In brief, October 2008

A race in the USA is one of Stephane Ratel’s targets for the new-for-2010 World Championship for GT1 cars. Ratel said he is negotiating with a promoter to hold “a very special event” in America in year one or two of the series. Other countries on his target list include Singapore and Australia.

British F3 contender and Cambridge graduate Oliver Turvey, has been presented with the first Oxbridge Blue given in recognition of motor sport achievements. Turvey, who has a degree in engineering, received his blazer from Dr John Little, secretary of the Cambridge University Men’s Blues Committee, at Silverstone in front of Damon Hill.

Paul Tracy, out of work since the IRL-Champ Car merger, made a one-off return to racing in the IndyCar Series event at Edmonton last month. The former Champ Car title winner finished fourth with Vision Racing.

Jimmy Dunham, the riding mechanic for Kelly Petillo when he won the 1935 Indianapolis 500, has died aged 96. The race was Dunham’s sole event as a riding mechanic. He went on to become an engineer with Lockheed Aircraft.

The World Touring Car Championship is set to switch to a turbocharged formula in 2010. The move to 2-litre turbo petrol engines is designed to make it easier to balance performance with turbo-diesels.

The Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit will return to the BTCC schedule next year. The 2.3-mile track will host the finale of the 10-date series on October 4.

The new Windshear wind tunnel has been officially opened in the US and has already been used by an undisclosed F1 team. It is 95 per cent booked up for this year and demand for test slots into ’09 remains strong. The wind tunnel is the first commercially available, full-scale, 180mph rolling-road tunnel in the world.