Racing News: Firestone to Leave IZOD IndyCar Series at End of 2011 Season

SO LONG: Firestone, which has supplied tires to the IZOD IndyCar Series since its first race in 1996, will leave the series at the end of the 2011 racing season.

PURCHASED: Green Savoree Racing Promotions, made up of former Indy-car team executives Kim Green and Kevin Savoree, has purchased the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, from TrueSports Inc.

NO FIELD FILLERS: With the exception of the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the IZOD IndyCar Series will cap its starting fields at 26 cars this season.

MONEY PROBLEMS: New Jersey Motorsports Park officials filed for federal bankruptcy protection Monday afternoon in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Camden, New Jersey.

RACE TIME: Ana Beatriz will become the third (Danica Patrick, Simona de Silvestro) female to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series on a full-time basis in 2011 after agreeing to a contract with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

PROBATION: NASCAR has placed Robby Gordon on probation through the rest of the year after an altercation with Kevin Conway Friday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

IN CONTROL: Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas collected their fifth-straight Grand Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype victory during the Miami Grand Prix at Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday afternoon.

POSITIVE NUMBERS: Ratings for the first three NASCAR Sprint Cup events of the season have been up over 2010 ratings, including Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Kobalt Tools 400 posted a 5.4 television rating, up 29 percent over 2010.

DEADLINE: The World Motor Sport Council has given the Bahrain Grand Prix and Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone until May 1 to determine if the event will be rescheduled after it was canceled because of political unrest in Bahrain.

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