Fed Reb: September 2011

Inline Performance Magazine

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 10:00 PM PDT

What’s up people? Ducati launched its new 848 Streetfighter at a brand new circuit in Italy Wednesday morning.

It is running a 180/60 tire that Ducati hopes will give it a bigger contact patch at full lean and better ride comfort. The colors available are red, yellow, black, and differences to the bigger Streetfighter are a new swingarm and 20mm taller bars for a more upright, relaxed riding position.

It's going to be an interesting battle between the Triumph and the new Ducati – and with MV Agusta Brutale 920 joining the party, 2012 is going to see a battle royal in the naked sector.

Be sure to voice your opinions on Ducatist.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price until supplies last.

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Marion County GOP Offers Robo-Call Challenge To Democrats

In light of U.S. District Court Judge William Lawrence's decision this week invalidating Indiana's law prohibiting the use of pre-recorded political messages to voters--often referred to as robo-calls, Marion Co. GOP Chairman Kyle Walker has issued a challenge to the Marion Co. Democrats and the campaigns of other municipal candidates this year to enter into a mutual agreement to refrain from using them prior to this year's general election. From a press release issued by the Marion Co. GOP:

Marion County Republican Party Chairman Kyle Walker states, "If the Marion County Democrat Party, Melina Kennedy's campaign, the Democrat Council candidates campaigns and every organization seeking to assist in the election of a Democrat municipal candidate or seeking to defeat a Republican municipal candidate will refrain from using "robo-calls" to contact voters, then the Marion County Republican Party and our candidates will also refrain from using them. If the Democrat Party and its candidates will pledge publicly and send notice to every organization they can reasonably assume may consider conducting "robo-calls" and request that they honor this agreement - and immediately terminate such calls if they occur, then the Marion County Republican Party and our candidates will also prevent and immediately terminate such calls."

Friday Humor: Greg Zoeller Pledges To Curb Prostitution During Super Bowl

The absurdity of the discussions taking place among Indianapolis government and civic leaders as the city prepares to host the Super Bowl next February keeps reaching new heights--perhaps an indication that our city really isn't up to hosting such an event. Attorney General Greg Zoeller is not a prosecutor with authority to enforce these types of criminal laws, but he's promising to fight to curb prostitution that takes place during the Super Bowl. From WRTV:

Attorney General Greg Zoeller, representatives from the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, social service agencies and police met Friday for an all-day forum to discuss the issue.

Authorities are concerned about a likely increase in prostitution stemming from the Super Bowl and are grappling with ways to address it.

Zoeller said it would help if the demand for illicit services could be curbed.

"Men must take the lead in not creating a demand in the illegal activity," he said. "We have to make it clear that it's not socially acceptable."

Often, prostitutes who are in the Super Bowl city are victims of human trafficking, having been brought in to fulfill a perceived uptick in demand. Because they are often in the country illegally, victims of human trafficking are less likely to seek help.

"When you look at human trafficking, you really have to look at the young girls who have been brought to the United States, many of them against their will, or they've been told a different story about why they're being brought for some type of work," Zoeller said. "Working to identify and rescue victims is a challenge, because they're not going to come forward on their own."

Zoeller said Indiana has work to do in the Legislature to address human trafficking.

"We don't have a statute specifically focused on those who traffic … in both sex and labor," Zoeller said. "We have a very short window to make it over the legislative deadlines (before the Super Bowl)."

Sorry, Greg, but you should know that human trafficking isn't exactly the way to describe what takes place during the Super Bowl. Think about those lavish parties your good buddy Tim Durham used to throw out at his Geist mansion where all of those high-priced ladies got flown into town to entertain all of his hanger-on friends and the politicians who were taking all of his campaign dough. Yeah, that's the kind of entertainment that takes place during the Super Bowl. These aren't exactly victims of human trafficking; they're highly-paid adult entertainers who consent to selling themselves for money.

It's comical to hear these so-called law enforcement officials have these discussions when none of them are willing to step forward and suggest that State Rep. Phil Hinkle's $80 hook-up at the J.W. Marriott with an 18-year-old Pike Township High School student in response to the student's ad on Craig's List seeking a "sugga daddy" rose to the level of prostitution, or at a minimum, constituted a violation of the city's ordinance governing escort services. Sorry, but people who can afford to attend the Super Bowl aren't looking to pick up trashy street-walkers. Get a clue. I can't believe the local news media covers these BS press conferences without asking any tough questions.

