Rhys Millen Injured in practice for Red Bull Backflip

We hope he has a fast recovery, these incidents are scary but I have to give him immense credit for having the balls to try something so revolutionary.

-Matt

From Race Dezert.com...

---

Keep Rhys Millen in your thoughts and prayers. He was injured today when his truck missed the padded landing area he was using. He was transported to a local trauma center for a complete evaluation and further care. I can not comment any further on his medical condition other then to say he was awake and oriented during transport.

Re: The Red Bull Experiment gone wrong!!!

---

I have talked to Tanner Rhys's room mate today. Rhys is out of it because of pain meds right now. He is on his way to a different hospital where he is in good hands for his injury. He has 4 fractured vertebrate all in the neck area. It is a compression fracture that is thought to be from the top tube of the roll cage pushing down on his head. His helmet has a crushed zone that matches a tube. The cause is just speculation not fact.
Rhys is getting the results of a MRI to see how bad the injury is or if he needs surgery. He has feeling and movement from what I have been told. They are just making sure there are no bone fragments in the spinal canal.
I will keep you guys posted of his condition. i will be visiting him tonight or in the morning.
Please keep Rhys in your prayers!

__________________
Jerry Zaiden

Jerry,
Thank you for updating our community. I was vague in my initial post because there are certain legalities about releasing peoples medical info without consent. I have received numerous request for info and did not want to overstep my bounds, so I kept the info discrete and to the point.

Please pass on to Rhys, that all of us from the fire department that responded to his accident are thinking of him.

"Apparently the kicker portion of the ramp failed. He launched the truck straight up, landing it on the tailgate area on pavement."

More from RDC
I will try to elaborate a little on this since we responded to the accident. As Jesse said, they had landed the flip numerous times and were just doing some tweaking and adjustments.

The kicker portion of the ramp failed to collapse. This in turn put the truck into a wheelie position. It remained in that position throughout the flight. It did not over rotate or go upside down. The added launch of the kicker caused the truck to fly farther then the safety landing area. The truck landed on pavement, past the safety area (actually clipped the last portion of the safety on the way down), on its rear bumper.

We cut away a portion of the tube chassis to aid in extraction. We did this to avoid further injury to Rhys, not because he was trapped. It just made it much easier to get him out and not further injure him.

search out the videos here on this site or you tube to see how the kicker works. It just did not release this time.....

Geiser Brothers Open House Photo Jihad

See them all here

Tiago Monteiro at the 2008 Lisbon-Dakar Rally

Press Release

22nd of December

The 2008 Lisbon-Dakar Challenge

Tiago Monteiro at the 2008 Lisbon-Dakar Rally

A personal challenge coupled with a humanitarian mission

Tiago Monteiro has decided to cross the threshold of a new experience in auto racing and add a new string to his bow in participating in the king of rally-raids, the 2008 Lisbon-Dakar.

The SEAT Sport driver in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) will hit the starting line in Lisbon on January 5th, and hopes to make the Senegalese beaches on the 20th after having fulfilled several objectives, competitive, personal, and humanitarian.

Tiago has often thought of adding the mythic rally to his callender but until this year it was incompatible with his on-track profession. In 2008 the Dakar will celebrate its 30th anniversary with the Lisbon-native driver. The project began taking form when its organizers expressed interest in Tiago's participation; it solidified thanks to the confluence ot three major elements (project, team, sponsors) and thanks to the fact that Tiago's competitive schedule will let him take part in the adventure.

Tiago has always cultivated a taste for variety in auto racing and taking up the challenge of the Lisbon-Dakar will enable him to satisfy his adventurous and competitive spirit. He will find himself alone in the desert for two weeks, and will have to tap into his physical and moral reserves and confront a sometimes hostile climate and geography.

Tiago will drive a Buggy Desert, initially developed by Jean-Louis Schlesser and prepared by Philippe Gache and his SMG. The radical concept of the buggy is the most popular with the public and the closest true image of the Dakar adventure: 900 km with no windshield or air conditioning in an environment that pushes the limits of man's physical and moral resistance.

"Taking part in this contest is a great challenge for me and I will dive in with my usual devotion so as to reach my objective, which is to reach Dakar." Tiago declared. "Given the fact that I will not be battling for the top positions we have decided to add a humanitarian project to my sporting adventure, in order to help children in need. This project was put together with the participation of two humanitarian organizations, which have gathered some very precious aid from all of our sponsors."

Tiago will promote two humanitarian groups by taking advantage of the media coverage of the most popular rally in the world. In addition to this boost, Tiago will will personnally commit to help financing a project with each of the groups. The first of them, Actions Dakar, will support the efforts of the NGO SOS Sahel with the neediest populations in the regions crossed by the Dakar caravan. It works toward raising awareness, environmental education, and natural-resource protection, reforestation and protecting nature by enriching the land and forest resources, with actions promoting health protection and water hygiene.

The second group Tiago will help promote is Nariz Vermelho; it is dedicated to helping hospitalized children. "Thousands of children in Portugal will wake up in a hospital bed this year. Some will be there for minor treatment, others for more complex medical treatment. Many will be deeply affected, they all will have a feeling of loneliness and will want to go home. Our objective is to make this daily life more human. More than 27,000 children each year benefit from the efforts of Nariz Vermelho."

By participating in Lisbon-Dakar, Tiago will head off in conquest of a personal and moral victory.

Press Office

F1 Car Ownership: Now a Step Closer

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3300.asp?id=13632

Owning and running an F1 car has always been exclusive to the super-rich – until now, and the launch of PF1. “The idea is that we’re going to provide motorsport enthusiasts with the opportunity to own and run a late-model F1 car, without any of the associated problems,” said Paul Osborn of Cars International, the road and race car dealership which has set up PF1 in partnership with Cosworth. “A lot of our customers are people who buy Lamborghini and Ferrari road cars and they often express the desire to have a go in a race car. Sometimes they actually do it. They usually start off doing track days and end up in something like a GT2 Porsche, because cars like that are relatively easy and cheap to run.”

While PF1 brings F1 car ownership a step closer, it still requires – unsurprisingly – a major investment. Paul Osborn continues: “The cost of purchasing a post-2000 Formula 1 car starts from £300,000 and there will be a nominal fee of £2500 for membership to Club PF1, which will enable members to run their car at four events per year, at top circuits around Europe.

“When you consider that our customers will own a Formula 1 car, complete with engine, and can sell the car on if they so desire, it starts to become a lot more affordable. It’s also worth noting that PF1 cars are only half the price of a Ferrari Enzo road car.”

