On a day when the history-making championship drama of the Lexmark Indy 300 ended after just 18 laps, Nelson Philippe (#4 CTE Racing – HVM Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) made some history of his own in winning his first Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford event.

Brazil: Saturday press conference
Q. Felipe, unlike your teammate, that looked to be a perfect three sessions for you, a little bit of a tow there for you from Nick Heidfeld at the end.

1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 19.722 96.015 12 65
2 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 19.740 95.927 11 58 -0.018 -0.018
3 16 Greg Biffle Ford 19.747 95.893 7 41 -0.025 -0.007

AutoRacingSport.com has learned from our sources that Scott Sharp is likely to move to Rahal Letterman Racing in 2007.  Apparently he will be bringing sponsorship to the team as well.

Brazilian Felipe Massa celebrated with unbridled joy after claiming pole position in his Ferrari for Sunday’s season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on his home city circuit at Interlagos.
But while he leapt from his car and punched the air, it was a different story for his retirement-bound Ferrari team-mate seven-times champion German Michael Schumacher.

Ron Dennis and his McLaren partner Mansour Ojjeh (both pictured right) went to Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart last Wednesday for a meeting with DaimlerChrysler bosses.
There were rumours that a deal has been struck to sell the remaining 60% of the business

Champ Car series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven dismissed the notion that the series and Indy Racing League are even remotely close to a merger.
“That whole thing got blown out of proportion,” Kalkhoven said Saturday at the Indy 300. “Tony and I talked, but there was nothing specific.”

Put driver Scott Riggs down as a “no” if you’re taking a survey of drivers who like NASCAR’s “car of tomorrow.”
“It’s rear wings and spoiler on a box,” Riggs said of the car that NASCAR plans to run in at least 16 Nextel Cup races next year.

Tony Stewart talked about getting into better physical condition after winning last year’s championship, and in the past month he has been working with a personal trainer who travels with him.
“I just got to the point where I said, ‘OK, I am going to do this,’”

NASCAR will make the transition to unleaded fuel one year earlier than previously announced as it plans to have all three series run almost the entire 2007 season on unleaded fuel.