Sunday

FORMULA ONE IN JAPAN


A rain soaked event in Japan found Lewis Hamilton gliding across the finish line in first place. Another rookie, Heikki Kovalainen, came in second place. I really don't know anything about him except that he is from Finland. And also from Finland, Kiki Raikkonen, came in third in his Ferrari.

The scene below may have knocked Alonso out of the Championship running. At the time he was trailing Hamilton by only 2 points and now it is 12. Oh, well, only two races to go...China and Brazil...anything can happen.

ALONSO TAKES IT ON THE NOSE

Saturday

SEPTEMBER 29TH

1972 MONTE CARLO

1936 FORD

4th Annual Classic Car Auction is being held at Frank Sisson's Silver Dollar Casino in western Canada. For information:

4303 9 St SE
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

403-287-6565

1940 PACKARD 110

1948 PLYMOUTH

Thursday

SEPTEMBEER 30TH

1937 FORD

Artcurial of France will be holding an auction at:

Musée Automobile de la Sarthe
Circuit des 24 heures du Mans
72009 Le Mans

+33 1 42 99 16 31

1962 JAGUAR

SEPTEMBER 28TH

1939 FORD DELUXE SEDAN

1947 CROSLEY HOT SHOT

Kruse International presents an auction at the Arkansas State Fairground Barton Coliseum for two days. To include classic, muscle, high performance, hot rod and exotic automobiles. Check it at:

www.kruseinternational.com

1-800-968-4444

1948 NASH AMBASSADOR

1962 MERCEDES 190 SL

Monday

FUTURE CLASSIC....


Most production cars today will never be a classic twenty-five or fifty years down the road. So you have a lot of companies producing ‘niche’ cars in a short production run to fill that void.

Lotus has just announced details of a very special limited edition - one that only 25 people will be lucky enough to own.

The ‘Exige S Club Racer’ celebrates the company's monumental racing heritage - most visibly through its paintwork. The sky blue finish harks back to club racers of the '60s and is set off by a 'Phantom Black' tri-stripe. Black leather, AC and an exhaust that will knock your socks off.

Selling at a value price of only $81,000 it would be interesting to see who gets these 25 cars. Outside of the company, that is. It produces 218hp at 7,800rpm, 158lb/ft of torque which will give you 0-60mph in a time of 4.1 seconds. A classic in the making.

People that have been counting how fast the Ferrari Enzo limited production (400) series is disappearing from the roads should realize that it is a lot easier to count backwards from 25 than 400.

Thursday

SEPTEMBER 22ND

1930 FORD

1946 FORD COUPE

MidAmerica Auctions is proud to present several classic cars from private collections din their 21st year. Check it at:

Twin Cities Classic Car Auction
National Sport Center, 105th Ave & Hwy. 65 N
Blaine, Minnesota.

www.MidAmericaAuctions.com

1-800-473-2324 or 1-651-633-9655

1953 PACKARD CARIBEAN

1955 OLDSMOBILE

Wednesday

SEPTEMBER 20TH

1956 CHEVROLET BELAIRE SEDAN

1956 PONTIAC STARCHIEF CONVERTIBLE

Starting September 20th through the 23rd there will be an muscle car auction at
Wildwood NJ Boardwalk Classic Car Auction. Check it out at:

609-523-8051

1959 CORVETTE

1965 MUSTANG

Sunday

FORMULA ONE IN BELGIUM


Raikkonnen pulled off a first place in Belgium followed by his Ferrari teammate Massa. In third place was two time world champion Alonso in the McLaren.

Alonso was driving under a cloud brought on by Thursday’s courtroom revelation that McLaren in fact did have documents from Ferrari that they were using this year. Until that point I felt that the documents could have just as easily been planted.

So, now we know, McLaren-Mercedes is a cheat and they all knew it except the new driver Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton has had a fantastic year so far and I am sure that he is crushed by this problem. He may have a couple of more years with McLaren under contract. He was almost bred for this job by Mercedes and I am sure he has some loyalty to McLaren-Mercedes.