The new venture was launched at Silverstone on 12 December, when Martin Brundle put the PF1-liveried 2004 Jaguar R5 through its paces, to the vocal accompaniment of the refitted 2006 Cosworth TJ engine, retuned to produce up to 875bhp. Said Brundle, “The Cosworth V10 power and torque, along with the grippy and driver-friendly Avon racing slicks, was a fast and confidence-inspiring combination. I’m extremely impressed. The car gave me enormous confidence, and everything worked absolutely perfectly.”

PF1 has already acquired a fleet of recent-model Jordans, Jaguars and Super Aguris, while Mark Hynes, who has trained some of the biggest names in Formula 1 (including Raikkonen and Hamilton), will be heading up the driver training element of the programme. PF1 will host exclusive events at circuits such as Silverstone and Spa, with each customer benefiting from training sessions in a PF1-owned F3000 Lola before jumping behind the wheel of their own Formula 1 Car.

For further information, see www.carsinternational.com.

F1 Car Ownership: Now a Step Closer

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3300.asp?id=13632

Owning and running an F1 car has always been exclusive to the super-rich – until now, and the launch of PF1. “The idea is that we’re going to provide motorsport enthusiasts with the opportunity to own and run a late-model F1 car, without any of the associated problems,” said Paul Osborn of Cars International, the road and race car dealership which has set up PF1 in partnership with Cosworth. “A lot of our customers are people who buy Lamborghini and Ferrari road cars and they often express the desire to have a go in a race car. Sometimes they actually do it. They usually start off doing track days and end up in something like a GT2 Porsche, because cars like that are relatively easy and cheap to run.”

While PF1 brings F1 car ownership a step closer, it still requires – unsurprisingly – a major investment. Paul Osborn continues: “The cost of purchasing a post-2000 Formula 1 car starts from £300,000 and there will be a nominal fee of £2500 for membership to Club PF1, which will enable members to run their car at four events per year, at top circuits around Europe.

“When you consider that our customers will own a Formula 1 car, complete with engine, and can sell the car on if they so desire, it starts to become a lot more affordable. It’s also worth noting that PF1 cars are only half the price of a Ferrari Enzo road car.”

The new venture was launched at Silverstone on 12 December, when Martin Brundle put the PF1-liveried 2004 Jaguar R5 through its paces, to the vocal accompaniment of the refitted 2006 Cosworth TJ engine, retuned to produce up to 875bhp. Said Brundle, “The Cosworth V10 power and torque, along with the grippy and driver-friendly Avon racing slicks, was a fast and confidence-inspiring combination. I’m extremely impressed. The car gave me enormous confidence, and everything worked absolutely perfectly.”

PF1 has already acquired a fleet of recent-model Jordans, Jaguars and Super Aguris, while Mark Hynes, who has trained some of the biggest names in Formula 1 (including Raikkonen and Hamilton), will be heading up the driver training element of the programme. PF1 will host exclusive events at circuits such as Silverstone and Spa, with each customer benefiting from training sessions in a PF1-owned F3000 Lola before jumping behind the wheel of their own Formula 1 Car.

For further information, see www.carsinternational.com.

Police catch up with speeding F1 ace

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=vn20071219051956901C336947

Reims - Formula One star Lewis Hamilton has been banned from driving in France after speeding, a police spokesperson has confirmed.

The 22-year-old Briton, who was runner-up in the world drivers' championship in his debut season this year, has been banned for a month.

He was caught speeding at 196km/h in a Mercedes-Benz on Sunday night. He was stopped by police on a freeway near the northern town of Laon.

The speed limit on French freeways is 130km/h.

"Hamilton admitted the offence immediately and was really very polite," a police spokesperson said on Tuesday.

He added that Hamilton had said in his defence that the road was "very clear" at the time.

"It's a section of motorway that is used regularly by foreigners who have a tendency to speed," the spokesperson said.

The McLaren team driver was also ordered to pay a fine of €600 (about R6 000).

He is scheduled to appear in a court in Laon next month.

Hamilton's car was impounded immediately by the police and then collected on Monday by a friend.

"(Hamilton's team) McLaren were made aware that Lewis was stopped for speeding in France while he was driving in a private capacity," said a spokesperson for the British team, based in Woking, south of London.

"We understand he has received a mandatory fine and suspension from driving in France for one month," the team spokesperson added.

Hamilton finished the racing season one point behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. - Sapa-AFP

Violence in Rosarito Beach keep OC folks home.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/police-attack-rosarito-1947503-city-chief

Vacationers are concerned about terrorism in the Baja, Mexico, region.

By MARLA JO FISHER

The Orange County Register

| Recommend

The mayor of Rosarito Beach has asked for additional state and federal troops to deal with escalating violence there that culminated most recently in a paramilitary attack Tuesday on the town's police station, apparently an attempt to assassinate the police chief, a spokesman said today.

Tuesday’s commando-style attack killed one of the police chief’s bodyguards and injured four other people. It was only the latest in a string of violent commando assaults on police in Baja California, apparently by drug cartels.

“I definitely have concerns about going down there” said P.J. Schramel, who lives in San Juan Capistrano and has been vacationing on the scenic peninsula since 1969. “I have instituted my own personal boycott of Baja while all this is going down.”

Rosarito Beach, about 20 miles from the U.S. border, and the surrounding areas have been vacation and retirement destinations for Southern Californians for many years. The escalating violence has left some officials concerned, though tourism officials said people should not be unduly alarmed.

“We believe the police chief was the main target of the attack,” said Ron Raposa, city spokesman.

“Basically, we would say this attack is targeted to law enforcement because of increasing enforcement on organized crime. It is not going to have an effect on the average person; for the most part they will not even be aware of the situation.”

According to published reports in Mexican newspapers and the San Diego Union-Tribune, military police surrounded the police station Thursday while repairs were under way on the exterior damaged in the attack.

A funeral was being planned for the slain bodyguard; another is recovering from his injuries.

The city’s police chief, Public Security Director Jorge Eduardo Montero Alvarez, took office on Dec. 1 as part of a new city administration. He intends to continue to vigorously pursue “cracking down on the problems,” Raposa said.

During the attack, the mayor of Rosarito Beach was attending a meeting in Mexico City about security problems on the peninsula.

After the attack, the City Council issued a press release blaming the attacks on forces opposed to a crime cleanup launched by the new city administration.

