Sonex Aircraft, LLC is excited to announce another addition to the
AeroConversions product line: the AeroBrake Hydraulic Braking System! Due to
popular demand, the AeroBrake is the first hydraulic brake product
specifically designed for use with Sonex Aircraft airframes. The versatile
AeroBrake design may also be used on a wide-variety of other experimental
aircraft designs. While Sonex has had great success with the standard Azusa
mechanical brake system over the years, the AeroBrake offers improved
stopping power and smooth braking action in a head-to-head comparison of the
installations.

In-keeping with the Sonex and AeroConversions tradition of providing simple
and elegant products for sport aviation, the AeroBrake employs a unique
non-caliper design that allows convenient and easy removal of the wheel
assembly for maintenance of tires, wheels & bearings. The AeroBrake uses a
simple disk as a bolt-on addition to standard Azusa-1137 or equivalent
wheels. The AeroBrake assembly retains the same axle-to-wheel spacing as the
traditional Azusa drum brake installation, and the entire installation
weighs the same as a drum brake installation using AeroConversions Machined
Brake Drums. Designed to use a 3/4″ axle, builders may use bushings to adapt
the AeroBrake for use with smaller axles.

Full installation kits are available for Sonex/Waiex/Xenos or Onex aircraft
installation, including a simple and robust master cylinder, allowing
builders to retain Sonex Aircraft’s trademark universal braking with the
existing brake handle form & function, including use of the parking brake
detent. Universal (non-differential) braking, combined with Sonex Aircraft
direct-steering nose wheel or tail wheel, offer the most positive control of
the aircraft while making Sonex Aircraft tail wheel aircraft some of the
easiest tail draggers to fly. Builders may use their own alternative master
cylinder(s) to mount the brake control to the stick, or if differential
braking is desired. Installation kits also include new laser-cut wheel pant
mounting plates designed specifically for AeroBrake installation.

The AeroBrake is competitively priced, with packages starting at $350.
Upgrade price for new Sonex Aircraft Complete Airframe Kit or Sub-Kit
purchase is $300. AeroBrake packages will be in-stock and available for
shipping during the month of February, 2013.

Sonex Aircraft, LLC is a leader in the experimental kit aircraft industry,
providing a series of Sport Pilot eligible kit aircraft along with the
AeroConversions line of products which include the AeroVee engine, AeroCarb
and ancillary aviation products. Sonex Aircraft¹s Sonex, Waiex, and Onex
sport planes, and the Xenos sport motorglider offer outstanding performance
in an easy to build, easy to fly kit package that can be purchased and
completed with full technical support at an unrivaled price. Sonex and
AeroConversions continue to invest heavily in developing new products.

When a 27-year-old Bruce McLaren penned those words in 1964, his new company, Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd, was less than a year old.

In those days, Bruce’s vision was shared by fewer than half a dozen loyal souls, who slogged across the world to race his self-made cars. Nowadays, the McLaren Group employs more than 2000 people, all of whom still share Bruce’s ideals of combining sportsmanship with solid engineering practice and cutting-edge technical expertise.

On September 2nd 2013, the McLaren Group will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

If we were to follow Bruce’s words to the letter, there’d be little time for recollection, but on the eve of our half-century there’s surely time for the briefest of breaths and the opportunity to take a look behind us at the sweeping vista built up in the indelible shadow of our founder:

Our Formula 1 team has become a global household name; since our arrival in the sport, at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix, we have won more races (182) than any other constructor, started from pole position 155 times and scored 151 fastest laps. In 2012, we achieved the fastest-ever time for a Formula 1 pitstop (2.31s at Hockenheim), recorded our 58th consecutive points-scoring finish, an all-time record, and have now led more than 10,000 racing laps.
The exploits of our greatest world champions will always bring F1 to life: Emerson Fittipaldi ignited the passion of his native Brazil; James Hunt created as many headlines on the front pages as on the back; Niki Lauda and Alain Prost turned sport to science; the burning intensity of Ayrton Senna will live on for ever, while Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton will always be remembered for their raw speed and fearless aggression.
Our legacy in North American sportscar racing is writ equally large: in the heyday of the mighty CanAm series, we steamrollered the opposition, lifting five successive championship trophies (1967-1971) and winning an incredible 43 races in our iconic, thundering V8-engined sportscars.
We went to the Indy 500 for the first time in 1970, returning with greater strength until we won the USA’s most famous motor race in 1974 with Johnny Rutherford. We repeated the feat with Rutherford in 1976, too.
Today, every single car in Formula 1, the Indycar Series and NASCAR relies upon McLaren Electronics’ standardised ECUs to control their engines and feed data back to the garage.
Introduced back in 1993, the McLaren F1 road car has lost none of its unique appeal and is still considered by many to be automotive world’s definitive supercar. To this day, it remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car in the world. In GTR racing guise, it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also scooping third, fourth and fifth places on its debut in 1995.
The next roadcar project was with German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, and saw the successful build of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which became the best-selling carbon-based car ever.
Since its launch in 2010, McLaren Automotive has developed into a world-class road car manufacturer, successfully developing and building the 12C and the 12C Spider high performance sports cars. Both models exploit our unparalleled understanding of carbon fibre and electronic driver systems to create a groundbreaking product of unequalled weight, strength, performance and driveability.
In a return to our sportscar roots, the debut of the 12C GT3 was an unqualified success, scoring 19 victories on its competitive debut in 2012. In September, as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes crossed the flag to win in Monza, McLaren’s GT cars also took top spot at races in British, French and Spanish championships – an incredible achievement.
Fittingly, this year, McLaren Automotive stands poised to open its 50th global dealership ahead of the worldwide launch of the P1™ – our newest model and a machine that’s set to rewrite the definition of the modern supercar.
Away from the track, McLaren leads the world in the application of Formula 1 technology and expertise to other industries. McLaren Applied Technologies helped British cyclists, rowers, sailors and canoeists win 15 gold medals last summer. We worked alongside Specialized to design Mark Cavendish’s world championship-winning S-Works Venge bicycle. Working with Birmingham Children’s hospital, we have improved the monitoring of sick children in intensive care. McLaren has also designed systems to help the Bay Area Rapid Transit railway in San Francisco to run more efficiently and to reduce the CO2 emissions from plane movements at airports.
It’s all a long way from that small south London lock-up back in 1963. But Bruce wouldn’t wish for us to merely look backwards without looking forwards, too.