Alonso, on the other hand, got driver immunity for himself and Pedro de la Rosa before speaking against McLaren-Mercedes. I wouldn’t look for him to be with them next year. Some have said that if he wins the championship (now only 2 points behind Hamilton) they wouldn’t watch Formula One again. They always come back.

McLaren-Mercedes, got a heavy fine, $100 million and stripped of their constructor points for 2007. It makes the $5 million fine against Turkey last year look like a drop in the bucket. The money gets spread out between the teams and the balance going to some motorsport projects creating some new Hamilton’s no doubt.

All teams share a certain amount of information by hook or by crook. McLaren just got caught with their fingers in the Ferrari cookie jar.

Saturday

McLAREN LOSES IN COURT

With months of lies, decite and driver immunity the McLaren Team is being find $100 million. A very hefty amount. The team is also being striped of its points, but not the drivers. After all, that would affect the sports betting world. You can read it in PDF form at the following:

http://www.fia.com/resources/documents/17844641__WMSC_Decision_130907.pdf

Monday

McLAREN IN HOT WATER...

McLaren Team has been notified by Italian prosecutor, Giuseppe Tibis, that someone is under investigation for the removal of data from Ferrari that was found in the team’s possession. The notice was given to six people, so, who are they after? Or are they on a fishing trip?

Notified were team boss Ron Dennis, group manager Martin Whitmarsh, managing director Jonathan Neale, technical director Paddy Lowe, designer Rob Taylor and the chief designer Mike Coughlan who is suspended. He is alleged to have received the information from Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney. They both deny it.

Besides having the legal problem the matter comes up in front of the World Motor Sport Council in just a few days. What could they do? Levy huge fines on the team, make them sit out next year, make them sit out the rest of this year or since McLaren is first and second in the championship standing…strip them of all points. Either way it won’t be good.

Did McLaren really have it with someone’s knowledge? Was it planted by Ferrari to level the playing field? If it wasn’t planted how it the authorities find out about it?

The prosecutor claims that he has information leading to charges of possession of industrial secrets, sporting fraud and sabotage. Claiming that the sabotage was done to the Ferrari cars before their engineer was caught at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Maybe, but Massa came in third and Raikkonen came it eighth. Like under normal circumstances this couldn’t happen? Well, its Grand Prix and anything can happen.

Sunday

FORMULA ONE IN ITALY


Another podium for Lewis Hamilton this time in second. His teammate, Fernando Alonso, beat him to the line for first. Now there are only three points between them for the championship. With Hamilton still having the edge. Kimi Raikkonen came in third.

INDY CAR IN CHICAGO...SEASON FINAL


Dario Franchitti is not only the winner of the last race he is also the series champion. Neck and neck with Scott Dixon for the championship, Franchitti was able to squeeze out a win clinching his title. Scott Dixon came in second on both counts and Sam Hornich Jr. was third. An exciting season for these hardcore drivers.

Friday

BATTLE OF THE BRITS


What’s wrong with a little healthy competition? Especially when the net result is a big turnout of classic British sports cars? The Detroit Triumph Sportscar Club is stoking the competitive flames, challenging MG and Triumph owners to outdo each other at its 25th annual Battle of the Brits this weekend in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Think this is hotly contested? With all of the early registrations counted, the MGs were leading the Triumphs, 85 to 82. Final results will be determined on the show field on Sunday, September 9, in Freedom Hill Park. Last year, the MG owners nosed out the Triumphs, 110 to 107.

The Battle of the Brits is billed as Michigan’s largest British car and motorcycle show, with organizers predicting that 400 cars and 200 motorcycles will be on display. Show vehicle registration is $20 per vehicle. Awards will be presented in 37 judged classes and 11 participants’ choice categories. The show offers free admission for spectators (aside from $8 for parking), and will be held rain or shine.

