Ralf Schumacher left Panasonic Toyota because of some reasons and he now plans to try his luck outside Toyota's roof. But then again, life must go on. The empty driver's seat left by Schumacher will be filled in by their new acquired driver Timo Glock who has officially signed with Toyota a few days ago. Toyota Motorsport GmbH confirmed that Timo Glock will race for Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2008 last weekend.

Timo Glock is the reigning GP2 Series champion. His career in the GP2 world was absolutely brilliant that's why it's a great move indeed for Toyota F1. Glock has signed a multi-year contract and hopefully, he could already join the test at Jerez on December 4-6.

Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina said www.motorsport.com: "It is with great pleasure that we confirm Timo Glock will race for Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2008. I am convinced Timo has the potential to help this team move forward and achieve its aims.

"Timo has great experience of motorsport in several different categories and he reinforced his reputation by winning the highly competitive GP2 Series, which we have already seen is fantastic preparation for Formula 1. He has demonstrated a fighting spirit and good race craft in GP2 so we believe he is the right man for the job."

Timo Glock said: "It's a great feeling to be a Formula 1 race driver again and I am really looking forward to this new challenge. I have worked hard over the past few years to get this opportunity and I must say I am grateful to Panasonic Toyota Racing for having faith in me.

"From what I have seen of the team at the track I am confident we will be able to work well together to move forward. Even though I have not raced in Formula 1 since 2004, I have tested quite regularly so I expect it will take very little time for me to get back in the groove.

"I have been lucky enough to race and succeed in several different championships in my career but my goal has always been to become a full-time Formula 1 race driver. I believe this experience has made me stronger as a driver and as a person.

"Of course, to return to Formula 1 racing as GP2 Series champion is a real honour and we've all seen how well Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have performed as champions so that is very encouraging. I hope I can also make a strong impression next season.

"Now I have achieved my goal of returning to Formula 1, my next target is to work towards making 2008 a successful season for myself and Panasonic Toyota Racing."

Nothing can compare to the happiness felt by Matt Kenseth right now! He made Ford Racing proud once again as he won and gave the team their fourth straight Ford 400 victory. Ford fanatics were astonished when Kenseth did nothing but dominate the race track since the flag was waved up to the final lap! The crowd went crazy in NASCAR Nextel Cup season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the last of Ford's Championship Weekend.

"I guess we had five really good runs to finish the year off and that feels good," said Kenseth. "We really ran strong throughout the chase. I think our performance obviously wasn't quite as good as the 48 [Jimmie Johnson} and maybe the 24 [Jeff Gordon] but I think our performance was as good or better than any other chase closing the season out, so it's pretty awesome to get up to fourth from where we were five weeks ago. Tonight we just had a dominant car."

Kenseth was also victorious in the NASCAR Busch Series race during earlier days where he grabbed third place. Co-Ford drivers Carl Edwards, Stephen Leicht, Greg  Biffle, Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Marcos Ambrose joined in the top 10.

What did racer Tonio Liuzzi think about the practice they had in India? Motorsport revealed the following information:

Tonio Liuzzi said regarding the test:

"I'm very satisfied of how the test went. In a day and a half we did lots of laps and I understood the car very well. Obviously it wasn't easy at the beginning, since the car was very different. Not only in terms of driveability but also in terms of driving position, steering assistance and all the "optionals" of a Formula One car."

"You need to adapt and I struggled a little bit at the beginning. The time we did was not the one we supposed to obtain, of course, that's why at the end I was very satisfied, because the team proved to be much more professional than what you think from the outside. It surprised me because they are hungry to do well, also thanks to the chances they have now with the new owner."

"They will do lots of steps forward, that's for sure. They will need time, because the team has already a quite solid structure in place, but the car can improve, seeing as it remained a little bit behind. They have very good engineers and there is a good feeling inside the team."

He also commented about the Force India car:

"I have to say there are some little flaws which make the car slower, but after very little time they are able to go one second-one second and a half faster, with little details such as the brakes, the steering assistance and so on. Little things which in the end make the difference, because they make the driver more confident with the car. This was the problem I had in adapting to the car."

Liuzzi continues to say something about driving without electronic aids:

"I have to say I enjoyed it very much, because the car is much more nervous. It's not more difficult to drive, but you have to pay more attention to avoid mistakes, while before the traction control concealed lots of faults in the setup and the driving style. Now you have to try and be much more delicate with the throttle, you have to pay attention because it's much easier to lose control of the rear. So it was much nicer for us drivers because it involves us a lot more."

Two of the closest rivals for the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship title recently
met at a press conference before the season finale race in Homestead-Miami Speedway. These two NASCAR drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are actually close friends and race under the same team - Hendrick Motorsports.
Team owner Rick Hendrick said during the press conference:
"Winning championships is what you work and plan for. You don't expect to accomplish it but you have to set your goals high. We have 95 people on the two teams and 70 of them work on the Gordon and Johnson cars. Everyone freely shares information, too. I want to stay abreast of things and I spend a lot of time with the crew chiefs. We try to look at the competition and identify where we may have shortcomings. Working with the people is easy for me to do."