Accordingly, echoes of our past will reverberate throughout a series of unique events and celebrations to be held across our anniversary year.

From the McLaren 50 logos we’ll proudly sport on our team shirts, through our specially commissioned heritage video features, to the launch of our new MP4-28 Formula 1 car with Jenson Button and Sergio Perez on January 31st, every lap, every corner, every mile and every road we take will be an opportunity to revel in McLaren’s present while recalling our 50-year past.

Ron Dennis CBE, executive chairman, McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive, said: “McLaren’s history is long and storied, but McLaren’s legacy is harder to define – and that’s because it’s still being vividly written every day by the dedicated men and women who work at the McLaren Technology Centre.

“Bruce McLaren wrote the beginning of the story, and the legend is going to continue for many years to come. I’m only a chapter, not the book, and I want other people to come in and write their own chapters as time goes by.

“This is a book that’s still being written, and that, perhaps, is the greatest legacy of McLaren.”

Please join us via www.mclaren.com to share the path of this journey. It’ll be fun and it’ll be fast.

Somewhere up there, we hope Bruce is smiling down on us, still gunning that throttle…

Image caption: Progress made real – a McLaren M7C, one of our iconic papaya orange-liveried grand prix cars from 1969, sits alongside the 12C Spider, our latest world-beating high-performance sports car.

About McLaren Automotive:

McLaren Automotive is a British manufacturer of luxury, high-performance sports cars, located at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey.

Following the company’s global launch in 2010, McLaren Automotive launched the groundbreaking 12C and 12C Spider and, in keeping with its plan to introduce a new model each year, recently unveiled the McLaren P1 at the Paris Motor Show. The brand continues to expand, operating through a dedicated global network of retailers in every major automotive market.

McLaren Automotive Technical Partners
In the development, engineering and manufacture of its range of innovative and highly acclaimed sports cars, McLaren Automotive has partnered with world leading companies to provide specialist expertise and technology. These include Akebono, AkzoNobel, ExxonMobil and Pirelli.

Designed for the track; Developed for the road

The connection between Formula 1 and road cars at McLaren is a natural process of experience, knowledge, principles and process transfer. Through the integration of 50 years of Formula 1 racing expertise and knowledge, and 20 years of heritage in producing landmark sports cars, McLaren Automotive designs, develops and builds the technologically advanced, groundbreaking and no compromise 12C and 12C Spider.

McLaren has pioneered the use of carbon fibre in vehicle production over the past 30 years, and since introducing a carbon chassis into racing and road cars with the 1981 McLaren MP4/1 and 1993 McLaren F1 respectively, McLaren has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis.

Visit www.mclarenautomotive.com for more details.

LINE-X Protective Coatings, the nation’s leading developer and provider of high performance protective coatings, will feature a surprising vehicle unveiling in their 2012 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show booth #34135 today, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, at 3:00 p.m., in collaboration with the world famous design team from West Coast Customs. In an effort to showcase their product applications available beyond the traditional truck market, LINE-X will debut a new exterior application, LINE-X Body Armour on the LINE-X Camaro, a customized 2013 Chevrolet Camaro 1SS Coupe.
“LINE-X continuously strives to be ahead of the industry with new protective coatings products and unique applications that allow our customers to personalize their vehicles, while still protecting them from harsh road and work environments,” said Kevin Heronimus, CEO of LINE-X Protective Coatings. “Our collaboration with West Coast Customs is a great platform to debut LINE-X Body Armour, a new exterior application.”
True to West Coast Customs fashion, the LINE-X Camaro is full of interior and performance modifications, but it’s the initial look of the exterior that sets this car apart from any other vehicle at the SEMA show. LINE-X sprayed the entire exterior with the newly announced LINE-X Body Armour in “West Coast Customs Blue,” giving the Camaro a unique and unexpectedly rugged appearance. Body modifications from SLP Performance Parts (SLP) include its Camaro performance hood and prototype front fascia and spoiler. To give the LINE-X Camaro an even more aggressive and low profile performance look, West Coast Customs included rocker panels by Street Scene Equipment and outfitted the vehicle with Continental Tires and LINE-X coated wheels by Asanti. A SLP rear wing completes the exterior performance look. Industry leader, ORACLE Lighting, provided its high-end LED lighting package.

The theme for this never-before-seen LINE-X Camaro truly resonates with LINE-X’s product application expansion and the diversification of LINE-X protective coatings being used for applications outside of the traditional truck bedliner industry. LINE-X also coated the door jams and speaker boxes. BASF provided the interior paint color and West Coast Customs designed a custom interior using Roadwire Retro for the leather and fabric accents. MB Quart provided the entire audio system contained in a LINE-X coated speaker box.

The performance under the hood makes the LINE-X Camaro a true SEMA vehicle. West Coast Customs modified the power plant by replacing the stock headers with SLP High Performance Headers and by engineering in a SLP Supercharger System. To give the LINE-X Camaro a more pronounced muscle car exhaust note, SLP also provided its performance-based custom dual high flow exhaust package.
The LINE-X booth is located in the South Hall, Upper Level, booth #34135. In addition to the LINE-X Camaro vehicle unveiling, LINE-X will again be hosting Reed Timmer and Chris Chittick from Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers fame. Both The Dominator 2 and the Ford Raptor tornado chase vehicles will be on display throughout SEMA. Autograph signings and fan photo opportunities will be available Tuesday through Thursday. For additional information about the LINE-X Camaro or the Storm Chasers’ appearances, visit www.LINEX.com.

