In brief, March 2008

* Sportscar legend Derek Bell was due to sign off his international career in style at last month’s Daytona 24 Hours. The 66-year-old was competing in the race for the first time in five years. Bell was entered in a RVO Motorsports Riley-Pontiac in a five-strong roster of drivers including his son Justin.

* The Krohn Racing team scratched its new B08/70 Daytona Prototype from the Florida 24-hour race after failing to get enough test miles on the car. The B08/70, which is a joint venture between Krohn and British constructor Lola, is now scheduled to make its debut in round two of the series at Homestead on March 29.

* Peugeot moved closer to entering its 908 HDi turbo-diesel Le Mans challengers in the Sebring 12 Hours in March when it took part in last month’s official pre-season test at the track. The in-house Peugeot Sport team ran one car in the three-day test.

* Champ Car legend Paul Tracy will remain with the Forsythe team for the 2008 series. The Canadian, who won the title in 2003, had a firm contract with the team but had been in a dispute over his salary.

* Pioneer aviatrix Elly Beinhorn has died aged 100. The first woman to fly around the world in 1932, she was a celebrity in Germany before she married Bernd Rosemeyer in 1936. She notched up many long-distance flying achievements pre-war, latterly in her Messerschmitt Taifun monoplane. Rosemeyer took her around the Nürburgring in his Auto-Union, and she also lapped Monza in a V16 A-U – the only woman to drive one.

* Freddie Wyvill, 1983-2007 Motor Sport is very sad to report the death of Freddie Wyvill. Freddie had only been working at Motor Sport for a short time, but had made an immediate impact on the entire team with his hard work and enthusiasm. We dedicate this issue to him.