IZOD INDYCAR AND GIL de FERRAN FEATURED IN NEW HP CAMPAIGN

HP Launches “Everybody On” Global Marketing Campaign

Commercial featuring Alicia Keys to debut during 53^rd Annual GRAMMY Awards

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 9, 2011

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HP today unveiled “Everybody On,” a global marketing campaign that celebrates how people around the world are using HP technology to pursue their personal and professional passions.

The launch – spanning music, fashion, community activism, business and more – is supported by an integrated marketing campaign featuring print, broadcast, online and social media. The campaign was created by HP’s Personal Systems Group and builds on the highly acclaimed “The Computer is Personal Again” campaign.

“Technology plays a vital role in how people explore, develop and enable their passions,” said Richard Gerstein, senior vice president, Strategy and Worldwide Marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Five years ago the personal computer was the center of one’s connected life, while today people are at the center and their technology – across smartphones, tablets, PCs and cloud services – needs to provide seamless connectivity to what is important to them.”

The “Everybody On” campaign kicks off with a 60-second anthem TV spot featuring an instrumental version of Lou Reed’s iconic song “Walk on the Wild Side.” It showcases a broad range of solutions – from computers to mobile devices and printers – and how technology connects people to their passions.

At the center of the campaign is the “Everybody On” Digital Hub, where a variety of digital content will be hosted, including inspirational interviews about pursuing passions using HP technology. The digital hub will allow consumers to engage with passionate individuals and businesses from around the world, including IndyCar driver Gil de Ferran, social activist Aria Finger from DoSomething.org and “Project Runway” star Mondo Guerra.

HP and the 53rd GRAMMY® Awards

During the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards telecast on Feb. 13, HP will unveil the first in a series of TV spots that highlight personal passions and the HP technology that enables them. The first spot will feature 13-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys sharing her passion for music and the importance of her audience hearing her songs exactly as she recorded them.

The commercial will feature HP notebook PCs with Beats Audio™, an award-winning technology solution exclusive to HP that was built in collaboration with artist and producer Dr. Dre and chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine to produce studio-quality sound on a computer.

This year the GRAMMY Awards telecast will feature the new HP TouchPad, the first HP webOS tablet, displaying what’s coming up next in the show in some CBS/GRAMMY on-air bumpers leading into commercial breaks.

As an official GRAMMY sponsor, HP also will support key GRAMMY Week events, including the MusiCares® Person of the Year tribute honoring Barbra Streisand, a title sponsorship of the exclusive Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and the official GRAMMY Celebration® after-party. Celebrities and guests at the GRAMMY Celebration after-party can experience Beats Audio at HP listening stations.

The global marketing campaign was developed in collaboration with agencies Creature, Designkitchen, Edelman, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, McCann Erickson, Omnicom Media Group and Publicis.

More information is available at www.hp.com/go/everybodyon.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

For Performance & Safety Reasons Customer Pours A BSS Seat Kit for their FSCCA Car

Building A Bead Seat
Part I -- Pouring the Seat This is the first “Bead Seat” we’ve built. In the Cougar, we had a Momo carbon fiber seat and in the SRF, we had what they gave us. For this car, however, it's clear that for both performance reasons (better driver “feel” of the car) and safety reasons (the bead seat provides some “give” slowing down the energy transmission in a crash) we wanted a bead seat. The bead seat kit consists of 3 basic parts...a vacuum bag, a bunch of plastic “beads” about the size of BB’s and a 2-part epoxy resin. We purchased a Pennon Composites B3-XL seat kit. What follows are the pictures we took during our seat construction.
	Prepping the Chassis The first step was to remove the stock “seat” (a plastic injection molded thing) and cover up the “sharp edges” of the cockpit...and provide some “ramping” for chassis floor tubes. Cover the sharp edges so you don’t puncture the seat vacuum bag. Ramp the chassis tubes so you don’t mold the seat to tightly to the chassis (so you can't remove it when it hardens). The picture at right shows the duct tape used to hold Pennon’s “anti-puncture” plastic cover in place. The duct tape also covers specific sharp edges. The cardboard you see are the “ramps” over the chassis tubes and another leading up to the battery cover. And here’s another shot of the same process...looking rearward. In this picture, Robert (in the car) is asking John Church (outside the car) for instructions on how to get out of the car (note the “Formula Car Exit Instructions” in John’s hand). Actually, they’re discussing the “fit” of the seat and how to distribute the beads before we put in the resin. This process, adding and removing beads, moving them around and then trying the fit took about 10 attempts before Robert felt right in the car. Forty five minutes after putting the resin in the bag and putting both the bag and Robert in the car, we now have our rough seat. You can see the taped up neck at the top of the seat. This is where the vacuum cleaner is connected to pull a vacuum on the seat while the seat consolidates (i.e. the resin sets-up around the beads). The vacuum is critical to ensure the removal of voids in the seat. And here is the rough seat removed from the car. One good things about the large size of the FSCCA cockpit is that you can remove the seat in a single piece rather than having to split it in two (like on a Zetec car). And finally, here’s the seat with most or the “rough stuff” trimmed away. Robert came up during early March and put some more work into the seat. Here's how he cut out the holes for the seat belts. He's got the seat at his house now, and I look forward to a finished covered seat in the next week or so.
Part II -- Finishing the Seat Robert took the seat home and covered it there. The photo's below show the seat prior to him covering it and how it looks covered and in place.
	Finishing the Seat The first thing Robert did was to put some reinforcement in place around the seat belt openings and on the thinner sides of the seat This shot shows those reinforcements. Robert used some carbon fiber left over from our World Challenge days. Then, using contact adhesive, Robert applied the fabric to the seat. He also added some foam padding to some low spots. And here's the seat in the car with the seat belts installed. In this picture you can also see one of the neat cockpit sides we got from Comprent. These installed easily (we used 10-32 nut-serts) and are a nice safety addition to the car. We've got one more step...and that is to coat the back side of the seat with truck liquid bed-liner material to help keep everything consolidated. While he had the carbon fiber out, Robert made up this neat little cover to go over the data logger and its wiring (which is installed on the floor, just in front of the front roll hoop). The idea is to protect the equipment and keep the driver from getting his feet tangled in the wiring. You can just see the edge of this cover in the picture above. I know Robert made a mold so I'm sure you could bribe him into making one for you.

James Winslow Ready for 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Winslow Raring to Go in 2011

Indianapolis, IN, 8th February 2011 - James Winslow is eager to get back into the race seat after a long winter of preparation, and he believes that his fitness will be a key factor in 2011.

The young Briton has spent the close season working extensively on his physical condition, which he considers a vital attribute and one which will benefit him greatly as he aims to deliver the best possible performance throughout the year.

"It has been a long winter, and I can't wait to get back into a car. I have been training harder than I have done before, and I am confident this will help me both physically and mentally in 2011" said Winslow.

Winslow is also buoyed by a link-up with a new marketing company who will look after Winslow, and his James Winslow Racing setup, a relationship which both parties hope will reap great rewards.

Negotiations for 2011 are ongoing, and Winslow is confident something will be settled soon, allowing him to refine his preparations for the upcoming campaign.

Of the negotiations, Winslow said "Discussions are ongoing for a race seat. I am hoping that something will be announced very soon", adding that "I am always looking out for corporate partners to work with, and any interested parties should feel free to get in touch with me".

The desire to further progress this year comes on the back of a strong rookie year in the Firestone Indy Lights. Winslow's running in the Indy Lights comprised a part-season, in which he delivered good performances, but often luck worked against him.



"2010 started well. We qualified fifth at St. Petersburg with no testing, but a heavy storm in the race caught us out. Despite this we still recorded a strong 7th place finish on our debut. Long Beach was going so well, I moved from the back of the pack after a gearbox failure in qualifying forced me to the rear of the grid, and I was in position for a podium, but the steering wheel came off on the last lap. When we went to Toronto, I was on the fastest pace again, but through no fault of my own I was taken out of the race" said Winslow, whose season highlight in the Indy Lights was at Watkins Glen.

"Watkins Glen stands out for me. It was a really good drive, and I finished fifth after working my way through the field. I was presented with the "Hard Charger" award for that performance", added Winslow.

"Overall I am pleased with how I performed, but there are factors which are out of your control, and these did work against us a a team more often than not", stated Winslow.

"I guess after 3 years of winning back-to-back titles, the luck element needed to balance itself up'" Winslow joked before making clear his desire for 2011 "I'm ready for luck to not be a factor this season. It's time to let our speed do the talking".