“To the people of Rosarito, we want to express that these violent acts are the result of the job that is being done in Public Security areas, in coordination with the State and Federal Government, and which will not stop until we all live in a secure city,” the release states. “These actions will not stop measures undertaken by the government in Playas de Rosarito.”

The owner of Baja Safari, a tour and travel agency based in San Diego, said he canceled several tours this week in the wake of the attack, only one in a series he said was under way by drug cartels trying to “tell the government who’s in charge.”

“Their way of doing this is to go into public buildings in the middle of the day, break out their large-caliber weapons and shoot them up,” owner Mike Overcast said.

“We are recommending to the general public and our membership to avoid all travel to the Tijuana and Ensenada region for the next 30 days,” Overcast said.

George Perez, who works for the Irvine-based Corazon de Vida charity that provides food and shelter for 700 children in 14 orphanages in Baja, said he hopes the violence won’t discourage Americans from visiting the children’s homes they support and helping the youngsters, who receive no government funding and would otherwise be homeless.

“We’re just concerned about the children,” Perez said.

The U.S. Department of State has a travel advisory for Mexico that includes border towns and warns about increasing violence including daytime shootouts related to drug trafficking in cities such as Tijuana.

“Criminals, armed with an impressive array of weapons, know there is little chance they will be caught and punished,” according to the advisory.

“In some cases, assailants have been wearing full or partial police uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles, indicating some elements of the police might be involved.”

Contact the writer: 714-796-7994 or mfisher@ocregister.com

Team HUMMER 4th Quarter Insider

Good Evening:

Follow the link below to the 4th quarter Team HUMMER "Insider". In it you will find all the details of the Baja 1000 and the Henderson 400, which saw Team HUMMER's Rod and Chad Hall each wrap up series points championships as the team concluded another very successful year.

http://rodhallracing.com/images/pdf/4QTR07Insider.pdf

Although the link will take you to a PDF file on our website, you will still need Acrobat Reader to view it. A free download of Acrobat Reader is available at www.adobe.com.

If there are any questions or comments or if you need high resolution photos, please contact me after Christmas, when I'll be back in the office preparing for the 2008 racing season.

On behalf of Rod Hall and everyone associated with Team HUMMER, we thank you for your continued support and wish everyone a healthy and happy holiday season and we'll see you at the Laughlin Desert Challenge, Jan.25-27, in Laughlin, NV.

Regards,

George R. Thompson
Team HUMMER
grt@rodhallracing.com
(661) 823-0454

Assault on police station leaves one officer dead

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20071219-9999-1m19pubsafe.html

UNION-TRIBUNE

December 19, 2007

TIJUANA: A group of armed men opened fire inside Rosarito Beach's police station yesterday afternoon in an attack that left one officer dead and another wounded, Baja California authorities said.

Two unidentified civilians were also wounded during the assault at 12:40 p.m., according to a news release from the state Attorney General's Office.

The officers worked as bodyguards for the city's public security director, state authorities said. The director wasn't in the building during the attack.

The dead bodyguard was identified as Guillermo Castro Corona, 35. The wounded bodyguard was identified as Leonel Pizaña Trip.

Authorities later found four abandoned cars believed to have been used by the assailants. – Anna Cearley

Formula 1 Hamilton banned from driving in France for speeding

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90779/91340/6323642.html

World famous Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has been banned from driving in France for speeding, confirmed a French police spokesman Wednesday.

The 22-year-old driver was allegedly clocked travelling at 122mph (196kmh) in a Mercedes near Laon, in the north of France, on Sunday. Police stopped him, detained the car and fined him 600 euros (about 860 U.S. dollars).

The police gave Hamilton a lift to his hotel in their police car. His Mercedes was later collected by a friend.

A spokesman for McLaren, for that he drives, said: "(We) were made aware that Lewis was stopped for speeding in France whilst driving in a private capacity. We understand he has received a mandatory fine and suspension from driving in France for one month."

He added that the incident would not affect Hamilton's professional driving career.

The police spokesman said Hamilton was "very polite and co-operative" when he was pulled over.

Hamilton was asked to appear before a court in Laon in January.

It marks an embarrassing climax to an extraordinary year for the racer, who was signed on to McLaren's young driver program when he was 13 years old.

Hamilton finished runner-up in his rookie season to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in the 2007 world championship.

Experts have predicted the Stevenage-born Hamilton, Formula 1's first black racing driver, could go on to be bigger than David Beckham and become Britain's highest paid sports star.

Source: China Daily/Agencies

KTM NORTH AMERICA NAMED “OFFICIAL MOTORCYCLE” of BITD

Las Vegas, Nevada

Casey Folks, Director of Best in the Desert, is pleased to announce that KTM North America has been named as the “Official Motorcycle” of the Best in the Desert series. Folks made the announcement after solidifying a bright partnership with KTM.

Folks said, “I am excited to announce this Sponsorship with KTM and their industry-leading line of World Championship Motorcycles.” Casey added, “We’re also real excited to have KTM debut their new awesome line of 2008 ATVs at our races as well. The Best in the Desert Series is an ideal venue for KTM to showcase their motorcycles and ATVs; and take advantage of the stature this series has reached.” Best in the Desert is the only major promoter of long distance off-road desert racing in the United States that still sanctions classes for motorcycle and ATV racers along with cars, trucks and UTVs.

Jeff Konicke, KTM North America Regional Sales Manager, commented, “KTM is excited to be a part of Best in the Desert, and we look forward to a great year with them in 2008!”.

Folks continued, “We welcome KTM and Jeff on-board to join our other major sponsors, and look forward to a great relationship.” For 2008 season, there a seven points races on the Best in the Desert schedule for the motorcycles classes, including the famed 560 mile long “Vegas to Reno”. This is the longest point-to-point off-road race in the United States, covering nearly the entire length of the state of Nevada.

For full details on the entire line of KTM motorcycles, visit:

www.ktmusa.com

Off-Road Racing’s Best-Run Series … Best In The Desert!

Further information available from:

www.bitd.com

email: bitd@lasvegas.net, phone: (702) 457-5775

MEDIA CONTACT:

www.fallads.com/bitd, email: mediabitd@fallads.com

TOTALLY OFF ROAD RADIO Wednesday 12/19/07 plus SD premiere of Riviera Racing 3!

