NEW OWNER: Ross Brawn has been approved as the new principal owner of the former Honda Formula One team. The name has been rechristened Brawn GP Formula One Team and will field cars for Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.
THE UNVEILING: Audi unveiled its new R15 TDI that will make its racing debut in the upcoming Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring March 21 at Sebring (Florida) International Raceway.
ATLANTIC ACE: Defending Atlantic Championship titlist Markus Niemela has joined Newman Wachs Racing for the 2009 season to contest the Atlantic Championship, which is scheduled to pay $1 million to the champion.
SPONSOR WOES: That may be the story of the season for many race teams. Todd Bodine and Germain Racing have finished in the top three in all three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season, but the team is without sponsorship and will not attend the next race March 28 at Martinsville (Virginia) Speedway without sponsorship.
BONUS MONEY: New York modified racer Randy Hall was voted the winner of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals All-Star contest, earning him a $10,000 bonus. Hall became eligible with a UMP modified victory during the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park and his fans did the rest, voting him the winner over some of the country’s best known sprint-car and late-model drivers.
TOP DOG: Donny Schatz remained in the top of the weekly National Speed Sport News Power Rankings. Schatz returns to action this weekend at the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. The rankings appear weekly in America’s Motorsports Authority.
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