For more information, photos and live updates you can follow James on Facebook (www.facebook.com/winslowrace or by searching for "James Winslow Racing"), on Twitter (www.twitter.com/winslowrace).

A new-for-2011 James Winslow Racing website is almost live. The new design, with all the latest news will soon be online at www.jameswinslow.com

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E&OE


Photos & Images
Main Image caption: James Winslow is raring to go in 2011
Additional Image Caption: James Winslow in Action for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights

High resolution images available from:
http://www.motorsportrelease.com/2011/02/Winslow Raring to Go in 2011/images/HighRes/

About James
James Winslow is one of Britain's most talented racing drivers, having vast experience in many series the world over. James has enjoyed success in many series, having claimed Championship titles in Asian Formula 3, Formula Renault V6 and Australian Formula 3. He has represented Team Great Britain in the A1GP series, in addition to being a well liked and respected driving coach.

Contact James
E-Mail: winslowrace@yahoo.co.uk / rd.consultusa@gmail.com
Cell: +1 317 442 1229
Web: www.jameswinslow.com
Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/winslowrace
Twitter: www.twitter.com/winslowrace

Bald Spot Sports Selects ARPRO to Enhance Safety

ARPRO, has been selected by US motorsport supplier Bald Spot Sports (BSS) and design partner the Createc Corporation for its lightweight impact-resistant properties to enhance safety. This material allows 45 to 50 percent weight reduction and enhanced energy management during a crash. ARPRO also enables NASCAR and IRL teams to build multiple versions of racing safety equipment from a single driver fitting session.

Until now race car seats required the driver and team to be present when each race seat was made. The traditional process used epoxy resin and expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads moulded around the driver. Now, BSS digitally scans the original seat permitting Createc to CNC cut the ARPRO to exact dimensions for an accurate duplicate.

“Adding JSP products into the mix was a natural next step. With ARPRO, the process of creating a comfortable and safe racing seat is repeatable. No epoxy is required, so weight is reduced by more than 45 percent and risk of human error is mitigated,” explains Cameron Cobb, Manager of Construction & Specialty Products, Createc Corporation.

For more than five years, BSS and Createc have been the ultimate racing alliance, bringing innovative ARPRO to the track and offering greater force reduction in a variety of impact situations.

In addition to the manufacturing advantage, ARPRO delivers safety improvements. “Some collisions happen at 200mph, and Bald Spot is working to provide the driver with the ultimate in protection when it comes to force reduction technology,” continues Cobb. “ARPRO helps support this objective. It is one of the most efficient safety materials available, providing more energy management than traditional seat materials. In third-party testing, our seat material absorbed 30 percent more energy on the first impact and 60 percent more energy during the second impact than other seat materials currently in use.”

The ARPRO seat has won praise from all quarters: “We’re wheel to wheel and bumper to bumper every weekend, and the team’s success depends on protecting our driver,” comments Dave Kenny, Engineer on the NASCAR Cup Series at Penske Racing. “Our track time is extremely valuable, and we need to be focused on racing. We work to nail the first seat fitting and then duplicate it all season. We believe in the lightweight BSS products because they save us time and money and offer quick turnaround. Our team’s drivers like Kurt Busch are very happy with this product.”

“Driver protection is of paramount importance and ARPRO is strong enough to cushion impact, yet light enough to maintain competitive edge. As ARPRO is the only material used, lead times are also reduced,” explains Paul Compton, JSP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Europe.

ARPRO is used extensively in automotive applications, and is resistant to high temperatures making it ideal for use in a wide range of motorsport such as the World Rally Championship (WRC). ARPRO’s extremely high strength-to-weight ratio is particularly beneficial in motorsport safety; withstanding multiple impacts without significant deformation and returning to its original shape following dynamic stress.

“The demanding nature of motorsport requires reduced time from the CAD suite to the race circuit, and this project is further proof that ARPRO is ideal for motorsport applications,” concludes Compton.

Bald Spot Sports QR Code

BSS Two & Three Piece Lateral Head Support Systems

We have developed multi-impact reistant head support sytems using Arpro foam that has been proven time and time again in our custom made seats and helmet liners. These support systems meet the standards of a variety of sanctioning bodies including NHRA, INDYCAR, NASCAR and FIA for the World Rally Championship (WRC). These can be made to fit nearly any vehicle (including boats) that requires interior protection at the lightest weight possible. SFI: 45.2

Dallara Ground Breaking Set

IndyCar Garage on November 1, 2010

Italian chassis manufacturer Dallara will formally break ground on their new United States factory, in the heart of IndyCar country, Speedway Indiana. Dallara, which was named the 2012 chassis manufacture of the IZOD IndyCar Series, has been involved with IndyCar since 1997, in the early years of the Indy Racing League.

Mr. Gian Paolo Dallara birthday is November 16th, and he will be celebrating it at the groundbreaking ceremonies, along with several other representatives from Dallara. The Dallara factory, which will be built on Main Street in Speedway, will also have the Indy Racing Experience attached to it, and representatives from the IRE should be in attendance as well.

The announcement will also be a big boost to the Speedway Redevelopment plan. The factory is expected to produce over 70 new jobs in Speedway, and also pave the way for more companies to relocate to Speedway, Indiana as part of their master redevelopment plan. Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels are also expected to be in attendance.

Randy Bernard has invited several drivers to attend the ground breaking, and Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat Automobiles, is expected to attend as well. Fiat Group is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy.

NEED SCANNING? CONTACT BALD SPOT SPORTS

All custom Bald Spot seat systems are created utilizing state-of-the-art three-dimensional scanning technology to ensure the product fits your exact unique specifications. After years of scanning our custom seat systems we came to the conclusion that opening our own 3D scanning business made a lot of sense. Building from our automotive racing experience, we are proud to announce our alignment with GT Scan. GT Scan is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bald Spot Sports.

GT Scan has the capability of creating a three-dimensional scan of almost any surface under the sun. With needed speed and versatility our 3D scanner is perfect for any project, large and small.

Applications:

* Reverse Engineering: 
Speed, accuracy and ease-of-use for aftermarket product design
* Packaging Design: 
Create custom packaging by scanning product samples for exact geometry and texture data
* Ergonomic Design: 
Readily scan hand-crafted samples to produce complex designs from scratch
* Digital Archiving: 
Save money by storing tooling, samples and prototypes digitally
* Digital Media, Gaming & Animation: 
Create digital media for computer games and movies from artist's concept models
* Arts & Cultural Heritage: 
Produce high-resolution, low-impact scans for accurate restorations and reconstructions of priceless 
artwork and architecture. Document, research and even replicate great works for transportation, 
packaging, museum shops and historical archivingam
* Medical Education: 
Create highly detailed reproductions of complex organs and bone structures
* Medical Orthosis: 
Custom design braces and other devices for precision comfort

Advantages to Our Scanning Capabilities:

* First and only handheld, self-orienting 3D scanner, eliminating the need for fixed-position 
tripods, bulky mechanical arms or external positioning devices that make make hard-to-reach 
surfaces nearly impossible to scan
* Uniquely part-referenced, allowing you to move the target object during scanning and see a real-
time image of the surface being scanned
* Capture data in one continuous scan rather than in numerous shots from fixed positions, 
eliminating hours of post-processing time

Record-Breaking Contingency Fund Offered To SCCA Runoffs Participants

by Reece White, SCCA

TOPEKA, Kan. – Racers participating in the 2010 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® Presented by Subway at Road America, Sept. 20-26, will vie for their share of a pool of contingency awards worth $1.6 million. The record-setting contingency fund will be distributed not only to the National Champions in 29 classes, but throughout the field.

Automobile manufacturers have prepared significant programs for competitors displaying the strengths of their racecars.

Volkswagen of America not only supplies the Official Pace Cars of SCCA, it offers $5,000 to winners in the Showroom Stock C, Touring 3 and Super Touring® Under, with second- and third-place finishers earning $3,000 and $1,000. H Production, GT-2, GT-3, and GT-Lite drivers earn $2,000 for a win, $1,000 for second and $500 for third, with F Production and Formula Vee drivers earning $1,000, $750, and $500 for podium finishes in a Volkswagen.

Honda Performance Development offers each Honda and Acura driver who begins the Championship race a $500 bonus, along with a $100 parking fee reimbursement to help cover the costs of the event weekend. Race winners earn an additional $2500 from HPD, with $1,500 and $1,000 for second- and third-place finishes.

Mazda North American Operations offers $5,000 for a win in eligible classes, and $2,500 and $1,250 for podium finishes. Additionally, Mazda is offering eligible drivers up to $650 in tow money for the event.