London event: Xerox – A Celebration Of Fanzine Culture From The 70s To Now

From those clever folks over at Caught By The River comes news of this cool fanzine event taking place in London at Rough Trade Records on Oct. 12:

Xerox – A Celebration Of Fanzine Culture From The 70s To Now
Rough Trade East
Weds Oct 12th 2011
6.30 til 8pm
Free Entry

Time and again, we’ve found ourselves saying that Caught By The River is like a fanzine. As longtime fanzine readers, writers and buyers, it makes total sense that there would be something lo-fi and DIY deep inside us; an ever present and excitable urgency to pass on newly learnt information to as many people as possible.

Earlier this year, we decided to join the dots between our site and some of the grassroots mags that had been inspirational to us by holding Tales From The Typographic Ocean, a symposium at Port Eliot Festival to discuss the roots of the UK’s underground press. Our very good friend Emma Warren (formerly of Jockey Slut) hosted a panel that featured Rough Trade’s Geoff Travis, Elektra record’s biographer Mick Houghton and ZigZag man Andy Childs. Tripping back to the late 60s, the talk moved onto punk rock and beyond, painting a kaleidoscopic picture of a time before today’s heavily sponsored, focus grouped music press.

Back in the Smoke, we thought it was something worth revisiting. On Weds October 12th, we’re staging a second fanzine panel. We’re calling it Xerox. This time it’ll go beyond punk, taking in C86 acid house and a whole bunch more. The line up on the night will feature Caught By The River contributors Andy Childs (ZigZag), Andrew Weatherall (Boy’s Own), Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne) and Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), all in conversation again with Emma Warren.

It’s free. It’ll also be the launch of our own Caught By The River fanzine. More of that later though…

Crain's Report: Daniels Offering $150 Million To CME To Move To Indiana

According to Gov. Mitch Daniels' meme, businesses are fleeing Illinois to Indiana to escape high taxes and regulations. If this report by Greg Hinz in Crain's is to be believed, they also are coming to take advantage of the large corporate welfare handouts Daniels is offering them. Hinz claims Daniels is offering CME Group, a large derivatives and futures exchange based in Chicago which owns the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade, $150 million a year savings in economic development incentives to relocate its headquarters in Chicago to Indiana. Hinz writes:

So, just how much is Indiana offering CME Group Inc. to move its headquarters and perhaps other operations to the Hoosier state?

I hear the figure -- in net tax savings -- is a mouth-watering $150 million a year. That's from a reliable source who claims to have obtained the information from Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' office.

CME isn't commenting on who's offering what, though CEO Terry Duffy earlier in the week said he expects the headquarters matter to be resolved by yearend.

But, in a conversation with my colleague John Pletz on Thursday, Indian's top economic development official, Dan Hasler, stopped way short of waving us off that number.

Mr. Hasler wouldn't give a number himself. But when told repeatedly that Crain's has heard the $150-million figure and wouldn't want to lead people astray, Mr. Hasler declined to comment on the number or whether Indiana has made an offer to CME.

Hinz's report contradicts an earlier report in June by the Northwest Indiana Times' Dan Cardin, which quoted Gov. Daniels as saying Indiana was not courting CME. Cardin reported then:

Gov. Mitch Daniels would be happy to welcome the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to Indiana but admitted Wednesday the state isn't actively courting the trading floor operator.

"There's a whole lot of businesses over there (in Illinois) we're talking to before we get to that," Daniels said.

CME Group Executive Chairman Terry Duffy told shareholders this month the company is considering relocating its headquarters outside Illinois to avoid a business income tax increase enacted earlier this year.

The company also has announced it wants to sell most of the landmark Chicago Board of Trade building on LaSalle Street and lease back its trading pits from the new owner.

Daniels said representatives from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. have met with more than a dozen Illinois companies — but not CME — considering a move following the January increase in Illinois' corporate income tax rate to 7 percent from 4.8 percent.

