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Jackson’s revved up for AmD debut race

2:40pm Tuesday 17th January 2012 in

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SOUTH Essex’s British Touring Car team AmD Tuning.com are geared up for the new season.

the Thurrock-based team have signed a new driver and both the pilot and the team are satisfied with their winter testing.

Ollie Jackson, 27, has been snapped up to drive the AmD VW Golf as the team embark on their third season in the BTCC.

he raced the last two rounds of the 2011 campaign and now has the bit between his teeth before the new season starts on March 31 at Brands Hatch. “After the two rounds last season in the Vectra, I knew the BTCC was where I wanted to be full-time in 2012 and I’m delighted that I’ve been able to agree a deal with AmD,” said Jackson, whose best finish last year for the Triple eight team was 11th.

“I’ve never had a full testing programme before the season started, so it’s good that I’ll be able to spend some meaningful time behind the wheel of the Golf, especially as I don’t have much experience of front-wheel drive.

“My initial aim is to see where I stand when we get to Brands Hatch and then make improvements and move forwards.

“However, the Golf is a proven car that showed good pace in 2011 and my target is to bring home top 10 finishes as the year goes on.

“The team has welcomed me onboard and I can’t wait to get started.”

Jackson, who lives in Norfolk but is originally from Reigate, Surrey, enjoyed success in Caterham racing before lifting the Pro-Am1 title in the Porsche Carrera Cup in 2010.

A switch to the British GT Championship followed last season, the highlight coming at Spa with victory in the GT4 class, before the move into touring cars for the rounds at Brands Hatch and Silverstone with Triple eight. AmD team principal Shaun Hollamby said. “Ollie impressed me last year with his performances in the Triple eight car when you consider that he hadn’t raced a front-wheel drive machine before.

“And I’m confident that he can help us take further steps forward and help us fight inside the top ten on a regular basis.

“We know we were down on power a little last year but I’m confident that the regulations will help with that this season, and with Ollie onboard, I’m looking forward to a successful 2012.”

AmD’s mechanics have made some tweaks to the Golf over the winter and hope the new BTCC regulations should equalise performance between the different turbo engines on the grid.

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<a href="http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/9475686.Jackson___s_revved_up_for_AmD_debut_race/tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/9475686.Jackson___s_revved_up_for_AmD_debut_race/Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:50:44 GMT”>Jackson’s revved up for AmD debut race (From Echo)

Looking back on the last 12 months there are a few people deserving of hero and villain status and a few we still can’t quite make our minds up about. Dany Bahar for instance. We’ll give him another year perhaps and, by then, it’ll probably be obvious which camp he belongs in. As compiled by Dan and Riggers here are a few to single out for special mention but we’re sure you’ve got your suggestions too – let us know!

Heroes:

Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli: Death used to be at the heart of motorsport but, bar events like the TT, is now rare enough in the mainstream to be of huge significance. And the four-wheeled and two-wheeled communities have had to deal with harsh reminders of exactly how high the stakes can still be, the dignified and heartfelt response to the very public deaths of Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncellia credit to all in the business.

Andreas Preuninger: the bittersweet sense that this was the end of an era was clear when Porsche GT cars boss Andreas Preuninger talked us round the GT3 RS 4.0. most pleasing was his shrugged “top speed is just a by-product” summary of what the improvements brought to the 4.0 and the implication that this wasn’t a car for those obsessed with vmax bragging rights. Hurrah for that.

McLaren and Ferrari: We all remember the great supercar rivalries – Testarossa versus Countach, F40 versus 959 but 2011 saw the beginning of one that could eclipse them all – 458 Italia and MP4-12C. the ideological differences twixt McLaren and Ferrari have fascinated us on the track for years but now that fight is on the road too. And though the Italia may have taken first blood you can be sure the McLaren will come back stronger and this one is going to run and run. It’s going to be great.

Derek Bell: As a man who has won Le Mans five times Derek Bell needs little to cement his ‘hero’ status. but after meeting him and his Porsche at Goodwood in November, the fact that he’s a thoroughly nice bloke, a genuine car guy, and is in possession of a rather fine Porsche 924 Carrera GTS merely confirms what we knew already.

the ACO and the FIA: after a long history of not really working together, the ACO (which regulates Le Mans and its associated series) and the FIA (which, er, regulates most other global motorsport) have finally decided to unite the rules for global sports car racing. the result? now there will be just two major series – the FIA World Endurance championship and the FIA GT World Championship. And we might just be about to see a new golden era of endurance motor racing. Here’s hoping…

Villains:

General Motors: GM succeeded in tragically misunderstanding and mismanaging Saab for more than a decade during its ownership of the quirky Swedish brand. And then even when it had got shot of Saab it caused the axe to fall on the company by blocking its sale to Chinese investors. the loss of Saab and its broad and often-unsung engineering prowess should be a blow to car lovers everywhere. And the responsibility for its demise lies largely at the General’s door.

the BBC and Sky: after more than two years of committed and impressive coverage of F1 – possibly the best coverage the sport has ever seen – the BBC backed away from the sport, making a deal with Sky for half the races to be broadcast on the satellite network from 2012 onwards. the result is that you’ll no longer be able to watch an entire F1 season without having to pay for the privilege. Shame.