Looking for a new project car, or some parts for your British beauty? You’ll find both there, too. Learn more, or register your own car, at:

www.battleofthebrits.org.

FROM SPORTSCAR MARKET:

Bonhams announced today that Christie's two most senior motoring directors and one of its most respected motoring consultants will join the Bonhams' Global Motor Car Department on November 1st, 2007.

Having just held their sale at Monterey during California's Pebble Beach Concours last month, the Head of Christie's International Car Dept Rupert Banner and Philip Kantor, Head of Christie's European Car Department, will join the Bonhams team on both sides of the Atlantic.

Rupert Banner will join Malcolm Barber, Bonhams' CEO, and Mark Osborne, Vice President of the US Car Department, in the United States. Based in New York, Rupert will take on the new role of Vice President of Business Development, US. Philip Kantor will become Bonhams' International Director of Business Development. He will continue to be based in mainland Europe.

A third member of Christie's motoring team - California-based Consultant Gordon McCall - will also join Bonhams' US motoring department on November 1st. He will continue in a similar role, as a senior consultant to the Bonhams worldwide motoring network. He will remain based in Carmel, California.

James Knight, Managing Director of Bonhams' Motoring Department, said, "We are delighted to welcome Rupert, Philip and Gordon, who have been respected rivals for many years. Their expertise and professionalism will add significant strengths to our global car team, with specific focus in the US and Europe where they will respectively be based."

Malcolm Barber added, "It gives me particular pleasure to have Rupert and Gordon join me here in the US. Their expertise will substantially add to our ability to grow and develop the various services we offer our motoring clients."

Philip Kantor made the following statement: "Joining Bonhams in this capacity represents an irresistible opportunity to focus on our main passion of auctioning cars and winning business, and further developing the growth of a company that uniquely understands our product with cars at its core."

Rupert Banner:

Rupert Banner has had an active interest in the car auction market from an early age, attending his first motorcar auction at the age of six, leading him to move into the business in 1994, when he joined Bonhams' CEO Malcolm Barber, who was then heading up the Sotheby's Motor Car Department. Four years later he moved to Christie's, where he rose from Specialist to Regional Head. Since the end of 2003, he has been the International Head of the Motor Car Department and a Director of the company. In this role, and as auctioneer, he has been instrumental in the success of the department, making key consignments to all international sales. In recent years he has been actively involved in all of Christie's US auctions.

With a broad knowledge and interest in many eras of cars Rupert has handled notable sales over the course of the last decade including cars from the collections of Sir Elton John, the late Alfred Heineken, and US West Coast collector Harris Laskey, the 'M' collection of Ferraris, as well as the Sharpe Collection, which comprised more than 200 cars.

Individual highlights have ranged from the sale of the 1908 Isle of Man T. T. - winning Hutton to Prince Michael of Kent's Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, from an Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C Type to a 'Tear-Drop' Talbot-Lago, and projects as diverse as caches of 'barn discoveries' and the sale of concours-winning Ferraris; the pinnacle of this being the recording of the world record price for any Bentley motor car, with the Works No. 2 Speed Six at £2.8-million.

Rupert is a member of the Bugatti Owners Club, Bentley Drivers Club, Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts and Owners Clubs, Vintage Sports Car Club, Veteran Car Club, and the Society of Automotive Historians, while being a regular competitor in the Tour Auto and annual entrant on the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

Philip Kantor:

Philip Kantor has had a lifelong passion for cars, developing this from his car collecting enthusiast father. A British national, who has lived in Belgium for several years, Philip, as European Director, has pioneered Christie's development in Europe and specifically France, using his multi-linguistic skills and contacts to secure top quality consignments and sale venues on the Continent. He ensured the success of Christie's first sale in the newly opened French market with the sale of the Lüscher Collection in 2002 and has since been responsible for the sale of many highlight lots in Europe, the U.K. and America. These include the first customer delivered Ferrari, a highly original Mille Miglia winning Tour de France Ferrari, Dan Gurney's Eagle Westlake Single Seater, a 'one owner from new' Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet, and within the last few months, Philip has fought off strong competition to secure the privately owned museum collection, which led his Monterey sale this year.