Daniels is expected to be in Chicago next week to plug sales of his new book, "Keeping The Republic." Landing the company would be quite a feat for Daniels. According to CME's Chairman, Terry Duffy, the company pays 6% of Illinois' aggregate corporate taxes, more than McDonald's or Boeing. The company claims its taxes have increased more than $50 million a year due to tax increases enacted to deal with the state's huge budget deficit. It's not clear which city in Indiana the company would move--either somewhere in the Region or Indianapolis.

Sylvia Robinson RIP

Sylvia Robinson - RIP. Cover via LP Cover Lover.

Mickey & Sylvia - "Love Is Strange":

Sylvia - "Pillow Talk":

Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight":

APR Motorsport debuts in the Pirelli World Challenge at Road Atlanta

APR Motorsport debuts in the Pirelli World Challenge at Road Atlanta

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 10:50 AM PDT

ONEIGHTURBO

Kevin Gleason is driving the No. 58 Volkswagen GTI

This Friday, September 30, APR Motorsport will be adding a new chapter to their race portfolio by making their debut appearance in the Pirelli World Challenge series in the Cadillac Road Atlanta Grand Prix.

Hopes are high for the APR Motorsport team after driver Ian Baas set the fastest lap time of 1:31.345 (100.104 mph) in the APR Motorsport No. 56 Audi B8 S4 during the morning practice session. The anticipation of racing at APR’s home track filled with Audi race fans and enthusiasts coming out to support Team Joest is only fueling this momentum further.

The Cadillac Road Atlanta Grand Prix will be a completely new experience for the drivers and the team. It is an adrenaline-pumping race of fifty minutes and it does not involve the pit stops and driver changes that the APR Motorsport team is accustomed to doing. Furthermore, during the Cadillac Road Atlanta Grand Prix, three separate classes – GTS, GT, and Touring Car – will be on the track at the same time.

Ian Baas, APR Motorsport No. 56 Audi B8 S4

In addition to the No. 56 Audi B8 S4 in the GTS class, APR has two entries into the Touring Car class. Josh Hurley is driving the No. 57 Volkswagen GTI, and Kevin Gleason is driving the No. 58 Volkswagen GTI. All three drivers are highly qualified, each has remarkable accomplishments in their respective racing careers and all three drivers have won races for APR Motorsport. This talent and experience was evident in the results from both practice sessions.

The practice sessions ended with Hurley leading the Touring Car class in the morning session with a lap time of 1:36.590 (94.668 mph), and finishing the afternoon session in fourth place overall. Gleason finished in fifth place in the morning session with a lap time of 1:37.244 (94.031 mph).

Making this debut race even more of a monumental occasion for APR Motorsport is the fact that this will be the first sprint race for their newly built No. 56 Audi B8 S4. This truly is an exciting event for the APR Motorsport team and drivers. For those who have followed the S4 build in recent months, this will be an opportunity to see the results of all that hard work in action.

The Pirelli World Challenge is scheduled to begin at 1:25pm Eastern. During the race, live timing and scoring can be found at world-challenge.com. Fans can also see the scheduled broadcast complete with commentary on the Versus network. The race is scheduled to air on October 29 at 4 p.m. Eastern.

- Elaine Bak

TruSpeed Motorsports Announces Patrick Long as Pirelli World Challenge Driver

APR Motorsport debuts in the Pirelli World Challenge at Road Atlanta

Indiana Election Commission Dismisses Complaint Against House Dems Over Walkout

To me, the issue is very clear. Indiana law prohibits state lawmakers from soliciting campaign contributions while the legislature is in session. The House Democratic members who participated in the walkout this past legislative session violated that law when they solicited campaign contributions through the Indiana Democratic Party to finance the cost of their walkout. Most of those campaign contributions came from labor unions, which directly benefited from the lawmakers' walkout over legislation the unions opposed. The Indiana Election Commission took up a complaint filed against State Rep. Kraig Battles (D-Vincennes) by one of his constituents over the issue at its meeting this week. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette's Niki Kelly has the story over the Commission's debate of the issue that ended in the complaint being dismissed for now since Battles hasn't filed his campaign finance report covering the period in question and won't do so until January:

Legislators are prohibited from soliciting or receiving campaign contributions during the long budget session of the General Assembly, which is when the walkout occurred.