About West Coast Customs
Headquartered in Corona, Calif., West Coast Customs was founded in 1993 by Ryan Friedlinghaus. West Coast Customs is known by car enthusiasts as the premiere high-end modification shop that can transform any vehicle into a work of art. West Coast Customs is not only known for building cars but delivering dynamic television content to a wide range of viewers. West Coast Customs has been the exclusive shop featured in MTV show Pimp my Ride, TLC’s Street Customs, Street Customs Berlin and now Velocity, Inside West Coast Customs. For media information, please visit www.WestCoastCustoms.com. Follow West Coast Customs on Twitter @SelfMadeRyan and on Facebook.

About LINE-X Protective Coatings
LINE-X Protective Coatings (www.LINE-X.com) is the nation’s leading developer and provider of high performance protective coatings offering scientifically formulated polymers that permanently bond to a wide range of surfaces for unmatched durability. LINE-X products are utilized in automotive, commercial, light industrial, heavy industrial, agricultural, military, marine and custom applications. Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, with more than 500 locations in 46 countries, it is the goal of LINE-X to consistently produce the highest quality and most reliable materials available. Follow LINE-X on Twitter @LineXprotects, become a fan on Facebook of LINE-X Protective Coatings and check out what LINE-X is doing on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/linexprotects.

To Celebrate 80th anniversary of the ’32 Ford Roadster, the SO-CAL Speed Shop and clothing/motorcycle brand Champions Moto debut Ford-powered hot rod with ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons and SO-CAL’s own Alex Xydias and Jimmy Shine

With 2012 marking the 80th anniversary of the 1932 Ford, the legendary SO-CAL Speed Shop debuted a custom ‘32 Roadster at Ford Motor Company’s SEMA press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 30 in Las Vegas. Nicknamed “Coyote,” the hot rod features Ford Racing’s latest engine technology in its 625hp supercharged Coyote 5.0L power plant. The vehicle received the Outstanding Achievement and Design Award from Ford Motor Company’s press conference.

Shifting gears via a six-speed manual transmission and featuring a Dearborn Deuce all-steel cabriolet body sitting atop a SO-CAL Speed Shop New Traditionalist chassis, the Coyote pays homage to SO-CAL Speed Shop founder Alex Xydias, who celebrates his 90th birthday this year. The throwback gold and white paint worn by the Coyote was inspired by the shop’s first P-38 Belly Tank Lakester race car that has become part of land speed racing lore thanks to countless records felled on the lake beds of Southern California and the famed salt flats of Bonneville, Utah. Xydias and the Lakester were also on-hand for the unveiling of the Coyote.

The vehicle was built in collaboration with Detroit Street Rods and Champions Moto. Champions Moto, a company known for its bespoke motorcycle designs and vintage speed inspired fashion line, commissioned the roadster project. Richard Varner, co-founder of Champions Moto, wanted to create a vehicle that combined vintage heritage and style with modern performance. The roadster reflects Varner’s theme of combining the old with the new.

“The Coyote is truly a milestone vehicle and I am thrilled to be working with SO-CAL Speed Shop and Detroit Street Rods on this project,” says Champions Moto co-founder, Richard Varner. “Unlike the 80-year-old original ’32 Fords, the new version will come with air conditioning, heated seats and a manually operated convertible top. This will be the ultimate mix of a traditional hot rod with modern amenities.”

Alternative Automotive Technologies in Troy, MI painted and assembled the car under the supervision of Detroit Street Rods at the former Saleen facility in Troy, Michigan that AAT now calls its headquarters. Sparing no expense, Shelby Trim in Sterling Heights, MI was signed on to handcraft the custom interior carefully cut and stitched from ultra-leather, joining the project’s all-star list of contributors.

“SO-CAL Speed Shop has long collaborated with Ford, as has Detroit Street Rods,” says SO-CAL president Pete Chapouris. “Judging from DSR’s huge success with their ‘75th Anniversary Deuce’ program, it just made good sense for us to do the Coyote 5.0 project in the Motor City.”

From Las Vegas, the Coyote will be transferred to its new home at the SO-CAL Speed Shop in Pomona, Calif. where it will be displayed when it’s not making appearances at various events during the 2013 show season before ultimately being sold at auction with the proceeds being donated to charity.

About Champions Moto
Champions Moto, founded by Richard Varner and Terry Karges, is a custom motorcycle company and lifestyle fashion label based out of Costa Mesa, Calif. The business is dedicated to crafting concept bike parts and designing vintage motorcycles powered by modern superbike engines. The company’s bikes are bespoke and built to order. Champions Moto’s motorcycles and fashion label are designed for people who wish to represent the history and spirit of the motorcycle and speed racing lifestyle. For more information, visit www.championsmoto.com.

About SO-CAL Speed Shop
On March 3, 1946, the day of his military discharge, – - using money borrowed from his mom, Alex Xydias opened the first SO-CAL Speed Shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, CA. Alex’s popular SO-CAL Speed Shop racing team set numerous records at the salt flats in Bonneville, UT and at the NHRA drags well into the 1950’s. Meanwhile across town, another California kid was bitten with the hot rod bug. Pete Chapouris started building hot rods in his backyard around 1957 and in 1973 he co-founded Pete & Jakes Hot Rod Parts. Alex and Pete shared much of the same dreams and little did these young men know their paths were destined to cross. Both Alex and Pete had been working behind the scenes to resurrect the famed SO-CAL Speed Shop and on November 21, 1997 the SO-CAL Speed Shop began yet another chapter in this on-going element of hot rod history.

About Detroit Street Rods
Best known for their modern interpretation of the ’32 Ford known as the “75th Anniversary Deuce”, Detroit Street Rods manufactures high quality component street rods, utilizing superior materials, state-of-the-art technology and craftsmanship in an original equipment manufacturer production line assembly environment. Co-founder and President Robert Smith was born in Detroit, raised in the suburbs, and spent his early automotive career focused on drag racing and performance cars.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit corporate.ford.com.