Don't miss TOTALLY OFF ROAD RADIO This Wednesday where we will also be hosting the San Diego premiere of Riviera Racing 3 "Above the Law"

TOTALLY OFF ROAD RADIO along with SINISTER FILMS will be hosting the San Diego premiere of Riviera Racing 3 “Above The Law" on Wednesday Dec 19 at Finnegans Pub & Grill in Carlsbad.

We will be doing the TORR radio show LIVE from 6-8pm and then the Premiere of Riviera Racing 3 “Above The Law" will follow immediately after.

Our guests will include Jim Cook with Sinister Films,Jet Ski Hall of Famer
Mike (mauler) Yellich and TORR Driver of the Year Rob MacCachren calling in plus more!

The festivities will go from 5pm till whenever.

Finnegans Pub & Grill is located at 1818 Marron Rd in Carlsbad at Hwy 78 & Jefferson exit.

*Food & Drink Specials
* Giveaways
* The TORR Girls
* Racers
* Teams
* You "The Fans"

Don't miss this Great Time!

As always, We want to hear from you
with any question,comments or stories you might have!

There are 2 ways to do this.

1) You can call in. The station call in number is 760-720-5236

2) You can text us questions on our forum section at www.totallyoffroadradio.com
where you also find our Bonus Track Interviews and much,Much More!

It's going to be another great night and we can't wait to see you all there!

If you can't make it out, You can listen to the show live on AM 1000 in San Diego or
go to our website www.totallyoffroadradio.com and Click on LISTEN LIVE!

We truly appreciate all the support,See you all there!

Dirt Addicitions 2 - Review

Dirt Addictions 2 9.5/10

I would have givin it a 10 if it was formatted in 16:9 and filmed on higher quality cameras like BF3 was.

Best footage of them all, even the menu footage is great
Formatted in 4:3 letterbox, gay gay gay
If I wanted to show off the sport to someone who was not familiar with this is the vid I would show them.
Chopper cam! and lots of it. Several shots from a chopper following a TT with another copper on the other side maybe 10-15 off the deck, fucking nuts
Good level on music, you can really hear the motors. Great song choices too
Song credits at the end, good stuff
Some very ballsy shots very very close to the course. Im impressed
Seeing the camera guy hit at Ojos at the 06 1k in full res is amazing
They even made Terribles Cup look exciting
Mostly 06 footage but still great.

Bajaflo 3 - Review

Bajaflo 3 9/10

Entire move in 16:9 widescreen. YES!
Very nice opening graphics
The whole thing has a very professional look to it
Beginning and end truck medlies you cant hear trucks at all
Music level down to hear the trucks more in other scenes
The super zoom in small areas of the trucks was not for me
Bj in the TK on 2 wheels being chased by security is one of the funniest things I have seen. Fucking great
Anyone else think he look about 10 without the beard?
Durka Durka shirt in the Cobra Kai fight scene!
I liked the grainy film look for the mexico medly. Gave a nice atmosphere to the scene
Very good music that matches the scenes and speed of the action
Having all song credits at the end was a plus

RPM - Review

7/10

First I know its a small thing but its something that always bugs me. 16:9 or 4:3. Pick one and stay with it. Swapping back and forth drives me nuts. I either dont use the full TV the way it should or scenes get stretched and look messed up.

Filtec ad at the beginning is lame. Make it a seperate track or put it at the end. BTW is it a truck or a buggy they dont even seem to know.

Editing in the first few minutes is real choppy and does not make sense to me.

I like that you list who each in car driver is and what each race is consistantly thoughout.

Were you guys wearing belts for the incar with Sourapas? Wish there was more footage of the truck in action.

Music levels need to be lower. Cant hear the motors and cars.

Long pass at night at the More race is a realy cool shot.

Too many of the same shot with different cars back to back to back. Ie rockpile at more race.

Great footage of the truck rolling on the buggy incar

I like that all the wads went to a slow mo shot repeat right after. Saves me from having to do it with my dvd player

I really like the suspension cam on the Lenk car, use more of it

It was cool to see vid footage of delmar since I pretty much watched the whole thing frame by frame in stills. Very cool lap around the track cutting in the diffrent cars.

Great silt bed footage at V2R

I also liked the launch and landing cams at the Wall

Where is the rest of the CORR footage? Lots of cool stuff could have been added

Crash at the very end is fucking awesome.

Cover photo is really boring. Especially knowing you have some amazing photos.

Overall very good first effort but has room to improve.

Riviera Racing 3 - Above the Law - Review

Sinister Films has just released Riviera Racing 3: Above the Law. This DVD has set the new standard for desert racing DVDs.

Riviera Racing 3 9/10

This DVD is packed with fantastic footage and great tunes. One thing that stood out to me was the professional narration many other off road DVDs are missing. The native 16:9 format was a pleasant change and something other filmmakers need to incorporate. On board camera usage was unique and plentiful, I think I counted 5 or 6 different on board cameras used on TT#3.

Top notch editing that was smooth and seamless.

The only thing I can think of to be improved is to release it on Bluray HD. Great job Jimmy.

Backflip in a truck?

Red Bull driver Rhys Millen will attempt to complete a backflip in a truck on Dec 31ast, 2007 at the Rio in Las Vegas. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN. Click here for more info.

Two-time Cup champ Johnson to race former F1 ace Schumacher

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/columns/story?seriesId=2&columnist=smith_marty&id=3154388

LONDON -- Many Formula 1 racing fans scoff at the very thought of NASCAR, consider it no more racing than a Monster Truck rally, and perceive it as a dog 'n' pony show contrived from corporate marketing that belongs on the main stage at the county fair. Conversely, many NASCAR fans fly the single-digit salute at F1, pay it little -- if any -- mind, figure it's a glorified homecoming parade at 200 mph staged in some faraway land they can't even pronounce.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Terry Renna

Jimmie Johnson calls his head-to-head battle with Michael Schumacher a "great opportunity to race against the best in the world."

