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CHAMP CAR CANCELS PHOENIX EVENT AND OTHER RACING NEWS

CANCELLED: The Champ Car World Series round scheduled for the streets of Phoenix, Arizona, December 2 was officially cancelled after organizers could not generate enough corporate support to hold the event.

CHANGES: The Indy Car Series is planning several changes for its series and cars next year, including the introduction of a paddle-shift system and the possible implementation of power steering for road-racing events.

PORSCHE POWER: Porsche’s Cayenne engine will make its debut in the Grand American Rolex Series in the series finale at Miller Motorsports Park. The engine will power The Spirit of Daytona Fabcar wheeled by Guy Cosmo and Marc-Antoine Camirand.

INTERESTING DOUBLE: The ARCA RE/MAX Series completed an interesting Labor Day weekend double Monday. The series raced on the 1.25-mile superspeedway at Gateway International Raceway Friday, with rookie Bryan Clauson getting his first victory and hit the dirt Monday at the Duquoin (Illinois) State Fairgrounds. Ken Schrader was the winner at the one-mile dirt track.

A FUNNY CAR: Top Fuel drag racer Melanie Troxel will make the move to the Funny Car division next season, wheeling a second car out of Evan Knoll’s stable as a teammate to U.S. Nationals winner Mike Ashley.

NEW OWNERS: Arizona Diamondbacks executives Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel have purchased a controlling interest of the Hall of Fame Racing NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team owned by Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach.

TRAGEDY: Twenty-seven-year-old sprint-car racer Billy Kimmel was killed in a violent crash Sunday night at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway.

NUMBER ONE: Tony Schumacher used his sixth U.S. Nationals Top Fuel triumph to take advantage of a sub-par week by all of the drivers in the NSSN Power Rankings and jumped to the top of the standings. Lewis Hamilton ranks second.

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