20th - 26th September (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545)
DTM - LIVEThe fastest tin-top series in the world returns this weekend as the DTM travels to Barcelona for round nine of the campaign where it’s make-or-break time in the championship battle. With only two races remaining after their Cataluña jaunt, British title protagonists Jamie Green and Paul Di Resta will be on the hunt for more points as the pair bid to follow in the footsteps of fellow countryman Gary Paffett who won the championship back in 2005.
DTM, Round 9, BarcelonaSunday, 21st September, 12:45 - LIVEF3 EUROSERIES - DELAYED-AS-LIVE
Few junior categories can boast as impressive array of graduates as the F3 Euroseries in recent years. A CV that reads like a who’s who of current F1 drivers including Britain’s Lewis Hamilton who took the overall spoils back in 2005 has to be worth a look for those in the business of spotting the stars of tomorrow. Former A1GP Germany champion and Williams tester Nico Hulkenburg heads the cast of aspiring stars with their eyes firmly set on breaking into the big-time. He’ll be bidding to maintain his title aspirations as the series visits Barcelona for round eight of the championship where a host of impressive British hopefuls will be trying to stop him.
F3 Euroseries, Round 8, BarcelonaSunday, 21st September, 07:30 – DELAYED-AS-LIVE
WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
They say that most athletes reach their physical and mental peak just before their 30’s, that the body and mind begins to deteriorate after that milestone. Well whoever came up with that statistic obviously failed to consult the World Superbike brigade. At an age when a Saga Holiday deal seems more appealing than hurtling around the world’s race circuits, these lads are still fighting tooth and nail at speeds approaching 200mph with nothing more than cowhide to protect their semi-arthritic limbs. At 39, Troy Bayliss is a veritable pensioner in motor sport circles. He should be old enough to know better but has turned back the clock this season to firmly establish himself at the top of the standings as he bids for a third world title. And he’s not exactly the exception to the rule either. Fellow championship protagonists Max Biaggi and Troy Corser will both be 37 by the end of the year and will need to be at their very best if they’re to stop Bayliss in Vallelunga.
World Superbike Championship, Round 12, VallelungaThursday, 25th September, 21:00 INDY LIGHTSThe final round of the Indy Lights season comes from Chicagoland Speedway where only three points separate the two title-protagonists Raphael Matos and Richard Antinucci. The pair have been almost inseparable all year long and with Britain’s Dillon Battistini having slipped to fifth overall after a dismal weekend at Infineon Raceway last time out, it’s now between two for the spoils. A seat in the IndyCar Series, America’s most prestigious open-wheel category, is a virtual guarantee for the victor so both men will be giving it their all in this championship decider.
Indy Lights, Round 16, ChicagolandSaturday, 20th September, 22:00 EUROPEAN DRIFT CHAMPIONSHIP
You might have thought those anti-social yobs wheel-spinning away from the lights or tearing around supermarket car-parks would never amount to much. But you’d be wrong. Turns out those automotive ASBO’s were worth it all along because now they’ve somewhere to showcase their “talent”. Drifting, as it’s become known, has taken off in a big way in the last decade. After originating in Japan and crossing the Pacific to the US where the sport has grown rapidly, especially after the success of the "Fast and the Furious" movie franchise, it was perhaps only right that Europe join the party. Round five of the six “race” championship comes from Silverstone where the tarmac terrorists will be slipping and sliding their way around the Northamptonshire circuit trying to impress the judges and crowd alike.
European Drift Championship, Round 5, SilverstoneFriday, 26th September, 20:30EUROPEAN TRACTOR PULLING - PART 1After the unprecedented success of the Danish Championship coverage, Motors TV turns its attention to the European Tractor Pulling season with this the first of a two-part programme following the exploits of Europe’s finest, if not only, agricultural sports stars. Expect regional accents aplenty as the championship travels across the continent in search of 2008’s top pullers.
European Tractor Pulling, Part 1Thursday, 25th September, 19:00