Love lost? Not so much. It's a lack-of-respect thing.Well, folks, listen up. Regardless of your respective allegiance, come Sunday evening you'll have unmistakable bragging rights. Why? Because the very best in NASCAR is set to strap in and square off against the very best in F1 -- in identically prepared cars -- as part of the 20th running of the Race of Champions Nation's Cup.Race organizers told ESPN.com on Thursday that Jimmie Johnson and Michael Schumacher will race head-to-head in Sunday's event.Back-to-back Cup champ vs. seven-time F1 title-winner. No excuses."It's one hell of a great opportunity to race against the best in the world, and as a driver that's what you're always looking for -- it's what you want," Johnson said Thursday while dining on sushi at Nobu London. "It's a different type of race. We're only going about 30 mph [average], so we'll have to be really technically sound. Hitting your marks will be key."Thirty miles per hour. That may seem mundane -- your granny drives that speed on the highway, after all -- but it's not. Far from it. Having covered this event last year in Paris, I will testify to its intensity and precision. These boys are here for three reasons: (1) It's fun as hell; (2) To beat the best in the world; (3) To win for their country. And they mean it. Go through the motions? Get embarrassed. "Everyone recognizes [Schumacher] as a champion, and after winning my second straight championship in NASCAR, I hope I'm perceived that way," Johnson said. "Beating him and helping Team USA win the Nations Cup would be the perfect ending to the best year of my career."If Johnson prevails over Schumacher, it will boost the perception of stock car racing overseas. Schumacher retired last year, but don't think for a minute he's lost anything behind the wheel. And rest assured, he wants to win this badly, too. Some say NASCAR and F1 don't pay mind to one another because they have completely separate goals. Whatever. Everybody wants to be king. Think about it. For a random guy here in London to pick up the paper Monday morning and see that a NASCAR guy beat one of the most celebrated drivers of all time would have to positively affect NASCAR. And though neither side will admit it, there is an unspoken rivalry between NASCAR and F1. Juan Pablo Montoya told me earlier this year that I was reaching for something that's not there. He'd know, so he's probably right. But it's the biggest thing in the States vs. the biggest thing in Europe. How could there not be a rivalry? All said, this faceoff is a race fan's dream scenario. Johnson and U.S. teammate Travis Pastrana will run head-to-head against Team Germany, for whom Schumacher is paired with Sebastian Vettel of F1's Scuderia Toro Rosso team.Johnson and Schumacher will be driving four-wheel-drive Fiat Grande Punto S 2000s in a two-lap sprint before handing the wheel over to their respective teammates.The ROC concept is akin to that employed by the former IROC in America -- pitting champion drivers from various forms of motorsport against one another in identical cars to determine who's best. But whereas IROC was run on ovals, the Race of Champions is staged on an asphalt track laid inside a stadium. After several years at the Stade de France in Paris, the event moves this year to London's hallowed Wembley Stadium. And ROC is broken down into two competitions -- a team competition in which eight two-man teams will battle for the Nation's Cup, and an individual competition in which every driver on hand races to be crowned best of the best.Nation's Cup comes first. USA vs. Germany. Johnson vs. Schumacher. But if you ask me, there's a lot more on the line than just Johnson vs. Schumacher. Marty Smith is a contributor to ESPN's NASCAR coverage. He can be reached at ESPNsider@aol.com.

Monster Energy Steps Up As Title Sponsor Of The 2008 AMA Supercross Series

Corona, Calif., based company will front the highly popular American stadium-based off road motorcycle racing series which begins Jan. 5th in California CORONA, Calif., (Dec. 13, 2007) - -Monster Energy, in cooperation with Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc., announced today that Monster Energy will be the title sponsor for the upcoming 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, beginning at Anaheim' 's Angel Stadium, Jan. 5th. " "Today marks the opening of a new and exciting chapter in the history of Monster Energy," "said Monster Energy spokesman Scott Sepkovic. " "Monster has been a very loyal and generous supporter of the sport of motocross at all levels. And with the move to step up as the title sponsor of supercross, Monster' 's moved to bolster its already stratospheric brand awareness within the industry and beyond." " " "Fans were used to seeing the iconic M-claw logo on top of the podium with Carmichael, McGrath, Langston, Stewart and Villopoto - among others. Now it' 'll be seen everywhere." " Since the sport' 's inception here in the States in 1972 (LA Coliseum), Monster Energy AMA Supercross has stood as the reigning king of all action sports. With jumps and air time that boggle the mind, along with the most fit and focused athletes in the competition motorsports world, the partnership between supercross and action sports-friendly Monster Energy is a natural. " "We view the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series as the pinnacle of action sports competition," "said Monster Energy Sports Marketing Director John Lee. " "Monster Energy' 's loyal fan base, including the ever-growing Monster Army, will for certain tap deep into the action sports community to help deliver Monster Energy AMA Supercross to an even wider demographic than its enjoyed in the past." " Lee added that the legions of loyal Monster Energy drinkers, along with the core action sports athletes Monster backs (skate, surf, snow and BMX), will tune into the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series and continue to add to the sport' 's already solid fan base. " "The sport of supercross, though mainly based here in the States, is considered a global property in terms of its scope," "said Lee. " "Monster Energy recognizes this and, as we work to distribute our product line to all points on the planet, we' 'll no doubt enjoy the great acceptance of supercross within the action sports and motorsports communities and the additional brand awareness it will deliver for Monster Energy around the world." " The 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series schedule: January 5, 2008 Anaheim, Calif. Angel Stadium January 12, 2008 Phoenix Chase Field January 19, 2008 Anaheim, Calif. Angel Stadium January 26, 2008 San Francisco, AT& T Park February 2, 2008 Anaheim, Calif. Angel Stadium February 9, 2008 San Diego Qualcomm Stadium February 16, 2008 Houston Reliant Stadium February 23, 2008 Atlanta Georgia Dome March 1, 2008 Indianapolis RCA Dome March 7, 2008 Daytona, Fla. Daytona Motor Speedway March 15, 2008 Minneapolis Metrodome March 29, 2008 Toronto Rogers Centre April 5, 2008 Irving, Texas Texas Stadium April 12, 2008 Detroit Ford Field April 19, 2008 St. Louis Edward Jones Dome April 26, 2008 Seattle Qwest Field May 3, 2008 Las Vegas Sam Boyd Stadium Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it BMX, skate, FMX, MotoGP, MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, MTB, off-road, surf, snow - - name it - -the athletes are rockin' 'Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types - -Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called " "M-80" "and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Everybody involved with the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series will be diggin' ' ' 'em - -so will you. On the ' 'Net at www.monsterenergy.com

Returning to San Felipe, Baja California

Returning to San Felipe, Baja California, for March race

Finalizes six-race 2008 SCORE Desert Series Schedule

22^nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 to be held March 14-15, 2008

Along the picturesque azure waters of the Sea of Cortez

LOS ANGELES—Following lengthy negotiations, SCORE International has officially announced that the location for the popular ‘Spring Break’ desert race held annually in March in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula will return to San Felipe for 2008. The 22^nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 will be held March 14-15 in the quaint fishing village on the East coast of Baja California along the tranquil Sea of Cortez.

