Happy Birthday today to legendary NASCAR owner Richard Childress (born 9/21/45)

former two-times Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk (born 9/21/53)

and current IRL driver Tomas Scheckter (born 9/21/80)

Saturday 23rd September.

• NASCAR: Busch Series – Dover DL (TNT)
• NASCAR: Craftsman Truck Series –  Las Vegas NV (SPEED TV)

Sunday, 24th September

• NHRA: Drag Racing – Dallas TX (ESPN 2)
• NASCAR: Nextel Cup – Dover DL. (TNT)
• CHAMP CAR:- Elkhart Lake WI (SPEED TV)
• WRC: Cyprus Rally

 American Grand Prix drivers have been a relatively rare breed over the years, and winners even more scarce. Hollywood born Ritchie Ginther arguably the most overlooked of that select club as he rose to prominence around the same time that Phil Hill was becoming the first American born World Champion.

Ginther made his F1 debut at the 1960 Monaco GP driving for Ferrari who he stayed with through 1961. In 1962 he switched to the British based BRM team to race alongside Graham Hill the highlight of which was a second place in the 1963 World Championship. His reputation as a solid “team player” and excellent test and development driver earned him an invitation to join the works Honda F1 team for 1965 for whom he scored his one and only GP win at Mexico City. (as seen in this Honda promotional film)

He appeared in an unaccredited role in the 1966 movie “Grand Prix” as John Hogarth a driver in the Japanese funded “Yamura” team. He also acted as one of the technical  racing advisors for the movie.

While making an attempt to qualify for the 1967 Indy 500, Ginther decided he’d had enough and walked away from racing. Sadly he died of a heart attack while on vacation with his family in France on September 20th 1989 at 59 years of age.

Happy Birthday to the former Indy 500 winner, Champ Car champion, ex F1 star, and currently benched would-be NASCAR driver, Juan Pablo Montoya (born 9/20/75). I’ve always enjoyed watching JPM race after I first saw him in a F3 car back in 1995; can’t wait to see how he fares among the NASCAR boys in Nextel Cup.

After all the publicity and strident ruling from the FIA that no single country will be allowed to host two Grands Prix in a single season any more, it seems that as soon as the rule is set, it’s broken.

Germany agreed to drop the European GP and alternate its race between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, and Italy lost the Imola hosted San Marino GP in favor of keeping its national race at Monza – But…

The BBC  is now reporting that  ”Imola’s chances of continuing to stage F1’s San Marino Grand Prix have been boosted by news that redevelopment work will start at the track on 4 October.  The circuit is hoping to host the extra grand prix added to the F1 calendar this week when it was expanded from 17 to 18 races for the 2007 season. No race is currently scheduled for the last weekend in April. The Italian government said the aim was for “the grand prix to be held on 29 April 2007 and in following years”.