Pitstop: Nascar race for Patrick

Indycar driver and only woman to win a major open wheel race, Danica Patrick, will race a Nascar in selected races in the second tier Nationwide series for JR Motorsport. Her first race will be the season opener, February 6, at Daytona.

Senna the greatest

Three-time world champion Ayrton Senna has been voted the greatest Formula One driver of all time in an Autosport magazine survey taken by 217 drivers. Senna, who died in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, won 41 races.

F1 points change

Formula One race winners from next season will earn 25 points instead of 10, with the top 10 drivers receiving points - from 20 to 1 - instead of eight because of the three extra teams. Second-place drivers will earn 20 points. The driver finishing 10th will collect one point.

V8 utes showdown

Transtasman rivalry will hit the streets of Hamilton at the third ITM400 Australian V8 Supercar event next April. Organisers have announced the weekend will also include a one-off transtasman test series for V8 utes as a major support class. It will feature 16 utes from Australia and 16 from New Zealand going head-to-head.

Youngest winner

Fifteen-year-old New Zealand racing driver Mitch Evans became the youngest winner in 58 years of an Australian Formula 3 and Gold Star race when he won in wet conditions in the 22-lap F3 SuperPrix recently.

Kiwis join challenge

The Annual Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final starts this weekend with national champions from all over the world gathered at the Ghibli Kart Raceway in Egypt. Kiwis Ryan Urban, Daniel Kinsman, Matthew Hamilton and Paul Dunlop will join 216 drivers from 59 countries who have qualified for the race-off.

Rally NZ competitions

Next year's Rally NZ will feature two new competitions within the World Rally Championship schedule - the FIA WRC Cup for Teams and the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship (SWRC). International drivers are already confirmed, including Spaniard Xavier Pons and Finn Janne Tuohino.

McLaren celebration

The Bruce McLaren Trust is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bruce McLaren's first grand prix win at Sebring, Florida at Hampton Downs tomorrow. The celebration follows the Thoroughbred and Classic Car Owners Club meeting. Contact the trust for more details.