Because of significant political situations beyond its control, SCORE was forced at the last minute to move the 2007 event to the West coast of the peninsula, where it started in Ensenada and finished in Santo Tomas.

With the location finalized for the March race, SCORE International is ready to launch its six-race 2008 SCORE Desert Series.

Keeping the same venues and all but one of the same race weekends for its five open desert races and one stadium-style short-course event as the past three years, the 2008 SCORE Desert Series will again feature three races in Southern Nevada and three in Mexico.

“We were forced to move the 2007 spring race on less than 10 days notice and we are confident that the issues that affected us have all been resolved,” said Sal Fish, CEO/President of SCORE, which is based in Los Angeles. “We never wanted to leave San Felipe in the first place so we are obviously very excited to return to San Felipe where we have had such great races over the years. We are finalizing details with Mexican authorities that will enhance some of the spectator areas for the race.”

In confirming the commitment of the Mexican authorities to bring this popular race back to San Felipe, Rodolfo Valdez, Mayor of the city of Mexicali that has jurisdiction over San Felipe, expressed complete cooperation from all parties involved to execute the final permits for the event.

“We want this race to return to our area where it has grown to be one of our very best special events and the economic impact of the race speaks for itself,” said Valdez. “We have the full support of state and federal authorities. We are committed to have this spectacular event in San Felipe for the full three years of our term in office and into the future beyond that.”

In 2006, the last time the race was held in San Felipe, there were a race-record 341 starters. That number was topped in 2007 in Ensenada when a new record of 394 starters took the green flag in the race.

The SCORE Desert Series, which features 28 Pro and six Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycle and ATVs, will kick off Jan. 24-27 with the popular 14th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in the Southern Nevada resort city of Laughlin on the banks of the Colorado River. The season will conclude Nov. 19-22 with the 41^st Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the granddaddy of all desert racing, in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

“The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is the most unique and increasingly popular desert race in the U.S. and the legendary Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 is the best known desert race in the world,” added Fish, who has been at the head of SCORE since 1974. “These two races provide wonderful ways to start and finish our SCORE racing season.”

SCORE also announced the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup IV, will be held July 17-19 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is a special fan-friendly short-course point’s race for select classes on the Dirt Track at LVMS.

Since its debut in 1995, the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge has helped establish Laughlin as a viable host for special events. Thousands of spectators join over 200 racers and their crews in converging on the city

each year to watch the best of the best desert racers compete in a unique-format, two-day race that includes a temporary stadium surrounding the start/finish line area and the main pits.

A total of 18 different Pro and two Sportsman classes for cars and trucks are split into seven groups in Laughlin, each running as part of one of seven races of three to six laps each over the much-abbreviated course each day. The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge also includes a pre-race activity that is not part of any other race on the schedule—the $25,000 Laughlin Leap. The Laughlin Leap is held under the lights on Thursday evening of race week at the Laughlin Events Park.

Contingency in Laughlin, held for the first time in an area in the heart of the Laughlin resort area. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, 2008, the colorful contingency and manufacturer’s midway will be located on Bruce Woodbury Drive at the intersection of Casino Drive.

Round 2 and 3 of the 2008 SCORE Desert Series will both be held in Mexico. The 22^nd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 is set for March 14-15, followed by the 40th anniversary of the vastly popular Tecate SCORE Baja 500, May 30-June 1, in Ensenada, Baja California.

The season-ending 41^st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will be a loop race, starting and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California.

The series returns to Southern Nevada for Round 4 and Round 5. Round 4 will be the special SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup IV short-course event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Round 5 will be the 13th Annual SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300 which will be held Sept. 5-6 in Primm, Nev., 45 miles south of Las Vegas.

SCORE International, founded in 1973 by the late Mickey Thompson and headed by Sal Fish since 1974, continues today as the premier sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing. SCORE races feature 18 Pro and three Sportsman classes for cars and trucks in the U.S. with 10 additional Pro and three more Sportsman classes for motorcycles and ATVs competing in the races in Mexico. SCORE races in the U.S. average 200 entries while the average in Mexico, with motorcycle and ATV classes running as well as the cars and trucks is 350.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/Bryant Petroleum-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Volkswagen-official vehicle, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, American Racing ATX Series-official wheel, Slime-official tire sealant, Red Bull--official energy drink and Bosch Power Tools-official power tool. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Enthusiast Advertising, Kartek Off-Road, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bendix, American Suzuki, NAPA Chassis, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Committee, the Laughlin Visitors Bureau, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and Las Vegas Events.

The SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300 is sponsored by Terrible Herbst Inc., Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Additional associate sponsors for races in Mexico are, Fideicomiso Publio para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, the government of Baja California, the State Tourism Department of Baja California and the Tourism Department of Mexicali.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2008 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

2008 SCORE Desert Series

Schedule of Events

Date, Event/Location

Jan. 24-27 14th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Laughlin, Nevada

March 14-15 22nd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250

San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico

May 30-June 1 40th Tecate SCORE Baja 500

Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

July 17-19* SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup IV*

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Sept. 5-6 13th SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300

Primm, Nevada

Nov. 19-22 41st Tecate SCORE Baja 1000

Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

*select classes, closed-course event

Vildosola Racing: mission accomplished

Mexicali B.C. December 10 2007. - For immediate release

In the middle one of the most toughest and intense battle in the Protruck series by many years, Tavo Vildosola claimed his second title in the Baja Protruck this past Saturday at the Glen Helen Baja Cup IV, Tavo on his way to be crowned champion of the series also give to Toyota his first manufacturers cup after 11 seasons of competition in the series.

The Vildosola Racing Toyota Tundra, was a proof of endurance and speed all season long, with two wins, one second place and two top 10 finished, the points lead was very good before this event, at this race we changed the race plan we used to, instead of running hard all day, Tavo concentrated on keep the truck in good shape, from the 2^nd half of the race he started to make some time on the competition and a good pit stop after his first hour of racing, he was running on the third place.

When he was on the middle of a good battle for the second place with Alan Levinson, “The Mexicana Logistics Protruck started to have some problems, two days before the race rained very hard, the track has some changes and nobody can practice due the mud on all the place, weather cooperated on Saturday, but some mud holes didn’t dry before the race start, that mud started to stay on the radiator and we started to run hot due the deficient cooling system, we stopped to put some water and clean the radiator but we lost some places and the shot of defend our title at this race”.