A well-known and formidable presence with a keen eye for quality and detail, Philip is a regular competitor in numerous rallies annually, including the Tour Auto. He attends events ranging from Le Mans Classic and Goodwood to modern Le Mans and Formula One Grand Prix. He has supervised preparation of his own cars to concours winning, but practical standards.

Gordon McCall:

Gordon McCall is a popular and well-known personality on the Monterey Peninsula who has been at the centre of the Monterey week for more that 30 years. A true enthusiast of cars, motorcycles, and cycles, he actively competes on road and track.

Formerly serving as a field director and class judge at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for several decades, his current involvement in the world's largest annual collector car event has been as host of his own exclusive welcome 'Motorworks' party at the Monterey Jet Center and as co-founder of the extremely popular 'The Quail - A Motorsports Gathering' which he developed with The Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie and the Peninsula Hotels Group.

Gordon McCall had been with Christie's since 1999 during which time he had been invaluable in the development of the company's sales, winning key consignments, including, just days ago, the sale of the Steve McQueen Ferrari Lusso for a world record price.He also has three decades of automotive experience as a restorer and car historian, as well as being a keen motorsport photographer and writer, and is an active supporter of his interests as a member of the Sports Car Club of America, US Cycling Federation and Lifetime Member of the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation.Gordon's contribution to Monterey week has been tremendous and he looks forward to developing the natural synergies with the Bonhams team in his car and motorcycle interests, specifically with Bonhams' annual US auction at 'The Quail' during the Pebble Beach Concours.

Thursday

MONDAY AND TUESDAY, 10TH AND 11TH

1955 TRIUMPH TR-2

1968+MGB


British Heritage by Barons
Esher Hall, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, England

www.barons-auctions.com

+44 023 8066 8413

1973 GINETTA

1973 JENSEN INTERCEPTOR

SUNDAY THE 9TH - THE PORSCHE SHOW

1966 PORSCHE 906, LE MANS CLASS WINNER

1963 PORSCHE 356C


Ragley Hall, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, England

www.coys.co.uk

+44 208 614 7888

1973 PORSCHE 911 T

1982 KREMER-PORSCHE CK5 GROUP C

SATURDAY THE 8TH

1914 INDIAN

1918 ROCKET-SCHNEIDER TYPE 15000 SALOON


National Motor Museum
auction by Bonhams

www.bonhams.com

+44 (0) 20 7447 7447

1930 MG M MIDGET

1951 TRIUMPH 650CC THUNDERBIRD

Wednesday

A NEW DE LOREAN IN THE MAKING

JOHN DE LOREAN

James Espey, vice president of the new De Lorean Motor Company, said the company will begin building new De Loreans next year. The cars will sell for $57,500 and retain the looks and gull-wing doors that made them famous.

This time De Lorean will assemble them by hand in Humble, Texas. At the rate of one or two cars a month.

When De Lorean closed in 1982, there were thousands of parts left and everything was shipped to a warehouse in Texas. Those parts and have been helping people restore and repair their De Loreans for the past 12 years. It is thought that of the 9,000 produced 6,500 remain on the road. The company will update the interior, provide stronger engines and address any shortcomings in the original vehicles. No mention of the engine that they intend to use.

The cars will be sold at five U.S. locations and one in Europe.

They claim that 80 percent of the new cars will be made with parts originally produced in the early 80’s. Whoa! Doesn’t sound like a new car to me. Sounds like they are taking the old bodies that are left, throwing in a new engine and redoing the interior. It should still be fun to own one.

