Racing in 2011 Preview

Leo Parente looks ahead at the coming races to close out the 2010 seasons, with highlights on what we can expect for 2011 and beyond in F1, WRC, Grand-AM, DTM, and SuperGT.

Male Speaker: You should know by now that MotoGP god Valentino Rossi announced he'll be riding a Ducati for the next two years, and during that time all Italians automatically get into heaven. And I took a lot of crap from certain commenters about the complexity of information in the last week Shakedown. So to those of you who can only process simplicity, let me explain Rossi story so you can understand. Rossi is a really good motorcycle rider. He wins lots of MotoGP championships. MotoGP is like Formula 1, but for motorcycles. Motorcycles are like half a car because they only have two wheels, but motorcycles are really loud, fast and do wheelings so motorcycles are fun to watch and Valentino Rossi is so good, he is, he is really fun to watch. Welcome to the new shakedown the special ed edition. Now here is a dog chasing a race car JF do I really need to dumb this down this much. Shakedown. Male Speaker: Pirelli started testing it's 2011 F1 tires. They're using the 2009 Toyota GP car and Nick Heidfeld. Hey do I need to be the guy that points outs that neither car nor driver can give the P1 level feedback because both have never won in Formula 1. Pirelli says that by testing with Toyota versus an active team like a McLaren they wont be giving anyone of the regulars a leg up advantage. So where do they test, one of Ferrari's tracks Mugello. I bet the boys in red learned nothing. Pirelli will test in more locations, but they're being careful not to pick places too close to New York's Ground Zero or an Islamic Mosque, you know I think I just confused stories there. Speaking of facing off for offending foreigners, here is a question for you. With Italian Pirelli replacing French Michelin with various teams, manufacturers and drivers from different countries, which country makes the most impact on F1? Your choices are Italy, England, France, Germany or and give me your reasons why. Now I'm going to treat you like an adult and take another run at new rules and new cars coming down the pike for 2011 and 2012. First let's talk DTM, German Touring Cars and Japan's Super GT because racecar-engineering.com says that the two series are getting together to codify specs. This may open up DTM to Lexus, Nissan, Honda and Super GT to accept more four door cars. Cruze is rumored too, it's all taking place 2012. Staying in Japan shows us what will happen when the GRAND-AM DP class gets its tweaks in 2011. Paddle shifts will be allowed with other tech improvements, but GA is also going to fix the ugly and this GT300 Dp Chassis Sedan shows us how handsome the cars can become. Also coming out of Japan, Sony's Gran Turismo 5 racing Sim has finally announced it's on sale date. November 2nd for the U.S, November 3rd for Europe. GT5 includes WRC, Super GT and NASCAR, night racing, finally crash damage and more cars and tracks than ever. This could be the best 60bucks in racing. Now this weekend the action picks up with WRC in Germany. British Touring Car at Silverstone, DTM at Zandvoort, Le Mans series at the Hungaroring, Super GT at Suzuka and ALMS at Road America known to the world as one of the most worldly most classic road courses in the U.S. Road America has been home to the K&M cars of the 60's and 70's. Indycars into the 1990's and so much more since the tracks first road race in 1954, but now we have Vaughn Gittin, baptizing the famous corners with a Mustang Drift lap to show you let's mash-up past and present. Meanwhile the other team from down under is way up,.on top and they're getting to widen the lead. Dan Gurney third, Lipinski, Sonoki, specials and John Serges is sixth, David Chaparral is barely hanging on the ninth behind Peter Revson. Here is John Serges to take over the fifth place. Then around the Canada corner oops Hillman really pushing it blasting his way into a echo chamber called thunder valley. Male Speaker: Red line time attack just visited another classic American track Sebring. And Chris Rado brought his newest Scion TC now with all wheel drive and 1200 to 1400 horse power depending on which blog you read. But Sebring became a shakedown for the Scion as the team worked through mechanical kicks with the brakes and ignition. So we never turned to hot lap. But to give you an idea of what's to come here is the old front wheel drive 1000 horse power Scion versus the Corvette ZO6. Wow, I thought objects were supposed to peer smaller in the mirror not the windshield and how is this for a tie up. The TC runs Wiseman transmissions and locker dips made famous by being in the McLaren Can-Am cars seen and getting mash up. Go to wiseman.net to learn all about their history, you'd be amazed. But one guy they apparently never work with was Parnelli Jones. He have recent publicity with the return of the Mustang Boss 302. In the old trans am days PJ was the boss. He is in the Orange number 15 up front or passing or sliding the corner like a 70's, two stories. First about the original 1969 and 1970 Boss race cars. While Penski was acid dipping camaro bodies to lighten them. Rumors that Ford encountered by simply having the Mustang Assembly Plant build a few Boss bodies with thinner gabe steel ran them right down the line. See how racing in the old days was more honest running real cars. Shakedown. Second story, I raced against Parnelli's Kid Page and PJ used to call me Mario. I said I was just like I am ready because I raced hard, no he thought because you are pain in the ass just like he was. Nextnewnetworks tips@fastlanedaily.com AutoStream.Com.