The New Zealand Formula Ford Champion, 18-year-old Richie Stanaway, has signed a contract with a European motorsport management company RRT Holdings. Stanaway gets a fully funded 2010 season in the Formula ADAC Masters Championship with the Volkswagen Factory-assisted Ma-Con Motorsport Team.
Team Kiwi's Aussie focus
Team Kiwi Racing intends to run two black V8 Supercars in the 2010 Fujitsu Australian V8 Supercar Championship (feeder series for the main game). David John said TKR would focus on the Australian V8 Supercar development series in 2010 with the objective of returning to the full V8 Supercar championship in the future.
Whangarei rally date set
The date for next year's International Rally of Whangarei has been confirmed as July 2-4, with the event again based in the city of Whangarei. The event is a round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) and will be on some of the roads used in the New Zealand round of the WRC, May 6-9.
Transtasman sidecar battle
The Annual Sidecar GP speedway series has attracted riders from both sides of the Tasman and will be competed over five rounds throughout New Zealand January 2010. The event will start at Gisborne on the 4th, Ruapuna on the 7th, Moore Park on the 8th, Oreti Park on the 9th and Wanganui on the 13th.
World champions Mick Headland and Paul Waters from Adelaide will contest the series on a Yamaha YZR1000.
One weekend for Indy 500
Indianapolis 500 qualifying is to be cut back to a single-weekend event in 2010. Pole Day and Bump Day will both happen May 22-23. The Indy Racing League has not yet revealed the precise qualifying format or how many positions will be decided on each day. Practice for the 2010 Indy 500 will begin May 15 - a week later than usual - with the rookie orientation programme followed by six days of full-field practice. The race is scheduled for May 30.
MotoGP raised to 1000cc
Motorcycle racing's governing body the FIM has passed MotoGP's switch to 1000cc engines from 2012. Only the basic engine concept has been revealed so far - with capacity being lifted from 800cc and the engines will have four cylinders and a maximum bore of 81mm. FIM president Vito Ippolito said further details would follow but that this should be sufficient for the manufacturers to begin preparing for 2012.
By Eric Thompson