Tavo continued: “we ran very consistent all day, we don’t make any error and no flat tires, the crew did a great job on the hot pit and we gain some spots after the pit stop, at that point we started to run more fast and gain some more positions, we are very confident we really had a great opportunity to win this one, but we are very happy to win back to back our second title in the series”.

We are ready to make our assault next year in the Trophy Truck class, we always love to race in Protruck series, but now its time to do our best and compete against the best teams in the sport and capture our first title in the Trophy Truck series, my dad and I will be racing the full Score series and some other selected events so be ready.

Vildosola Racing’s are sponsored by: Mexicana Logistics, Aguilas del Desierto, BFGoodrich Tires, Mastercraft, Papas & Beer, Kartek, PIAA Lights, OGIO, MOMO and Toyota Racing Development.

To check out pictures, videos, previous press releases, the team’s progress in 2007 and other information go to www.vildosolaracing.com or the team youtube site at www.youtube.com/vildosolaracing

for additional info on Vildosola Racing contact:
Victor Gasca - vgazca@vildosolaracing.com (619) 805-8444, Mex (686) 119-5618

Durka Durka Photo End of the Year Sale! 1/3 off

Durka Durka Photo is offering a year end sale on all prints (December 2007 events not on sale).

Get 1/3 off (33%) all prints

Photos make great gifts.

Enter coupon code holidurka to get 1/3 off your next order.
Coupon may only be used one time per person.
Coupon good through December 31, 2007

Happy Holidays from Durka Durka Photo.

LUGO\OLLIGES RACING EARNS 2007 BEST IN THE DESERT TRICK TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP

LUGO\OLLIGES RACING EARNS 2007 BEST IN THE DESERT TRICK TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 1^ST PLACE FINISH IN SEASON FINALE AT THE HENDERSON’S TERRIBLE 400

Henderson, Nevada. (December 1, 2007) At a rain soaked Henderson’s Terrible 400, the sun shined brightly on Team Ford #36 Trick Truck drivers Wayne Lugo and Steve Olliges, who overcame obstacles on and off the course to win their first race of the year and in doing so captured the highly coveted 2007 Best in the Desert Trick Truck championship. The win was a stark reversal of fortune from October’s Las Vegas 300, during which a victory looked certain until a fluke belt failure stole the win from them less than 20 miles from the finish.

Despite a 9 point lead over second place G&R Racing heading into this race, Lugo and Olliges had their sights on a convincing class win to lock up the championship. At the Las Vegas 300 in October, Lugo and Olliges swapped the lead several times with G&R driver Garron Cadiente on the last lap, and after flats slowed Cadiente in the last 50 miles, Lugo was cruising to a first place when, 20 miles from the finish, the motor inexplicably lost a belt. Despite suffering through over 60 minutes of down time with complications related to the fix, Lugo was still able to salvage a 4^th place, while Cadiente went on to the win..

Before qualifying on Thursday, Olliges was excited about their chances. “Wayne and I can’t wait to get in that truck again, it works so well. We had a fantastic race in Primm with Garron last month, with no mechanical problems or flats through the last checkpoint,” said Olliges, who drove the first 120 miles. ” We were certain we were going to be in contention for the win going into the race and less than 15 minutes away from our goal, after picking off people all day, it was devastating to lose it because of a quirky failure like a belt. Wayne and I have been around this sport long enough to know that desert has a strange way of causing crazy mood swings, and spitting a belt while only a few minutes out of overall contention certainly is a good example. It teaches you not to pop the champagne until the truck is on the trailer and the math is all done correctly.”

Cautiously optimistic about the championship yet hungry for the win, Olliges showed the truck’s strength early by posting a career best 3^rd fastest Trick Truck qualifying speed during the Time Trials on Thursday. The Team Ford Pole Position Trophy and the $1000 cash went to Sam Berri, who beat out Trick Truck driver Todd Wyllie by just over 3 seconds. On race day, Lugo/Olliges indeed set their pace off of Wyllie who was not in championship contention, and judging by the blistering lap times, was obviously looking for an overall win by dicing with eventual overall winner Chuck Hovey all day. Lugo and Olliges were themselves pushing hard and chasing down Wyllie when an off course excursion late in the race cost them some down time in the pits, relegating Lugo further back in second place just barely in front of the third place G&R entry. However, as a second place finish loomed, bad desert luck instead this time bit the Wyllie team, who were the victims of a broken lower A arm only 2 miles from the finish. Lugo/Olliges finished first in the Trick Truck class, and had the third fastest overall time out of all car and truck competitors, behind Hovey and second fastest, Shawn Croll.

“The #36 Ford F150 has never performed better than it did today and it felt great,” said Lugo, whose codriver Bart Walker said it was the best race he has ever seen Lugo drive. “Steve gave me the truck in perfect condition like he has done every race this season, and I was pushing for an overall win, which we believed was achievable today. I worked very hard and made this truck work even harder, and it never let me down. We passed a lot of cars and trucks but had to suffer through a long final pit stop, which cost us for the overall. I tried to get it all back within the next 40 miles and not surprisingly got flats on the last lap. With Bart’s help we were back on the course in no time, I was able to gather myself, and we were making some time on Wyllie when he broke. It is a shame for his team, but I know that our team deserves a win, and even more so deserves the championship. It is the most dedicated and hard working team of friends and family I have ever been associated with and everyone on this team is a champion. I am very happy for all of them.”

“This is most fulfilling and satisfying championship I have ever been a part of,” said Olliges, who now has 7 desert class championships to his credit. “Our Stewart’s Raceworks prepared Ford finished every mile of every race this year, and a ton of credit should go to Wayne, who is one of the most underrated drivers in our sport, our team manager Peter Treydte and Tony Deno of Stewart’s Raceworks, along with all of the rest of the team. I knew at the beginning of the season at Parker when we finished second to Rob MacCachren that we were going to be very fast, and even more consistent, and would be in the middle of the championship hunt at the end of the year. What I didn’t know was that this group of people would, every race, be so totally dedicated and continually give us the best truck that I have ever driven. It just got better and better as the season progressed and today again it was totally flawless. It is an absolute pleasure to drive and I am thankful to Wayne for the opportunity, along with Casey Folks and the Best in the Desert staff. The icing on the cake for me is that Wayne and his family, my codrivers Derek Tenney and Chris Curtis, and the rest of the team and their families are such great people and a pleasure to be around. It is truly a perfect partnership and I can’t wait to drive the bright red F150 Trick Truck with a big “#1” next to the Team Ford logo next year. “

