Finnish rally ace Mikko Hirvonen leaps to the top of our combined driver rankings chart at the end of March. So far a total of 91 drivers from NASCAR, FI, IRL, NHRA and WRC have qualified for inclusion in the ranking calculations with all series being represented in the Top 10 this month.

The Top 10 Drivers at the end of March 2008 are

1. Mikko Hirvonen (WRC)
2. Sebastian Loeb (WRC)
3. Lewis Hamilton (F1)
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR)
5. Greg Anderson (NHRA)
6. Tony Schumacher (NHRA)
7. Heki Kovalainen (F1)
8. Nick Heidfeld (F1)
9. Tony Stewart (NASCAR)
10. Scott Dixon (IRL)

Earlier thsi afternoon I read that sports car driver David Leslie and team owner Richard Lloyd had been killed in a light aircraft crash in southern England.

I saw David Leslie race in several single seater catergories at different tracks around the UK in the 1980s and was always impressed by his smooth racing lines. He moved into British Touring Cars full time in 1992 and seemed to find his niche. He was runner up in the 1999 British Touring Car Championship driving a Nissan Primera.

Richard Lloyd started off in the music business before launching his own motor sports based PR company while competing. He eventually stated several race teams but is best known for founding the Audi UK race team in British Touring Cars and the Bently Le Mans efforts. He was currently heading Jaguar’s development team.

The opening IRL race of the 2008 season was meant to be the start of the new era of US  open-wheel racing. Sure enough there were a few ex-Champ Car teams on the grid, but given the short amount of time they have had to prepare they weren’t really a factor. In short the start of this “new era” was pretty much the same as we’ve seen over the last few seasons.

The battle at the front was between the three power teams of Ganassi, Penske and Andretti-Green with Ganassi’s Scott Dixon ending up in victory lane with team mate Dan Wheldon being the star of the show with a charge up to third from the back of the grid. Marco Andretti drove with maturity beyond his 21 years to a solid second place.

Going back to the unification; while it was great to see a full grid of cars, would it have been better to wait a little longer, maybe even to the Indy 500 in may, for the ex-Champ Car teams to join in. having a team like Newman-Haas sidelined through a lack of spares is frankly ridiculous. And how can drivers like publicity stunt Milka Duno have a ride, while Sarah Fisher, Paul Tracy and many others sit on the sidelines?

Following quickly on the heels of last week’s incident packed season opener in Australia, today’s F1 Grand Prix in Malaysia was somewhat anti-climatic.  Following their 5 place grid penalty that placed them mid-pack the McLaren’s were never really in a position to threaten the Ferrari’s who, until Massa threw his car off the road, looked set for a 1-2 finish from the drop of the flag.

Perhaps championship considerations are already weighing on Lewis Hamilton’s mind as he seemed to drive a somewhat conservative race as if he was protecting points rather than going for places. Certainly not the hard charging Hamilton of the 2006 GP2 season, or even last year in F1. His cause was not helped by less than perfect pit work from the McLaren team either.

With  no real surprises, stand out performances or  incidents the race was hardly a classic. But having said that, the racing was a definite improvment that continues to reinforce the fact that without electronic driver aids the 2008 F1 car takes a real driver to be able to handle it on the edge.

A fact emphasized by the top three of Raikkonen (Ferrari), Kubica (BMW) and Kovalienen (McLaren), all who have proven car control skills.

Mike Hailwood is considered by some to be the most naturally talented motorcycle racer ever seen. He started racing bikes competitvely in 1957 and won his first Grand Prix just two years later. His first World Championship came in 1961 and was quickly followed by eight other World Championship titles in three different classes. In 1968 the Honda factory pulled out of motor cycle Grand Prix racing and effectively  paid Hailwood not to ride for any other team.

He switched to car racing, winning the Formula Two championship and quickly moving into Formula One. Although never winning a GP race “Mike The Bike” was a popular, brave and determined driver. He is perhaps best remembered in F1 for pulling fellow driver Clay Reggazoni out of a burning wreck at considerable risk. Hailwood retired from F1 in 1974 after being injured in a crash at the German GP. He had competed in 50 Grands Prix and scored 29 championship points. During his car racing career he also scored a podium finish at Le Mans.

In 1978 Hailwood returned to motorcycle racing for another attempt at the legendary TT race, which he promptly won - his 14th victory on the 37 mile mountain circuit. He returned for another year before finally retiring at the age of 39.

On March 23rd, 1981 Mike Hailwood and his young daughter were killed in their road car when a truck made an illegal U-turn in front of them.

I was lucky enough to meet “Mike The Bike” during his 1978 “comeback” year and he was the epitome of a gentleman, and despite his enormous successes and legendry reputation, had time to chat with a young awe-struck race fan like me. He was a true class act.

The Official Mike Hailwood website.