Cherry Hill, N.J. Oct. 26, 2012 – The 2012 Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) season will come to a close on Tuesday, Oct. 30 where the series’ sixth and final race will serve as the kick-off for the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team drivers Sverre Isachsen, Dave Mirra, and Bucky Lasek, are eager to build on Isachsen’s podium finish at the previous round and close out the season on a high. The trio will each pilot their nearly 600hp 2012 Subaru WRX STI Rallycross cars on the most unique and thrilling GRC track layout yet. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN2 Tuesday Oct. 30 starting at 5pm (PDT) / 8pm (EDT).

The technical 0.6-mile GRC track will be constructed in a parking lot directly across from the SEMA show’s convention center and feature both dirt and tarmac sections, a water splash, and a massive dirt crossover gap-jump. The track will feature more dirt than any previous GRC rounds, which this season were constructed on the front stretch of oval speedways and therefore restricted on the amount of dirt that could be utilized. There are no such restrictions for the season finale and the loose surfaces should provide action aplenty. The Global Rallycross Championship combines the most entertaining aspects of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition and features wheel-to-wheel racing with highly modified production-based all-wheel-drive cars. The event will feature eight cars racing head-to-head in the preliminary elimination heats with 10 cars lining up for the Final.

“We are making a strong push at the end of this season and we are all really looking forward to the SEMA round and this new track layout,” explains X Games legend Bucky Lasek who made his debut in Rallycross this year and achieved his first Main Event appearance at the previous round. “With the track featuring much more dirt it’s going to be a very aggressive yet technical battle out there.”

“Incorporating the final round of the GRC [series] into this year’s SEMA show is a novel approach towards generating further interest especially as it will be held in conjunction with a high-profile, industry event,” said James Han, motorsports marketing manager Subaru of America, Inc. “To date, our events this season have taken place at dedicated racing tracks in front of NASCAR or X Games fans, and it will be interesting to gauge reactions of the SEMA audience to this form of racing. Las Vegas serves as an exciting landscape, and we’re looking forward to showcasing the performance of our three highly developed team WRX STIs.”

“Racing at the SEMA show will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the GRC and the Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team to fans, sponsors, and automotive industry leaders at one of the automotive industry’s largest events,” said Dean Evans, Chief Marketing Officer Subaru of America, Inc. The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world and attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders.

The event begins Monday, Oct. 29 at 4pm (PDT) with a seeding session and a qualifying heat. The action continues Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 3pm – 7:30pm (PDT) with elimination heats and the Main Event. The race will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN3 on Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 5 pm to 6:30pm (PDT) / 8 pm to 9:30 pm (EDT). For more information or to purchase your ticket, please visit: http://www.global-rallycross.com.

For additional information about Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team visit: http://www.subaru.com/rally. Become fan on http://www.facebook.com/subaruofamerica and follow @subaru_usa and @srtusa. #PUMAGRC

For more information on GRC visit: http://www.global-rallycross.com/

Subaru Puma Rallycross Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), PUMA, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Motul, Exedy, and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on the Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries, visit subaru.com/rally. For the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

Long Beach, Calif. – October 26, 2012 – Justin Pawlak in the Falken Tire Ford Mustang is the winner of the Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize taking home $10,000 and a 51-30 Nixon watch. Pawlak finished fourth in the overall 2012 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship standings.

“This was an exciting Tires.com Triple Crown chase. We could not believe how close it was and were excited to crown a new champion. JTP has a college fund to start and we are happy to provide the first deposit. We are very happy to support the sport and drivers with this prize,” said Discount Tire.

The Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize is awarded to the driver that accumulates the most points within the selected three rounds of competition. For the 2012 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship season the event chosen were Round 2: Road to the Championship at Road Atlanta, Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway and Round 7: Title Fight at Irwindale Speedway.

“Going into the year with two wins I really thought this could be my year for the championship,” said Justin Pawlak, winner of the 2012 Tires.com Triple Crown. “After things started to shank down I knew this wasn’t going to be the year. But winning the Tires.com Triple Crown kind of made it all worthwhile. All the trials of the season and the birth of my son, it’s the icing on the cake!”

Pawlak edged out the 2012 Formula DRIFT champion Daigo Saito and the 2010 Formula DRIFT champion Vaughn Gittin, Jr. in the closest chase for the Triple Crown in history. Pawlak joins past winners of the Tires.com Triple Crown that include:

2011 – Dai Yoshihara
2010 – Tanner Foust
2009 – Chris Forsberg
2008 – Rhys Millen
2007 – Chris Forsberg
2006 – Rhys Millen

Formula DRIFT enters its tenth season of competition in 2013. Tickets are on-sale currently and can be purchased through the Formula DRIFT website and Ticketmaster. Round 1: Streets of Long Beach will be held on April 12-13, 2013.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com

ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT

Entering its tenth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver’s driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life and establishes itself as the world-wide leader for the Sport. For a competition schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.

ABOUT IMG SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment’s diverse businesses include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world’s largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year. More information is available at: www.imgworld.com.

ABOUT DISCOUNT TIRE

Discount Tire/America’s Tire, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is America’s largest tire and wheel retailer. The company does business under the trade name Discount Tire in most of the U.S. and America’s Tire in Oregon, and parts California. The company currently operates more than 800 stores across the country. In 2010, the company marked its 50th year serving customers as their trusted tire retailer in local markets across the U.S. Discount Tire/America’s Tire also sponsors NASCAR Nationwide Series, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Formula D racing and the Global RallyCross Championship. News, driver appearances, show car schedules and racing schedules can be found at www.www.discounttiremotorsports.com. For more information about Discount Tire/America’s Tire visit www.discounttire.comor www.americastire.com.

Formula DRIFT Holdings, LLC | 200 Pine Avenue, Suite 615 | Long Beach, CA 90802

Long Beach, Calif. – October 13, 2012 – Formula DRIFT returned to Irwindale Speedway for the 2012 season finale. Daigo Saito in the Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 takes the event victory and wins the 2012 Formula DRIFT Championship.

Round 7: Title Fight at Irwindale Speedway showcased drifting in its finest form. For the first time in Formula DRIFT and Irwindale Speedway history the event sold out before the gates opened to the public.

“Last year was so amazing we didn’t think we could do it again, not like this“ said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “This is why we love drifting. We are so energized for season 10 starting April 12-13, 2013.”

The competition was intense as the championship was up for grabs. Entering the event, seven drivers had a chance for the title. This soon changed as top drivers in the chase were taken out early including points leader Vaughn Gittin, Jr. in the Monster Energy / Falken Ford Mustang, defending champion Daijiro Yoshihara, in the America’s Tire / Falken Tire Nissan 240 and the 2009 champion, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy / Hankook Nissan 370Z. This opened the door for both Daigo Saito and Rhys Millen in the RMR / Hankook Hyundai Genesis Coupe who met in the Final Four. Millen, the number one qualifier took himself out as he went hard into the wall giving the win to Saito. The wall took a number of victims through the competition including Justin Pawlak in the Falken Tire Ford Mustang when he battled Saito in the Finals, giving Saito the event victory. Saito in his rookie year in the Series becomes the first Series rookie to also be crowned Formula DRIFT champion. Saito a seasoned veteran drifter is arguably considered the best drifter in the world winning the Formula DRIFT Asia championship, D1 championship and now Formula DRIFT Pro Championship.

“Luck was with me tonight. I’m very happy to be able to compete in Formula DRIFT this year. I’ve wanted to compete in the Series for so long,” said Daigo Saito, winner of Round 7: Title Fight and 2012 Formula DRIFT champion. “Thank you to Formula DRIFT and Achilles Tires. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help of everyone that helped me get to this point.”

Formula DRIFT enters its tenth season of competition in 2013. Tickets are on-sale currently and can be purchased through the Formula DRIFT website and Ticketmaster. Round 1: Streets of Long Beach will be held on April 12-13, 2013.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com

Formula DRIFT Professional Championship 2012 Final Point Standings
1. Saito, Daigo Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 548.50 Points
2. Gittin Jr., Vaughn Monster Energy / Falken Ford Mustang 529 Points
3. Millen, Rhys Hankook / Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Genesis Coupe 509.25 Points
4. Pawlak, Justin Falken Tire Ford Mustang 501 Points
5. Tuerck, Ryan Team Retaks Nissan 240SX 465.50 Points
6. Aasbo, Fredric Need for Speed / Papadakis Racing Scion tC 457.50 Points
7. Yoshihara, Daijiro America’s Tire / Falken Tire Nissan S13 426 Points
8. Gushi, Ken Greddy / Hankook Scion FR-S 379.50 Points
9. Grunewald, Conrad Hankook Chevrolet Camaro 359.75 Points
10. Powers, Matt Need for Speed / Nitto Nissan S14 358.50 Points
11. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z 347.25 Points
12. Essa, Michael GSR Autosport / Nitto BMW ZR4 321.50 Points
13. Nishida, Robbie Bridges Racing / Achilles Tire Lexus SC300 320.75 Points
14. McQuarrie, Tyler Mobil 1 Chevrolet Camaro 321.50 Points
15. Yoshioka, Toshiki RS*R Nissan S15 320.75 Points
16. Bakchis, Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis Motorsports Nissan 240SX S14 309 Points
Round 7: Title Fight Event Results
1. Saito, Daigo Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 Winner
2. Pawlak, Justin Falken Tire Ford Mustang Second Place
3. Tuerck, Ryan Team Retaks Nissan 240SX Third Place

ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT

Entering its tenth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver’s driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life and establishes itself as the world-wide leader for the Sport. For a competition schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.

ABOUT IMG SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment’s diverse businesses include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world’s largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year. More information is available at: www.imgworld.com.

Following phenomenal interest, the Juke-R has made the leap from one-off concept to road car. And it has also been digitally recreated and made accessible to millions as it is set to star alongside the Juke NISMO in the new Gameloft Asphalt 7: Heat mobile racing game.

Gameloft, a leading global publisher of digital and social games, has partnered with Nissan to give fans the chance to drive the hottest members of the Juke family on iOS and Android, smartphones and tablets.

Juke-R

The Juke-R story began when it was revealed for the first time as a one-off concept in January 2012 in Dubai. With the modified underpinnings of a GT-R under a muscular, re-sculpted Juke bodyshell, the R was like nothing else. A YouTube sensation, the Juke-R’s fan base grew exponentially – more than 5,000,000 views of Juke-R videos have been recorded to date.

And so the story of the production version began. Darren Cox, Brand Director Nissan in Europe, explains: “People loved the Juke-R in Dubai – we were receiving offers for the original concept on the street. We couldn’t disappoint such dedicated fans, so with three genuine offers on the table we made the commitment to build a limited run of Juke-Rs.”

Design and technical innovations

Work then started to transform the concept into a road car. Built by leading motorsports outfit RML with advice from Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTC-E), the Juke-R uses the Nissan GT-R supercar’s drivetrain and suspension along with an FIA-specification roll-cage.

Thanks to the expertise of NTC-E, the production version is more powerful than the concept, producing 545bhp from its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine. Thrilling performance is guaranteed, with 0-62mph estimated to take only 3.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 170mph.

In addition to these technical enhancements, Juke-R #001 also has a new look thanks to input from the experts at Nissan Design Europe in Paddington, London.

NDE’s Digital Team Manager Darryl Scriven explains: “The Juke-R’s bumpers and side sills were redesigned, which is normally a very long process using full size models in clay. However, we managed to condense the development time using full-size viewing on our new 3D-ready projector and power wall, maintaining a fully digital process while providing a true supercar quality finish.”

Design refinements include more definition for the front bumper and new carbon trim on the front and rear cooling vents and the rear aero diffuser, displaying the Juke-R’s pure performance DNA.

