Autoblog

It's been a very long time since Jean Alesi has taken a title. Nineteen years, to be precise, when the French driver took the Formula 3000 championship for the second time. Over the course of thirteen years in Formula 1 and another five in DTM, Alesi has not taken the title home once. And after the inaugural Speedcar Series wrapped this weekend in Dubai, it was clear that it'll be at least one more year.

The Speedcar Series, for the uninitiated, is a circuit-based racing league that runs at events across Asia with 620hp 6-liter V8-powered stock cars. Most of the grid in this, its inaugural season, was composed of former F1 drivers looking to relive the glory days.

Somehow we doubt you had this one TiVo'd – unless you watch Al Jazeera Sports or ESPN Asia – but in case you were waiting for something (say, more geriatric has-beens to emerge from the woodwork), go no further. For everyone else, sleep well tonight knowing that Johnny Herbert ultimately took the crown after winning the final race in the series, beating out points leader Alesi who started the race in 14th place and mounted ambitious charge to the front resulting in a collision that took him out of the race. How about Jacques Villeneuve, who came to the series for two races to hone his stock-car skills against his former colleagues? He must have had Robert Duval on the radio yelling, "rubbin' is racin'!" as he slammed into everything on the track. Herbert, meanwhile, vows to defend his title next season as the pan-Asian Speedcar Series prepares to return.

[Source: Speedcar Series]

Who ever would have thought a Will Ferrell movie would ever be considered "prophetic," even jokingly? The absurd story of a French racing driver switching over from F1 to stock cars as the last remaining challenge is coming to life again and again. But unlike Jacques Villeneuve (or Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya), Jean Alesi isn't gunning for NASCAR. The former Formula One star is the first big name to sign on to the Speedcar Series.

The new racing league will pit 24 drivers against each other in identical 600-hp stock cars in 18 races over 9 weekends across Asia. We hope to get a glimpse at the cars in a few days when Alesi hits the Virginia International Raceway for the first test session on March 5-6. What we know now is that the specially-built cars will feature a tubular fiberglass chassis and power from 600-hp engines built in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The inaugural season of the Speedcar Series, which is backed by F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, kicks off in November and runs through April 2008.

[Source: Speedcar Series via F1-Live]