Jan Heylen gets Champ Car ride for rest of 2007

Jan Heylen, who was recently announced as a driver in the inaugural Champ Car World Series event at Zolder, has now also been confirmed to a race seat with Conquest Racing in all remaining Champ Car races in 2007, beginning with next weekend's event in Portland. Conquest Racing is owned and managed by fellow Belgian Eric Bachelart.

Mario Andretti will be Grand Marshal for Edmonton Grand Prix

Four-time Champ Car National Champion Mario Andretti will be grand marshal for the 2007 Edmonton Grand Prix and an honoured guest of the gala dinner on Saturday, July 21.

The announcement was made today by Jim Haskins, President and GM of the Edmonton event.

"It is an honour to have Mario Andretti take part in the Grand Prix of Edmonton. With wins at almost every form of auto racing, Mario is considered by many to be the greatest driver of all time. This year will be extremely memorable with Mario Andretti taking part in the event," says Haskins.

Mario won just about everything in his legendary career: the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, the Formula One World Championship and the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. He won the Champ Car National Championship four times and was a three-time winner at Sebring. He won races in sports cars, sprint cars and stock cars - on ovals, road courses, drag strips, on dirt and on pavement. He won at virtually every level of racing since he arrived in America from his native Italy at age 15.

"I'm delighted to have the opportunity to visit Edmonton, a Canadian city which has a long history in motorsport, dating back to the International Speedway and Speedway Park in the 40s and 50s. Just like champ cars, news travels fast about the race circuit; the reputation of the quality of racing and recognition of the competition has risen steadily. The Edmonton Grand Prix is highly regarded by the drivers as one of the best tracks on the circuit," says Andretti.

Mario took the checkered flag 111 times during his career - a career that stretched five decades. And he was competitive for all of those years: He was named Driver of the Year in three different decades (the 60s, 70s, 80s), Driver of the Quarter Century (in the 90s) and Driver of the Century in January 2000.

Gatorz signs Sam Hornish Jr. a new three year endorsement

IBF 1 Corp. and its subsidiary, Gatorz, is pleased to announce that Sam Hornish Jr. has signed a new three year endorsement contract and has agreed to join the Corporation's board of directors.

Gatorz is a private company, wholly owned by IBF 1 Corp. carrying on the business of designing, manufacturing, distributing and marketing aircraft brushed billet aluminum and plastic action performance eyewear, including sunglasses and accessories targeted to the auto racing, motorcycle, motocross, sky diving and other sports fans and enthusiasts.

Kerry Lynch, President of Gatorz said "We are pleased and proud to take our long standing endorsement relationship for our sunglasses with Sam, to the strategic level with such a fine outstanding person". Kerry added "Rarely does the brand footprint of a company and its corporate values dovetail with the values of a high profile and successful athlete as it does in this instance".

Gatorz eyewear products are marketed through traditional advertising channels as well as certain contractual endorsements by celebrity athletes including Marco and Michael Andretti, Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., and Alex Tagliani.

source: Gatorz

Champ Car Cancels the Denver Street Course Event

The Champ Car World Series announced today that they will cancel the event scheduled for August 15 in Denver. Champ Car cited scheduling conflicts with surrounding facilities as the primary reason for canceling the event. The street course event had surrounded the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver for the past five seasons.

The likelihood is strong that the event will not be held next year either, because Denver is playing host to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

This announcement reduces the schedule of events to 16 races this season.