MOTORSPORT: Armchair viewing only for starters

After all, there's lots to look forward to: how Team Vodafone/Triple Eight Race Engineering adapts in its switch to Holdens for the champion of the past two years, Jamie Whincup, and Craig Lowndes; how Toll Holden Racing Team backs up from last year's teams championship victory; whether Garth Tander or Will Davison will be its top dog; and whether -- despite its depleted numbers -- Ford can spring a surprise race victory, especially after all Holden motorsport manager Simon McNamara's boasts over the off-season.

There is a hard core of fans for V8 Supercar racing that should ensure a sizeable Australian audience for the delayed telecasts, but how sizeable, we'll be keen to see -- and whether there is any discernible impact from the new Pink TV advertisement (although it probably will be too early to discern).

There is a sense of this championship starting in a vacuum with the first two rounds in the Middle East -- the second in Bahrain next weekend. While some Australian fans are miffed at the series starting overseas, we have said here before that if the pots of gold from racing in such out of the way places underpin its financial viability for the season -- and beyond - then it's no bad thing.

And they are two fabulous circuits. Forget the desolation beyond the bitumen and grandstands, the Bahrain telecast has been a favourite of this author's in recent years, and hopefully Abu Dhabi matches or even surpasses it.

In the minds of many, though, Adelaide's Clipsal 500 next month may remain the effective start of the championship, although by then the teams and drivers won't be on a level playing field points-wise.

With the West Australian round now seemingly irreversibly off this year, here's the championship calendar:

February 18-20 - Yas V8 400, Abu Dhabi
February 25-27 - Desert 400, Bahrain
March 11- 14 - Clipsal 500, Adelaide
April 16-18 - ITM 400, Hamilton, New Zealand
April 30-May 2 - City of Ipswich 300
May 14-16 - Winton Motor Raceway, Victoria
June 18-20 -- SkyCity Triple Crown, Darwin
July 9-11 - Armor All Townsville 400
September 10-12 - L&H 500 Phillip Island, Victoria
October 7-10 - Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
October 22-24 - Gold Coast SuperCarnivale
November 12-14 - Falken Tasmania Challenge, Symmons Plains, Launceston
November 19-21 - Norton 360 Sandown Challenge, Melbourne
December 3-5 - Sydney Telstra 500

(The V8 Supercar races at Melbourne's Australian Grand Prix from March 25-28 are non-championship)

While there has not yet been an official announcement, speculation is hot that Charlotte-based USF1 will not only miss the first three rounds of the F1 world championship but the season -- and that may spell the end of it. Peter Windsor, the British journalist and TV commentator who grew up in Australia and was the co-founder of the project with American engineer Ken Anderson, is reported to have confirmed, tearfully, the news to the one driver the team had signed, Argentinian Jose Maria Lopez.

Adam Cooper has reported on America's SpeedTV.com that "the Argentine government was among Lopez's backers, and had reportedly already paid nearly US$900,000 of a promised US$2 million".

It had already been reported that USF1 had lost its head of business development, Brian Bonner, and now it seems that Youtube founder and chief executive Chad Hurley wants to take his support to a more established team.

Lopez is said to be chasing the vacant second seat with new Spanish team Campos Meta, where major shareholder Jose Ramon Carabante appears to have come to the rescue as it tries to get to the grid for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in mid-March. Geoff Willis, formerly of Williams, Honda and Red Bull Racing, has become a technical consultant to the team. Campos Meta's only named driver so far is Brazilian Bruno Senna, nephew of late triple world champion Ayrton Senna.

Meanwhile, Rubens Barrichello was quickest in last night's Jerez testing in a Williams-Cosworth, while Heikki Kovalainen crashed the new Lotus. Sebastian Vettel topped the timesheets the previous day in the Red Bull RB6, and Australia's Mark Webber may get his turn in the car tonight.

Teams are lobbying for an extra day of pre-season testing now, probably in Barcelona, because of the time lost this week.

Webber is pleased with the Adrian Newey-designed, Renault-powered RB6 -- and we discovered, from the Daily Mail in London, that he's also very happy with his fleet of four road cars - a Porsche 911, BMW X5, Nissan Navara and Renault Mégane Renaultsport 250.

Out-of-work Atko plays team game
A World Rally Championship drive did not eventuate for Australia's Chris Atkinson this season, but he remains hopeful for next year -- and in the meantime has pledged to assist American Ken Block, to whom he had hoped to be teammate already. Block will make his WRC debut at Rally Mexico early next month.

Atkinson had been expected for much of last year to be in a sister Ford Focus RS WRC 08 for the Monster World Rally Team. While that has not happened, the ex-Subaru factory team driver has said he will now do all he can to help 42-year-old Block this year.

"I think I can offer some help to Ken -- he's quite good at listening and learning," Atkinson told Autosport.com.

"He really takes things in. Some drivers just don't, but Ken accepts he's got to learn -- and that's going to be one of his big strengths."

On joining Block in the team next year, Atkinson said: "I think so. They're a long way away from next year and it's probably the furthest thing from their mind at the moment, but there were discussions about that -- and I still think they want to make it into a bigger team that can make it onto the podium. There are only a few drivers who can do that right now, but I'm confident we can make it to the podium and do it regularly."

Something entirely different for IndyCar
Something weird and whacky to finish on today ... the DeltaWing concept car revealed at this month's Chicago Auto Show. Designed for a consortium including top American team owner Chip Ganassi, of Indy racing fame and entrant of last weekend's Datyona 500-winning NASCAR, and with Roger Penske reportedly involved as well, there's an outside chance it could become the IndyCar of 2012.

The triangular "Batmobile" has a narrow front wheel track, a long nose resembling a fighter jet, a sportscar-looking rear end with an aeroplane-style tail. It is the "baby" of Ben Bowlby, a British engineer, a former Lola designer and long associated with Ganassi.

The Indy Racing League is to decide this year on a new exclusive car supplier from 2012. Dallara has had the contract since 2003 and will be a contender again, along with Lola and Swift. Indianapolis-based DeltaWing claims to offer an alternative -- that it can be built by anyone and accommodate a variety of engines.

"It is a concept, not a car," Ganassi said.

The first DeltaWing is due to be tested in August and what Ganassi particularly likes about it is that it will have more room for sponsor livery! SpeedTV.com has an interview with Bowlby and DeltaWing's own website has a simulation on the Long Beach street circuit.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi