From SPEED: IndyCar's boss has admitted he would "love" longest-serving F1 veteran Rubens Barrichello to switch codes for 2012.
Having lost his race seat after a record-setting 19 consecutive seasons, the 39-year-old Brazilian is this week testing the 2012 IndyCar in Florida, with his close friend and KV team driver Tony Kanaan also in action.
Barrichello has previously ruled out racing on dangerous American ovals, citing a promise to his wife Silvana, but now he is not ruling out the switch.
"By the time he gets out of the car he'll have a pretty good idea what he wants to do," countryman Kanaan said.
"Right now, we don't have anyone signed for the other two cars. You can tell by his face he's having a lot of fun."
IndyCar chief executive Randy Bernard is hopeful Barrichello will make the decision to race in 2012.
"He's a champion, a driver who would be a tremendous addition to a series," he is quoted by the Associated Press. "IndyCar would love to have him."
Bernard is quoted by racintoday.com: "If there is a transition, I want him to know that we're here to help him."
Robert Kubica's comeback could be at the wheel of a turbocharged 2010 Ferrari, according to reports in the Italian media.
It emerged this week that, despite the recent setback of a re-broken leg after an icy fall, the Pole could be only months away from attempting some laps in a F1 simulator.
As for his track return, it is rumored Ferrari sees Kubica as a potential test driver, with a view to ultimately becoming Fernando Alonso's teammate.
The new Italian reports say a private test at Fiorano in June or July at the wheel of a two-year old Ferrari equipped with the marque's 2014-specification turbo V6 prototype has been set as a tentative target.
The same reports suggest some sort of agreement may have been signed.
The unknown factor is the final phase of Kubica's recovery, with the 27-year-old believed to be still unable to fully rotate his right arm that was almost severed in his rally crash last February.
From Jayski: The probable association between Jacques Villeneuve and Go Canada Racing, as reported by Le Journal de Montreal in August, has resurfaced. Villeneuve could run a dozen races (and maybe more) this year in the Nationwide Series driving a car owned by Toronto businessman Steve Meehan. Meehan declined to elaborate on the issue, while acknowledging that he had discussed with Villeneuve in recent weeks. Andrew Ranger will not drive for the team at Daytona, contrary to earlier reports. His debut will take place two weeks later at Las Vegas and possibly at Phoenix, the second week of the season. David Ragan, who has six years experience in Sprint Cup, wll take over the wheel of the Go Canada Ford at Daytona. In addition, the team has acquired a new Dodge Challenger that will be used at Phoenix
Former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Todd Bodine has a sponsor for the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, and said he is optimistic about finding additional funding for the full, 2012 campaign. "I'm with Red Horse Racing," said Bodine on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio's Tradin' Paint today. "We're going to race together if we can find sponsorship. (Team owner) Tom DeLoach has made the commitment to me and I've made the commitment to him. That's what we're going to do. As we have been for the last two months, we're seeking sponsorship. We're making some gains, and we have a deal put together for Daytona, so we will be going there to race." Bodine declined to name his Daytona sponsor, but an official announcement is expected from the team later this week.
Go ahead and pencil Danica Patrick into the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Stewart Haas Racing has finalized an alliance with Tommy Baldwin Racing that guarantees Patrick a starting spot in the Sprint Cup opener and keeps her #10 car on the track for the entire Cup schedule, team owner Tommy Baldwin said on Tuesday. Patrick will be locked into the Feb. 26 race with the owner's points accumulated last season by TBR driver Dave Blaney, who was 33rd. The top 35 in owner's points from last season are guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races, meaning Blaney now will have to qualify his way into the 500 field. Since Patrick is scheduled to compete in only 10 Cup races while participating fulltime in the Nationwide Series, TBR driver David Reutimann will drive the remaining 26 races in the 10 car. The goal is to keep the 10 locked into the top 35 so Patrick will be guaranteed a starting spot for the first five races of 2013 when she runs her first full Cup schedule. TBR will receive technical and pit crew support as a part of the deal. Baldwin said there were no conflicts with NASCAR or Chevrolet in having Patrick use Hendrick Motorsports engines as all the SHR cars do and Reutimann using Earnhardt-Childress Engines as all TBR cars do. Greg Zipadelli will remain the crew chief for Patrick's Cup races. Baldwin said he and Zipadelli will work with Reutimann in the other 26. Reutimann will not drive another TBR car in the non-Patrick races. Baldwin said this is all about getting Patrick "prepared for 2013."...TBR's #36 car, which finished the 2011 season 33rd in points, becomes the #10 for 2012...TBR has sponsorship inventory available for these 26 races.
Several people were treated for smoke inhalation at Joe Gibbs Racing in Huntersville Tuesday afternoon, officials said. According to Huntersville police, some machinery at the racing compound caught fire. Firefighters were called in to battle the blaze around 2:45 p.m. The fire is under control, fire officials said. Medic officials said units responded to the fire, but had not yet transported anyone. No one has commented on what caused the fire or how much damage was done as a result of the fire. Almost a year ago, a similar fire happened at the facility that caused two people to be treated for smoke inhalation. According to officials, the 2011 fire started in an engine dyno during a test.
International Speedway Corp. saw an increase in profits in 2011 while also cutting seating capacity at nine of its 12 tracks that play host to Sprint Cup races. ISC, a publicly traded company with more than 71 percent of its stock owned by the NASCAR-controlling France family, saw its stock remain in the $26 dollar range since the release of its annual financial report Thursday that listed a 4.5% increase in profits from core operations. ISC began significantly decreasing the number of seats in 2010, when it cut capacity at several tracks. The most significant drop came at Phoenix, which saw its capacity shrink from 67,000 to 55,000. Daytona remains ISC's biggest track at 147,000 grandstand seats and has not seen a significant seat change in the last two years while the remainder of the Cup facilities have had a combined decrease of 15%. ISC sold 83-87% of its capacity for Cup events, ISC President John Saunders said in a conference call Thursday with investors. Overall ticket sales revenue, though, was down 10% from $160.5 million in 2010 to $144.4 million - and down 43% from $253.7 million four years earlier in 2007. Ticket prices will remain basically the same for 2012, after a drop of about 3% for Cup races for an average ticket price of $82.17. While ISC took in $144.4 million in ticket sales, it took in much more from television rights. Its broadcast revenues from the NASCAR television contract, where it took in $202 million in 2011, will rise 3.5% in 2012.
Ryan Newman and wife Krissie began discussing plans for an animal rescue facility in Iredell County a few years ago, and the first step in the process took place a couple of miles from their home in Statesville, NC. The facility is called "Rescue Ranch" and will lay on 87 acres off NC Highway 21 and has been a dream of Krissie's...phases will consist of a boarding facility, veterinary clinic, horse stalls and pastures, riding trails, educational camps and a small animal and creepy/crawly building. The first phase of the project has been awarded to Mooresville based R.L. Smith, Inc. owned by Ronnie Smith...[parents of Regan Smith]...(JD - When I used to think I'd be rich, used to have dreams like this too..)