Juke NISMO

Featuring the same performance DNA that runs through Nissan’s competition cars, the Juke NISMO will introduce the Nissan Motorsport name to the European range early in 2013. Powered
by a 200PS version of Nissan’s 1.6-litre DIG-T petrol engine, the accessible performance model offers enhanced thrills without compromising efficiency.

Dynamic improvements and a superbly-equipped NISMO-trimmed cabin mean that the Juke NISMO will offer added excitement to the driver.

Drive Juke-R and Juke NISMO

Juke-R number #001 is now being delivered with production of #002 well underway. The exact price will depend on the precise specification requested by each buyer, but Juke-R starts from £400,000.

While only a handful of drivers will ever get behind the wheel of the ultra-exclusive flagship Juke, the spirit of driving excitement is far more accessible through the Juke NISMO, which goes on sale across Europe in early 2013 offering enhanced dynamics, performance and design.

Asphalt 7: Heat will be available to download before the end of the year from both Apple Store and Google Play.

Anyone wishing to get a real-life Juke-R in their garage can register an interest in purchasing Nissan’s most extreme crossover yet by emailing Juke-R@Nissan.co.uk. For further details on the Juke please visit www.facebook.com/NissanJukeOfficial.

Racers from 31 States, 16 countries already entered in Granddaddy of all desert races;
39 SCORE Trophy Trucks entered to date as race starts in Ensenada, finishes in La Paz, Mexico, Nov. 14-17;
Early prerunning for race down Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula started Friday

LOS ANGELES—Veteran Arizona desert racer Pete Sohren has received the first starting position during Saturday’s live drawing at the Off-Road Expo for November’s 45th running of the legendary Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race. While Sohren, who lives in Glendale, Ariz., will pilot his No. 2 Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy Truck, starting first among the motorcycle and ATV classes will be Chris Ridgway on a Honda CRF450X.
This year’s granddaddy of all desert races, the drawing for the mammoth finale of the five-race 2012 SCORE Desert Series was held in the unique SCOREville exhibit at this weekend’s Off-Road Expo at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.
The SCOREville exhibit in Building 6 at the Off-Road Expo is a salute to SCORE Baja Legends and the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame concludes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
A solid total of 210 vehicles officially entered in time for Saturday’s drawing for the legendary motorsports adventure down Mexico’s majestic Baja California, with race week festivities scheduled for Nov. 14-17. This year’s historic 45th anniversary race will run down the length of Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula. It will start in Ensenada, Baja California and finish in La Paz, Baja California Sur.
In addition to static displays of vintage and current desert racing vehicles along with autograph sessions with many of the stars of the sport, both past and present, this was the third time in race history and first since 2007 that the drawing was held at the popular Off-Road Expo
SCORE’s Sal Fish, CEO and president since soon after SCORE started in 1973, unveiled the official course map for the 1,121.55-mile race Saturday just prior to the start of the drawing.
With late entries accepted up until race morning, nearly 300 entries, from nearly 20 countries and 40 U.S. States, competing in 35 Pro and six Sportsman classes for cars, truck, motorcycles and ATVs are expected to compete in this year’s international adventure.
In addition to the 31 States represented on the entry list to date, racers have officially entered from 16 countries. In addition to the USA, entries so far have come from Austria, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway and the US Territory of Guam.
It’s the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a racer. Since 1967, the race has been run over the mysterious Baja California peninsula every year except 1974 when the international fuel crisis forced a cancellation.
This year’s race will start for the 38th time in Ensenada and finish in La Paz for the 19th time. Completing its 39th year as the world’s foremost desert racing sanctioning body, the event is the finale of the five-race 2012 SCORE Desert Series. The race will start on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the picturesque Bahia de Todos Santos in front of the iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada and finish on the outskirts of La Paz on Highway 1.
The motorcycle and ATV classes will start their journey at 6:30 a.m. (Thursday, Nov. 15) with the car and truck classes starting at approximately 11:30 a.m., or four hours after the last ATV leaves the line in the elapsed-time race.
The post-race awards celebration will be held on the malecon in La Paz on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
The featured SCORE Trophy Truck division for high-tech, 850-horsepower unlimited production trucks had 39 vehicles entered in time for Saturday’s start draw.
For the first time in race history, a female driver of record-Monica Greenhill of Crowley, Texas, will start first in the unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars. There were 19 Class 1 vehicles in the drawing.Greenhill, who also races with her husband David Greenhill and brother-in-law Mike Greenhill, is currently tied for third in the 2012 SCORE Class 1 season point standings.
Class 10 had 11 entries and among the motorcycle and ATV classes, Class 22 for open motorcycles has the most entries so far with 11.
Leading the six Sportsman classes in the race is Sportsman Motorcycle over 250cc which had 28 entries in the drawing.
This race also features the prestigious Sal Fish SCORE IronRider awards presented to each motorcycle and ATV rider who completes the entire course within the time limit while riding solo.
SCOREville at the Off-Road Expo will also includes a major display from the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame as well as a pictorial tribute timeline to the first 44 years of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 through the lenses of Trackside Photography. SCORE will also debut the official commemorative merchandise of the 45th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. SCOREville also features the SCOREville theatre showing numerous SCORE Baja 1000 race videos including the iconic 2004 film “Dust to Glory”.
The 2012 Lucas Oil Off-Road Expo Powered by General Tire is the greatest collection of off-road companies, parts, equipment, gear, and experts assembled in America with over 350 exhibitors. From off-road racing to rock crawling, trail riding to sand sports, motorcycles to ATV’s and camping to adventure travel, the event provides the unique opportunity to meet and talk with the most knowledgeable people in the off-road industry.
With a full weekend of excitement, event features include the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Exhibition Course, Toyota off-road test drives, Yamaha ATV/UTV Demo Track, High-flying Freestyle Motocross action, autograph sessions with off-road celebrities, the Overland Adventure Travel Pavilion, Miss Off-Road Expo Contest and live music all weekend on the Bud Light Entertainment Stage.
The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, located in Reno, Nev., includes SCORE’s Sal Fish as one of its legendary inductees. Rod Hall, the chairman of the ORMHOF is the only person who has raced in all 44 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 races and he has a race-record 21 class wins in the international motorsports extravaganza.
For more information regarding SCORE International and the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, visit www.score-internaitonal.com, for information on the Off-Road Expo visit www.offroadexpo.com and for more info on the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, please visit www.ormhof.org.
In addition to season class point championships, the racers are also competing for part of the nearly $400,000 in cash purse and contingency postings each race. Drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also attempting to earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all car and truck class drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 27th consecutive year, a total of 24 drivers are still in the hunt for the awards for the 2012 SCORE Desert Series after four rounds in the five-race series.
Racers are also competing for the annual SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year awards, including the MasterCraft Safety SCORE Rookie of the Year award. All categories, except Engine Builder and Original Buggy Chassis Manufacturer, will be determined by public on-line voting while Engine and Buggy awards are determined by season points.
Tecate Beer is the title sponsor of the three SCORE Baja races.
MasterCraft Safety is co-title sponsor of the MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.
Official Sponsors of the 45th SCORE Baja 1000 and the SCORE Desert Series are:
-Tecate Beer, Official Beer
-BFGoodrich Tires, Official Tire
-Graham Watchmakers, Official Timekeeper
-Red Bull, Official Energy Drink
-Volkswagen of America, Official Vehicle
-Sunoco Race Fuels, Official Race Fuel
-Coca-Cola, Official Soft Drink
-Slime, Official Tire Sealant
-Symons Ambulance Company, Official Ambulance
-Bullet Liner, Official Spray-On Bedliner
-Volaris Airlines, Official Airline
-Fox Car Rental, Official Rent-A-Car
-Lightforce Performance Lighting, Official Driving Light
-Maxtrax, Official Vehicle Recovery Device
-Azunia Tequila, Official Tequila
-Bilstein, Official Shock Absorber
-Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Official Mexican Auto Insurance
Additional SCORE Sponsors are – Baja California Sur Tourism, Proturismo Ensenada, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Blue C Advertising, SignPros, PCI Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

