Bob Barnard Track Engineering

The Rolex 24 hour at Daytona started yesterday with practice and qualifying, with the newly reshaped Daytona Prototypes, DPs. They look somewhat sleeker, but are unlikely to win over fans used to Audis and Peugeots. Ryan Dalziel took pole in the Starworks Ford ahead of the might of Suntrust and Ganassi, but only just. In the GT class it is Brumos Porsche ahead of 458 Ferrari and another Porsche, but all in the 1.49.3 bracket, so very close. It's a long race as they say in the classics, and we can watch on Speed at 2:30 EST. Look out for Alan McNish in that Starworks DP, quite a change from the R18!

Elsewhere the economic fallout continues for F1. We have seen the BBC basically giving back the F1 coverage as it could no longer afford it, and now Spain's broadcaster has done the same with just weeks to go to the first race. Joe Saward is continuing the rumors about the financial viability of Sahara Force India, and we know Williams are struggling on that front. And who would give HRT much hope? Add to all that the Valencia, Korea, Japan, Spa, Nurburgring, Hockenheim, France situation and it would seem Bernie and CVC might be facing a difficult time continuing with their money pit. Not to mention Melbourne. I and many others have long suggested that the current business model is unsustainable.

Rubens Barrichello is off testing and Indy Retirement League car. Good luck to him, why not join his other Brazilian mates.

So HRT have hired a whiz bang Hollywood creative guy to revamp their corporate imagery. Amazing. We cannot afford to build a new car for 2011, but we have money for some imagery, just so you can make believe you are going somewhere. Having a competitive car I would have thought would be the best corporate image.

NASCAR confirms that they are re-evaluating the point system to make it simpler. They have had this one since 1975 and I would have thought everyone would have understood it by now, everyone in the field gets points. Still they are continuing to think about fuel injection so I guess you should not rush these things. Maybe they are analysing the past five years and trying to come up with a points system that will stop Jimmie Johnson winning this year. All smacks of deckchairs on the Titanic.

Nice to see young American rider Kenny Noyes get a new ride in Moto2 for 2011. I admit to a bias, I knew his Dad Dennis well and he helped me a lot when I was in Spain with Kenny Roberts, so it will be good to see him with another chance. Kenny Noyes had an up and down year in 2010, so with a year's experience let's hope for big things in 2011.

This week sees the real start of the season with the Rolex 24 hour. Murphy The Bear has his punters guide and picks for the podium, so check it out at:

http://murphythebear.com/blog/index.php/2011/01/21/182-murphy%E2%80%99s-4th-annual-rolex-24-punter%E2%80%99s-guide-and-some-other-stuff/

Must be nearly New Year as the news has died down to a murmur. Just to give us hope, like the first flower poking through the snow, comes the news that the 2011 Ferrari monocoque has passed the crash test, so the new season must be getting close. The Rolex 24 hr is less than a month away, so we just have to hang in there. The Dakar starts Saturday, so there is another glimmer to maintain the faith. It's sad isn't it, we are just motorsport junkies. In the "good old days" we would have had the Tasman Series to keep us going through the dark days of winter.

At least I have a new track to keep my brain occupied, and it is a challenge. It is the old No Problems Raceway which was essentially a drag strip, which is now the "Circuit Grand Bayou" in Louisiana. So to wrap a track around the strip on a flat, narrow, long site and make it safe and fun. I am in mind to do something like the straights either side of the main stand in Malaysia, but still in full 'dream' mode, let it come.

Down to the last couple of chapters on the book, up to Daytona 2004, and 2011 could be busy so I need to finish it off.

Interesting to read that Team Lotus, or whoever they are, Mike Gascoyne's team, are building a wind tunnel. This is serious stuff and shows the level of commitment that Tony Fernandes is making to bring this team up to par with the big guys. I look forward to seeing the 2011 car with Renault power and Red Bull power train getting amongst the second half of the top teams. They have the drivers to do it.