In brief, July 2009
Russia will host a round of the WTCC in 2010. An agreement is in place between the Russian motor sport federation and the series organiser for an event in August at a new street circuit in either Togliatti or Moscow.
Construction work on the new Enzo Ferrari Museum has started. The original building where Enzo was born in 1898 is going to be fully restored and integrated into the new building, which will be completed in 2011. The start of the work was marked by Enzo’s son Piero, the mayor of Modena Giorgio Pighi and Mauro Tedeschini, president of the Enzo Ferrari Birthplace Foundation.
Tom Kristensen will step down from Audi’s DTM squad after this season. The eight-time Le Mans winner, who won the Hockenheim season opener in May, will focus on sports cars from 2010.
Tim Mayer, son of the late Teddy who ran McLaren in the ’70s, has left his positions with the ALMS and its sanctioning body, IMSA.
A grid of 31 cars has been announced for the Asian Le Mans Series which is being launched this winter. Eight LMP1 prototypes, including a Pescarolo-run Peugeot, are due to race in the two-weekend, four-event series at Okayama and Shanghai.
Chris Mann is offering Motor Sport readers the chance to buy a Jim Dugdale print of the late Gerry Marshall. Each print was signed by Marshall, and Dugdale and former Dealer Team Vauxhall boss Bill Blydenstein’s signatures also appear. They cost £30 plus £6.50 p&p (UK). For details call the office on 020 7349 8490. All proceeds will go to the charity BEN.
Works Aston Martin driver Darren Turner completed his first London Marathon on April 27. He finished in just over four hours and raised almost £7000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.