The Indiana Democratic Party paid about $95,000 in Urbana expenses, according to its campaign finance report.

Some Republicans during the walkout said the state party’s payment of those expenses should be counted as an in-kind campaign contribution.

“(Battles) came across this money somehow. The question is did he solicit?” Dumezich said. “And unless the Indiana Democratic Party plans to give legislators a 1099 or W2 for the amount of money spent on vacation in Illinois, it had to come from somewhere.”

Democratic officials contend they financed a caucus – not campaign activity.

Neither Battles nor Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker attended Thursday’s hearing.

“My understanding is that this was not sanctioned by the commission, only Dumezich,” Parker said via email. “It’s not a formal proceeding, just a fishing expedition.”

While the complaint is specifically against Battles, any finding in the case would likely apply to all the House Democrats who left town, including Reps. Win Moses and Phil GiaQuinta, both of Fort Wayne.

Members of the election commission never got to the substance of the complaint because the two Democratic members questioned whether Dumezich had the authority to unilaterally place the item on the agenda for investigation.

The commission has two Republican members and two Democratic members and often deadlocks on issues with political overtones.

Legal counsel for the Republican and Democratic co-directors of the Indiana Election Division differed on Dumezich’s authority, so the group is asking Attorney General Greg Zoeller for an advisory opinion on the applicable law.

During Thursday’s discussion, it became clear that Battles has not filed a campaign finance report for the time period in question because he isn’t required to do so until January.

Democratic member Sarah Steele Riordan said, given this fact, there is no substantial likelihood of a violation.

“I do not understand what we are doing right now,” she said.

Dumezich conceded the point, and the group voted unanimously to dismiss the complaint.

But he said in January, if the contribution isn’t listed on Battles’ report, the commission should consider the issue again. Even so, it takes three members to penalize a candidate.

I'm happy to see that the Commission is at least asking Attorney General Greg Zoeller to issue an advisory opinion on the law in question. As I have previously pointed out, this is one of those few laws where he actually is statutorily empowered with enforcement authority. Zoeller wimped out during the walkout controversy and refused to use his authority under the statute, although he was more than happy to have his office get involved in a debate recently before the Ft. Wayne City Council over whether councilors had authority to impose restrictions on campaign contributions made to municipal candidates. Zoeller's office issued an advisory opinion saying the council lacked statutory authority to enact such a law, even though Jeffersonville has had a similar statute on the books it has enforced for several years now. If Zoeller interprets the law correctly, then he will then be in the predicament of admitting publicly his failure to enforce the state law prohibiting lawmakers from soliciting contributions while they are in session. My guess is he will wimp out again and limit his advisory opinion to whether the Commission Chairman has authority to unilaterally put an issue in front of the Commission.

Wouldn't that be something if partisan appointees of the Commission can always block a complaint from being heard just because it's an issue involving law-breaking by members of its own party? Anyone else see the irony here in the Democratic members blocking consideration of a complaint filed by a member of the public on a legitimate campaign finance question after the Democrats spent the past year trying to use the Commission's authority to bounce Secretary of State Charlie White from office over the specious claim that he was not a registerered voter of this state? Yeah, I would say it makes them big time hypocrites.

Inline Performance Magazine

Ceramic Header Remus Exhaust Install

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 10:00 PM PDT

Hi guys, Paul here. Welcome to another quick Project Corona update by Inline Performance Magazine. In our last update we spray-coated the headers in ceramic paint. It has finished drying and curing and it is now time to install the headers on the motorcycle.

To avoid scratches in the new coating, we first removed the mounting brackets for the new radiator that Graham previously installed. When installing the exhaust headers it is easiest to start at the rear of the motorcycle and gently line up the mounts before pressing the headers into the openings on the engine.

After tightening the bolts, we installed the Remus exhaust slip-on to give a preview of the final look. We won’t permanently install it until we have a new set of gaskets; and it will be easier to avoid scratching or denting it, while simultaneously providing us with more room to maneuver, while we finish reassembling the rest of the rear end of the motorcycle.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price until supplies last.

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our full feed RSS or receive new posts by Email.