Originally the creation of former General Motors whiz kid John De Lorean, The company folded in 1983. De Lorean was arrested in 1982 in a drug-trafficking sting. He was accused of conspiring to sell $24 million worth of cocaine to salvage his company.

Although De Lorean used an entrapment defense to win acquittal, legal entanglements plagued him for years. Forty outstanding cases when he died in 2005 at age 80. By then his home was in New Jersey, but they brought him back to Detroit for burial. At his funeral there were 25 to 30 De Loreans in attendance.

A Prince of Princes!
THE DE LOREAN

Monday

IS CHAMPCAR IN TROUBLE?

Last week after the Belgium race there were five races left. Holland, Australia, China, Mexico and Phoenix, Arizona. Now just one week later after the race in Holland there are only two races left. Australia and Mexico.

What happened in China: China never came up with all the paper work to get the cars in the country. This is a common problem in China, but when it is for a big event like this it is inexcusable. No one has said, but another problem with China is taking the money and taking a walk. It wouldn’t surprise me. They had a whole year to get it together.

What happened in Phoenix: They also had a year to get it together. Apparently they lost the title sponsor several months ago. And also had trouble getting other corporate sponsors. It is kind of a slap in the face to have an American based race series end their season in Mexico. It is not like Formula One who is really all over the world all the time. The two mile track would have been on the downtown streets of Phoenix. How nice.

Sunday

COMING ON THURSDAY

1939 SUNBEAM TALBOT LIGHT SALOON

1948 JOWETT JAVELIN

On Thursday some interesting cars are coming up for bid. Dorset Vintage & Classic Auctions is doing just that. At Stalbridge, Dorset, United Kingdom. Here is the rest of the information:

+44 01963 363353

info@dvca.co.uk

www.dvca.co.uk

1949 FORD ANGLIA

1953 RILEY

FORMULA ONE OUT OF UNITED STATES


Bernie Ecclestone, the richest man in England, has picked up his marbles and left the game. The writing was on the wall when Indiappolis Motor Speedway said they wanted to nogotciate a new contract. Bernie's response was, "no nogotciation, 20 million dollars." It is not the first time we have been through this with Uncle Bernie. He runs his Formula One circus with an iron fist.

I like Formula One and was very disappointed when they left Detroit many years ago. That, too, was under a cloud. Detroiters felt that the drivers were too fussy, not friendly enough, etc. But with Bernie it all boiled down to money. Some of the drivers feel the the United States should have three races. East, West and somewhere in the middle.

If you remember that over the years cigarette money played a big part in racing. After 2006 they were not supposed to advertise on the cars in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. A couple of countries tried to take a jump and do it in 2005 and Bernie just took the races away from them. I think Canada worked out a deal to get back on the schedule and the other country lost out. Notice what he has done lately, new tracks, new venues. All in the Middle East and Asia. No cigarette laws there, by golly. As each new track comes up he lops off a European one and now the U.S. Someone in Cyprus, which usually runs a World Rally, drew up plans to have Formula One here. Government rejected it, why I don't know. Probably because it wasn't their idea. I don't think Bernie would have taken it any way because since that time Cyprus has joined the European Union. No cigarettes. I doubt that Malaysia, Bahrain, Turkey, Japan, China or Brazil have a ban and the next new one Ahbudabi won't either. As for me, I still love Formula One.

Below is a letter to Bernie from Terry Blount at ESPN. It just about sums up the American thought:

Bernie Ecclestone has taken his ball and gone home.

The spoiled-brat boss of Formula One no longer cares to play in Indianapolis (or anywhere else in the good old US of A, apparently), so he has stormed off and taken his precious toy with him.

Formula One and Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced Thursday that the U.S. Grand Prix was history after a rocky eight-year marriage.

Well Bernie, don't let Uncle Sam's door hit you on the way out.

You moaned and complained from Day 1 of your deal at Indy, despite the fact that IMS owner Tony George spent $50 million to spruce up the place to your liking.

