In brief, November 2009

Three-time World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx was due to race the new BMW M3 GT2 for the first time at Petit Le Mans in September. The Brit shared a Rahal Letterman Racing entry with Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand.

Priaulx, WRC star Mikko Hirvonen, DTM driver Mattias Ekström and eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen have all been confirmed for the Race of Champions on November 3/4. They join Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button who have already signed up to the event at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, China.

The steam car land speed record has been broken by a team of British engineers at Edwards air base in America’s Mojave Desert. This was the longest-standing land speed record, which had lasted since 1906 when American Fred Marriot set a speed of 127mph. The driver of ‘Inspiration’, Charles Burnett III, clocked 139.843mph.

The British Drayson Racing team, owned by British Government minister Lord Paul Drayson, has moved up to the prototype ranks from GT2. It was due to give its new Judd-powered Lola coupé its debut at Petit Le Mans.

Rally legend Sébastien Loeb had his first proper test in a Peugeot 908 HDi at Mugello in August. Peugeot is remaining tight-lipped on whether the Frenchman is in contention for a seat at next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

The worldF3rst Formula 3 car, which is designed and built from sustainable and renewable sources (including a steering wheel made from carrot fibre), has been invited to compete in the final round of the BRSCC F3 championship at Brands Hatch on October 17. So far it has only been used for demonstration purposes.

Lucas Ordoñez, who won PlayStation and Nissan’s GT Academy competition for racing newcomers in 2008, has taken second place in the European GT4 Cup. The Spaniard won the last race of the season with team-mate Alex Bruncombe, which was also enough to secure the teams’ title for GT Academy partner RJN Motorsport.