Along with the class win and championship, Lugo\Olliges also wrapped up 2nd place in the season long quest for the BITD “King of the Desert” honors, awarded to the driver who completes every mile of the five BITD races of the season in the shortest elapsed time. Wayne and Steve completed all 1867 miles of rugged desert course this year at an average speed of over 50 mph, and were second to only Chuck Hovey , who also won the Grand Champion chase. Hovey had the most championship points of all competitors this year, and Lugo\Olliges had the 5^th most. See the year’s highlights captured by Paradigm Productions at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPwtcFSWdEQ

Lugo\Olliges Racing is proudly sponsored by Team Ford (www.teamford.com), BFGoodrich Tires (www.bfgoodrichtires.com), King Shocks (www.kingshocks.com), and Stewart’s Raceworks (www.stewartsraceworks.com)

Pro 1600 Shootout

F1 Bans Engine Development for 10 Years

http://jalopnik.com/cars/racing-news/is-this-the-end-f1-bans-engine-development-for-10-years-331695.php

FIA has just announced a 10-year ban on engine development in Formula One. Teams will have to submit an engine to FIA by March 31, 2008, which they will then have to use through 2017. Speaking about the decision, FIA President Max Mosley said, "There is no need to develop an F1 engine any further. The engine runs at 19,000 rpm, which is far faster than any comparable engine. It sounds good, it's reliable and amazingly the six partially frozen engines of the current manufacturers are really evenly matched."

We used to be avid F1 fans, attending the Silverstone Grand Prix nearly every year during our childhood. Recently, that passion has disappeared, largely because of incredibly boring races, a dearth of personality within the sport and mind-boggling rule changes. We can't help but feel that this latest policy change has completely removed the sport's last remaining point of appeal: technological development. How did we get to this point? [Via Motor Authority]
Photo credit: StuSeeger

Two U.S. Citizens Detained in Mexicali For Alleged Weapons Smuggling

http://www.kpbs.org/news/local;id=10422

Two U.S. Citizens were detained in Mexicali over the weekend for trying to enter Mexico with a machine gun and a large amount of ammunition. KPBS reporter Amy Isackson has details.

Mexican customs officials detained the San Bernardino couple as they crossed the border from Calexico to Mexicali.

Lorena Blanco is spokeswoman for the U.S. Consualte in Tijuana.

She says customs officials searched Billy Schmidt and Claudia Black's bags and found an AR-15 machine gun.

Blanco: And 25,000 rounds of ammunition. They're being held in Mexicali by federal authorities.

Crossing the border with high-caliber ammunition is punishable by five to 15 years in prison.

It’s also against the law in Mexico to possess a weapon only the military is allowed to use, like an automatic assault rifle.

It’s not clear why the couple had the gun and ammunition.

U.S. and Mexican federal officials estimate more than 90 percent of illegal firearms in Mexico are smuggled from the United States.

Amy Isackson, KPBS News.

DIRTT VIDEO GAME FEATURING CORR WINS DRIVING VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR

DIRT™ VIDEO GAME FEATURING corr WINS driving video GAME OF THE YEAR

Newport Beach, CA (Monday, Dec. 10, 2007) —The video game DIRT™ featuring Championship Off Road Racing took home the Driving Video Game of the Year Award Sunday night at the VGA on Spike TV. Competition in the category included Need For Speed Pro Street, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Forza Motorsports 2. DIRT™ debuted in the USA in June and quickly became a favorite among video game enthusiasts.

CORR is one of the several forms of racing featured in the highly popular racing game. In each round, ten drivers compete head-to-head in a fierce off-road race. Super Buggies and Pro 4 Trucks, race on tracks packed full of tabletop jumps, drop-offs and moguls making for a thrilling mix of racing action. This game test’s players’ driving skills and push them to the limit.

Established in 1986, Codemasters dominant brands include Colin McRae Rally, TOCA Race Driver, LMA Manager, Brian Lara Cricket and Operation Flashpoint. The company is headquartered in Southam, Warwickshire UK and maintains operations in the U.S, Germany, France, Spain, and Benelux. More information about the company and its products is available online at: http://www.codemasters.com.

Championship Off Road Racing™ brings high action, four wheel motorsports including 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive trucks to the closed course off road arena. The 2007 CORR season includes seven events at tracks located in Los Angeles and San Diego, CA, Texas and Nevada.

PDR Sonora 200 Photo Jihad!!

All photos now posted at Durka Durka Photo

A small preview

2007 CORR Pro 4 Champion CARL RENEZEDER made the All-America Auto Racing Team

Newport Beach, CA (Monday, Dec. 10, 2007) — Championship Off Road Racing’s own Carl Renezeder made the All America Auto Racing Team. The team is voted on by the AARWBA and includes drivers from all forms of racing. Renezeder received the Honorable Mention award in the At Large category. Renezeder previously received an Honorable Mention nod in 2005.

In the At Large category, IRL Indy Pro Series champ Alex Lloyd had a comfortable margin over the rest of the field. Only one vote made the difference between ALMS GT2 champions Jaime Melo/Mika Salo making First Team and SCCA World Challenge GT champ Randy Pobst landing on the Second Team. Joining Pobst was Frank Manzo, who won his 11th NHRA national Alcohol Funny Car title. So close was the At Large category that Honorable Mentions Carl Renezeder, who won 19 off-road races and two championships, and Raphael Matos, the Champ Car Atlantic titlist, were only a dozen votes out of First Team.

Two drivers from each of seven categories are elected to the First Team, two more to the Second Team, and all drivers receiving at least five percent of the vote earn honorable mention. In road racing endurance series, teammates with identical scores are voted as one entity, with the result that 16 drivers are named to both the First Team and Second team this year. In two categories only one vote made the difference between a driver making first team or not.

For 37 years, the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association has elected the annual All America Racing Team. The team is recognized by the Associated Press, Reuters and major publications as the only team of its kind in motor sports. Each year, two team members are elected in each of seven categories (unless there is a tie, in which case both tying drivers are elected). The driver who receives the most votes is awarded the Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy™ as AARWBA's Driver of the Year.

Championship Off Road Racing™ brings high action, four wheel motorsports including 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive trucks to the closed course off road arena. The 2007 CORR season includes seven events at tracks located in Los Angeles and San Diego, CA, Fort Worth/Dallas, TX and Primm, NV.