Toyota/TRD offers up to $5,000 for a National Championship, and as much as $3,000 for a runner-up finish. Additionally, Toyota drivers earning the pole position will garner a $1,000 cash prize.

Nissan North America offers drivers in a Nissan 350Z, 370Z or Sentra $1,500 for a win. All non-current Nissan or Datsun model drivers can earn $750 for a title.

Several retail outlets for accessories also offer contingencies. Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies offers fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place finishers gift certificates worth up to $75 in each race. Summit Racing Equipment offers top-four finishers in eligible classes up to $100 in select classes, and Chassistools.com offers sixth-place finishers a Longacre digital tire pressure gauge and all program participants a 10% discount on Longacre products. Third-place finishers can receive a $150 G-Force product certificate from Racer Wholesale, while Bald Spot Sports offers a free Creafoam Seat Kit for winners in eligible classes.

SwiftFuel to Power World Record Attempt

THERMAL, Calif., and WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Richard "Smokey" Young will use an unleaded, high-octane biofuel developed by a Purdue Research Park-based company during his attempt to establish a new 100-kilometer closed course speed record on Sept. 11.

Young will power his No. 3 Western Air Racing Special with SwiftFuel, developed and produced by Swift Enterprises Ltd. The Western Air Racing Special is an International Formula 1 Aircraft powered by a Continental O-200 engine. Young is a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, president of International Formula 1 Air Racing and runs the Aviation Pilot Training Program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif.
During the record attempt, Young will take off from Thermal Airport, fly southeast 50 kilometers to the Salton Sea and return to the airport to land. He will fly at an altitude of 300 meters or lower and expects to reach a speed of 260 mph, which would break the record of 238 mph set in 2004.

Young explained why he is using SwiftFuel for his record attempt.

"As I researched SwiftFuel, I became more convinced that 'green' fuel is the direction general aviation needs to move," he said. "I am determined to show everyone that renewable fuel is just as good from a performance standpoint as general aviation fuel.

"I chose SwiftFuel because it is the only credible non-petrochemical derived fuel I have seen. It is for the good of aviation."

According to a technical report about Federal Aviation Administration testing, SwiftFuel demonstrated 13 percent more energy per gallon than 100 low-lead (100LL) and demonstrated normal engine wear and lower fuel system deposits as compared to 100LL.


About Swift Enterprises

Established in 2001, Swift Enterprises (http://www.swiftenterprises.com) works with novel chemicals as new components in energy conversion devices. Swift brings a combination of military, academic and private enterprise experience to the practical research and development of propulsion, ordnance and power technologies. In the mid-1980s, the company's founders worked at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where they conducted research on rockets and rocket fuel for the government. Swift Enterprises has completed research for Lockheed-Martin Astronautics, DARPA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy.

About Purdue Research Park

The 725-acre Purdue Research Park (http://www.purdueresearchpark.com) has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The park is home to more than 160 companies. About 100 of these firms are technology-related and another 39 are incubator businesses. In addition to the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, the foundation has established research parks in other Indiana locations including Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany.


Source: Purdue Research Park

Bald Spot Sports improves 140G head impact protection by up to 40 percent for 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series

With a simple material switch to ARPRO from EPS Bald Spot Sports was able to offer nearly a 40 percent reduction in head G’s for high energy management motor sport applications.

The 2010 IZOD Indycar drivers will benefit from significantly improved head impact protection thanks Bald Spot Sports and the introduction of ARPRO®, an expanded polypropylene (EPP) from JSP.

With head Gs reaching over 140G during rearward accidents at circuits such as Indianapolis, the material, specified by the Indy Racing League (IRL), delivers controlled deceleration and repeatable energy absorption to protect the driver. The simple upgrade is a retrofit to the current Dallara chassis and can be carried out by the teams.

The 2010 introduction of ARPRO follows a lengthy testing program undertaken by the Indy Racing League and Bald Spot Sports to find a solution better than the expanded polystyrene (EPS) used up until now. “The EPS head restraint was inconsistent,” says Indy Racing League’s director of engineering Jeff Horton. “The goal was to tune the headrest system to allow the head Gs to be reduced in a rearward accident. Testing on both the linear impactor and full size sled showed nearly a 40 percent reduction in head G using 1.5lb/Cu-Ft EPP.”

A crucial advantage of switching to ARPRO is the repeatable impact performance available. “Our material can withstand multiple impacts and continue to retain excellent energy absorption after dynamic stress,” adds Paul Compton, JSP’s President and Chief Executive Officer - Europe. “This is a benefit for both multiple impacts and, if an accident happens early on in the race weekend, the team is able to continue to use the structure through the rest of the weekend.

Weight savings is also an advantage. "With the introduction of EPP into the process, we were able to eliminate the use of A and B resins, thus reducing weight by nearly 45 percent and mitigated the risk of human error" explains Cameron Cobb of Bald Spot Sports.

To ensure volume pricing the parts (ARPRO insert and new Kevlar skin) will only be available direct from the IRL supplied by BSS. "The skin is necessary to keep the helmet and HANS device from digging into the raw foam, which allows the driver to ramp because of the stretch of the seat belts in a rearward accident," Horton says.

Despite the major improvement in safety, the IRL is now investigating the next stage of head protection. “We are looking at a similar concept for the sides of the headrest,” adds Horton. Together with further testing and design changes such as material thickness, the IRL aims to offer a 60 percent reduction in head G.

The IndyCar Series is the latest motor sport category to recognise the safety improvements that ARPRO can deliver. Working with component developers such as Createc and Bald Spot Sports, ARPRO is approved for use in WRC, NASCAR and NHRA drag racing series in applications such as bumpers, seats and impact protection padding. Lightweight, heat resistant and fully recyclable, the material can be machined or molded to offer a solution that is easily retrofitted to existing race and rally cars.

Indy Lights Seat Fitting

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Announces signing of J.R. Hildebrand for Mid-Ohio and Infineon

At least J.R. Hildebrand will be familiar with the surroundings at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Infineon Raceway.

The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion will compete in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car at the natural-terrain road courses in August. Hildebrand, 22, of Sausalito, Calif., will make his IZOD IndyCar Series debut Aug. 6-8 in the Honda Indy 200 presented by Westfield Insurance, filling in for the injured Mike Conway. He'll return Aug. 20-22 at Infineon Raceway, which he describes as his "home track."

"I look at this as a learning experience to get used to everything, but I also look at it as an opportunity to show what I'm capable of doing, which is running up to the front," said Hildebrand, who will test July 29 at Mid-Ohio. "This team has shown solid pace all season long, and having Justin (Wilson) as a teammate I'll have a good benchmark and somebody to work from. I'm hoping to be able to use that momentum to work toward something full time next year."

Hildebrand recorded four victories and 11 top-five finishes overall on the way to last year's Firestone Indy Lights championship with AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing. He was fifth in the standings in '08 (one victory, 12 top-10 finishes) and made his series debut in 2007 in the doubleheader at Infineon Raceway. He also competed in the Atlantic Championship that season.

In 2006, Hildebrand won the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 championship, posting a record 12 victories in 14 races.

"I have a lot of race wins at both tracks over the years," said Hildebrand, who is a two-time AARWBA All America first-team selection in the at-large category. "Every weekend is a little different, every car and team is a little different. But there are places I know where I can go and be comfortable with my surroundings and understand what's going on, and I think that will allow me to get used to all differences relative to what I've done there in the past (Firestone Indy Lights, Formula Ford, Formula Russell)."

"We are extremely excited about putting JR in our car at Mid-Ohio and Sonoma," team co-owner Dennis Reinbold said. "He adds another dimension to our program and we are happy to have him on board for those events. JR was a very talented Indy Lights driver, having won the championship, and we are converting him over to an IZOD IndyCar and we are excited to be the team that he makes his IZOD IndyCar Series debut with."

Indiana company to make ‘green’ race fuel

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., July 26 (UPI) -- An Indiana company says it is partnering with a major U.S. motor racing series to bring "green" technology to the motor sports
world.

Swift Enterprises Ltd. of West Lafayette has joined with the Great American Stockcar Series to produce high-performance "green" fuel for the series' Aug. 7 race at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, a company release said Monday.

Unlike traditional petroleum-based racing fuels, the new fuel is renewable and made from resources like sorghum and wood, the company said.

Great American Stockcar Series founder Chris Evans said the company's product could be the right fit for him and his teams.

