… Nevertheless, we’re on our way to the famous Porsche test track at Weissach, out in the German countryside west of Stuttgart, where we’re going to see the 2010 Porsche Panamera. We’ve already been warned that there will be no test-driving of the four-door Panamera sedan — not by any non-Porsche personnel, anyway….
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HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY! With their racing budgets deemed “unnecessary expenditures,†GM and Chrysler are ordered to cease racing operations at the end of the season.
In a move sure to spark outrage, the White House announced today that GM and Chrysler must cease participation in NASCAR at the end of the 2009 season if they hope to receive any additional financial aid from the government. Companies around the globe—Honda and Audi, to name two—have drawn down racing operations, and NASCAR itself has already felt the pinch in the form of reduced team spending. A complete withdrawal from America’s premier racing series is expected to save more than $250 million between GM and Chrysler, a substantial amount considering the drastic measures being implemented elsewhere. … Details
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Bars no longer need to be private clubs after July 1
Utah’s ski industry has long boasted about “the greatest snow on Earth,” but the apres-ski scene was not often considered a selling point due to restrictive liquor laws. Especially confusing to tourists, the laws stipulated that bars technically had to be private clubs. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman signed a bill Monday that will do away with the rule on July 1.Â
“It puts us on a more level playing field with some of our competition,” Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, the marketing arm for Utah’s ski resorts, told The Salt Lake City Tribune. “We’ve got the best snow and the best access so the only thing people could beat us up with is Utah’s liquor laws. We’ll think carefully how we’ll message this, we’ll be subtle because we’re not going to become a Las Vegas.”…Â Details
It will be history in the making when the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg hits the streets, Friday, April 3, through Sunday, April 5, 2009.
For the first time ever, the St. Petersburg race will be the opener for the 17-race 2009 Indy Car Series. The Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg, the American Le Mans Series feature race, which will be run on Saturday, April 4, will be the second stop on the 2009 ALMS schedule.
The 1.8 mile, 14-turn race track running through the streets of downtown St. Petersburg remains unchanged for 2009, according to race organizers… Details