racing team. That was the path that led Reip from Belgium to Bathurst.GT Academy is looking good for Aussie hopefuls too, with both Nissan Australia's Chris Jordan and Bob Neville confirming there was a lot of interest in bringing the program here at some point in the near future.Who knows, maybe it could be you racing with Nissan at next year's Bathurst 12 Hour?Read full story at www.news.com.au 

F1 champion Michael Schumacher has now contracted pneumonia according to a report in German newspaper Bild-Zeitung. The racing legend, 45, is still in a coma in Grenoble hospital after a skiing accident,  with recent media suggesting he was not responding to external stimuli.The latest report raises more concerns about Schumacher's health, with pneumonia often having a severely debilitating -- and sometimes fatal -- impact on those who are already ill.However there has not been official confirmation of the pneumonia, with Schumacher's spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm, responding to Bild that the family is "not commenting on speculation."Schumacher had been placed in an induced coma by doctors after his December 29 accident on the slopes of the exclusive Meribel ski resort in France, in which his head hit a rock causing brain swelling.His medical team said a fortnight ago they had started reducing anaesthetic and slowly awaken him, but reports earlier this week suggested that while he had blinked early in the process, it was not an intentional response and that he was not reacting to stimuli.If Schumacher has contracted pneumonia, doctors may delay the processs of waking him, as the respiratory condition would undermine his ability to breathe, meaning he would likely have to remain on the artificial ventilator needed by those in induced comas.Rumours have flared about Schumacher's condition, with the Grenoble hospital having to deny a flurry of social media speculation last week that he had died.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

You don't often see a Ferrari used as a camera car. In front of the camera, yes. But fitting one out with a camera rig to film other cars ... that's rare. But it's also one of the choices the production crew of Need for Speed is tinkering with, as they prepare to start shooting high-speed scenes.This footage takes you behind the scenes, where chase vehicles for the upcoming movie are being built. In addition to the Ferrari, they're modifying an Audi A6 and a Ford GT Mustang with a supercharger that boosts it to deliver 466kW of power, plus uprated high-performance gears and brakes.Because when you're filming something like a Bugatti Veyron at high speed, you have to rig up a vehicle that can keep pace without too much effort, and handle deftly, allowing the camera team to concentrate on getting the best footage. Or, as one of the production crew simply puts it: "you need a badass car".The only question we'd like answered is what happens to the chase cars after the filming is done. It seems like some of the crew would be volunteering to give them good homes.Watch the Need for Speed - the chase cars video here.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The 45-year-old will tackle the 12-hour sports car endurance race aboard the No. 99 Lamborghini Gallardo LP520 with long-time friend Peter Hill and gentleman racer Simon Middleton.The Hollywood actor has raced in the Bathurst enduro twice - leading the race in 2011 before his co-driver crashed out - and is excited to be back behind the wheel at the legendary Mount Panorama."I can't wait to get back to the circuit," the man behind the movie Love the Beast said on Tuesday. "The car is fantastic to drive, and the thought of competing once again with a couple of mates at this event is very exciting. I am thrilled that my calendar has allowed me to once again test myself at one of the worlds most demanding circuits."The car is the same one Bana tweeted about at a track day late last year, which led to he and former Formula 1 racer Mark Webber putting together plans to race together in next year's Bathurst 12 Hour.This time around Bana's car won't be a contender for outright honours, their 2008-model Lamborghini competing in Class B while a host of international and local sports car stars race for the win in Class A. "We are there to have some serious fun among an incredible line up of International A-Level Endurance Teams and Drivers."Read the full story at Fox Sports.No such thing as a bad day at @PICircuit, 2008 spec GT3 Lambo, time for another #Bathurst12hour ?? pic.twitter.com/W0eBGWpS7q— Eric Bana (@EricBana67) November 8, 2013

We know the McLaren P1 has been to the Nurburgring, and we know it’s lapped the famous circuit in anger. What we don’t know is just how fast it was around the Green Hell, which is the big question on the lips of most supercar fans.Porsche has proudly spruiked the 6:57 time achieved by its 918 Spyder, but McLaren’s ‘Ring video was notably devoid of a lap timer, causing many to concede that we may never know the exact figure.Rumours have suggested a 6:47 lap time, and McLaren have admitted to "considerably less than seven minutes", but Autocar reports that the actual time is at least seven seconds faster again.Speaking to an anonymous McLaren insider, the P1 is apparently “a fair bit quicker than that”, with a lap time between 6:30 and 6:40, which would put it at least 17 seconds faster than the Porsche 918 Spyder’s 6:57 official lap, at least 28 seconds faster than the 7:08 of the Nissan GT-R Nismo, and at least 8 seconds faster than the barely-legal Radical SR8 LM’s 6:48 current road-car record.While this is still no official claim from McLaren, it would appear that the British brand’s F1 successor has delivered on its performance promises, and could only be foreseeably toppled by Ferrari’s LaFerrari. However the Italian deity appears reluctant to grubby itself with such competition, despite the appearance of a camouflaged prototype at the circuit late last year.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

British businessman and car fan, David Brown, is apparently dissatisfied with what's on offer in the sports car segment. So he's decided to produce his own, launching a new brand with a production model to be unveiled in April showing what he says is a new approach to the classic British sports car.“I wanted all the impact and style of a classic sports car, but with modern capabilities and conveniences," Brown said in a statement. "This is what I want in a car, but it’s not something anyone really offers. So, I’ve created it myself.” He will put the car into production under the brand name David Brown Automotive -- albeit in limited numbers. “I thought that if I’m looking for this, others might be too,” he said.There may be some confusion over the name David Brown, which will already be familiar to car fans -- and almost hallowed in British car history. However that is as the late head of Aston Martin, who bought both it and Lagonda in the 1940s and whose initials have designated some of the brand's most desirable cars, but who died more than 20 years ago. But there's no doubt the new venture could benefit from any confusion between the two.More details on the car, codenamed 'Project Judi' for now, will be released closer to launch, but Brown said it  will "combine a classically-inspired exterior design, with the latest in performance, dynamics, technology, comfort and refinement".To help him, Brown has secured Land Rover's former chief designer -- who served there for 19 years until 2005 -- from whom he's commissioned a completely original design, sourcing bespoke Brit suppliers for interior trim and materials, and wedding "the latest manufacturing techniques with traditional craftsmanship".This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott