NOVEMBER 21, 2005

Action here and there

Formula 1 might be in a quiet period at the moment but racing is still going on here and there with the FIA World Touring Car Championship being decided at the weekend in Macau. The final race of the new championship resulted in BMW driver Andy Priaulx becoming the champion when his rival Dirk Muller crashed his BMW. BMW claimed the Manfacturers' Championship ahead of Alfa Romeo. Priaulx is the first man to hold the WTCC title since Robert Ravaglia won that honour back in 1987 when a World Championship was run for a single year.

In the big Formula 3 event at Macau victory went to Brazilian Lucas di Grassi in his Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes. The 21-year-old held off a concerted attack from Poland's Robert Kubica (Dallara-Mugen-Honda) while BMW protege Sebastian Vettel came home third in his ASM Dallara-Mercedes. Pole position man Loic Duval blew his chances when he jumped the start and was given a drive-through penalty.

In Sepang, Malaysia the A1 Grand Prix series held its fifth race meeting but the story was much the same with the French team - represented on this occasion by Alexandre Premat, winning both events. France - with its cars prepared by DAMS and driven alternately by Premat and Nicolas Lapierre - has won eight of the 10 races to date. The series now moves to Dubai on December 11. France has a dominant lead in the championship with 92 points to Switzerland's 65. The Swiss team is also run by DAMS.

And in Florida the NASCAR Nextel Cup came to an end with Tony Stewart winning his second title in his Home Depot-sponsored Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet. Stewart won his first title in 2002.