45th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
Nov. 14-17, 2012—Final round of five-race 2012 SCORE Desert Series
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico – 1,121.55 miles
TOTAL ENTRIES: 210 (31 States, 16 Countries) (as of 10/06/12)
PRO CARS & TRUCKS
SCORE TROPHY TRUCK (39)
2 Pete Sohren
93 Chris Kemp
20 Rob MacCachren
23 Daniel McMillin
12 Kory Scheeler
34 Ken Losch
97 B.J. Baldwin
1 Bryce Menzies
31 Andy McMillin
9 Mark Weyhrich
76 Jesse Jones
18 Juan C. Lopez
19 Tim Herbst
14 Cameron Steele
94 Steve Strobel
50 John Langley
88 Sergio Salgado
59 Craig Potts
26 Jay Reichert
73 Rob Reinertson
16 Cameron Steele
62 Billy Bunch
53 Jose Flores
84 Nick Vanderwey
13 Ed Stout
92 John Clark Gable
48 Jimmy Nuckles
21 Gus Vildosola
45 Gary Magness
10 Greg Nunley
37 Tommy Greer
49 Ryan Arciero
15 Armin Schwarz
3 Mark Post
57 Mike Palmer
77 Robby Gordon
71 Rick D. Johnson
39 Ron Whitton
60 Mike Voudouris

CLASS 1 (19)
101 Monica Greenhill
102 Ronny Wilson
103 Luke McMillin
104 Buddy Feldkamp
105 Tony Miglini
106 Clyde Stacy
107 Jon Walker
108 Brian Wyborny
109 Samuel Araiza
110 Josh Rigsby
111 Tom Koch
112 Brad Etter
113 Travis Chase
114 Erik Jacobs
115 Todd Tuls
116 Rudy Cortez
147 Patrick McCarthy
148 Cody Parkhouse
149 Cory Kruseman

CLASS 1/2-1600 (7)
1601 George Peters
1602 Brad Maurer
1603 Rob Archibald
1604 Arturo Velazco
1605 Hiram Duran
1606 Jesus Velez
1649 Eliseo Garcia

CLASS 3 (2)
300 Donald Moss
349 David Moore

CLASS 5 (5)
501 Sandy Hall
502 Drew Belk
503 Cody Kellogg
500 Kevin Carr
519 Vince Wavra

CLASS 5-1600 (3)
551 Erich Reisen
578 Trevor Anderson
579 Clyde Stacy

CLASS 6 (3)
617 Gavin Skilton
600 Heidi Steele
619 Eduardo Laguna

CLASS 7 (1)
700 Dan Chamlee

CLASS 7SX (2)
740 Elias Hanna
759 Justin Fisher

CLASS 8 (3)
801 Francisco Monroy
802 Alfredo Carballlo
839 Rodolfo Iribe

CLASS 10 (11)
1001 Cam Thieriot
1002 Mike Lawrence
1003 Chip Prescott
1004 Dean Grizzle
1005 John Martensen
1006 Ross Savage
1007 Peter Hajas
1008 Mark Lawrence
1009 Matt Cullen
1048 Lee Banning
1049 Rick Boyer

SCORE LITES (6)
1204 Brent Parkhouse
1202 Matt Drever
1201 Pedro Velasquez
1203 Juan Guillen
1248 Otoniel Huerta
1249 Moises Torres