From the Fillmore to the (S)Limelight

Thanks to Signed DC over at It's All The Streets for pointing the way to this cool article reminiscing about the days of yore at the Fillmore East:

"As I prepare for the Fillmore East’s fortieth reunion on Saturday night, I wish I could remember more about all the music that played there. From opening night on March 8, 1968 to the final concert on June 27, 1971, the best-known performers of the era (The Doors, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, The Allman Brothers) were on the stage twice each Friday and Saturday night, at 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Only the Rolling Stones and the Beatles bypassed the legendary theater on Second Avenue and Sixth Street for stadium-sized audiences." Continued here.

Once you're finished with that, check out the shoulder shrug of a review for a new documentary entitled Limelight (trailer below) which focuses on Peter Gatien's run as a club kingpin in the NYC of the 1990's.

"Many students moving into NYU’s Palladium dorm this week likely had no clue that their new East 14th Street address was, until 1998, home to a notorious nightclub of the same name. Now a documentary by Billy Corben, director of “Cocaine Cowboys” (a cult-hit chronicle of the Miami drug scene in the 1980s) revisits the era when the club was a fixture of New York City nightlife, and when its owner, Peter “King of Nightlife” Gatien, was at the heart of two dramatic court cases that represented a larger fight between the hedonism of the late eighties and the Giuliani-induced law and order of the mid-nineties." Continued here.

chrisescars.com

Cam-Aero – Custom Car Of The Week

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:04 AM PDT

This week’s custom car is heavily modified 1968 Camaro and it has been given the name Cam-Aero. I suppose the owner had to change the name as there are very few Camaro parts left on the vehicle.

Continue reading: Cam-Aero – Custom Car Of The Week

Chrises Cars

Maserati Kubang Promo Video

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:55 AM PDT

Maserati has released a new video showing the company’s all new SUV model – the Kubang. The Kubang is still just a design concept but Maserati are determined to put it into production. So it probably won’t be long before we see the Kubang on the roads.

Continue reading: Maserati Kubang Promo Video

Chrises Cars

Electronic Voting Machines Easy To Manipulate

An assessment team at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois tested a commonly-used electronic voting machine made by Diebold to demonstrate just how cheaply and eas it is to place alien technology not easily detected into the electronic voting machine to manipulate the votes being tabulated by the machine. The assessment team used Diebold equipment for their testing but noted other electronic voting equipment manufactured by other vendors could just as easily be manipulated using man-in-the-middle hacking techniques. The video above describes how the machines can be manipulated. The New York Times has a story here, highlighting the fact that nearly one-third of all votes cast in this country are cast on these type of electronic voting machines, including many counties in Indiana.

Top Porsche 5th in Wednesdays GT test from Petit Le Mans

Top Porsche 5th in Wednesdays GT test from Petit Le Mans
2011 ALMS/ILMC Petit Le Mans Spotter Guide is live
Dumas puts Audi R18 TDI on top during Wednesday practice
Flying Lizard Motorsports head to the 2011 Petit Le Mans

Top Porsche 5th in Wednesdays GT test from Petit Le Mans

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:12 PM PDT

ONEIGHTURBO

Joerg Bergmeister, top five during todays two hour testing session

With a stacked field of 18 cars, the GT class could hold its own race and still end up incredible this Saturday at Petit Le Mans. Joerg Bergmeister was able to round out the top five during todays two hour testing session with a 1:20.446. Jaime Melo, in one of six Ferrari’s, landed on top with a 1:20.102.

Oliver Gavin in the no4 Corvette was second followed Gianmaria Bruni in the no51 Ferrari F458 and Bill Auberlen in the no55 BMW for third and fourth, respectively.

Wolf Henzler in the Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR hounds the BMW M3

Porsches would hold 11th thru 13th. Wolf Henzler in the no17 Falken Tire wound up back in 11th with a 1:21.573 followed by the no44 Flying Lizard and Seth Neiman’s 1:21.987.

Sascha Maassen nailed a 1:22.797 for 13th in the no48 Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Sascha Maassen nailed a 1:22.797 for 13th in the no48 Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

Porsche teams head to Road Atlanta for Petit Le Mans 2011

Top Porsche 5th in Wednesdays GT test from Petit Le Mans

2011 ALMS/ILMC Petit Le Mans Spotter Guide is live

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:01 PM PDT

ONEIGHTURBO

Andy Blackmore has done it again. With a huge entry for the 2011 Petit Le Mans, he had his work cut out and pulled of a great Spotter Guide for this years race!