And what did you give us in return, Bernie? A ridiculous six-car race in 2005 when you and your cronies couldn't reach a reasonable solution to a tire problem and run an actual event.

And that came three years after the Ferrari boys decided to stage the finish of the race, coasting to the finish line when Michael Schumacher deliberately let teammate Rubens Barrichello pass him for the victory -- if you can call it that.

And let's not leave out one special moment off the track. You remember, don't you, Bernie? The time when you compared our own Danica Patrick to a domestic appliance.
Ahh, the memories.

But the good people who love racing still came to every U.S. Grand Prix, close to 100,000 of them last month when rookie sensation Lewis Hamilton (the good Brit among the two of you) made history as the first black winner of any racing event at the Brickyard.

It's one of the best crowds your highbrow series sees all year, but that just wasn't good enough for you Bern, was it?

You wanted more, lots more. We're talking cash, reportedly more than $15 million a year for your high-pitch machines to continue racing at the shrine of American motorsports.

Not that the history of the place means diddly-squat to you, Bernie. You said IMS doesn't do enough to promote the race. You also said last month that F1 doesn't need an American race.

No doubt that's true, Bernie. You're richer than the queen now, so a big pile of U.S. greenbacks won't change your life.

But let's be honest, Bernie. The "we don't need you" talk clearly was negotiating rhetoric, which is your forte. But you miscalculated this one, old chap. Folks in these parts don't take kindly to threats.

You see Bernie, it's like this. America doesn't need F1, either. Us Yanks will do just fine without it.

Sure, plenty of F1 fans here would love to have one of your events somewhere in the 50 states.

Truthfully Bernie, you've got a hell of a product. You do a lot of things right. The technology and the super-sleek look of those cars are worth drooling over. And some of the drivers rank among the most skilled wheel-turners in the world.

It's the best of the best in many ways, a pleasing clinic to the eyes for road-racing excellence.

But your show does have some flaws, Bernie. For one thing, more than 80 percent of the starting grid has zero chance of winning a race.

Parity, it ain't.

And you greatly overestimated how much interest Americans would have in fellow countryman Scott Speed. Nice name and all, but running near the back at every race (in one of the cars that we mentioned can't win) isn't going to excite the masses on this side of the pond.

But you sure can give us some intrigue. NASCAR only has cheating. F1, on the other hand, has industrial espionage.

We realize you would prefer to describe it that way. We just call it spying.
Whatever you call it, this little scandal is the talk of the racing world these days. Ferrari fired an engineer who is accused of supplying team secrets to the rival McLaren team, 780 pages worth, to be exact.

It even went to a London court this week. Perfect. The secret agent of F1 in the land of James Bond. Maybe Sean Connery will volunteer as an arbitrator.

Yes Bernie, your league sure can stir things up, but you decided America isn't worthy of turning the crank.

So Bernie, go ahead and stomp off to other locales, places that gladly will genuflect and pay the ransom you desire.

We won't keep the light on for ya.

INDYCAR IN DETROIT

Detroit, my hometown, is taking another swing at racing. Home to many different types of racing for years has been 'without' these last few years. Detroiter Roger Penske, IndyCar/American LeMans team owner, talked the City into giving it another try. Looking at it from afar it looks like they did a pretty good job. Tony Kanaan across the line with Danica Patrick in second. For Patrick it was a personal best. Third goes to Dan Wheldon.
WINNER TONY KANAAN

SECOND PLACE IS A PERSONAL BEST FOR DANICA PATRICK

ACTRESS ASHLEY JUDD, THE PERSONAL TROPHY THAT DARIO FRANCHITTI ALWAYS TAKES HOME

CHAMPCAR IN HOLLAND...


ChampCar has taken their road show to Holland. The winner was Justin Wilson followed by Jan Heylen and Bruno Junqueira. Junqueira was also in the top three last week in Belgium.

ChampCar appears to be taking it on the nose here at the end of the season. I will address this a little later.