Weekend Menu - Week 23

Racing around the globe this weekend:

• Steam Packet National Races - Billown, Isle of Man (real road racing)
• Bombardier Learjet 550 - Texas Motor Speedway, TX (Indy Racing League)
• Grand Prix of Portland - Portland International Raceway, OR (ChampCar World Series)
• Champcar Atlantic Series - Portland International Raceway, OR
• Star Mazda - Portland International Raceway, OR
• V8 Supercars - Eastern Creek, Australia
• Pocono 500 - Pocono, PA (NASCAR Nextel Cup)
• Syrian International Rally - Sednaya, Syria (FIA Middle East Rally Championship)
• Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen - Watkins Glen, NY (Grand Am Rolex Sportscar Series)
• Rajd Polski - Mikolajki, Poland (FIA European Rally Championship)
• Spa 12 Hours - Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (Belcar)
• Federated Auto Parts 300 - Nashville Superspeedway, TN (NASCAR Busch Series)
• Grand Prix du Canada - Montreal, Canada (FIA Formula 1)
• Grand Prix of France - St. Jean d'Angely, France (FIM Motocross)
• Pocono 200 - Pocono, PA (ARCA / Remax Series)
• AMA Motocross - MX338, MA
• Grand Prix of Catalunya - Catalunya, Spain (MotoGP)
• DTM - Brands Hatch, England
• F3 Euroseries - Brands Hatch, England
• Formula BMW USA - Montreal, Canada
• Silverado 350k - Texas Motor Speedway, TX (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series)

Since I won't be able to do any WM posts whilst I'm gone, keep up with international racing at my racing calendar.

Off to Le Mans

This blog will be rather quiet until early July. On Monday I leave for France, where I'll be making my fourth trip to the Le Mans 24 Hours. After that we're spending a week in the Loire and another week in the Dordogne.

Unfortunately the weather forecast for the race is really rather crappy, so my fingers are very crossed that it improves in the next few days. Some showers could shake things up a bit, but we certainly don't want another 2001 or 1995. That would make my merguez soggy.

Last year I wrote a very comprehensive preview to the Le Mans 24, but this year I've seen so many equally good previews that I'd just like to point you in the direction of The-Paddock.net's Le Mans preview.

TT crashwatch

It was looking like a rather tame Isle of Man TT this year. No serious crashes, no deaths, just good hard racing. Until Tuesday, that is. Former Production class winner and fast-talking New Zealander Shaun Harris had a big accident in the Superstock race and is currently in critical condition. The good news is that he has survived one surgery already, and it sounds like his major injuries are not brain-related, unlike the two riders who died last year of head traumas.

UPDATE ON FRIDAY: A crash in today's Senior TT claimed the life on one rider and two spectators. No-one has been named yet. Two additional spectators are in serious condition. The accident happened on the mountain at the 26th milestone. I have to say that the death of a rider is always tragic, but when spectators are also killed it is so much worse. Yes, we as spectators are always warned "Motorsport is Dangerous" by those stern signs at racing events worldwide, but it is still absolutely awful when spectators die.

Animal invasion at the WRC

Did anyone else catch this on Day 2 of the WRC Acropolis Rally? Very bizarre - a German Shephard just saunters through the Subaru service area...

Weekend Menu - Week 22

Here's what's on this weekend:

• Rally of Canberra - Canberra, Australia (Australian and FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championships)
• AMA Supermoto - Columbus, OH
• British Touring Cars - Croft, England
• Porsche Carrera Cup GB - Croft, England
• Formula Renault UK - Croft, England
• AAA Insurance 200 - Dover, DE (NASCAR Craftsman Trucks)
• Stonebridge Racing.com 200 - Dover, DE (NASCAR Busch Series)
• Neighborhood Excellence 400 - Dover, DE (NASCAR Nextel Cup)
• Tecate Baja 500 - Ensendad, Mexico (SCORE Off-Road Racing)
• Japanese Le Mans Challenge - Fuji, Japan
• World Series by Renault - Hungaroring, Hungary
• Prairie Meadows 250 - Iowa Speedway, IA (ARCA / Remax Series)
• Swedish Touring Cars - Karlskoga, Sweden
• Acropolis Rally - Lamia, Greece (WRC and P-WRC)
• ABC Supply Company AJ Foyt 225 - Milwaukee Mile, WI (Indy Racing League)
• Indy Pro Series - Milwaukee Mile, WI
• MotoGP - Mugello, Italy
• Isle of Man TT - Mountain Course, Isle of Man
• World Touring Car Championship - Pau, France
• AMA Superbike - Road America, WI
• British GT - Snetterton, England
• British F3 - Snetterton, England
• World Supermoto Championship - Villars, France
• Susquehannock Trail Rally - Wellsboro, PA (Rally America)

Also worth noting: this weekend features the Test Day for the Le Mans 24 Hours.