A Bumper entry of 58 cars from both championships, but only 53 Grid spaces mean lots of homework before the event! The ILMC entries are marked out under the number box on the guides and also on the cars.
Livery for the AF Corse Ferrari F430 is unclear at the moment. It could wear yellow MWR graphics (as per Le Mans) or Ebay Motors branding. Those with an eagle eye will notice the Pink Numbers on the Corvettes, to mark Cancer Awareness Month.
The Guides will be updated Thursday evening for any significant livery or driver changes.

Click here to head over and download the Guide (2 pages).

Follow Andy on Facebook and Twitter.

Porsche teams head to Road Atlanta for Petit Le Mans 2011

2011 ALMS/ILMC Petit Le Mans Spotter Guide is live

Dumas puts Audi R18 TDI on top during Wednesday practice

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 02:36 PM PDT

ONEIGHTURBO

Dumas puts Audi R18 TDI on top during Wednesday practice

Audi swings another one out of the park… or Road Atlanta we should say. For 2 hours during the beautiful afternoon, the ALMS teams set out to test the cars. They were not kidding about this years race being crowded. We could barely squeeze ourselves between the teams pit-areas.

Romain Dumas would top the charts in this practice session with a 1:09.550. He will share the no1 Audi R18 TDI with fellow Porsche driver Timo Bernard and Le Mans winner Marcel Fassler.

On Monday, Dumas hit a 1:08.394 to take a 1-2 away from the Peugeots.

Peugeot would pull up in second with Montagny running .091 seconds behind in the no8 car.

Tom Kristensen lapped a 1:09.875 to put the no2 Audi R18 TDI into third.

Anthony Davidson in the no7 Peugeot would not make it out of the 1:10′s for 4th. His 1:10.034 was 0.484 off pace.

Top 5 was rounded out by Nicolas Minassian in the no10 Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP.

Tom Kristensen lapped a 1:09.875 to put the no2 Audi R18 TDI into third.

LMS: Audi 1-2-3 in second practice from Spa

Dumas puts Audi R18 TDI on top during Wednesday practice

Flying Lizard Motorsports head to the 2011 Petit Le Mans

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 10:20 AM PDT

ONEIGHTURBO

No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long who will be joined by Patrick Pilet, also a Porsche factory driver

The 2011 American Le Mans Series season comes to a close this weekend at the 14th Annual Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. The ALMS flagship race gets the green flag on Saturday, October 1 at 11:30 am ET; the race runs a maximum of 1000 miles or 10 hours. In the No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long who will be joined by Patrick Pilet, also a Porsche factory driver. Pilet fills in for scheduled guest driver Marc Lieb, who due to last minute travel issues cannot participate. In the No. 44, Darren Law, Seth Neiman, and Marco Holzer will team up. The trio last raced together at Sebring in March; Law and Holzer have traded off driving duties with Neiman over the season.

Heading into Saturday’s race, Bergmeister and Long are sixth in the ALMS GT driver championship, Neiman is ninth and Holzer is tenth. The team is currently third in the team championship. Both driver and team championships have been decided (won by BMW), but the manufacturers’ championship is still undecided. Porsche is second with 132 points; BMW leads with 154 points. There are 30 points available on Saturday.

No. 44, Darren Law, Seth Neiman, and Marco Holzer will team up

Flying Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam commented, “We are coming off an exciting win at the Laguna Seca six hours which gives us some welcome momentum heading into Petit. The last three years we’ve had to race very conservatively here because we were trying to clinch the championship. This year it’s unfortunate that we aren’t in the championship hunt, but it puts us in a position where we can race hard from the beginning.”

He continued, “The volume of really good GT cars here is going to make for a very exciting race. There are 19 entrants in GT (Pro) alone — including three additional Ferraris — and 58 cars overall. We are disappointed that Marc Lieb can’t be here, but are pleased to have Patrick Pilet with us. Patrick raced with the team for the 2008 season and I’m confident he’ll acclimate quickly.”

- Flying Lizard Motorsports