"We are constantly looking for ways to maximize the efficiency and power output of our race engines," he said. "The concept of Swift's formulation of an eco-efficient fuel derived from biomass sources is of great interest to us."

The 2010 Great American Stockcar Series races feature 22 custom-built, late-model stock cars powered by Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge engines.

This is a a testimonial from nostalgia dragster driver Terry Cox on his custom seat insert crafted by our good friend Jeff Garvin @ Garvin Motorsport

WINSLOW HAS RACE WINNING PACE BUT IS ROBBED BY LADY LUCK AGAIN IN TORONTO, CANADA

James Winslow appeared on course for another strong Firestone Indy Lights result on the streets of Toronto, only to find that Lady Luck had deserted him again.

Having recorded a top five result on his return to the series at Watkins Glen last time out, the Briton headed across the US-Canada border confident that he was a regular frontrunner, and the weekend’s free practice session bolstered that belief as he posted the sixth best time in a field where all but three drivers, including Winslow, had previous experience of the tricky street layout.

However, as temperatures rose ahead of qualifying, the Sam Schmidt Motorsport team found its #77 BSS, Focal Point car struggling with turn-in oversteer that left it almost undriveable as the track gained in grip. Despite having a battle on his hands, Winslow narrowly missed a top ten grid slot, and then worked hard with the team to find a solution to the problem, with similar conditions forecast for raceday.

“It was such a shame to find the car so different from practice to qualifying, as I know we would have troubled the frontrunners,” the Briton admitted, “However, the Sam Schmidt team again showed why it is one of the best out there as we traced the problem – and found a cure for it – ahead of the race.”


Showing that the #77 had been transformed, Winslow blasted by three cars into turn one on the opening lap and, turning times as quick as those leading the race, closed quickly on the group battling over fourth place. Adrian Campos Jr was the next car in his sights, and the Briton dealt summarily with the Spaniard on lap 31 – only for Campos to stage a belated retaliation that saw him tag the left rear wheel of the Winslow machine.

“It was a schoolboy error,” Winslow fumed, “He only decided to fight back at the last minute, and fed me a wheel that pitched my car six feet into the air, and then into the wall. I was clearly ahead of him, the past was complete when he did that, and it cost both of us big time. I was lapping on a par with the leaders, quicker than the leaders but had my day ruined by someone else’s bad driving!”

Determined to salvage something from the race, Winslow returned to the pits to have his front wing changed, but was a long way behind when he rejoined. Despite the setback, however, he continued to show what might have been, immediately picking up the pace of the frontrunners and even lapping faster than them as he attempted to pick up any positions possible.

The time lost extricating himself from the wall and then having his car repaired ultimately proved too great even for a charging Winslow to overcome, and the Briton eventually crossed the line in eleventh place, frustrated at the result, but buoyed by the pace he managed to find in the #77 entry.

“The car was great even after the accident,” he confirmed, “The team did a good job to get me back into the race, and it was good to be able to lap faster than the eventual winner and the rest of the group at the front of the field. It just goes to show that we will be able to win races if we can just overcome the early weekend problems we have been having. I really can’t believe our luck at the moment.

“The Toronto track was awesome, and I was amazed by the improvement the #77 car showed in being able to challenge for the fastest lap of the race. That is very encouraging, and we just need to keep the momentum that we had at the end of the race and take it into Edmonton next weekend if we are able to attend.”

‘Thank you to all our supports, BSS, Team Effort, Focal Point, Gojoteki and everyone helping this programme, we will now work very hard to get to Edmonton and put our very positive pace into a race podium and even a race win’

Team boss Sam Schmidt had no doubt that Winslow could have been on course for another strong result had it not been for the lap 31 incident with Campos Jr.

“What happened to James was unfortunate,” the IndyCar Series veteran commented, “He was, once again, moving forward and making strides towards the front but, unfortunately, another driver took away the chance for him to have a good finish. Let’s hope that we can do better in Edmonton and get into the top three."

To get frequent James Winslow Racing updates and a closer day by day inside look on events log on to... www.facebook.com/winslowrace and www.twitter.com/winslowrace .

The Firestone Indy Lights series remains in Canada for the second half of its annual double-header, on the runways of Edmonton City Airport over the weekend of 25 July

Ends.


About James Winslow
James Winslow is one of Britain’s best motor racing talents, having won three international titles in as many years, four in all, and won races in every category he has contested – from karting to Renault V6. A full member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club [BRDC], he followed up the 2006 Asian F3 crown with similar success in Renault V6 in 2007 before adding another title in the close-fought Australian F3 series. He became a vital member of Team Great Britain in the A1 Grand Prix series and raced impressively on his debut in Australia’s V8 Supercar category, but came to wider prominence when he was awarded the Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal, and other accolades, for bravery shown in rescuing a fellow driver from a burning car in 2006. For more, visit www.jameswinslow.com


About Sam Schmidt Motorsport
Sam Schmidt Motorsports is one of the biggest names in US open-wheel motorsport, having dominated the Indy Pro and Firestone Indy Lights series. The team, founded by former IRL driver Sam Schmidt, has won three drivers’ titles and 30 races to date, including four Freedom 100s at Indianapolis. For more, visit www.samschmidtmotorsport.com and, for more on the Bright Side of the Road Foundation, visit www.brightsideoftheroad.org


About Firestone Indy Lights
The Firestone Indy Lights Series (nee Infiniti Pro Series) is the final staging post for drivers on their way to the IZOD IndyCar Series. Using identical Dallara chassis, powered by 3.5-litre V8 engines and featuring sequential six-speed gearboxes, the category provides a level playing field, and takes in some of the most iconic US venues, including Indianapolis, Watkins Glen and Long Beach. For more, visit www.firestoneindylights.com.

Dallara creates new IndyCar chassis for 2012

The IZOD IndyCar Series just announced the new rules package for 2012 through 2015.

This is very exciting news as the Dallara chassis is slated to be built in Indianapolis. Dallara plans include a manufacturing facility to be built in the new Speedway Redevelopment area close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

This means more jobs and another great International company doing business in the racing capitol of the world. More proof that "Indy is Racing"!

Dallara creates new IndyCar chassis for 2012

Dallara creates new chassis for IndyCar

By CLIFF BRUNT (AP) – 37 minutes ago

INDIANAPOLIS — The IndyCar Series has decided to go with a Dallara chassis for the 2012 season in a move it hopes will help small-budget teams and generate some fresh buzz for open-wheel racing.

The new chassis will cost $349,000 each, officials said Wednesday, with a complete car costing $385,000. That's a 45 percent price decrease from the current formula.

"The figures they throw up are a good start," said Sarah Fisher, a driver and owner of Sarah Fisher Racing.

Cars will feature a rolling chassis with an enhanced safety cell, and manufacturers will be able to be dress the cars in multiple ways with aero kits. Each team can race two different aero kits from any manufacturer during the season, with a maximum price of $70,000 for each kit.

"I think it definitely helps the smaller teams," IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said. "To think that if Mr. (Roger) Penske wants to build an aero kit, a small team can purchase that for $70,000 — that's what's going to happen. I think there's going to be some major companies and individuals who want to create that aerodynamic. I think some of the smaller teams will be able to make some gains because of that."

Points leader Will Power likes the simplicity. For example, the suspension will be a part of the safety cell, meaning teams won't have to figure that out on their own.

"Basically, you get the car and you design it the best you can, and you go as fast as you can," Power said.

The decision falls in line with Bernard's goal to create more excitement in the series and cut costs for the teams. Since coming to IndyCar from the Professional Bull Riders Association in February, he has made dramatic changes that include adding oval and street/road course championships to the season and creating competition for the future engine package.

Safety was a primary concern in the decision.

"A lot of drivers told us they wanted to see it go faster and they wanted to break track records, and that's great, but our primary responsibility has to be the drivers and the fans," Bernard said. "I think it's very important that we put that in perspective at this time."

IndyCar considered opening the series up to multiple chassis, but Bernard said that would have driven up the cost. Five companies created designs for the new chassis. In the end, IndyCar went back to Dallara — the same company that created the current chassis in use since 2003.

"I am happy about Dallara," Fisher said. "They've been great in the past. I think it's great that as a committee, Randy put together and listened to all of us and all of our thoughts moving forward."

Bernard said the competition gave the series a chance to improve its product.

"I think this allowed us to make some changes," he said. "Our fans told us they wanted to see different cars on that racetrack. They didn't want to see a single spec. I think the fact that it's very safe, and the fact that it offers relevance to aerodynamics — it offers everything we set out to do."