CLASS 11 (3)
1101 Alfonso Lacarra
1102 Eric Solorzano
1149 Mark Murrell

STOCK MINI (2)
761 Andy Bell
762 Rod Hall

PROTRUCK (1)
1350 Chelsea Magness

CLASS 4 (3)
401 Mike Shaffer
402 Jim Kirby
439 Derek Fletcher

CLASS 7-2 (3)
721 Dave Sykes
720 Reid Rutherford
723 Riggs Lennon

CLASS 2 (1)
219 Clyde Stacy

BAJA CHALLENGE (2)
BC1 Steve Hilbert
BC2 Bud Brutsman

SCORE SUPER 8 TRUCK (1)
851 Bob Dixon

PRO MOTORCYCLES
CLASS 22 (11)
2x Chris Ridgway
3x Mark Samuels
4x Radek Burkat-S
5x Kurt Caselli
6x Warren Strange
8x Robby Bell
9x A.J. Stewart
7x Arik Swan
10x Jason Miller-S
1x Colton Udall
12x C.R. Gittere III-S

CLASS 20 (1)
179x Gabriel Williams-S

CLASS 21 (7)
101x Ulises Fierro
102x Megumi Shiono
103x Francisco Septien
104x Jim O’Neal
105x Yoshiaki Hoda
106x Aaron Lindsey-S
107x Brandon Prieto

CLASS 30 (4)
301x Francisco Arredondo
300x Mike Johnson
303x Ryan Gutile-S
349x Chris Parr-S

CLASS 40 (9)
400x Jeff Kaplan
401x Chuck Shortt
402x Larry Brown
403x Robert Creemers
404x Lloyd Andrew-S
405x Mike Prunty
406x Paul Thomas
407x Feisal Somji
408x Oscar Fazz

CLASS 50 (5)
501x Marc Prince
502x Dirk McFarlane
503x Robert Smith
548xMark Winkleman
549x Mark Jerman

CLASS 60 (1)
601x Al Perrett

PRO ATVS
CLASS 25 (4)
2a Brandon Brown
1a Wayne Matlock
4a Craig Christy
5a Charles Laviolette

CLASS 24 (2)
101a Nick Nelson
102a Shawn Robins

CLASS 26 (1)
219a Joe Rice

SPORTSMAN
SPT BUGGY (4)
1401 Todd Welling
1402 Robert Becker
1403 George Jackson
1449 Jim Bunn

SPT UTV (5)
1801 Douglas McCrady
1802 Chris Koch
1803 Thomas Graves
1804 Greg Row
1805 Dave Broome

SPT M/C 250< (6)
201x Brett Robinson
202x Darren Elia
203x Gregory Gilbert
204x Patrick Christensen
205x Philip Kegel-S
249x Mark Winkelman

SPT M/C 250> (28)
251x Yukio Higuchi-S
252x Tomoki Hayashi
253x Tetsuya Naito-S
254x Adrian Ruiz
255x Akiro Saito-S
256x Bill Baker
257x Matt DeVall-S
258x Christopher Amos
259x Robert Gumser
260x Carlos Sanchez
261x Hideki Sugiyama
262x Hideyuki Sumiyoshi
263x Kris Meeke-S
264x Tetsuya Hirasawa
265x Sebastien Bouchard-S
266x Olaf Satre
267x Kevin Murphy-S
268x Yuji Kikuchi
269x Gary Walker
270x Brady Sharp-S
271x David Haller-S
272x Naoki Kusano
273x Tibi Imbuzan-S
274x Ron Weinmeister
275x Yusuke Hino
276x Thierry Mas-S
277x Risto Niemi
278x Jeff Kawell-S

SPT ATV (5)
51a Dave McFarland
52a Juan Dominguez
53a Moises Saiza
54a Paul Engen
99a Daniel Montano
S-Indicates Solo Rider

Carrying a new, one-off livery to highlight the unveiling of the 2013 CBR1000RR Fireblade last Tuesday, Rea was fastest in the first free practice session this morning. However, provisional pole position was taken by Tom Sykes who is battling for the 2012 World Superbike championship title with Max Biaggi, who finished seventh fastest today.

Carlos Checa, Marco Melandria and Davide Giugliano took the other front row places, just ahead of Rea, whose Honda World Superbike team-mate, Hiroshi Aoyama finished in 18th place this afternoon.

Aoyama has never visited the 4.411km Magny-Cours circuit and the Japanes rider spent today’s two sessions learning its combination of fast, long straights, tight hairpins and technical chicanes.

Jonathan Rea– P5, 1m39.014s

I had a problem with my rear brake at the start of the afternoon session and we lost quite a lot of time but, all in all, today’s been OK. We had a very good rhythm this morning but, when we tried to improve the bike, we went the wrong way. Tomorrow we need to aim to improve the corner exit, which is where we’re really struggling. Also, turning in is a bit of a struggle but the bike is actually not so bad. We just need to sit down tonight and find a way to maximise the acceleration out of the slower corners here.

Hiroshi Aoyama– P18, 1m40.631s

It’s another difficult circuit for me. The track is quite technical, with fast straights and a combination of hairpins and chicanes. It’s quite difficult to learn and I have a lot to do. I think I can improve more on my side than by changing anything on the bike at the moment. Of course, we will try to adjust a little bit on the bike but I need to look at my riding to find a better way around the racetrack. I am reducing speed a little bit too much for the chicanes and I need to find a better line through so I can avoid slowing down so much and carry more speed.

Pieter Breddels– technical co-ordinator

Hiroshi was 18th which is not all bad considering he has never been here. We had some technical issues with his bike as well, which caused him some problems, so we need to look at that and look for a better setup. Jonathan was a strong first in the morning session with everything going smoothly. We didn’t really change that much for the afternoon, but we went away from this morning’s setup and it’s not clear whether this was the right way to go. We had some traffic and a problem with the rear brake so there’s a lot more to come tomorrow, I think.

2012 World Superbike championship – final round, Magny-Cours, France

First qualifying results:

1 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1m38.200s
2 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1m38.648s
3 Marco Melandri (ITA) BMW 1m38.742s
4 Davide Giugliano (ITA) Ducati 1m38.962
5 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Honda World Superbike Team 1m39.014s
6 Michel Fabrizio (ITA) BMW 1m39.139s
18 Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Honda World Superbike Team 1m40.631s