Sport: A1 Grand Prix - Formula 1 better get their act together

Well, just when I thought the whole universe revolved around Bernie Ecklestone's corporate creation, along comes something which smacks of the Formula 1 of old, real driver versus driver racing... bring on the new kid on the block:



You may be forgiven for wondering why a South African flag flies on this logo. The answer lies in the fact that A1 Grand Prix is something totally new: a world cup of open-wheel racing! Pitting nation against nation, this form of motorsport takes the best aspects from F1, IndyCar, and Go-Carting (as well as a pinch of Touring Car regulations), creating what can only be called a world first.



The new Lola A1 GP car is standard, making this a true test of one driver's skill against another's. Compared to Formula 1, these teams operate on a shoestring budget, but if Sunday's inaugural race at Brand's Hatch is anything to go by, all I can say is: "Formula One Beware!"

A good weekend for Brazil saw Nelson Piquet Jr take maximum points - but there are still 11 rounds to go in the series, which will resume on October 9th at the EuroSpeedway in Lausitz, Germany. It's all about this...



the A1 Grand Prix trophy. May the best nation win.

Literature: Homeland - A masterpiece from the author of the 'North & South' trilogy

"Thirteen year old Pauli Kroner travels from Berlin to join his uncle, a successful brewer, in America, firmly believing that the New World is indeed a 'land of opportunity'. But the country in which he arrives is one of turbulence: where political corruption is still rife and the true spirit of democracy and racial equality has yet to become a reality after the bloodshed of the Civil War..."

So reads the first paragraph of the dustcover of this, the first installment of 'The Crown Saga'. Every once in a while one comes across a book that affects one further than being a storyline or a tale. Author John Jakes has written a book that compares with the great epics such as James A. Michener's 'Hawaii'. I for one see the world with different eyes after reading this, what will for me remain, classic work set against the backdrop of 'turn of the century' America.

If ever there was a story illustrating the time, this book is it - delving into the issues of runaway unchecked capitalism, and a burgeoning imperialism that remains to this day. Certainly, this is a 'must read' for any lover of the historical epic. I look forward reading the sequel.