Dallara, based in Parma, Italy, also announced that will expand its operations to Speedway, Ind., where the chassis will be built. The new location will be the racing company's only operation outside of Italy. Bernard said it was important that the chassis be American made.

Ground is to be broken later this year, and the plant is expected to be up and running by the end of 2011.

"We're going to fast-pace it," said Scott Harris, executive director of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission. "There's a lot of decisions to be made. This has evolved quickly."

Harris said it could add more than 100 jobs.

Now, the race to create the best body begins.

"I think there's the question of who's going to come in and build the different aero packages," Fisher said. "I think that's really exciting."

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

AUTO-RACING - HILDEBRAND: Kick The Tires And Light The Fires - SPEED.com

AUTO-RACING - HILDEBRAND: Kick The Tires And Light The Fires - SPEED.com

MATCO TOOLS NHRA TOP FUEL DRAGSTER - SEAT FITTING PREPERATION

NHRA Driver Antron Brown getting fitted for his Bald Spot Sports Custom ...

WINSLOW CHARGES INTO TOP FIVE RESULT AT WATKINS GLEN

WINSLOW CHARGES INTO TOP FIVE RESULT AT WATKINS GLEN

James Winslow finally achieved the result his Firestone Indy Lights Series form has deserved when he claimed fifth place in the Corning 100 at the historic Watkins Glen circuit in New York State.

The Briton’s previous three outings in the IndyCar feeder series had seen him suffer more than his share of misfortune but, despite qualifying at the former Formula One venue suggesting that Lady Luck was again absent from his side of the Sam Schmidt Motorsport garage, Winslow turned things around on race day to produce his best result of the season.

Facing another new venue, but not having so much as set foot in a race car since his last Indy Lights outing on the streets of Long Beach – where the steering wheel of the #77 car came off in his hands as he was chasing a potential podium finish – Winslow’s initial progress was slowed by handling problems that plagued his practice sessions.

Still struggling massively to pinpoint the right balance and set-up heading into qualifying, the multiple F3 and V6 champion was denied the chance to continue working on the car when a fitting on the sump broke on a kerb, causing him to spin out of the session before he had set a time, and leaving the #77 at the very back of the grid. The post-session examination of the car also revealed a faulty front brake cylinder, which had no doubt contributed to Winslow’s woes and added to the problems that needed to be addressed before Sunday’s 30-lap encounter.

“It was good to be back in the car after early three months away, but I couldn’t believe it when we started the weekend with more bad luck,” Winslow commented, “We know that the car is good, but we just couldn’t get a handle on the set-up to start with. We needed the track time, but didn’t get it – and then the sump breaking in qualifying just compounded matters.”

Without a qualifying time, the #77 car lined up last on the grid but, with the various problems solved, Winslow suddenly found that he had a car he could work with, and wasted little time making up places. A good start gained four spots immediately, with another falling to the Briton on lap two. Four laps later, Sam Schmidt team-mate Philip Major was accounted for, while fellow countryman Stefan Wilson’s retirement handed Winslow another position.

In all, Winslow completed eight passing moves as he made his way through the closely-matched field, and was catching another Briton, Martin Plowman, as the race entered its final stages. However, despite setting his fastest lap of the race during his pursuit of the second-year driver, Winslow saw any chance of catching – and passing – his rival when Plowman’s AFS/Andretti Autosport team-mate, Charlie Kimball, blocked the #77 car, despite being four laps down.

“The car was completely different in the race,” Winslow confirmed, “I was comfortable with it straight away and was able to drive it on the limit. That allowed me to catch and pass drivers ahead of me, and I was flying until Kimball blocked me. I was a second a lap faster than Plowman, and got to within a second of him, so I’m sure team orders were in play. It’s frustrating as I’m sure that I could have finished fourth.

“Still, it was good to be competitive – we were trading lap times with the top three drivers – and making up all those places meant that I earned the Hard Charger award. I have to thank the team for sorting the issues we faced this weekend and for giving me a great car for the race. Hopefully, this is the change of luck that the #77 team needed, and we can run at the front from now on.”

‘A big thank you must go out to Peter Thornton and Focal Point Lighting, Sam & Jeanne Mudd, Alan Lewis, Dean Tank, Gordon Hunt and the Sam Schmidt Motorsport team for helping to get this great result, I’m looking to take this momentum forward and finish in the top 3 at the coming events’

"James had an awesome race," team owner Sam Schmidt added, "He's shown over and over again that he can make passes happen where others can't. To start from last and come away with a top five is very satisfying for him and that whole crew."

The Firestone Indy Lights series now heads across the US-Canada border, to the streets of Toronto, for round seven of the season on the weekend of 18 July.


Ends.

About James Winslow

James Winslow is one of Britain’s best motor racing talents, having won three international titles in as many years, four in all, and won races in every category he has contested – from karting to Renault V6. A full member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club [BRDC], he followed up the 2006 Asian F3 crown with similar success in Renault V6 in 2007 before adding another title in the close-fought Australian F3 series. He became a vital member of Team Great Britain in the A1 Grand Prix series and raced impressively on his debut in Australia’s V8 Supercar category, but came to wider prominence when he was awarded the Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal, and other accolades, for bravery shown in rescuing a fellow driver from a burning car in 2006. For more, visit www.jameswinslow.com

About Sam Schmidt Motorsport

Sam Schmidt Motorsports is one of the biggest names in US open-wheel motorsport, having dominated the Indy Pro and Firestone Indy Lights series. The team, founded by former IRL driver Sam Schmidt, has won three drivers’ titles and 30 races to date, including four Freedom 100s at Indianapolis. For more, visit www.samschmidtmotorsport.com and, for more on the Bright Side of the Road Foundation, visit www.brightsideoftheroad.org

About Firestone Indy Lights

The Firestone Indy Lights Series (nee Infiniti Pro Series) is the final staging post for drivers on their way to the IZOD IndyCar Series. Using identical Dallara chassis, powered by 3.5-litre V8 engines and featuring sequential six-speed gearboxes, the category provides a level playing field, and takes in some of the most iconic US venues, including Indianapolis, Watkins Glen and Long Beach. For more, visit www.firestoneindylights.com.

Wade Cunningham & The #77 Lucas Oil / Bald Spot Sports car on winning his third Firestone Freedom 100

Wade Cunningham #77 Lucas Oil /Bald Spot Sports / Sam Schmidt Motorsports wins Freedom 100 at Indy - Racer.com

Wade Cunningham wins Freedom 100 at Indy - Racer.com: "Wade Cunningham held off Charlie Kimball by 0.4368sec to become the first three-time winner of the Firestone Freedom 100 on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“The car was great in the draft and it was pretty easy for me to pass Charlie, and both times he got in front I didn't panic because I knew in a couple of laps I'd be back in front,” said Cunningham, the 2005 series champion, who started second in the No. 77 Lucas Oil/BSS/Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry. “I never gave him the chance to get by.”"

Bald Spot Sports and Circuit Motorsports 25th Anniversary Event Contingency Program

Bald Spot Sports and Circuit Motorsports have partnered to provide a contingency award program for the 25th Anniversary Spec Racer Ford Celebration Event being held at Road Atlanta April 10-11, 2010.

Further details on the 25th Anniversary Event are available throught the offical event web site at www.srf25.com

Catch Bald Spot Sports on Factory Made

The Factory Made episode featuring Bald Spot Sports is scheduled to air on The Science Channel, Thurday, April 22, 2010 at 8:00 PM Eastern and Pacific Times / 7:00 PM CST and 6:00 PM MST. Please check out the tv listings section of www.sciencechannel.com

Discovery Channel aired the episode on April 1 @ 10:00 AM Eastern. Check out Dicovery's website for additional airdates. http://disc-discovery.com/tv-schedules/weekly.html.

Thanks again to JR Hildebrand (www.jrhildebrandracing.com) and Andretti Autosport (www.andrettiautosport.com) for all their help.

The segment looked great and we will make sure to post any links and or clips that we can.

Testing shows that the Bald Spot Sports Arpro headrest drops G forces

Rearward thinking

By Dave Lewandowski - Indycar.comSunday, January 3, 2010

Air bags in the cockpit?

The Indy Racing League isn't quite there, but the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights continues to research, test and develop innovative hardware and materials to better protect drivers in the current Dallara chassis while projecting applications for the new generation of race car due in 2012.

Indy Racing League director of engineering Jeff Horton recently tested a variety of headrest configurations at the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation in Westfield, Ind. Results will be presented at the annual Indy Racing League season preview meeting Jan. 12 and recommended for implementation by teams for the season that begins March 14 in São Paulo, Brazil.