Japanese Ferrari drivers: for doing nothing for the reputation of Ferrari drivers or, indeed, car lovers anywhere the idiots who managed to turn a matey supercar run into an object| of international ridicule. Not to mention for wrecking a load of really nice cars too. Thanks guys.

the Nurburgring management: It’s almost a year ago now that we reported on the troubles at the so-called NuroDisney leisure park that was built at the Nurburgring and it seems things aren’t getting any better, with the management appealing for a reduction in the lease and job losses threatened. the Nordschleife is still there of course but the magic of the place has been corrupted by greed and incompetence – a sad state of affairs.

<a href="http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=24944tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=24944Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:35:24 GMT”>PH HEROES AND VILLAINS OF 2011

Porsche has reportedly nixed talk of an entry-level Roadster this week. This news follows reports that parent Volkswagen has put its own version of the car on hold.

while Volkswagen appears concerned that it would not move enough of its Bluesport roadsters to justify production, Porsche seems worried that a more affordable and lower-powered car would damage the brand's image among its traditional buyers.

Speaking with German business paper Wirtschaftswoche this week, Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller said the company "may need to wait until the next generation of customers before the idea of a small Roadster will work for Porsche".

Porsche, like all of its Volkswagen Group stablemates, is pushing to double its current annual sales by 2018 – up from 110,000 in 2011.

An entry-level Roadster would help get the brand there, but profit margins are higher at the supersports end, and the brand is believed to be working on a new model that would slot in between the top-shelf 911 models and the upcoming 918 supercar.

Pulling platform and mechanical components from both the 911 and the Boxster and Cayman twins, the new model will reportedly be named the 961.

if the reports are true, the 961 will be the second Porsche to bear those numbers; the first being a racing version of the popular 959 (which started life as a rally project).

<a href="http://www.themotorreport.com.au/53293/porsche-buyers-dont-want-entry-level-roadster-reporttag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.themotorreport.com.au/53293/porsche-buyers-dont-want-entry-level-roadster-reportMon, 16 Jan 2012 22:42:37 GMT”>Porsche Boss Nixes Talk Of Small Roadster: Report

Next-generation roadster is more muscular, more distinctive and more fuel efficient

STUTTGART, Jan. 12, 2012 /CNW/ – Never before in the history of the Porsche Boxster has the mid-engined sports car been so comprehensively redesigned. the open-top two-seater, which will go on sale in Canada this summer, features a completely new lightweight body and a totally revamped chassis. Considerably lower weight, longer wheelbase, a wider track and larger wheels significantly enhance the Boxster's driving dynamics, which were already best in class.

In line with the Porsche Intelligent Performance development philosophy, the new Boxster models boast superior performance and are also up to 15 per cent more fuel-efficient than their predecessors; depending on the model, they consume significantly less than eight litres of fuel per 100 kilometres.

The new Boxster features fundamentally changed styling with shorter overhangs, a longer, more raked windscreen, sleeker silhouette and expressive edges. the electrically folding soft top has been completely redesigned and the tonneau cover has been eliminated. the redesigned interior offers occupants more space, with an elevated centre console.

Both the new Boxster and Boxster S are powered by efficient flat-six engines with direct fuel injection; their efficiency is further enhanced by electrical system recuperation, thermal management and an automatic start/stop function. the base model's new power unit delivers 265 hp from 2.7 litres – 10 hp more than its larger displacement predecessor. the 3.4-litre engine of the Boxster S now delivers 315 hp, five more than before. Both models feature a six-speed manual gearbox as standard with the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) available as an option.

Both sports cars achieve their best acceleration and fuel consumption with PDK. the Boxster sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and consumes just 7.7 L/100 km, while the Boxster S takes 5.0 seconds to reach 100 km/h and consumes 8.0 L/100 km.

To enhance driving dynamics yet further, Porsche offers a Sport Chrono Package as an option; it features dynamic transmission mounts for the first time. Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with mechanical rear axle differential lock is also available.

The next-generation Boxster will go on sale in Canada this summer at a base price of $56,500 for the Boxster and $69,500 for the Boxster S.

Note: Photos of the new Boxster are available to accredited journalists in the Porsche Press Database at http://presse.porsche.de.

<a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/546790tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/546790Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:08:27 GMT”>Porsche introduces all-new mid-engined Boxster

Unless you live somewhere east of New York, there’s still at least several hours left before December 23rd comes to an end.  but Google is eager to help everyone with kids get Christmas Eve off to a good start, and so the company’s put together lists of all the Santa-related treats its engineers have concocted or come across this year.

First, we’ll mention the Google Doodle you can already see.  Then there’s the option to send someone a personalized call from Santa, which our own Mike Sachoff covered earlier this month.  Just remember to come up with an explanation why Santa won’t hold an honest back-and-forth dialogue.

Next, in an email to WebProNews, a Google representative noted, "Starting tomorrow on Christmas Eve and visible throughout Christmas Day, the Street View feature in Google Maps will celebrate the holidays with a special Santa Pegman."

Then here’s another interesting idea: "Visit www.noradsanta.org to see Santa on Google Maps and in 3D on Google Earth.  You’ll also be able to watch 28 city-specific videos of Santa as he passes through various places on both www.noradsanta.org and www.youtube.com/noradtrackssanta."

Finally, if you really feel like verging on information overload, there’s a NORAD/Santa Facebook page and a Twitter account, and Google’s thought of a real-time search query users can run to keep track of all the updates.

Here’s wishing everybody a safe and happy Christmas Eve and Day.

<a href="http://www.webpronews.com/ea-freemium-25-million-2012-01tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.webpronews.com/ea-freemium-25-million-2012-01Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:54:50 GMT”>Google Prepares For Christmas With Array Of Easter Eggs