Meanwhile, check out what the two title combatants said about the upcoming race and the battle for the championship title.

Jimmie Johnson:
"We will not do anything different for the race. Pushing the envelope would not be a smart move for us. In my heart, I believe we have a good shot at winning the race. I have studied them and learned a lot from them.  I have trained myself to watch and study my superiors, and it has helped me grow."

Jeff Gordon
"As bad as I want to win the championship, I will be thrilled if Jimmie (Johnson) wins it. I couldn't be more thrilled, and we won't hang our heads because of it. It has been a great year for us on and off the track, in reference to his becoming a first-time father. Winning the championship would not top becoming a first-time dad but a championship would put a cherry on top of an unbelievable year. Jimmie can flat-out drive, and I am now going to have to start learning from him. He's on top of his game, and he's the one that everyone aspires to be."

Well, just wait for the season finale race and see who will take home the 2007 NASCA Cup trophy! Make your bets. Johnson or Gordon?

Who wants to see Bernie Ecclestone resign? Say yes!

But before you can see the 77-year-old F1 ringmaster resign, you have to wish Lewis will be given the 2007 World Championship.

Do you think Kimi Raikkonen isn't fit to be the F1 Champ? Or better said, do you want a newbie like Hamilton to win the prestigious title?

On the first query, I think Raikkonen deserves the title. Though I'd like a McLaren driver to have it, still the Finn proved he has what it takes to be a Champ. On the second query, I'd say there's nothing wrong having a newbie win the title on his maiden season. It would only reflect how good he is on the track.

Ecclestone does not believe that Lewis Hamilton will be awarded the title at the FIA Court of Appeal meeting on Thursday. The 'cool fuel' saga will reach its conclusion in London after McLaren appealed the Interlagos Stewards' decision to clear Williams and BMW, reported Planet-F1.

Should the FIA Court rule in favor of the McLaren's Briton rookie, he could become this season's Champ.

Ecclestone is against such a decision since it would cause more harm to the sport's already tainted image. "I don't think that the Formula One fans would like a Championship to be won because the temperature of the fuel, which can't be measured anyway, is possibly 5C out," he explained.

He then joked that he would consider quitting if the Stewards' decision was reversed. "If anybody thinks that's the best thing for Formula One, then I'd have a very serious thought about me retiring."

In Brazil, he compared the fuel infringement to McLaren's tyre transgression. "I don't think anything's going to happen if it goes through," Ecclestone said. "In my opinion, they don't have to change the results of the race - it's an infringement of the regulations. On the same weekend, McLaren used an extra set of tyres, which they shouldn't have used - that was an infringement - so maybe if anything does happen at this Court of Appeal, maybe they'll treat it exactly the same as the tyres."

Jimmie Johnson is on the verge of clinching the 2007 NASCAR Cup Championship with his recent victory at Phoenix International Raceway for the Checker Auto Parts 500 race, the second to the last race of the 2007 NASCAR Cup season. Johnson was able to win the race as pole sitter Carl Edwards suffered from an engine problem and was forced to retire. Too bad for the Ford driver. Johnson now posted four straight wins son far. 

Johnson said after the race:
"I'm dumbfounded. I'm just as shocked as everyone [else] and couldn't be more proud of this race team. I'm just excited to do this for Rick for Hendrick Motorsports and all the hard work that goes into it. We're giving everybody something to cheer about and we're having a damn good time doing this. Everything just came together for us. We finally figured out what our car wanted, to roll the center a little bit better without sacrificing corner exit. So we were just coming into our groove, and circumstances on tires worked out and off we went."

Johnson is still on top of the championship standings with a total of 6572 and extended his lead over the other drivers.

Check out below for the result of the Checker Auto Parts 500 race.

1.     Jimmie Johnson      Chevrolet      
2.     Greg Biffle     Ford    
3.     Matt Kenseth     Ford    
4.     Tony Stewart     Chevrolet
5.     Ryan Newman     Dodge    
6.     Kevin Harvick     Chevrolet
7.     Martin Truex Jr.     Chevrolet    
8.     Kyle Busch     Chevrolet    
9.     Jeff Burton     Chevrolet    
10.     Jeff Gordon     Chevrolet    
11.     Clint Bowyer     Chevrolet    
12.     Kurt Busch     Dodge    
13.     Casey Mears     Chevrolet
14.     J.J. Yeley     Chevrolet
15.     Johnny Sauter     Chevrolet
16.     Denny Hamlin     Chevrolet
17.     Juan Montoya *     Dodge    
18.     Bobby Labonte     Dodge    
19.     Reed Sorenson     Dodge    
20.     David Stremme     Dodge    
21.     Brian Vickers     Toyota    
22.     Paul Menard *     Chevrolet
23.     Jamie McMurray     Ford    
24.     Robby Gordon     Ford    
25.     Sterling Marlin     Chevrolet    
26.     Aric Almirola     Chevrolet    
27.     Elliott Sadler     Dodge    
28.     David Gilliland     Ford    
29.     Kyle Petty     Dodge    
30.     Sam Hornish Jr.     Dodge    
31.     Dave Blaney     Toyota    
32.     David Ragan *     Ford    
33.     Patrick Carpentier     Dodge    
34.     Bill Elliott     Ford    
35.     Ricky Rudd     Ford    
36.     Johnny Benson     Toyota    
37.     Tony Raines     Chevrolet
DNF    Joe Nemechek     Chevrolet
DNF    Jeremy Mayfield     Chevrolet    
DNF    Kasey Kahne     Dodge    
DNF    Jacques Villeneuve     Toyota    
DNF    Carl Edwards     Ford    
DNF    Dale Earnhardt Jr.     Chevrolet    

Chase for the Championship standings:
 
1.      Jimmie Johnson      6572      
2.     Jeff Gordon     6486    
3.     Clint Bowyer     6331    
4.     Kyle Busch     6185    
5.     Tony Stewart     6169    
6.     Matt Kenseth     6103    
7.     Kevin Harvick     6093    
8.     Jeff Burton     6089    
9.     Carl Edwards     6067    
10.     Kurt Busch     6056    
11.     Martin Truex Jr.     6009    
12.     Denny Hamlin     5973    

After obtaining the NASCAR Busch Series championship last week, Ford driver Carl Edwards continued his success at the Phoenix International Raceway where he earned the Bud Pole for the upcoming Checker Auto Parts 500 race presented by Pennzoil. Edwards was followed by a bunch of Chevrolet driver including teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who won the previous race in Texas.

Edwards commented about his crew after the race:
"I told them after that lap, I said, 'That was a blast.' The guys did a great job with the car -- everybody. These cars of tomorrow have been a lot of work for everybody on our team, but they've stepped up and done a great job. Since we unloaded this thing has been fast, so I'm really proud of my guys."

Check out below for the starting lineup and the result of the qualifying race for the Checker Auto Parts 500 that will take place at the Phoenix International Raceway.

1.     99      Carl Edwards      Ford     
2.     1     Martin Truex Jr.     Chevrolet     
3.     24     Jeff Gordon     Chevrolet     
4.     18     J.J. Yeley     Chevrolet     
5.     70     Johnny Sauter     Chevrolet     
6.     48     Jimmie Johnson     Chevrolet
7.     16     Greg Biffle     Ford     
8.     96     Tony Raines     Chevrolet
9.     2     Kurt Busch     Dodge     
10.     9     Kasey Kahne     Dodge     
11.     25     Casey Mears     Chevrolet
12.     31     Jeff Burton     Chevrolet
13.     12     Ryan Newman     Dodge     
14.     42     Juan Montoya     Dodge     
15.     11     Denny Hamlin     Chevrolet
16.     19     Elliott Sadler     Dodge     
17.     22     Dave Blaney     Toyota     
18.     17     Matt Kenseth     Ford     
19.     15     Paul Menard     Chevrolet
20.     07     Clint Bowyer     Chevrolet
21.     20     Tony Stewart     Chevrolet
22.     83     Brian Vickers     Toyota     
23.     26     Jamie McMurray     Ford     
24.     10     Patrick Carpentier     Dodge     
25.     41     Reed Sorenson     Dodge     
26.     06     Sam Hornish Jr.     Dodge     
27.     127     Jacques Villeneuve     Toyota     
28.     01     Aric Almirola     Chevrolet
29.     109     Sterling Marlin     Chevrolet     
30.     36     Johnny Benson     Toyota     
31.     78     Joe Nemechek     Chevrolet
32.     43     Bobby Labonte     Dodge     
33.     88     Ricky Rudd     Ford     
34.     29     Kevin Harvick     Chevrolet     
35.     8     Dale Earnhardt Jr.     Chevrolet
36.     45     Kyle Petty     Dodge     
37.     40     David Stremme     Dodge     
38.     5     Kyle Busch     Chevrolet
39.     7     Robby Gordon     Ford     
40.     66     Jeremy Mayfield     Chevrolet     
41.     6     David Ragan+     Ford     
42.     38     David Gilliland     Ford     
43.     21     Bill Elliott     Ford                              
DNQ     55     Michael Waltrip     Toyota     
DNQ     84     A.J. Allmendinger     Toyota     
DNQ     4     Ward Burton     Chevrolet     
DNQ     49     John Andretti     Dodge     
DNQ     44     Dale Jarrett     Toyota