"For the past several years we've seen higher head G forces in rearward accidents than we think we should," Horton says. "The car will hit at 50-70 Gs against the SAFER Barrier and with the centrifugal force pulling the driver's head forward they get a little bit of a run at the headrest. So it's not uncommon to see near 100 Gs or higher on the head when the Gs of the car are much lower. The goal was to tune the headrest system to allow the head Gs to be reduced in a rearward accident."

Horton developed a "floating back" to curb the disparity in G forces. The Kevlar skin of the headrest is attached to the front of the foam and the sides are allowed to float, "so the driver only feels the effect of the foam during impact," according to Horton.

"The skin is necessary to keep the helmet and HANS device from digging into the raw foam, which allows the driver to ramps because of the stretch of the seat belts in a rearward accident," Horton says.

They also have experimented with different foams that provide increased energy absorption. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) - beads mixed with a two-part resin and harden - has been the standard.

"Through our own testing, we know the inconsistencies of the how glue affects the hardness of the foam," Horton says. "The material of the future is Expanded Polypropylene (EPP, engineered plastic foam). Its beads are steamed together, and all the material is made in blocks and then machined into the shape you want and it's 100 percent consistent.

"It's lighter (1.5 pound per cubic foot), which is the same technology as some of our seats. Teams are switching because of the weight difference. This should be less expensive because a team should be able to handle repairs in-house -- it's a simple machined piece of foam with a Kevlar skin that's been molded and all they have to do is glue it together. Before, it required body work so you needed a carbon shop to do the repairs and there was a specific process needed to pour the EPS foam."

Impact testing at CAPE consistently showed a drop in head G forces from 148 for the current headrest to 104 using the floating system and EPP foam.

"As better materials come along, it's easier to put them in," Horton says. "It gives you the flexibility to change materials; if something better comes along that attenuates the energy then it's no problem. Everything Dr. Trammel and I have done research-wise we're trying to make the current cars safer and collect data on everything that will help us make things safer and less expensive on the new car."

So air bags in the cars next? Horton and Trammel have looked into at least mini-air bags on the six-point driver harness. They'll do more research.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports signs Pippa Mann

PIPPA MANN AND SAM SCHMIDT MOTORSPORTS TEAM UP FOR 2010 FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS CAMPAIGN

INDIANAPOLIS -- With preparations well underway for the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season, Sam Schmidt Motorsports announced today its first signed driver for its campaign with Englishwoman Pippa Mann joining the team.

"I'm really excited to be joining Sam Schmidt Motorsports for 2010," Mann said. "Sam contacted me after the last race in 2009 through my management team and let me know he would like me to test for his team. For me, going into a long winter with no definite plans for 2010, this was a great opportunity to run with one of the top teams in Firestone Indy Lights."

Mann joins the team after her first season of racing in the U.S.-based circuit, where she made 15 starts and earned three top-ten finishes, including her best finish of eighth at the season finale at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Since that race, she has taken part in a handful of test sessions with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, with both driver and team evaluating one another in pursuing a future campaign together.

Mann said, "Overall, the tests went well, and I was extremely impressed not just with the cars, but with the attitude and atmosphere of the entire organization throughout the test, from team manager, to engineers, to the mechanics, and tire guys. I had an extremely tough learning year in 2009, and my goal for 2010 is to bounce back from that, and come back showing everything that I've learned. Sam's team, with their vast experience and history of running championship winning cars, is a perfect environment for me to accomplish that goal."

"The team is quite pleased with what we've seen in Pippa during initial tests this off-season," team owner, Sam Schmidt, said. "Her pace and consistency has been good, and we're confident that we can provide Pippa with the tools that she needs to move up into the front part of the grid in the 2010 season."

With today's announcement, the two sides officially unite and can begin working towards a competitive 2010 season.

-credit: ssm

PRI Show 2009

Thanks again for everyone who made the trek to Orlando for the PRI show.
We had a great time and appreciate everyone who stopped in to see our custom seat inserts and new SFI 45.1 Roll Bar padding.

IMIS SHOW A SUCCESS

Thanks for everyone that stopped by our booth at the IMIS show this week.

We had a great turnout and we look forward to seeing more of you in Orlando at the PRI show!

Test for the Champ

2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand will fulfill a young race driver's dream when he joins Force India F1 for a two-day test at the Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain on Dec. 1-3

Hildebrand, 21, from Sausalito, Calif., will be joined in the rookies-only test by Scotsman Paul di Resta, whose cousin, Dario Franchitti, won the 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship.

"I'm ecstatic about being given the chance to drive a Formula One car for the Force India F1 Team," said Hildebrand, who is currently in England preparing to drive the Mercedes-Benz-powered Force India VJM02 Formula One car. "I know it will be a challenge but I'm ready to take it on, and look forward to getting as much as I can out of the whole experience. It's an incredible way to cap off an already very special year and I'm very grateful for the opportunity."

Hildebrand's test-drive follows an impressive showing in Force India's F1 simulator in England last month.

"We are delighted to have Paul and J.R. join us for the young driver test," says Dr. Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal of Force India.

"Both of their showings in the simulator were excellent and we had no hesitations in offering them some valuable testing. We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010, potentially as a test and reserve driver. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us. As we've always said, nationality isn't the primary selection criteria - it's talent and dedication to the cause and we have seen enough to know that these two have both."

Hildebrand was introduced to Mallya several years ago and following his Firestone Indy Lights title-winning season, was invited to try out the team's F1 test simulator.

"I thought I did quite well," Hildebrand said. "I knew there was room to improve but I felt I accomplished my goal, which was to learn and improve throughout the day. It took a while for the team to analyze the data but when I got the call to say I was going to have a chance to drive the car I was ecstatic. It couldn't have come at a better time."

By indycar.com

Hildebrand named to All-American Team

2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand is among the seven drivers honored with first-team honors on the 2009 American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association's All-America team.

Hildebrand, who won four races en route to the Firestone Indy Lights title, was the top vote-getter in the at-large category. It's the second time Hildebrand has been named to the All-America First team. He also was a selection in 2006 after winning the F2000 Championship.

"I'm honored to be included in such a fantastic group," said Hildebrand, who is testing a Formula 1 car for Force India at Jerez in Spain. "I have to thank the members of AARWBA for recognizing my season and including me on the team again."

2009 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti, who won five races and the IndyCar Series championship in his return to the series after a year in NASCAR, earned his second first-team honor by earning the most votes in the open-wheel category. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves earned the second-team honors in the voting of more than 300 members of the media.

Franchitti and Hildebrand, along with the rest of the first team - NASCAR Sprint Cup star Mark Martin, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., NHRA Top Fuel Champ Tony Schumacher, Rolex Sports Car Series co-champs Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney and World of Outlaws titlist Donnie Schatz - will be honored at the 40th AARWBA banquet Jan. 16 in Brownsburg, Ind.

The winner of the Jerry Titus Award, which is awarded to the top vote-getter over the seven categories, also will be announced at the banquet.

By indycar.com staff Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Hildebrand named to All-American Team

IndyCar.com

JR Hildebrand to Test Force India F1

IndyCar.com

Motor Racing Goes Green!

MOTOR RACING GOES GREEN WITH NEW
ZERO-EMISSION ELECTRIC CAR SERIES

EV CUP LEADS THE WAY

The world's first 'green' motor racing series, based totally around zero emission electric cars, has been launched in London, with plans to have cars racing across Europe in 2011.

The pioneering new series, known as the EV (Electric
Vehicles) Cup, is working with vehicle manufacturers to bring together a range of electric-powered cars to race at top circuits throughout Europe.

A new, London-based company, EEVRC Ltd, has been set up to introduce and run this new racing sector, which aims to help the car makers change the image of electric vehicles, from being local runabouts to high-performance, highly-desirable cars.

The EV Cup events initially plan to feature three different sectors of cars. The City and Sports classes will use race-prepared production cars, while the Prototype class will feature innovative new models. Already EV manufacturers THINK, Ginetta, Lightning Car Company and GreenGT have expressed their support for the series.

In 2010, EV Cup will hold a number of promotional events in the UK and mainland Europe, aimed at giving the public and would-be competitors a chance to sample the high power delivery of these innovative, green electric cars.

In 2011, the series is provisionally planning a six-race programme of events at top motor racing circuits in the UK, France and Germany. The organisers will work with the national and world-wide governing bodies to establish a unique, new set of rules for electric cars, with particular emphasis on safety.

Says Managing Director Sylvain Filippi: "We are creating an opportunity for the EV manufacturers to promote their vehicles in a new and exciting way. We want to show that green motor sport is a reality - and an exciting one at that."

The team at EV Cup have a wealth of experience in the motor industry, electric vehicle development and motor sport, all three sectors of which are seen as paramount in making this green concept motor sport take off.

Directors Sylvain Filippi and Andrew Lee have eight years'
experience within the electric vehicle sector. Race Director Grahame Butterworth has more than 30 years experience within motor sport as a competitor, organiser and sponsor. Most recently he introduced the innovative Fun Cup endurance series to the UK, where it is now flourishing.

Further details of the series and photos for download can be viewed at http://www.evcup.com.

Ends

FURTHER GENERAL ORGANISATION INFORMATION:
Sylvain Filippi
Tel: +44 (0)207 812 0578
Email: sfilippi@eevrc.com
Andrew Lee
Tel:+44 (0)207 812 0589
Email: alee@eevrc.com

FURTHER RACE INFORMATION:
Grahame Butterworth
Tel: +44 (0)1427 875900
Email: gbutterworth@eevrc.com
[Distributed by CDWrite on behalf of EEVRC Ltd.

BSS SFI 45.1 Roll Bar Padding Arrives!

Newly designed BSS SFI 45.1 Roll Bar Padding is in stock. Check us out at the IMIS show booth 305 and at PRI with our client Motorama Kart Parts booth 323.

NHRA Story » Safety initiatives for 2010 announced

NHRA Story » Safety initiatives for 2010 announced

Posted using ShareThis

Paul Dana Award Presented to Indiana City

The city of Fort Wayne has won the 2009 Paul Dana Excellence in Bioenergy Leadership Award. Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman made the announcement during the 10 year anniversary celebration of the Central Indiana Clean Cities Alliance.

Fort Wayne has been honored for steps it has taken to incorporate alternative fuel-powered vehicles into its fleet.

The award is named after Indy Racing League Driver and Indiana biofuels supporter Paul Dana, who died in a racing accident in 2006.

Source: Inside INdiana Business

Check Out Bald Spot Sports At The International Motorsports Industry Show!

Be sure to check out Bald Spot Sports at the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) this December 2nd and 3rd. We will be located at Booth 305 and we will have staff on site to help discuss your interior foam needs from roll bar padding to custom seat inserts.

Racers, teams, dealers/distributors and industry professionals,may register to attend the International Motorsports Industry Show. Just check out the following link for more information: https://www.conference.com/eventmanager/OnlineRegistration.asp?EventCode=AMX

2009 Petit Le Mans Scott Sharp HUGE Practice Crash ONBOARD

Highcroft Racing's driver Scott Sharp crashes @ Petit Le Mans and walks away. Highcroft uses BSS custom seat inserts.

BSS - Proud to Sponsor APR Superleague

Powerboat Superleague – Just the facts

Since 1986, Superleague has conducted over 138 racing events, coast-to-coast. Over the past 23 years, the series has raced on two continents and in four countries. An estimated 700,000 fans watch the action up-front during the season with another 25 million viewing the action during the selected national and international television broadcasts in cooperation with of Romesburg Media Group LLC. (go to: http://www.SuperleagueMedia.com to view full-length broadcasts).

Powerboat Superleague offers daytime entertainment designed to meet the needs of local communities, in particular the local organizer’s sponsors and area spectators. The racing events are held close to shore on rivers, lakes and small bays/coves. The boats are all state-of-the-art in design and power, piloted by experienced drivers (most of them hold national and international titles and records).

A privately owned partnership, APR Events Group and its national circuit Powerboat Superleague, is committed to producing professional events where spectators can expect to see exciting championship racing and equally important, where local producers and local sponsors can receive value for their participation. We work with the community host by partnering with a non-profit organization for program enhancement, serving as a catalyst for funding the organization’s area projects, or by focusing specific attention on a community need. We also work with festivals, supporting and providing entertainment.

Powerboat Superleague is a member of and sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association (APBA) the recognized authority (since 1903) in the United States for amateur and professional boat racing. We are member of the Union International Motonautique (UIM) the world sanctioning body for international events.

Referred to as the “next wave” in powerboat racing, an event that includes the Superleague circuit promises excellent competition and high standards of professionalism; a safe well-managed race that benefits everyone involved.

IndyCar.com

IndyCar.com

Shared via AddThis

NEED A CREAFOAM SEAT KIT?

http://baldspotsports.com/box_seats/details.htm

Hildebrand Wins 2009 Firestone Indy Lights Championship

JR Hildebrand, of Sausalito, Calif., finished fifth to wrap up the series title in the penultimate race at Chicgaoland. The Firestone Indy Lights closes the books Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"My strategy was not to crash," said Hildebrand, who entered the race needing to finish 14th. It's just a dream come true. I came into this year with Andretti Green Racing knowing I had every opportunity to make this happen. It feels great to bring it home to the boys and bring everything back together after the last few years. Hopefully, we can take this (championship) and move forward for next year."

Hildebrand, who has four victories and 10 top-five finishes in 14 races, is closing out his second full season in the series.

Congrats JR!

IndyCar.com

IndyCar.com

Shared via AddThis

BSS customers take top five @ Mid Ohio

BSS customers sweep the top five postions in the IndyCar race @ Mid Ohio! Davison gets second win, first for Vision's FIL team. Hildebrand takes thrid!
Way to go guys!!!

Sam Hornish Jr. Big Crash @ The Glen

BSS customer Sam Hornish Jr. took a huge hit at the Glen today.
His BSS Arpro bead seat insert did it's job and he was able to walk away.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc3XFMGZ4vk

Hildebrand Takes Dominant Victory in Edmonton

J.R. Hildebrand scored a dominant win from pole position in the inagural Firestone Indy Lights race at the Edmonton City Centre Airport this past weekend.

Hildebrand was the quickest in both practice and qualifying, then went on to win Saturday's race by just over 14 seconds, setting the fastest lap along the way. The vicotry further padded his points lead which now stands at 69 points over teamate Sebastian Saavedra with five races remaining on the schedule.

"We had an awseome race, everyone did a great job all weekend," said Hildebrand after winning the caution free race by a margin of 14.015 seconds. "The start was a little unnerving but Richard and I both gave eachother just enough room and we just got on from there. I figured with the track being as rough as it is that as long as I could run consistently fast laps I would be able to slowly pull away and that's pretty much what happened. As the tires wore off, I picked up a little bit of balance, and then I started catching lapped cars so I decided to go ahead and lay some laps down to put them between myself and Philippe in case a caution came out. WE had a great weekend all around. I'm so happy for everyone and am looking forward to the next few weeks as well."

Hildebrand and his Andretti Green / AFS Racing crew have a quick turnaround as they head to the Kentucky Speedway this weekend for Round 11 of the Firestone Indy Lights Series.

Hildebrand would like to thank his Andretti Green / AFS Racing crew, along with ARPOR, BALD SPOT SPORTS, THE RACEMAKER PRESS and DOUG MOCKETT & CO. for all their support.

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Hildebrand Charges to All-American Victory on July Fourth

Indianapolis, Ind. – July 6, 2009

J.R. Hildebrand, of Sausalito, California, made some fireworks of his own this July Fourth, charging from fourth on the grid to take a convincing victory in the Corning 100 at the historic Watkins Glen International Raceway. He and his Andretti Green/AFS Racing crew ran into trouble in qualifying, but turned their fortunes around by making several key decisions regarding their race setup that allowed him to overtake on the difficult circuit. The win, coupled with trouble for his championship rivals during the race, allowed Hildebrand to extend his points lead to a healthy 58 points over second-place Mario Romancini.

Hildebrand and his team hit the ground running in the first and only practice session, setting the pace for much of the session while working on a variety of setup items. Hildebrand again set the early pace in qualifying, but when he went out on his final set of new tires with just a few minutes remaining, he was badly held up in traffic and was only able to squeeze out a lap that was good for fourth position overall. The crew later determined that Hildebrand was also driving with less than full throttle for the duration of the session, adding to the difficulty to find the lap time he needed for pole.

“Qualifying was pretty frustrating,” Hildebrand admitted. “I thought that the car was pretty close and that I would be able to grab the pole, but at the end of the run I got caught between a handful of slower cars without much time left, and then overdrove the last two corners of the one lap that I had right at the end. It’s hard to quantify how much the extra ten-percent throttle may have been worth, but more than anything it was just frustrating that we probably could have been on pole anyway and didn’t make it happen.”

Heading into the race, Hildebrand and his crew knew they would be up against a difficult task of passing the three cars ahead of them. The circuit, while long and rather high speed, provides very few opportunities for overtaking. Knowing that their mechanical setup was strong, Hildebrand and his crew decided to roll the dice and take away downforce while putting in taller gear ratios to have a bit of extra speed at the end of the straights. They also made a few key adjustments to better look after their tires, knowing that they might wear faster with less downforce and grip. Once the race got underway, Hildebrand was able to use these tools to great effect, picking off each driver in front of him one by one at the end of the back straight and pulling away to a convincing victory.

“We were talking about everything before the race, especially after how qualifying ended up and I kept thinking to myself, ‘We cannot accept defeat today. We need to do whatever it takes to get into the lead,’” Hildebrand related. “It was a big gamble but a somewhat calculated one because I was pretty sure that I had the speed as long as I could keep it together, and it worked like a charm. It feels great to win here at the Glen on the Fourth of July. Everyone did a fantastic job; it was definitely a group effort through and through.”

Hildebrand will quickly switch gears, as the Firestone Indy Lights Series now heads to Toronto Canada this weekend for Round Nine on the streets of Toronto. Hildebrand claimed two victories in Toronto in 2006, in Formula Ford 2000 competition, so will be looking to carry his momentum there this weekend. He would like to thank ARPRO, Bald Spot Sports, The Racemaker Press, and Doug Mockett and Company for their continued support.


J.R. Hildebrand Racing
Web: JRHildebrandRacing.com

Hildebrand Wins at The Glen

J.R. Hildebrand won his second Indy Lights race of the season yesterday at the Glen.

Hildebrand passed polesitter James Davison with an inside move at the beginning of the Bus Stop on Lap 14 and held on through a final-lap restart to win his second race of the Firestone Indy Lights season.

"It doesn't get any better," the California native with the American flag atop his helmet said after winning the Corning 100 on the Fourth of July. "This race could have really not been at a better time for us. I knew we had a strong car going into this race. We were sitting there thinking, 'We cannot accept defeat today.' It's America's birthday. I can't be happier with it."

Hildebrand Stays On Top Of Point Standings

indycar.com ---staff----

J.R. Hildebrand needed some luck in the Miller Lite 100 at Iowa Speedway to maintain the points lead in the chase for the Firestone Firehawk Cup.

The driver of the No. 26 ARPRO car for AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing was penalized for blocking while running in second position, but was able to stay on the lead lap as the yellow flag flew as he was heading to pit lane to serve a drive-through penalty.

After restarting as the final car on the lead lap, Hildebrand, the race's pole sitter, was able to pass a few cars to finish sixth and maintain a 16-point lead over RLR/Andersen Racing's Mario Romancini.

"(The) race was definitely frustrating for us," he said. "We started on the pole, so we knew we had a good car. We also knew we were fighting a bit of understeer in qualifying. With such big condition changes before the race, it made it really tough to get the car set up and the understeer continued to get worse throughout the race. After the drive thru penalty we lost position and had to fight our way back up. It's difficult to pass here and the understeer wouldn't allow us to get close enough to other cars."

Hildebrand won his third pole position of the year and leads the standings for the $5,000 Lucas Oil Frequent Pole Sitter Award.

Customer plugs BSS

"I’ve been working with Bill Simpson and his company Impact! with new seat belts plus Bill turned me on to the guys at Bald Spot Sports who make molded seat inserts. Glenn and his guys have been great to work with and have a great product. I think they are going to make our cars much safer for the drivers. When we get my seat just how I like it, they take and laser scan it into the computer. Then they mill out my final seat from a block of multiple impact foam. They have my seat on file and if I need another one they can just fire up the computer and send me another one identical to the one I had. They have some great technology and we are already working on safety ideas for other areas of the car. " - Tommy Johnson Jr. NHRA Funny Car driver

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US Army / Fagin Team Enjoys Consistency

Anderson Speedway
Friday, June 5, 2009
US Army/Fagin Team Enjoys Consistency

by Roger Hughes, US Army/Fagin Motorsports

CLOVERDALE, Ind. -- The US Army/Fagin Motorsports team and driver former Cloverdale, Indiana resident Brandon Fagin a fireman who lives in Evansville continues to impress the racing community. Fagin raced to a 12th place finish on May 17th at the world's fastest half-mile track in Winchester, IN.

Fagin started in the 22nd position and missed some horrific wrecks on the treacherous 1/2 mile speedway. Taking care of the US Army Monte Carlo was just what was needed to get the consistent run that moved him into 2nd in the "CRA K & N Filter Rookie of the year? point standings.

Fagin also won the "Lane Automotive Cams Hard Charger Award" for the driver that gains the most positions during the race. Fagin stated "the car was way to tight during the entire race but I just kept hitting my marks. I'm really glad to have a decent finish for the Army plus come home with an undamaged race car."

Up next for the US Army/Fagin Motorsports team is the Redbud 300 at the Anderson Speedway in Anderson, IN. on Tuesday, June 16th. NASCAR super star Kyle Busch has filed an entry to compete. As always he will be very competitive along with all the CRA regulars. It should be a very interesting race in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd.

VP Racing Fuel, Bald Spot Sports and Budget Motors of Greencastle, Indiana are associate sponsors on the US Army/Fagin Motorsports. The official website for the US Army/Fagin Motorsports team is faginmotorsports.com.

BSS Customers Take Eight of the Top Ten Spots!

BSS Customers took eight of the top ten finishing spots at the Bombardier LearJet 550 from Texas Motorspeedway last night.

Congratulations to Dario for his pole position and to Helio on his win!

Good luck to all our customers at Iowa on June 21.

-BSS

BSS ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL'S HOW STUFF'S MADE

BSS just finished a two day shoot for Discovery Channel's How Stuff's Made TV show.

It's scheduled to air this Fall. We will keep everyone updated once we have more information.

Hildebrand Second at the Milwaukee Mile

JR Hildebrand finished second in todays Husar's House of Fine Diamonds 100 presented by Charter race at The Milwaukee Mile.

Hildebrand, also the runner-up in the Firestone Freedom 100 on May 22 at t he Indianapolis Motor Speedway, gained five points on Saavedra in the championship standings. He leads by 10 heading to Iowa Speedway Saturday, June 20

BSS Customer Wins third Indy 500!

Congrats to BSS customer, Helio Castroneves on his third Indy 500 win!

Cunningham Wins Freedom 100

New Zealand driver Wade Cunningham has become the first two-time winner of the Indy Lights Freedom 100 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Cunningham, who started in pole position, held off JR Hildbebrand by 0.1sec for the win.

Hildebrand led 23 of the 40-lap race, but Cunningham came through in the final two laps.

It is the 24-year-old's second win in the race, having won it for the first time in 2006, also from pole.

Wade and JR qualify on front row

Congratulations to Wade Cunningham and JR Hildebrand for their front row qualifying positions for the Firestone Freedom 100! Good luck tomorrow.

BSS customers take 9 of the top 11 first day Indy 500 qualifying spots

Indianapolis 500 qualifying (Day 1)
*BSS customers in bold

Pos. No. Driver Make Speed
1 3 Helio Castroneves Dallara-Honda 224.864
2 6 Ryan Briscoe Dallara-Honda 224.083
3 10 Dario Franchitti Dallara-Honda 224.010
4 02 Graham Rahal Dallara-Honda 223.954
5 9 Scott Dixon Dallara-Honda 223.867
6 11 Tony Kanaan Dallara-Honda 223.612
7 5 Mario Moraes Dallara-Honda 223.331
8 26 Marco Andretti Dallara-Honda 223.114
9 12 Will Power Dallara-Honda 223.028
10 7 Danica Patrick Dallara-Honda 222.882
11 99 Alex Lloyd Dallara-Honda 222.622

Back from England

Hildebrand, driver of the No. 26 Andretti Green Racing/AFS Racing entry, returned to action following his weekend debut in A1GP. Hildebrand competed in the round at Brands Hatch, England, recording a fourth-place finish in the Sprint race and an 11th in the Feature. He had previously participated in three rookie practice sessions for Team USA, but had not competed in a race.

"Overall, I feel pretty good about the whole weekend, but we would have liked better results," Hildebrand said. "I'm just proud of the guys on Team USA and all the work they've done. I think I could have done a better job, but I also know that we showed we had the speed to compete. We probably missed a couple of opportunities this weekend to move up in the field, both in qualifying and in the race. But, again, I think we proved we have the pace to run up front."